Almarine

[BN]

John Neate designed and built these little boats, based in Diss, Norfolk, called the Seafire, Spitfire, Meteor and I think Apollo, plus Javelin. Any information on them please put it here. It may require a web site later if I collect enough data, which I may because I now have a rather unusual one. It is a Spitfire with a jet unit, but in fact the Meteor was the jet officially. Mine must have been built as a jet, because the hull is formed to fit the UA jet and had a Rotax 363 engine and the gel coat is original. It currently sports a Yamaha 125cc scooter engine, but that will be replaced back to the Rotax.

Almarine was in fact Alma Components and Almarine.

Alma Components arrived in Diss in 1959, Jim Price and Bob Mann formed the Alma Components company, finding land in Park Road, Diss, in 1959 to build their factory and officially moving to the town in 1960.

They expanded to employ over 300 people at its height and became a world leader in its field, making wirewound resistors and then reed switches and even buttons for the very first cash point machines. The business was taken over by and American company, Hamlin Electronics in 1976, which must have been the time that the Almarine ceased?

Almarine was wound up on the 17th July 1978, so the last boat is most likely to be a 1977.The orginal factory was demolished in 2007.

[innermist]

Well done Brian, good and accurate info on Alma Components you have managed to find..I'll try to fill in a few gaps...John Neate had moved to Diss in the late 1960's and had designed and built the 9 foot Spitfire, outboard and jet versions. His company ran into difficulties around 1971/1972 and my father's and Doug Bartlett's company, [Bob Mann had left by then to start up in competition as Mann Components] Alma Components agreed to take over John Neate's company, as it owed Alma Components money for electronics development for the water jet Spitfire, and move it to a purpose built factory unit in the grounds of Alma Components. John Neate redesigned the Spitfire, and Almarine produced these new boats the Seafire and it's water jet sister the Meteor. I don't know if the water jet version of the Spitfire had it's own name. While at Almarine John also designed a much bigger boat, the Javelin, which had an inboard Mercruiser engine, and was around 18 feet long. As far as I know it didn't make it into production. Almarine licenced an American company, Link Leisure, to produce Seafires and Meteors in America for the American market. John Neate left Almarine to move to America and work with Link Leisure, which due to under investment only lasted a couple of years. John then stayed in the States and worked for Shell in their new department researching composite materials for, amongst others, the aeronautical and car industries. He retired last year and will be moving back to the UK in 2014. He was recently surprised to find so much interest in the boats he produced and left behind over thirty years ago....

[BN]

Hi welcome to the forum and thank you for that detail, which is very important and interesting. I really do have a feeling that the boat I have is a very early model because of the deck and the jet unit fitting, but with a little more research, your help and John Neates, I think we can make the little boats famous again. Ironically I worked with Shell until 2 years ago, what a small world?

[BN]

The Almarine site is doing fantastically. We are even planning an event in Guernsey now for the gathering of the boats next year.