ABOUT US

The company Windermere Lake Holidays Afloat Ltd was founded in 1952 by Ted Rothwell. Ted recently married and re located from Liverpool was employed by his in laws to manage a small hotel “ Lingmoor” on the shores of Windermere at Waterhead. With the financial help of one of the regular guests the first boat was purchased, a Dauntless Class wooden clinker built 20ft two berth sailing cruiser. The boat was aptly named “ June” after his new wife and was initially offered to hotel guests and was operated from the hotel’s shared jetty. A second Dauntless “Serena” swiftly followed and an agreement to operate the boats from Wray Castle Harbour on the western shore of the lake was established. Although an idyllic location getting clients to their boats was difficult and the simplest of repairs was problematic.

New premises were acquired and the hire fleet, now four boats were re located to what was known as Harry Breakers Boatbuilders (now Boardwalk Bar and Restaurant) in Bowness Bay. This was the making of the business and to compliment the weekly holiday boats a fleet of 15ft clinker built boats were introduced for hourly hire. Licensing and annual surveys for hire boats where imposed by the local council and this saw a rapid change from wood to glass reinforced plastic (GRP) boats in the late 60’s and early 70’s transforming the fleet and the long association with the French boatbuilder Jeanneau was established.

Ted Rothwell’s son Tony who had joined the company full time in 1964 was appointed Managing Director in 1978 allowing Ted to pursue his other business interests. In 1980 the recently built Shepherds Complex came up for sale and was acquired by an association of local business operators. WLHA acquired the lake frontage and the long established Shepherds Boatbuilders business and later in 1985 expanded to purchase the boat sales and chandlery side of Shepherds business. This included dealership agreements with Fletcher, Dell Quay Dory, Shetland, Zodiac and Drascombe boats alongside Evinrude and Mercury/Mercruiser marine engines.

The Holidays Afloat fleet and the recently acquired Shepherds sales and service were operated side by side until 1990 when the decision was made to offer the original Bowness Bay premises for sale at auction with the option to buy the Holidays Afloat fleet of by now thirteen motor and sailing cruisers. This option was taken up and it was natural for the company name Windermere Lake Holidays Afloat Ltd to go with the new owners. A name change was made using the historic name of Shepherds Windermere Ltd.

The new operation without the holiday fleet allowed the company to concentrate on retail sales with an additional sales and service operation at Windermere Marina Village and with the 10 knot speed limit being enforced, a sales office at Liverpool Marina. Jeanneau yachts, Four Winns sports boats, Sealine sports cruisers and Volvo Penta were now the main dealerships. Sales were strong and Shepherds was now supplying boats not only onto Windermere but throughout Europe and beyond. Shepherds became Sealine’s longest established dealer and many of these boats can still be seen plying the waters of Windermere today.

A combination of ill health and poor trading were the deciding factor for Tony to sell the Shepherds boat sales business in 2012 whilst maintaining the fleet of electric day boats and lake frontage marina in Bowness Bay. The Shepherds name now nationally well known and well regarded had to go with the boat sales business. A second name change was now necessary and the company became Bowness Bay Marina Ltd trading as Windermere Boat Hire and after a 3 year enforced break, in 2014 Windermere Boat Sales was born. At this point Tony’s son Richard was appointed Managing Director and Tony, now in good health retired from the day to day running of the business. Richard was joined by marine engineer Scott Carradice who had worked for Tony for several years. Scott is now a fellow Director of Bowness Bay Marina Ltd along with the Rothwell’s.

An opportunity to expand and diversify the business presented itself in 2019 and Bowness Bay Marina Ltd acquired Windermere Lake Holidays Ltd, the same business which was sold 30 years previous and founded by Ted Rothwell in 1952. When acquired Windermere Lake Holidays had changed from a hire boat business and now comprised of a small marina and three letting properties with lake frontage at Mereside which is just North of the car ferry. The letting properties were fully renovated during 2020/2021 and the marina berths and facilities were expanded and modernised.

Todays business focuses on supplying power boats onto Windermere, regaining the Jeanneau sail and power boat dealership and its long association with the company. This is complimented by dealerships for leading RIB manufacturer Brig and Supra and Moomba ski/wake surf boats along with Suzuki Marine and Yamaha sales and service dealerships. Our self drive hire boat fleet now consists of 25 mainly electric boats and we pride ourselves on offering visitors the best selection of boats to hire on the Lake.

The company looks forward to many more years providing customers with its original concept of enjoying their leisure time on the waters and shores of England’s largest lake, Windermere.