Meet our Team

We’re showing you just a few of our team here (the ones you are most likely to meet)
Behind the scenes, we have around 100 team members. Including Engineers, Boat Builders & Cleaners. The team pull together to build and maintain our boats and holiday homes ready for you to use. Just ask and we’ll do our best to help

Daniel Thwaites

Director

Daniel keeps an eye on the pennies. Managing the financial and administrative side of the business.           

He should know the business well by now, his first day in the office, was in a cot, whilst Jill was dealing with customers on a turnaround day

  • Joined the team in: 1998
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Thurn
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Encore

Matthew Thwaites

Director

Matthew oversees all the work going on in the boatyard. Inc design, build and maintenance.
His party trick, amongst others we won’t mention, is identifying a boat by the window shape or bathing platform.
His encyclopaedic knowledge of all things boats is incredible
  • Joined the team in: 1998
  • Favourite spot on the broads: S Walsham
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Tempo

Sian Pearce

Administrator & Bookings Clerk

Sian is our amazing office manager. Keeping us all on our toes

Don’t worry about asking her about the Norfolk Broads though, she’s a fully-fledged boat owner with loads of local knowledge

  • Joined the team in: 2021
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Horning
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Sonnet

Tom Lawn

Yard Manager

Tom’s the guy who’s responsible for the day to day running of the boatyard. Making sure each boat is “turned around” ready for your arrival
On a busy day in summer, Tom tells us he records over 30k steps a day! He reminds us of this quite often
  • Joined the team in: 2006
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Coltishall
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Melody

Philip Baker

Head Engineer

Philip co-ordinates our team of electrical and mechanical engineers. He started his first stint working for Barnes Brinkcraft as an apprentice. Something obviously stuck, Philip was the brains behind our hybrid boat Brinks Rhapsody.

  • Joined the team in: 2009
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Ranworth
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Rhapsody

Sara Thwaites

Marketing & Customer Services Manager

Sara looks after our social media accounts, keeps the website up to date, places our advertising and organises any events or festivals that we attend. Sara also takes a keen interest in customers holiday experiences and is your point of contact if you have any suggestions on how we can improve your Norfolk Broads holiday.

If you meet her in a sailing boat steer clear, she’s only just learning to helm!

  • Joined the team in: 2018
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Black Horse Broad
  • Favourite boat: Brinks Encore Plus

Sheila V

Head Housekeeper

Sheila stepped up to head housekeeper very recently and manages her team of nearly 50 with ease.
Her sharp eye keeps everyone on their toes -including the Engineers. Who wouldn’t dare leave any mucky hand prints behind them
  • Joined the team in: 2015
  • Favourite spot on the broads: Hickling
  • Favourite boat: The smallest one

Latest News & Information

How Hill to Ludham Bridge

How Hill is a great place to start a walk, there is a car park and plenty of mooring for boats, making it an ideal starting point however you arrive. Walkers should walk out to How Hill Staithe, a public mooring place for boats and from here, head south along ...

Learn more

Latest News & Information

How Hill to Ludham Bridge

How Hill is a great place to start a walk, there is a car park and plenty of mooring for boats, making it an ideal starting point however you arrive. Walkers should walk out to How Hill Staithe, a...

Learn more

Last minute availability and offers!

"The staff were helpful and polite. The boat itself - Picnic, was perfect for what we wanted. Cooking is doable, especially making a brew. The only think I didn’t take was washing up liquid- cooking bacon made it hard to wash my hands after handling raw meat! Great day out and really useful having the toilet on board."
- Sarah H
"The electric boats radically improve the experience over the older diesel boats. We were able to get close to some really special wildlife.. not possible in a diesel. Definitely going again soon!"
- N M
"Very clean craft and very helpful staff could not have been better thank you"
- brian l
"Just booked our 2nd visit to Barnes Brinkcraft. We are staying in the Mallard chalet . We stayed in it last year and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The chalet was spotlessly clean and well maintained The view across the river from the balcony and lawn was great for sitting and watching the river traffic and wildlife. We saw an otter ln the river , deer on the far bank and various birds and waterfowl. My son in law even caught a decent sized pike whilst fishingon the lawn. The included day boat was the icing on the cake."
- John M
Go to homepage
Barnes Marine Units Ltd, Riverside Road, Wroxham, Norwich NR12 8UD. Registered in England & Wales Reg 1321482