By Victoria Smy (Andy’s daughter)

Andy was born in Dudley, Wolverhampton, and moved to Suffolk with his family in the late 1970s. It was here that he discovered Woodbridge and developed a lifelong love for the River Deben. Soon after settling in the town, Andy’s enthusiasm and ambition saw him purchase his first dinghy and rent a small patch of land beside the river.

That single dinghy soon became two boats, marking the humble beginnings of what would become Andy Seedhouse Boat Sales. When he looked round the local yards Andy realised that, while you could purchase a yacht quite easily, there was nowhere to pick up an inexpensive tender. He soon set about plugging the gap. He acquired a premises on the quayside and began buying and selling tenders, small boats, sailing dinghies and day boats.

His intention was to bring boating to ‘everyman’ and his early advertisments claimed he could get you sailing or motoring down the river for less that £500. Several thousand boat sales later, it seems that he was right. The business went from strength to strength and the size of boats he could offer also grew. Soon he regularly had 50-70 boats on display at any one time, from dinghies to ocean-going yachts and from canoes to cruisers.

Nearly 50 years later, the business remains a valued and familiar part of the local riverside community.

Andy firmly believed that boating should be accessible to everyone—not just experienced sailors or luxury yacht owners. His vision was to create a welcoming business where families of all ages and abilities could enjoy the river and the outdoor lifestyle. This inclusive approach has been central to its long‑standing success. He could always find his clients a bargain if they didn’t mind doing a bit of maintenance themselves. He felt the same principle should apply to boating equipment and began to build up an extraordinary collection of used chandlery, fittings and ‘boaty bits’ in his Aladdin’s Cave shop. He could kit out his boat buyers and local owners at a fraction of the cost of them buying new. Word soon spread and clients came from far and wide to buy fittings and equipment for their boats which might be unobtainable elsewhere.

Over the years, Andy owned many boats, both large and small, and treasured nothing more than warm summer evenings spent on the river with his wife, Lorna, and their three children—often accompanied by a picnic and a cheeky bottle of wine.

Known for his outgoing, fun‑loving nature and keen eye for a good deal, Andy built far more than a business—he built lasting friendships and relationships. Andy’s wife Lorna always helped him doing the bookwork, answering the phone and keeping him and James out of the Anchor pub across the road. His son, James, became involved from a very young age and has been part of the business ever since. Today, James proudly carries on the legacy, continuing the values, knowledge, and passion passed down from the very best.

Victoria Smy (Andy’s daughter)

Andy’s neighbour Penny Moon writes:

Despite many changes in the surrounding area, Andy Seedhouse Boat Sales office and the Aladdin’s Cave of nautical goodies inside the Chandlery remain unaltered with the same quirky, charming character which visitors to the Woodbridge riverside love to see.  The outboard motor with the huge propeller outside the office door brings laughter and is often photographed.   When Andy started his business, he said that he would ‘give it a go’!   Decades later, James continues in his father’s footsteps and is busy running the business just as Andy would want – thank you James.   

Quayside is a busy road now, the railway has many more trains and Ferry Quay is unrecognisable but time has stood still at Northcote & Partners who are proud to honour and remember the great history and characters of the riverside, one of which was certainly Andy Seedhouse.   The intriguing variety of boats for sale beside the road, and the attractive office, are, and will continue to be, landmarks in this special little part of Woodbridge.   Andy may be gone but he will certainly not be forgotten.  

Naval architect, classic boat enthusiast and proprietor of Classic Marine Moray Macphail writes:

We got on really well despite the fact our politics were very different. He was good fun to be with and had no time for pomposity or social pretentiousness. In his dealings with me I always found him straight and fair. He sold a boat for me, and on one occasion I even sold a boat for him. I reckoned it would sell better at the Henley Thames Trad rally than in Woodbridge, and that proved correct.

His Aladdin’s Cave of a shed was filled with a rare miscellany of marine equipment. Riffling through the collection a few years back there were some fittings there which I had made some twenty years before. Finally I felt I had made it into the heart of Maritime Woodbridge.

Woodbridge & Waldringfield Boatyard Manager Matt Lis writes:

Andy Seedhouse Boat Sales has a symbiosis with all the boatyards on the river but ours most of all as we launch and recover many of the boats that pass through their yard. Andy’s, and James’, work has provided the grassroots first step into boating for many on this river and further afield which has led people to discovering their love of boats and sailing. Sailing in particular with, its jargon and unfamiliar ways, can appear to many inaccessible, but Andy had a rare ability to break those preconceptions down and many friendships and adventures started with the first step that Andy facilitated.

Janet Harber, author of East Coast Rivers, writes

There can’t be a sailor who has ever visited Woodbridge and not heard of him! For as long as I can remember whenever we came to Woodbridge, by land or water, we just could not resist a look around. Now when I’m in the town I still make a detour over the railway bridge and into his yard, a time warp, full of nostalgia and small boat sailing history… you never know what you will find.

I’ve not come across anywhere else quite like Andy Seedhouse’s.