BUSINESS & PLEASURE
Stephen Hubbard never intended to buy a boat when he visited the Southampton Boat Show in 2013, let alone a boat yard. But he made one fatal mistake – speaking to Dave Cockwell. The eponymous owner of Cockwells boat yard in Mylor, Cornwall, is a hugely engaging character and his enthusiasm for boats is positively infectious, as Stephen soon found out to his cost.
“He showed me one of his beautiful custom-built 32ft wooden launches,” recalls Stephen. “I was utterly mesmerised and fell in love with the idea of having one built for me. Within half an hour of talking to Dave, he’d convinced me to build a 33ft version.”
Thankfully, it turned out to be one of Stephen’s better mistakes and the resulting boat, named Impulsive for reasons that need no explaining, proved to be the start of an enduring friendship with the yard owner.
“The build process itself was a wonderful experience and
