Neil Thompson - Chair

Neil's family have lived in Blakeney for several generations and Neil loves the area, which is why he chose to settle and raise his own family there. Neil is committed to the harbour as a place of recreation but also as part of the local economy. Running a boat building company and boat yard (Neil Thompson Boats), Neil understands how important the harbour is for creating and sustaining skilled employment in a rural area.

Neil is a keen champion of all things local to North Norfolk and is an active member of several charities that work across all demographics of the local community.

07929 181138

Andrew Ruff - Treasurer

Andrew and his family have had links to the North Norfolk Coast over a period of 50 years, recently completing a life plan to relocate to Wiveton from Cambridgeshire.

Andrew is an enthusiastic user of the harbour area, particularly enjoying the tranquillity and nature that it offers and is keen to see the harbour carefully managed for all, whilst retaining the local employment opportunities and protection of wildlife.

He fishes out in the harbour area (with limited success) and in the river as a member of the River Glaven Fishing Association.

His wife works locally and visiting children take advantage of local seasonal employment opportunities in the area from time to time.

Mike Mirams - Trustee

Mike has enjoyed a successful career in the publishing industry in marketing and general management roles. Mike brings both commercial and charity governance expertise to the BHA. He lives in Cley and is a keen supporter of the Cley Harbour Project and will strengthen the BHA links with this partner organisation. He is an active recreational user of the harbour sailing his Norfolk Oyster.

Will Darby - Trustee

Will runs Will Darby Marine and will be well known to many harbour users for the work he does servicing Cockles. A keen volunteer and recreational user of the harbour Will is also a Trustee of The Norfolk Boat charity and therefore brings to the Board of Trustees a mix of local knowledge and charity operations. He will also add to our succession options over the next few years. He is passionate about environmental issues and lives in Stiffkey with his young family.

Henry Archer - Trustee

Henry is a qualified marine engineer and runs his own business specialising in marine engine servicing and repairs along with Land Rover servicing, repairs and preservation. He is a keen volunteer and recreational user of the harbour. His appointment to the Board of Trustees strengthens the engineering knowledge of the team and provides the BHA with Trustee succession options going forward. He lives in Langham with his wife Lucy and his young family.

Jason Bean - Harbour Wardens

Jason has lived in the area all his life, his family have been involved in Blakeney Harbour for over 100 years and has seen many changes.

He works in the family ‘seal trip’ business which has been running in the harbour for over 70 years. Apart from skippering one of the ferries, he also works at Hewitt's boatyard at Stiffkey, building and maintaining boats. He loves boats and the sea, especially Blakeney Harbour, and is passionate about keeping it the way it is ‘natural and unspoilt’! He became a member of BHA in the early years and is keen to support it to help keep the harbour safe and enjoyable for all.

07972 148776

James Cowan - Trustee

James lives in Blakeney with his wife Victoria and four children. James says, '“Although the technical developments in water craft have changed over the years, it is the proximity to nature and that feeling of distancing oneself from the madding crowd that makes being in Blakeney Harbour so special”

The family have an infectious love for Blakeney Harbour and are out on the water whenever time allows with frequent adventures and nights sleeping on the boat.

01263 740704

Sarah Green - Membership

Sarah was born and brought up on a farm in West Norfolk and started sailing at 19 years old in Burnham Overy Staithe.  She quickly moved her boat to Blakeney and spent most of her early twenties burning up and down the pit in Dart catamarans.  She qualified as a sailing instructor and progressed to “big boats” taking her Coastal Skipper and sailing round the Cape of Good Hope and across the Atlantic. 

She currently lives in Morston with her daughter Alice and runs a business organising Country Fairs at Holkham & Chatsworth.  The harbour and its surroundings are enormously important to her.

Samantha Rutt - Trustee

Samantha lives in Langham and moved from West Norfolk after realising she needed to be much closer to the ocean.  She can usually be seen training at Blakeney for various challenges on a very noticeable Blue and Orange Stand Up paddleboard.  Sam has been running a paddleboard school (Barefoot SUP) since 2016.  She also coaches many of the UK's top SUP Racers. Sam is very keen to help people understand how to keep safe on the water, especially with the increase in popularity of Stand Up Paddleboarding. She is also passionate about protecting the beautiful environment we are so lucky to have.

Willie Athill

Willie’s family have been grounded in the area for generations and following a varied and adventurous career including military, oil exploration and marine salvage, Willie now has a range of interests based in and beyond the harbour, including moorings, oyster farming and the development of an ambitious offshore seaweed project.

Membership and Fundraising

Chair: Sarah Green

Buoyage, Infrastructure & Maintenance

Chair:  Henry Archer

Environment (including abandoned boats)

Chair:  Neil Thompson

Harbour Wardens

Chair:  Jason Bean