Freeman

Not often that you see one of these around the Solent, it's a Freeman 22 cruiser which was a very familiar sight on the river Thames during the 1960's and 70's when I was growing up.

This looks like a Mk 1 which according to the Freeman Cruisers website was introduced in 1957 and  sold through until 1963 when the Mk 2 came along without the stepped cabin roof and thus giving increased headroom.

The story is fascinating, John Freeman was building caravans when he had the idea of what is effectively a cruising caravan for inland waterways, the boat was an instant hit with spacious four berth accommodation and high quality woodwork and became ubiquitous on England's inland waterways.