Murdoch, who is co-owner of the company and was previously the company's sales director, becomes Nauticalia's managing director.

Lewis is a former BBC television and Fleet Street journalist who initially sold nautical antiques from a converted rubbish barge based on the Thames, but soon found a much larger market for reproductions and replicas of traditional maritime artefacts.

He also developed Nauticalia's best-known and longest-running practical product, the Sea-Searcher underwater recovery magnet.

Today the company, with Thames-side headquarters at Shepperton, employs 110 staff, has a mail order catalogue, 12 UK shops, and a distribution division that operates worldwide.

A separate business, Nauticalia Boats and Service Centre, is controlled by Lewis' son Lindon at Shepperton Marina.

In the marine leisure industry Lewis became a director of National Boat Shows, chairman of the Marine Trades Association and a member of BMIF marketing committee.

Lewis says he intends to concentrate on Nauticalia's future development, in particular the possibilities for acquisition of other companies.

In 24 years at the company, Chris Murdoch has become well known in the marine leisure and gift industry. He serves on the executive committee at the Marine Trades Association.

"Lynn will be a hard act to follow, " said Murdoch. "He built a unique business, creating a market for nautical tradition that nobody even realised existed. I look forward to taking Nauticalia to another level."