Seaward 23 Motor Cruiser

I Surveyed this sturdy little seagoing boat today in Horning on the Northern Broads…. Popular with the sailing fraternity and filled with character, the Seaward 23 Motor Cruiser is a sturdy, seagoing craft with traditional styling and accommodation for up to four persons. With a large deep cockpit area and open backed wheelhouse this vessel is an ideal family cruiser or picnic boat. Like its bigger cousins of the Nelson range, this vessel has undergone both tank testing at Westland Aerospace and testing for stability by the Dept. of Transport. This may be unusual for a craft of this size but comforting to know when you are out in adverse weather conditions. More recently the Seaward 23 has undergone stability testing with Lloyd's Register for compliance with the new Recreational Craft Directive. The standard cockpit arrangement is compliant with the regulations for use in wind speeds up to force 6 and wave height up to 2 meters.

This little Seaward has a reputation for exceptional seakeeping qualities and is used by owners typically for cross channel cruising. It was with cross channel cruising in mind that this specification was developed to include the option of twin shaft drive diesels, with twin fuel tanks and twin battery systems. The deep 3/4 length keel with contra-rotating propellers and twin rudders make the Seaward 23 a joy to manoeuvre. Stepping ashore from cockpit to pontoon is made easy with the wide side decks and plenty of hand holds, an important feature for those who do their boating short handed. 

There are various Yanmar inboard engine options to choose from on the Seaward 23 - from a single 75 hp diesel giving 11 knots, through to this version..twin 75 hp diesels giving 24 knots.

Broom Crown

Todays assignment was at Brooms Boats. Broom was founded in 1898 by Charles J Broom at first building individual sailing vessels for the local gentry to sail on the wide open spaces of the Norfolk Broads. Over the course of the next 100 years Broom have gone from strength-to-strength, offering innovation and quality hand craftsmanship. They specialise in Aft Cabin Cruisers, manufactured to the very highest standard.

Successor to the successful Continental, the Broom Crown was based on the same hull, but had a restyled superstructure and a significant change to the layout.

Twin v-berths in the forward cabin remained, but the aft cabin enjoyed a centreline double, whilst the settee in the saloon continued to provide an extra double berth. All boats continued to feature interior and exterior helms and sliding doors on both sides of the saloon giving access to the side decks.

This example has the side mounted 185HP Perkins diesels. Later Crowns replaced the longstanding Perkins engines with 148hp Volva Penta TAMD40As or 158hp TAMD40Bs.

Things to check during inspections: Water test window seals, often causing damage internally to bulkheads & woodwork. Exhaust leaks at 'thru transom' outlet. Stainless steel fuel tanks often replaced the old mild steel orginals...

Common on the older models...  To stop windows leaking you may have use a non-hardening caulking so that the caulking can move with the expansion. To deal with this problem, you may have to remove the frames, rebed them and refasten them less tightly than they were previously installed.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

Broom 35 Sedan

I had a trip out to St Olaves today to Survey this Broom at Anglia Yacht Brokers. AYB's are situated where the River Waveney meets the New Cut. St Olaves Marina is a family owned run concern, which has been developed from nothing over the years. They have now completed the second marina basin, offering floating pontoon berths with water and electricity. Their pontoons have been designed to offer varying sized berths so they can cater for all types of craft. St Olaves Marina is based on a 12 acre site, so they can supply all year round storage ashore.

Based on the same hull as the 35 European, this boat has an entirely different deck and superstructure. The boat has an aft cockpit, which was enlarged on the later models.

Two forward cabins provide twin v-berths and a side-accessed double, whilst another double can be made from the convertible settee in the wheelhouse/saloon. With so much space taken by the cockpit, there is only room for a single bathroom alongside the galley. There is an interior helm in the wheelhouse/saloon.

Most boats were fitted with twin 145hp turbo-charged Perkins 6.354 diesel engines. Later boats had 150hp range 4 turbo Perkins, giving a maximum speed of 21 knots. This one was from the hire fleet, and for inland waters and just has a single 72hp Perky through shaft.

 Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

 

Build Period:	1977 - 1984
Number Built:	50
Previous Model:	?
Successor Model:	?
Market Value:	£45,000 - 60,000

Introduction To The Norfolk Broads

Bounty 27

I was back down at Broadland Boat Centre today Surveying this Bounty 27. Launched in around 1993, another compact and smart looking sedan, normally fitted out for between two and four. This one was a two berth.

They feature a separate wheelhouse, with steps down to the cabin. As standard they were fitted with a double dinette with galley and bathroom opposite and a twin/double cabin forward.

To give a larger and more open cabin space a number were built for Ireland’s Carrick Craft hirefleet to a unique layout with more spacious galley area with bathroom opposite, two dinette berths/double forward and a double berth under the wheelhouse deck.

This model was also available as an aft cockpit cruiser like this version- where folding windscreens & a cover replace the fixed rear sedan top.

 

I couldn’t help notice at BBC the new Broom 455 being prepped for the launch on Saturday at Brooms Boats…

The 455 deck layout develops further Broom's trend for making more use of the aft deck for both in-harbour living and cruising comfort. The transom seating (which converts into a sun-lounger) surrounds the table to provide plenty of scope for enjoying the outdoor life. There is good access to the bathing platform with built-in steps each side of the boat. The aft sundeck, transom steps and bathing platform have decking for appearance and safety. At the helm position there are three forward facing seats with an adjustable backrest which permits passengers to face either forward to use the navigator position, or aft to allow sociability with those sitting in the aft cockpit area. A portside seat, has been added to convert the portside of the navigator seat into a chaise lounge....

  

I must admit after seeing this boat in person to day this is one elegant modern looking Motor Yacht and im sure it will be a success….

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

Broom 32

I had another trip to Brooms Boats today to carry out an inspection on this Broom 32. She was originally in their hire fleet along with a dozen other examples.. she has now been in private ownership for a number of years. She is a typical Broom aft cabin semi-displacement cruiser with a raised bridge deck. Layout gives seven berths in three cabins The spacious interior provides very comfortable, live-aboard facilities for inland waterways cruising.

This model has the copper gelcoat below the waterline .... which helps to prevent fouling, mussels etc

Noticed this today....A lovely example of one of the highly sought after wooden craft from the 1960s.  Trimadon has had the same owner since 1984, has been kept in a boathouse each winter and has been maintained by Brooms from new.  A new Boat Safety Scheme Certificate was issued in December 2010.  Asking 25K..

Another lovely example of one of the highly sought after classic wooden craft from the 1950s.  'White Heron' has been in the Broom family from new.  The interior has been little changed since she was built, so retains the original character & quality of build.  She has a current Boat Safety Certificate.  Asking 35K.

New Model to be launched this Saturday

Broom are hosting an exclusive 'invitation only' event at Brundall on 27 August 2011 to preview the New Broom 370 and the New Broom 455.  If you would like to join them for champagne and canapes, between 2pm and 5pm, please call Louise or Kate on 01603 712334.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

Broads Motor Cruiser

I Surveyed another old wooden cruiser today... this one had been completely encased and encapsulated in fibre glass.

Built by HT

Percival from Norfolk. Formerly know as Veronica

Jon at Wayford Bridge Marina carefully pulling her out....

Another old girl waiting for the right owner!!

Plenty to choose from at Jons Yard.

Salika in her hay day

Is it OK to put fiberglass over wood or not? 

There are two dimensions to this question. The first is whether or not to glass over wood in new construction. The second is whether or not to glass over wood on an old boat.

The first is a common practice in stitch and glue construction. The second is not as common but is sometimes used to extend the life of some older boats that have structural problems. The normal procedure in stitch and glue construction is to glass over all the seams of the boat with fiberglass and epoxy. Then the exterior of the boat is often sheathed in fiberglass. There is nothing wrong with this. The normal technique in stitch and glue construction is to coat all of the wood in epoxy, which effectively completely seals the wood. This stabilizes the wood and under normal conditions prevents water penetrating the wood. If the boat is given normal maintenance and given an occasional new coat of epoxy the boat will last indefinitely and the wood will remain stable. The problem arises when the wood is penetrated for whatever reason and water expands the wood, and rot spores begin to grow. Then the wood never dries out because the moisture is trapped in the wood. Eventually rot will spread throughout the boat and destroy the wood. However, if the boat is properly constructed and maintained, this rarely occurs and thousands of boats have been built using this technique. It is not just used for dinghies and canoes either. Some large boats, up to the thirty foot range, have been built using stitch and glue. It is a proven and effective method of boat building. 

So, what about older boats that were originally built using traditional wood boat building methods? There are thousands of existing boats built of wood that are nearing the end of their life due to various reasons, or that have serious structural problems. Often in cases like these the cost of rebuilding the boat using the same method as the original is very expensive, sometimes prohibitive. So the question is, how can I save this old boat? One technique is to simply fiberglass over the wood hull of the boat, essentially sealing out the water and adding the structural strength of the fiberglass to the hull. But this has its downside. On an old boat the wood in the boat is wet. Because of the damp, rot has probably infected the wood even though the boat looks sound and is seaworthy. Sealing the wood then traps the moisture and the rot spores. The boat then rots from the inside and the rot is generally not evident until you are left with a fiberglass shell and no structural integrity. Certainly you can dry out the boat to a great extent, but that causes the wood to shrink, often leaving large gaps between the planking and seams. These can be filled with epoxy paste or wood powder and epoxy filler. The seams can then be glassed over with fiberglass and resin. However, if you seal only one side of the wood, it will still absorb moisture from the air. It will still expand and contract. If fiberglass is bonded to the wood eventually the bond will weaken and the glass will disconnect from the hull. Some people advocate a mechanical connection as well as the chemical bond. This is usually achieved by stapling the fiberglass cloth to the wood after applying the resin. When everything sets, the glass is not only chemically bonded to the wood but mechanically bonded as well. Those who use this method claim it stabilizes the glass and keeps it from delaminating from the wood. So, should you or shouldn’t you? Some claim that if the boat is no longer structurally sound and the cost of restoring it is prohibitive, then this is a good technique to get a few more years out of the boat. Others believe this is a perfectly acceptable solution for any wood boat regardless of condition.

My own personal belief is that the only times that fiberglass sheathing is an acceptable practice is for new boats that are completely coated with epoxy or some other resin that seals the wood, and when there is no other way to save an old boat that is going to be far to costly to restore. I believe that coating any other wooden boat with fiberglass is just inviting disaster and will accelerate the aging of the boat. There are other experienced, knowledgeable people who disagree. They believe that if done properly, making sure to get a good mechanical and chemical bond between the wood and the glass, the boat will last longer and rot will not occur. Unfortunately, this is one of those subjects that does not have a definitive answer. Experiences vary from builder to builder and boat to boat. There does not seem to be a consensus opinion on this. What a person needs to do is weight the cost versus how much longer the boat would last. In other words do a cost/benefit analysis. If you can get a few more years out of an old boat then it may be worth it.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com

 

Motor Cruiser Singapore II’

Surveyed this beautifull old Motor Cruiser today. This is the second time ive inspected this boat.. the last time was 5 years ago! Constructed to a design relevant to the 1930’s by the yard Boatbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Walton on Naze, England. She is of a round bilge construction in displacement configured hull with a short keel, shallow draft, fairly straight stem and flat transom.



Sheerline in Thorpe are still busy building new motor cruisers....

Apparently in 1940 her owner had her built for east coast fishing, Singapore II was kept in Ipswich. Sub Lieut. F.E. Greenfell took her to Dunkirk and J.B. Patston bought her after the war in 1965 for his work as a naturalist. He lived in Lincolnshire and cruised the area of the Fens and the Wash. A collector of steam launches and a boat owner since the 1920s, he established a number of nature reserves.

Galeon Galia 990 Sports Cruiser

Today’s assignment was at Norfolk Yacht Agency in Brundall. A Pre- Purchase Survey on this Polish built Sports Cruiser. I am Surveying a few of these cruisers, and in my opinion the Galia 990 looks fantastic; has handling that will put a smile on your face and has a great quality cabin finish - the perfect combination.

 

Todays 'lift' was at Broadland Boat Centre they offer a 'one stop shop' for maintenance and refurbishment on this type of motor cruiser. They are experienced professionals who provide highest quality marine servicing in Brundall, Norfolk. The shed is equipped with a 12 ton gantry hoist, joinery machine shop and engineering workshop.

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I will assist you to make an informed decision. Contact me for a detailed and comprehensive report at: steventruss1@aol.com