Buying a Cruiser Class on the Norfolk Broads

I had a trip out to Crown Cruisers Yacht Station in Lowestoft today. I Surveyed this Broads Cruiser again built by Applegate’s on a Jack Powles hull back in 1932. In the 1930’s, the Applegate’s yard built a series of yachts, all of which were mahogany-planked and bright varnished, giving a distinctive appearance.

General advice: Opening Up Concealed areas within a hull are always a problem but, most wood vessels are constructed in such a way that enough access is available to make a fair assessment. It is usually possible to pull up floors (such as screwed in place plywood panels and the like) and remove enough panelling that one can get a fairly good glimpse of the bottom and lower sides. Carrying an electric screw gun is a must in order to do this quickly and effectively.

Thinking of buying a Broads Yacht.... drop me an email at steventruss1@aol.com I will be happy to chat....

Regal 3560 American Sports Cruiser

I Surveyed this attractive Regal American Sports Cruiser today down at Brundall on the South Broads. Norfolk Yacht Agency owned the boat.

First impressions was she was highly styled, with an impressive bow, a radically raked stem, and a swept-back radar arch. Moreover, the detailing in the cockpit looked crisp.

Cat B boat for trips upto 500 miles off the coast.... this is no ordinary Sports Cruiser!

For engineroom access, the whole back deck lifts electrically, but in contrast to most boats the opening faces aft. This offers the advantage of keeping greasy mechanics, parts, and tools out of the cockpit! The aft opening hatch makes the engines more accessible, and the engine room is spacious and offers above-average access to all equipment.



On the 3560 all of the bed inserts have dedicated storage. In the main saloon, the settee seat lifts to reveal a permanently mounted extension. At bedtime, the whole thing hinges out in one piece with legs that fold down for support. In the morning, lift up the seat and flip it back under.

COCKPIT The bow is accessed through a hinged centre windshield panel, with steps moulded in next to the helm to make it an easy climb up to the windshield. To the left of the helm, the semi-circular settee offers plenty of storage beneath, including custom chocks for the dining table when it is not in use. This storage area can also be accessed from the cockpit. On the starboard side just aft of the helm, the wet bar features a sink with built in BBQ, Isotherm refrigerator, concealed tip-out bin, and a storage locker fitted with shelves and fiddles to organise items inside.

Clean gas automatic engineroom fire fighting..

The machinery spaces impressed me with an electronic lifting hatch, there is a convenient, aluminium-diamond-plate walkway between the engines, with steps on the aft end. Up forward, on either side of the inboard engine bearers, quality cranking batteries are secured in hold-down trays, white-painted floor panels, and the house battery, a big 8D, is contained inside a giant, plastic battery box on the port hand, with an easy-to-remove lid. To offset the weight of the 8D, the optional genset, a 7.3-kW Panda, was installed to starboard, inside a thick soundbox. Also a 60-amp Charles Industries battery charger on the forward firewall and a thorough job of glass-encapsulating the stringers and transversals that strengthen the 3560’s vinylester-resin-permeated hull.

Surveyors comments: I have to agree with the Broker on this one, I thought it was quite simply a stunning boat!!