Steel Dutch De Ruiter Motorsailer

I was lucky enough to Survey this Steel Dutch De Ruiter Motorsailer today at Brooms Marine Services. Built Circa 1981, powered by a Ford Lehman 120hp diesel engine with 6 berths. A quality blue water yacht!!

Surveyors comments generally Surveying steel vessels:
Most plate and frame material I inspect on steel yachts is low carbon mild steel and occasionally I will see core-ten steel. The welding techniques differ as mild steel cannot be welded hot and fast and core-ten cannot be continually welded as it can distort. So you will see more starts and stops and this type is much more difficult to weld. I use a welder’s chipping hammer often in my inspections to explore corrosion. Don’t be surprised if you happen to go through on older vessel, and be sure to have written permission from owners before and after to prevent some costly embarrassment. A metal hull inspector needs to know where to look and what to look for. You need to know how to identify three basic problems: deterioration, defects and damage. Deterioration is the largest single defect you will have to identify. This inherent problem is due more often than not to age. The older the vessel is, the more likely you are going to see this type of deterioration, be it rust or pitting. The next largest problem is lack of proper maintenance. The largest inherent problem with steel yacht construction, be they auxiliary sail or power, is the fact that most are not constructed with maintenance in mind. Cabin soles, ceilings, and insulation cover so much of a vessel’s structure and totally restrict internal inspections in many areas. Many steel yachts have integrated tanks--water, fuel or waste--and most do not have inspection plates to allow entry and most of your inspections will not involve entry. Hull defects are often easier to identify because they may be more readily evident. Plate deformation is reflective in nature. If you have plating deformation, you should suspect and look for reflective internal framing defects. Severe point loading from impact or hard grounding can cause cracking or tearing of the plate, frames or welds. A strong light and a keen eye are your best weapons here.



Broom 10/70

I Surveyed this 10/70 today at Brundall. The successor to the Broom European and similarly intended for the continental market, the 10/70 has a solid keel which keeps it in a straight line even at a crawling pace, making it ideal for the inland waterways.

Inside the layout is similar to the European, with the galley forward to starboard. The sliding doors from the saloon to the side decks have been deleted allowing for a U-shaped sofa. In the master cabin the twin berths were replaced by a centreline double.

Most boats were fitted with twin Volvo's, ranging from 105HP to 220HP, although a typical configuration is this exmaple with twin Volvo TMD41A (150HP each). Offshore, boat trim was improved by fixed or adjustable trim tabs.

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

Ocean 37 Motor Cruiser

I was back at Norfolk Yacht Agency in Brundall today Surveying this Ocean 37. Based on the same hull as the Broom 37 Continental this boat has a significantly different superstructure and changes in the interior layout. Outside, the decks run all round the boat at one level.

Inside, the forward cabin is larger, made possible by moving the galley, now 'corridor' in format, to one side of the saloon towards the stern. The layout of the aft cabin varies between two single berths each side or one double berth accessed from one side. In contrast to the Continental and Crowns, there are no side doors between the saloon and the side decks.

Aquafibre built 157 Ocean 37's between 1973 and 1983.

Most boats were fitted with twin 145hp turbo-charged Perkins 6.354 diesels like this example. Some were fitted with 175hp Perkins, giving a slightly higher top speed of 19Knots.

 Surveyors comments:

VENTILATION:

The responsibility for the safety of anybody onboard your boat lies
with the owner or skipper. I advise strongly that boats have enough fixed ventilation to feed all the appliances on board that use LPG, or other carbon-based fuels. Inadequate ventilation will starve the burners of vital oxygen resulting in poor burning and that can produce highly toxic carbon monoxide.
The ventilation requirements then need to be split equally between: high level (ideally cabin roof) and as low as practicable.Low level venting can be achieved by letting in cold air from vents in doors and/or bulkheads, or by means of ducting from a higher level.The input rating for your appliances can normally be found on the manufacturer's plate on the appliance and/or in the operating instructions.

Broom Skipper 30

Todays assignment was at Brundall on the South Broads Surveying this Broom Skipper before purchase.

Sharing the same round-bilged GRP hull as the Ocean 30, designed by Mr R.M. "Rip" Martins who was a naval architect, the Broom 30 is distinguished by its midships wheelhouse saloon, with sliding doors on both sides. The superstructure and interior were designed by Mr Martin Broom and four pre-1968 boats had a mahogany superstructure and teak-laid deck, after which time the construction was all GRP. Wooden uprights in the forward windscreen and wooden wheelhouse door frames were also phased out in later models. Most people are surprised by the spaciousness of the interior, which provides four single berths in two cabins, a wheelhouse/saloon with a convertible settee and sunroof, two bathrooms and a 'corridor' galley. Some boats have had a helm position retro-fitted to the aft cabin roof, behind the wheelhouse/saloon, increasing air draught to 9ft. The 'Skipper' variant ( as this example) of the Broom 30 was produced with a soft-top and hinge-down windscreen and sides to the wheelhouse/saloon to give an air draught suitable for the Upper Thames, the Broads and other cruising grounds with low bridges. On these models, the wheelhouse is smaller, with a larger saloon and galley aft.

Engines are mostly Perkins 4-cylinder diesels like this one ranging from 35 to 70hp in either single or twin configurations. The difference in top speeds between these is only about 1 knot!

250 Broom 30's were completed by Brooms from 1966 to 1981.

Surveyors comments

Installing a Bilge Pump: Bilge pump installation is straightforward, but it is essential not to overlook key details.

Mount the pump.
You must not place the pump in the bilge unrestrained. If it falls over it will suck air and burn out. Pumps must be fastened down. Brackets are available that attach to a stringer or other vertical feature, or you can epoxy a couple of bolts to the bottom of the bilge to serve as mounting studs. Float switches must also be fastened.

Use smooth-bore hose.
Corrugated hose reduces pump output by as much as 30%, so always connect the pump to the discharge fitting with hose that has a smooth interior surface. Bends and long runs also reduce pump output, so make the hose run as straight and as short as possible. That may mean discharging the pump through the side of the hull rather than through the transom. 

Place the discharge above the waterline.
If the discharge is submerged when the pump runs, the ocean siphons back through the pump into the bilge when the pump shuts off. When enough water has entered to float the switch, the pump will eject it, only to have it siphon back again. This continues until the battery is depleted, then the water floods the boat until it reaches a level that gets the crew's attention. The discharge fitting must never go below the waterline. If the fitting is through the transom, be sure it is high enough not to submerge when the stern squats. And if it is through the side of the hull, it must be high enough to remain above the water at the deepest angle of heel.

Use a thin-wall fitting.
The through-hull fitting can further reduce pump capacity. To minimise this restriction, use a fitting with the largest possible opening.

Lead wiring up.
It is essential to get the pump wiring out of the bilge as quickly as possible. Run the wires up and secure them so that they do not sag into the bilge water.

Don't skimp on wire size.
A 3,500 gph pump will draw 15 amps, typically necessitating 10-gauge, or maybe even 8-gauge wire. Consult the BSS website for wire sizes to determine the appropriate wire for your pump and length of wire run.

Use butt connectors and heat shrink.
Crimp-on step-down butt connectors will assure a good mechanical and electrical connection between the supply wires and the pump leads. Enclose these connections in adhesive heat shrink tubing to make them water tight. You must slide the heat shrink over the wire and out of the way before you make the connections. Then center the tubing over the crimped connector and shrink it with a heat gun or by playing a flame beneath it. Be sure there are no explosive fumes in the bilge!

Connect to the battery.
When you turn the power off to leave the boat unattended, you don't want to turn off the bilge pump. Connect an automatic bilge pump directly to the battery, not through the distribution panel.

Fuse the positive side.
It is essential to have a fuse in the positive wire as close to the battery as possible. Some switch panels include a fuse. Otherwise join an in-line fuse holder to the battery end of the positive wire using a crimp butt connector.

Install terminal fittings.
Do not strip the ends of the supply wires and loop them beneath the battery terminal wing nuts. Install crimp-on ring terminals the proper size to fit the threaded posts on your battery. Use a copper washer-not steel-between the wing nut and the ring terminal.

Three-way switch.
If your bilge pump has a separate float switch, you may want to wire it to a three way switch that allows you to select automatic, on, or off. Be sure to support all wire runs at least every 18 inches using cable clamps or ties.

Two pumps.
A bilge pump big enough to deal with a real emergency will do a poor job of keeping the bilge dry because the water in the discharge hose drains back into the bilge when the pump shuts off. And a big pump requires a big hose.The ideal bilge pump arrangement is a small (400 gph) automatic bilge pump mounted in the sump to dispense with rain and shaft-gland leakage, combined with a high capacity pump (2,500 gph) mounted higher to deal with more serious ingress. Stepping the discharge hose from the small pump down to 1/2-inch minimises the backflow from the hose when the pump cycles, maintaining a dryer bilge. The large pump can be wired to a float switch if you prefer, but I think a manual switch makes more sense. An added advantage of this bilge pump configuration is that the high-capacity pump sits high and dry, extending its life indefinitely.