Broads Motor Cruiser

I had a return trip to Martham today on the Northern Broads. This visit was the second of three to see ‘Summer Wine. She is timber constructed Motor Cruiser built by Kings in Horning back in the 50's. She was found in a run down condition, but her structure is remarkably good in general, and it is considered that she is well worthy of refitting. She has not been built to the highest standards, and employs simple materials-yet she has proved over the years to be persistently durable.

As she was last year

Built from Iroko hardwood... a very durable timber.. new stem and chine planks fitted

New bulkheads going in

A new engine will be installed...nearly all the frames (ribs) have been replaced...

Summer Wine‘, formerly named Ferry Buccaneer 3 is a timber Broads River Cruiser, constructed to a design relevant to the 1950's, she is of hard chine timber construction with a shallow tapering keel, flat transom stern, and a curved stem. She is a product of the era of the tall sided majestic looking wooden Broadland Motor Cruisers designed specifically for hire on the inland water ways.

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Apollo 32

I was back on the Northern Broads today at Weyford Bridge carrying out an Insurance Survey and Valuation on this Apollo 32 Motor Cruiser. She is undergoing Osmosis Treatment at the moment. She was 'peeled' about a year ago when I took some moisture meter readings.. she has now dried sufficiently and is ready for re-laminating.

The Apollo 32 is Dutch built, quite unusual and built by Klaus Baess in Copenhagen. It is very similar to the Jupiter 30, which was designed by Knud Olsen. These two guys used to make the Jupiter range up to 1971, until Klaus went on his own and made the Apollo 32. He also made many of the sailing boats that won the Olympics in 1984. I shouldnt think there are to many of these on the Norfolk Broads... a good strong well built sea boat.

 

Brooms build boats again

Broom Boats Ltd, Britain's longest established boat-building firm, is to start building its power cruisers again after a major re-organisation. It is only five months after it changed hands under difficult financial circumstances. The news, which should reassure many boat owners and those in the Norfolk Broads boat construction business, follows actions by new investors who took the company over in July and have since carried out a major financial re-organisation.

 

Boat-builder C.J.Broom Ltd., the subsidiary company of 112-year-old Broom Boats Ltd., of Brundall, Norfolk, went into voluntary liquidation two months ago with major debts and redundancies.

Today investor Mark Garner, now managing director, said: "I am pleased to say we have completed a total business review and re-organisation. We also have a new dealer network which has provided us with sales worth £1.5 - £2.5 million, sufficient for us to re-employ some of our past talented boat-building craftsmen.

"As a result we have been able to appoint a new and inspired management team, confirm total staff of 74 to both build boats and run marina services as one company, Broom Boats Ltd."

The new sales are for up to seven new cruisers being built in the next 12 months and work has already started. The Broom marina and boat service and repair business which always operated under the Broom Boats Ltd banner did not lose money in its own right and is largely un-affected.

Mr Garner also announced a new major investor and director to aid development. He is entrepreneur Tony Chancellor of Norfolk.

In future, prospective owners will buy only from dealers, not direct from Broom. The new dealer network includes two new firms. One is Norfolk Yacht Agency, a sales organisation which moves around 300 new and used boats a year and which has already brought in an order worth more than £650,000 - for a Broom 450, twin engined luxury cruiser capable of 30 knots.

James Fraser, who owns NYA, said: "We hope our representation of Broom here in East Anglia but also among our many contacts elsewhere should help their growth."

Broom have also appointed a new Thames region dealer, Thames Boat Sales of Bray, run by Dominic Smulders. He and the other existing dealers, in Ireland, Holland and Germany, also Newark, have confirmed or have pending, subject to finance, sales worth up to a further £2 million which should keep the reduced building force busy for a year.

A new Broom 395 is already in build at the yard along with a 450.
For further information, contact:
Mark Garner,
Managing Director, Broom Boats Ltd.
01603 712334 or 0790 185 8791.
or E-mail : mgarner@broomboats.com