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.

Grants up for grabs for sustainable Broads projects

Grants totalling almost £267,900 have been given to 31 wide ranging projects from new boats for sailing clubs to recycling bicycles by the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund over the past financial year.

A £4,479 grant was given to Colman Infant School to create a garden where children now grow their own vegetables, share the experience with their parents and take them home to eat. At the other end of the scale a £7,700 grant aided the development of a tidal electricity generator for use in estuaries.

Boating activities have been well supported with over £10,000 going towards the replacement of a Topper sailing dinghy fleet for the Norfolk Schools Sailing Association, £5,000 towards the cost of four Wayfarers at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club and £18,500 towards a new quay heading and slipway with disabled access, including a lift, for Norwich 1st Sea Scouts, one of the oldest troops in the country.

The fund contributed £20,000 towards a mooring pontoon at Cantley Staithe and £20,000 towards a quay heading and slipway for a new rowing and canoeing centre at Whitlingham.

Recently a grant of £4,500 was approved for a 32 ft long floating pontoon with a ramp at Beccles Quay so that people with walking difficulties and wheelchair users can easily get on their boats. It will provide an accessible mooring for the Waveney Stardust, which gives trips for disabled people, and can moor nine boats stern end on. Moorings can be booked by ringing the harbourmaster on 01502 712225. Rowing boats will be hired from the pontoon from next season.

On land a £7,500 grant has been given to a community bicycle recycling project in Norwich which encourages people to get on two wheels. Wednesday workshops help people refurbish old and unwanted bicycles while developing life skills. Every two weeks there are lessons in custom building bikes from scratch, cycle maintenance and guided cycle rides.

A £9,000 grant has been awarded to Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden for a bird hide designed for wheel chair users at the end of a boardwalk overlooking South Walsham Inner Broad. The hide, which should be erected ready for winter bird watching will feature windows at wheelchair height, audio interpretation and wildlife cams which will relay activity in bird boxes to a television screen in the tea room.

Although the government fund was reduced in this financial year to £150,000 there is still money in the pot for projects which involve young people, best practice, well being, health and education.

Alphacraft 42

I took a trip to Royalls & Sons in Wroxham today to Survey their Alphacraft 42, 'Royal Continental'. The longest version of this design still with only the aft cabin lengthened. It is normally outfitted as a six/seven berth, but they do get as high as nine berth (and there is one luxury class at only four berth). There is a lot of scope for variety in the internal layout. Production years were: 1986-94.

Royalls are a small family run business established since 1950, situated in the heart of the Norfolk Broads at Hoveton/Wroxham. They have been providing visitors to the Norfolk Broads, first class holidays for over 50 years! They combine a reputation for boats of high standard and quality. All of their boats are fitted out to the highest standard, with top quality equipment and immaculate presentation. They hire boats between March and mid-November.

The guys at Royalls winching her back towards the water for relaunching...

Even a bath!!

Fairline Phantom 1976

Today’s mission was to carry out a full Pre-purchase Survey on this Phantom at Woods Dyke Boat Yard in Horning. The acting Broker was Norfolk Yacht Agency.

 Fairline Boats is based at Oundle and has long been a manufacturer of luxury craft. They now concentrate mainly on craft too large for the Broads, but previously Fairline produced a number of popular smaller craft, many of which are still to be found on the Broads.

Although it doesn’t look quite so radical as the original Fairline Fury, the Fairline 32 Phantom sports a similar, low profile flying bridge, well forward and recessed into the superstructure; again it’s the only helm resulting in a spacious and uncluttered interior. The boat was designed by John Bennett. Fairline launched the Phantom in 1974 and built 310 of them up to 1982.

Roger Hodds lifting her out for an inspection of the bottom and a check of the stern drives

Low profile flying bridge, well forward and recessed into the superstructure



This a newer Phantom being prepared for sale at Norfolk Yacht Agency... a big change in hull shape



Exploring the Broads past and future

Bungay High school pupils dug into the origins of the Broads to help launch a plan that sets out a 20 year vision for the future on Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Carlton Marshes. Broads Authority chairman Dr Stephen Johnson launched Broads Plan 2011, the key strategic management plan for the area, alongside students studying environmental conservation at Bungay High School who travelled 6,000 years back in time to explore its past. They dug peat cores from six metres underground which showed them how the landscape of the Broads was formed.

The Broads Plan sets out a ‘Vision for the Broads to 2030’ together with long-term aims and short-term objectives. Over 600 organisations, groups and individuals with an interest in the Broads were invited to contribute to the plan, which is reviewed every five years. “From the peat cores the children were able to see a real example of how water levels have fluctuated in the Broads in response to climate change,” said Broads Authority Education Officer Nick Sanderson. “The peat that forms the Broads holds the key to both the past and the future. It preserves evidence of the historic habitats and vegetation of the area and locks in carbon from the atmosphere which contributes to global warming and climate change.” Helping residents and visitors to adapt to climate change and sea level rise, and leading the way towards a low carbon economy is central to the Broads Authority’s objectives.

It is one of three key priorities for the Broads Authority and its partners over the lifetime of this Broads Plan, alongside the sustainable management of the Broads landscape, biodiversity and navigation and encouraging local people and visitors to enjoy the Broads in a sustainable and caring way.

An electronic version of the Plan has been produced which will provide progress updates, links to relevant documents and partner websites and other supporting information. The e-Plan may be viewed at http://www.broads-plan.co.uk./

The Plan’s structure reflects the integrated and cross-cutting nature of the Broads Authority’s statutory functions, the multiple responsibilities of other agencies and bodies, and the wide variety of partnership working in the Broads area.