Hampton Safari Mk II

Today’s assignment was at Beccles on the South Broads, carrying out a Pre-purchase Survey on this little Hampton Safari River Cruiser.

In the 1960's, Alec Hampton's boat hire business 'Hampton Boats' at Oulton Broad consisted of a fleet of traditional mahogany cruisers. Alec then designed the mark one Hampton Safari for production in fibreglass. The length was increased from 22' 6" to 25'6" and the beam from 8' 6" to 9' 6". A plug was made from marine plywood, which was then used to form the female hull moulding. The boats were moulded firstly by Rydgeway Marine of Kessingland, and then by Bob Smith of Lowestoft.

Although a total of 256 Hampton Safaris were produced from 1969 to 1982, most were supplied to other hire-boat yards as bare mouldings for their staff to complete. During the peak years, Hampton Boats ran 14 Safari 25's in it's fleet, but this reduced to just two in the final season of 2002. Sadly, the yard has now ceased trading, and will surely be missed by the large regular clientele, some of which have been regulars for nearly 30 years.(Hamptons themselves only built one Safari for private use, in 1971 called 'Blue Tit' for John Jarrold, who was then the Mayor of Norwich.)

This one was fitted out by John Claburn when he worked for Dawncraft Boats Ltd, and she also went into private owership.

This is the Mark II version with sliding wheelhouse/lounge. They are somewhat difficult to distinguish because individual boatyards completed the Hampton mouldings to their own spec. Mark 1's (usually) didn't have the integral molding for the gas bottle stowage under the afterdeck, or the moulded in mudweight holder on the foredeck. The control panel moulding was different and the keel was smaller

 Surveyors comments:

Check for window leaks on 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.

Some osmosis blistering will be common... but not usually structural. Its good practice to take the vessel out of the water over the winter period and store her in the dry, out of thus reduce the possibility of further osmotically induced gel coat blistering.

On older models, check all floor bearers and lower bulkheads for timber deterioration.......

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

Princess 415

Working Saturdays is becoming a bit of a habit!!

Todays assignment was at Brundall Bay Marina Surveying this lovely Classic Motor Yacht. The Princess 415 is a sleek, high performance flybridge cruiser with excellent accommodation and very good sea keeping abilities ideal for long distance cruising.

Marine Projects of Plymouth built the Princess 415, it superseded the 414, based on the deep vee version of the 37 hull. The 415 makes the perfect upgrade for a boating enthusiast looking to take a step up to a flybridge boat. She boasts lots of space through out with a large cockpit area and room on the flybridge for all to enjoy, plenty of space in the Saloon and a Galley with all the necessitates. Two big cabins with lots of storage, sleeping four people and a convertible Saloon berth for when the extra guests arrive.

2 x 306HP Volvo diesels max speed 25 Knots

Surveyors comments: If you have a hand-held halon fire extinguisher or an installed fixed system in your leisure boat that contains halons 1211, or 1301 you will be affected by EC Regulation 2037/2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer. According to EC Regulation 2037/2000, halon fire-protection systems and fire extinguishers must have been decommissioned by 31st December 2003, and the halons recovered. It is illegal to use or possess such extinguishers or fire protection systems.
 

Reedling Yacht

I was back at Coxes today. This was an Insurance Survey on this lovely old Yacht. Built by the famous Moores & Sons back in 1939, one of a class of five....i thought she had great charm and character. She is up for sale and her details can be found on Topsail Yacht Brokers

This is 'Gimlet', one of my favourite Half Deckers on the Broads. Built by the Famous Ernest Woods back in 1932. I once owned her sister ship Mandi.... beautifull lines, wish id kept mine!

Here is me on 'Mandi' a few years back.... same hull, just mine had the cuddy rather than the full cabin.

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 Cruiser Supreme 37

I spent the day at Eric Bishops Yard ‘Coxes’ in Barton Turf today, just 5 minutes from home. The vessel was a Loynes built ‘Supreme Serenity’ Broads Cruiser designed by Arnott Fowler back in 1965. Style: sliding canopy with stern well access and constructed from wood.

Loynes is one of the oldest boatyards on the Broads and although now incorporated into 'Faircraft-Loynes', it is still one of the most important yards in operation.

 

She is a product of the era of the tall sided majestic looking wooden Broadland Motor Cruisers designed specifically for inland water ways use.

Back in the day

Another job for the winter months...

Another little beauty being restored at Erics Yard.

Eric has a vast array of Half Deckers moored in the dyke.... totally unique to the Broads

Surveyors comments:

Ventilation has a two-fold importance in wooden boats: removal of air saturated with moisture vapour, and introduction of unsaturated (dry) air to permit drying of moist woodwork. It is not easy to ensure that dry air circulates over all the woodwork in a boat. Whilst air may be circulated into a particular compartment it may not circulate through out the whole area unless points of entry and departure are correctly sited. Small areas are often partially or completely enclosed so that air circulation is impeded. These are the so called “dead-air” spaces in which pockets of stagnant moist air are trapped. Often by drilling a few well sited auger holes sufficient ventilation can be provided in what might otherwise be a small dead -air space.

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.