11 Months, 3000 pictures and a lot of coffee.

Regal 2860 with the FasTrac hull

I was working down at Broadland Boat Centre today. This is a modern and up to date service centre owned by James Fraser of Norfolk Yacht Agency.

This Regal 2860 stock boat I was Surveying had the high performance ‘FasTrac’ hull.

The principle behind the hull is to reduce the surface tension while the boat moves through the water. The full-beam step forces air beneath the hull to reduce drag and friction while inverted strakes cause the boat to track straight and turn tight. With a reduction in friction, the FasTrac hull is able to achieve higher speeds and better fuel economy than boats of equal size and propulsion.

Twin Volvo D3 diesels...

"The step design improves handling and control by reducing the hull's wetted surface, making it move through the water more smoothly and efficiently."

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I specialise in 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

Oil Analysis Tests

If you instruct me to carry out an oil analysis test on the vessel's engine, it could highlight potential engine and equipment problems before any serious damage is done to the unit and provide added security to those purchasing a vessel. Once I have taken the oil sample, the turn around time from receiving the sample to you obtaining your report should be 48 hours. This report can be e-mailed or posted.

The analysis will show:

• The actual wear pattern of the equipment.
• The condition of the fuel injection equipment.
• How well the maintenance has been carried out.
• In a twin-engine set-up we can run a comparison between the two installations.

In addition to preventing damage and expensive repairs by taking early action, a clean bill of health via oil analysis would also add value to any customer wanting to buy or sell a boat. A report may be used to demonstrate that the boat has no long-term problems or any nasty surprises months after purchase.

The basic cost of a sample would be £90:00 this will include VAT and all handling.

Broads boaters encouraged to double moor

Broads boaters are being asked to moor side by side at certain Broads Authority moorings to meet the demand for mooring space.

Responding to feed-back from boat hirers that they sometimes have trouble finding moorings the Authority has identified 20 locations in the northern and southern Broads which are suited to double mooring.

Five free 24 hour moorings are being trialled in the northern Broads, and 15 in the southern Broads. They include Great Yarmouth Yacht Station, Norwich Yacht Station and Reedham Quay.

The moorings have been selected by taking into account the river width and strength of tides and new signs have been put up to encourage boaters to welcome others alongside.

Trudi Wakelin, Broads Authority Director of Operations, said: “New moorings can be very expensive and complex to get permissions. So one of the options we looked at to ease the pressure on mooring was to see which of our 63 moorings met our byelaw criteria for double mooring. We would encourage all boaters to be helpful and considerate to those who haven’t found a bank side mooring space and welcome them alongside.”

The trial follows the Environment Agency’s successful campaign on the River Thames to encourage boaters to moor alongside others.

Tony Howes, Secretary of the Broads Hire Boat Federation, said that his members have been constantly reminded by hirers of the difficulty in finding mooring places at busy times on the Broads.

He said: “This development should be very helpful if all boaters are made aware of the new rules. We will shortly be distributing a notice for use at handover and in Skipper's Manuals to advise hirers of the opportunity to moor in this way - and the "etiquette" involved.”

Richard Card, chairman of the Norfolk and Suffolk Boating Association(NSBA) which represents private boaters, said: 'The NSBA's recent survey of members identified shortage of moorings as a major problem. It is being addressed but the solution will take time. The Broads Authority's initiative in identifying locations where double mooring is possible is to be welcomed as a short term mitigation of the problem. We would encourage skippers to behave considerately by maximising the capacity of popular moorings while treating fellow boaters with courtesy.

MOT'S for boats

Is your BSS certificate about to expire. I can carry out a new test at the same time as the Survey at a reduced cost: £4 a foot inc. ( I can post date the certificate up to 3 months). I am a member of ABSE, and one of a number of examiners on the Broads, but unlike the majority of them I am not connected with a marina or marine engineering business and therefore I don't offer any remedial engineering work as part of the examination. This means that the owner can do any work himself, or choose his preferred engineer to effect any repairs

Thinking of Buying a Boat and Need Help? I specialise in 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