Leading Lady Herbert Woods

I had the pleasure of Surveying one of the old Yachts built by Herbert Woods yesterday. Herbert Woods is one of the oldest boatyards still operating on the Broads, and has a long legacy of classic designs. As a testament to their build-quality, a number of the 1930s wooden craft are still around today.

 

Wood carvel construction. Built in the late 1930s by Herbert Woods as one of a class of 6 for his hire fleet

 

 

 

 

Bermuda 34

I had the morning at Wayford bridge marina Surveying this Bermuda 34 broads cruiser.
 

Such was the success of the Caribbean that after three years service a much needed smaller sister mould was launched for the 1969 season. With one less bedroom the 34ft Bermuda class was otherwise very similar to her big sister, in both appearance and layout, with all the popular features including: Aft mounted engine for quiet cruising. Spacious saloon with double bed that could remain made up and simply folded upwards out of the way during the daytime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surveyors comments: These boats were built with a double gelcoat which is great news when it comes to the dreaded osmosis. Underneath the bottom of any blister will show a smooth, glossy appearance with no evidence of a glass fibre or fibre pattern showing. Basically the outer gelcoat acts as a barrier layer, this absorbs the water pressure leaving the second layer usually pristine and like new. it’s a shame not more builders followed this procedure….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Banks trip

The trip from Inverness to Norfolk is now just over 2 weeks away.... lets hope this fine weather keeps...Ive been busy getting basic stores and some safety equipment together. Ive managed to borrow a lot of stuff, so a big thanks to all. Most important being a ‘fuel scrubber’ to cleanse the fuel tanks. Home made gadget with a large independent filter.

O yes…. Plus ive just ordered 3 more Imray charts… might be handy to know where were going!

Broom 36

It was another Survey at Norfolk Yacht Agency yesterday. Its been a busy month in Brundall. If you're in the market to buy a boat and you have the means, now may be the best time to get a deal – possibly the best buyer's market in a generation. With sales knocked flat by the economy and many dealers flush with inventory, serious buyers can expect both a substantial price break and a handful of perks if they are willing to put their money down.

The Broom 36 was part of the fast offshore range with a planing hull but without a keel, making it a fast boat for offshore passages but less suitable for inland cruising.

The interior layout makes the most of the limited space with an offset double berth in the aft cabin as well as separate shower and WC cabins. The deck saloon has to double up as the dining area, with steps down to the galley, forward heads and guest V-berth.

Most boats were fitted with twin Volvo's, typically 220HP. This boat had the Mercruiser 220HP diesels.

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Greenline 33

I had a trip up to Newark yesterday to Survey this new Hybrid Motor Cruiser.

The Greenline 33 has an entirely new form of hull, called super displacement! which apparently contributes to lower fuel consumption. The electric drive of the boat creates no noise or fumes, and at the same time generates a negligible stern wave. Full batteries, not taking into account the additional energy gained from the solar roof, will propel the boat up to 20 nautical miles, which is ample for short day cruises. The solar roof ensures that the batteries are fully charged, and provides additional energy for sailing under electric power. Sailing at low speeds (e.g. 4 Nautical Miles), the quantity of solar energy gained and quantity of energy used are equal, meaning that such sailing presents no burden on the environment. Nevertheless the boat also comes with a 400-litre diesel engine, although for the most part during the summer cruising season one single tank of fuel will suffice.

165 HP Volkswagon diesel and a 7Kw electric motor!

The Greenline 33 uses two times less fuel per nautical mile than comparable displacement hulls and four times less than semi-displacement or twin-engine planing boats. During the season the boat will use the same amount of fossil fuel as a yacht of similar size, and up to ten times less fuel than a twin-engine planing boat of comparable size. The reduced fuel consumption can also of course be observed proportionately in the costs.

Impressive boat all round- and looks the part.