Project 31 motor cruiser for Survey at Richardson's Boatyard

Hi had a trip over to Moonfleet Marine today to take a look at this Old Classic Cruiser! 

This craft was launched in 1966 and continued up to 1974. The boat is a large cockpit cruiser with an evolved hull design from a stretched Elysian 27. The cabin is open plan, but with a folding partition and curtains giving optional privacy to the V berths forward. The interior has 2 V berths to bow with a table dinette further aft. 

All craft were outdriven and a huge variation of engines fitted from single petrol to larger diesels. This example had the two 4108 diesel taxi engines with enfield drives. 

On a vessel of this age that has spent most of her life in freshwater, you are going to get some type of osmosis on the underbody. Experience has shown that early treatment of osmotic boats tends to be less successful than treatment of vessels with more advanced problems. While this may seem to contradict normal precautionary practice, it has been found that breakdown reactions in GRP laminates take some time to reach their conclusion; and if treatment is carried out prematurely it is much more difficult to remove reactive or hygroscopic compounds from the laminate, with the result that a recurrence of osmosis is much more likely to occur. The overriding factor must always be the integrity and safety of the hull. Osmosis in its early stages is very much a chemical condition, which has very little effect on hull strength. 

Perkins 4108 diesel: If it has been well maintained it should go well past 10,000 hrs, maybe double that. You will have to keep up proper maintance. Make sure your impeller, heat exchanger, anti siphon valve and exhaust mixing elbow are kept in good shape. Also make sure that your fuel tanks are clean and your fuel filters are changed regularly.Most diesels will run trouble free for thousands of hours given clean fuel, oil, and air.  

The boat is a round bilge hull design of semi displacement style.The boat has a large cockpit and open-backed wheelhouse. A settee in the cockpit can be pulled out to form an additional fair-weather berth. 

Storebro Baltic 31 for Survey at Norfolk Yacht Agency

A surveyed this true classic Scananavian cruiser today at Norfolk Yacht Agency in Brundall.

She has a stoutly built semi displacement hull.

All versions I have seen have the Volvo AD40 diesel engines in twin form on conventional shaft drives. 

Surveyors comments: The craft are a proven coastal boat and in soft top form (as opposed to hard type design) capable for river use.

History - Broads Cruiser?

Can anyone help me find out the history of this little cruiser, shes seems to have been built for sea going, around the 50's. The owners desperate to find out more...anyone? steventruss1@aol.com 

Broom 44 Survey at Norfolk Boat Sales

I had the day at Norfolk Boat Sales in Brundall Surveying this Broom 44 TSMY.

The 44 was produced as a Hardtop with fixed doors aft of the helmsmans seat, and also as this example the Mediterranean, which had a standard removable canopy and an open aft cockpit. 

These boats were fitted with a variety of twin engine configurations between 185HP and 220HP including these the Ford Sabre 420's as well as Caterpillar or Volvos.

The bathing platform is integral to the hull but the access to the deck is still by stainless steel ladder at this time. The 44 is distinguished by its rectangular portholes forward and aft.

The large deck saloon was laid out with lounge seating aft on the port side, and a dinette on the same level but forward on the starboard side. Steps lead down to the port side galley and forward heads. The standard layout was for an island double in the forward guest cabin although in some boats this was replaced by V-berths. The large third cabin was fitted with overlapping twin bunks.

Surveyors comments: In its day the flagship of the Fast Offshore range, the 44 combines a vee hull for fast offshore passages with a skeg keel providing good handling qualities.

Aquafibre 42 for survey at Anglia Yacht Brokers

I had the day at Anglia Yacht Brokers in St Olaves yesterday Surveying this Aquafibre 42 River Cruiser.

The first Aquafibre hull was the Ocean 30, one of the most used moulds in motorboating history. It initially became the Broom 30 and Moonraker 30, before being used to create scores of other models up until the present day.

The second mould from Aquafibre became the much-loved Ocean 37 and Broom 37.

Aquafibre was started in 1965 at the outset of moulding in GRP and its success in doing so was hugely influential. The firm went on to play a key role in development for Fairline and worked with some of the big names in modern motorboating, Broom and Princess among them.

The firm grew rapidly, supplying specially designed inland hulls to nearly every hireboat outlet on the Broads over the 1970s and 1980s.

As that business began to decline, Aquafibre sold to the big charter fleets, with many hulls going to Ireland for Emerald Star and France for Crown Blue Line.

Thinking of buying an ex hire boat like this one. Call me for a chat or mail me at steventruss1@aol.com