Sheerline 950

I was back in Wroxham on the Northern Broads this morning looking at this Sheerline ‘type’ Cruiser built by Alexander Boat Builders in Brundall back in 1990. It’s the 950 model with the centre sliding wheelhouse which allows open air living for 4-6 people. This low air draft gives access to the majority of the UK inland waterways and this is achieved by sliding the wheelhouse saloon roof down using the electric winch on to the aft cabin roof area and fold-down screens.

Surveyors comments: Obviously the Sheerline 950 built and fitted out by Sheerline attracts more pennies! Sometimes as much as 15K. This version was built for hire so a good check on the engine and running gear is sensible. I usually run and allow the engine to warm up slowly. I never apply full throttle to a cold engine! I check that the cooling water is circulating by looking over the side to make sure it's discharging. I check the oil pressure, engine temperature and that the battery is charging. I also check the stern gland and all seacock hose connections for leaks. I also check the engine visually for signs of fuel leaks, overheating and any excessive vibration. Note: Before stopping the engine allow it to idle for a few minutes to cool down.

Seamaster 30

I had the morning at Horning on the Northern Broads today to take a look at this Classic Cruiser from the 70’s for Pre- Purchase. The Seamaster 30 was introduced at the London Boat Show in 1970 and was an instant success. 400 were produced from 1970 to 1981. Bounty Boats made some craft under the name "New Seamaster 30" and from 1984 a new Seamaster company offered the 30 as the Seamaster "Norther" 30. The Seamaster 30 was also available without the aft cabin to special order.

Surveyors comments on the model generally: Don’t be surprised if you find some small osmotic blisters and high moisture meter readings below the waterline. In my experience a wet hull is not a defect, as most older boats will have wet hulls. Old hulls with thick laminates are likely to tolerate significant moisture for years.

Sealine F44

I spent the morning looking over this Sealine F44 at Brundall today. Built in 1998, she powered effortlessly on the speed trial with her 370HP Volvo engines. 

The standard of fibreglass moulding is impressive. There are lots of curves and rakish lines that fall somewhere between flybridge cruiser and mini-motoryacht.

A high-volume production boatbuilder, Sealine uses galvanised iron beams for the engine bearers and sub-floor structure. Longitudinals are glassed-in and run well forward for rigidity.

The Sealine F44 is built to Design Category B, which means that according to the book it can withstand Force 8 winds (near gale at 34-40kt) and waves up to 4m high!

Surveyors comments: I found that on the river trail and speed run the low centre of gravity leads to nice seahandling and you can count on British engineering to get you home.

Fairline Targa 33

Hoping the rain keeps off today for the 'Speed Trial' on this FAIRLINE TARGA 33 Cruiser at Brundall. Always been impressed with this model - the hull has pedigree, as it hails from Bernard Olesinski, the naval architect behind all Fairline (and Princess) boats. It should have British racing-car-like performance!

It all began when Jack T Newington, known always as ‘JT', was searching for an inland base for his own boat. He stumbled upon a disused site on the River Nene at Oundle, near Peterborough, but soon realised its commercial potential. First he converted the pits into a marina before adding a slipway, workshop and chandler's in 1964. Oundle Marina Ltd was born.

When the young company was offered the moulds to a craft called a Fairline 19 in 1967, JT saw another opportunity to expand his business. The snug little daycruiser and its derivatives proved an instant hit, with over 700 being sold in its eight-year production run.

In 1969, the Fairline 19 was joined by a Fury 25, designed by John Bennett, the most prolific boat designer of the time. This was a genuine, if unusual, offshore cruiser - the single helm was set into the cabin top, and was accessed by a set of offset moulded stairs.

In 1971, JT's son, Sam Newington, a former fighter pilot and business graduate, came on board, and changed the name of the company to Fairline Boats to better identify it with the craft it was building.

John Bennett's relationship with the firm was also further established, after he was commissioned to design a 22ft sportscruiser, which would become the Holiday.

But it wasn't until the Bennett-designed Phantom 32 hit the market in 1974 that Fairline was truly recognised as one of the big players in the vanguard of GRP builders. The seven-berth Phantom 32 remained in production for 13 years, with more than 600 built.

From the late 1970s to the early 80s, Fairline began to assert their iron grip on the market with a couple of classic designs: the Fairline 40, which was in production for a record 11 years, and the very first Targa.

The Targa, which celebrated its 20th birthday in 2005, has proved to be a highly significant contributor to the company's growth, spawning enduring models like the Targa 38, Targa 52 and the 44 Gran Turismo.

In the early 1990s Fairline made their move into the larger yacht market with the first boat in the now-renowned Squadron series, the innovative and stylish 62. Those ideas were gradually filtered down into the more affordable models in the Squadron 55 and the Squadron 43.



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Bounty Sovereign Sedan 34

Yesterdays assignment was to Survey this Bounty Sovereign Sedan for Pre Purchase.

The Sovereign range was one of the last designs by Bounty. The Sedan 34 version was built as both a dual helm model, featuring both external helm and a second located in the central saloon and single helm models. The single helm had just the external helm, with folding canopy over. The galley and forward bathroom layouts changed as did the saloon layout which offered an even more sociable area with additional seating space.

As with many of the Sovereign range, the moulds are now used by other manufacturers which can make identifying those produced by Bounty more difficult.

Bounty Boats was formed by Mike Brister, and in 1968 was sold to Peter Brown. At the time the company was a small hirefleet of assorted craft, based at Brundall on the Norfolk Broads.

Surveyors comments: These are very popular cruisers. Ideal for the European canals, Ireland and also perfect for the Norfolk Broads. They don’t stay on Brokerage for very long and also don't come cheap. A 1998 version still holds 70K.