AQUAFIBRE MOULDS

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi all, We all know Aquafibre have gone out of buisness, but what has happened to all the moulds and tooling etc. Particularly the inland cruiser moulds. In fact, what happened to ALL the inland moulds, boats like the Bourne range, the DC30 range, the 38 & 42 models, and all the others in their range. Where are they now, or have they ALL been broken up?. Regards...................Neil.

[C.Ricko]

Hi Neil,

The Pear, Sapphire, Diamond and Opal are there, as is the peak and sliding hatch for the DC 30 and canopy for the 42'

the other moulds are from the 'Charter' range with the 14' beam and some of the older Broom designs.

have a look on Jonzos site for the models...

http://www.aquafibre.inlandwaterways.or ... &Itemid=62

[Guest]

Hi all

adding to this thread does anybody know if the moulds are still around for the aquafibre 38 Adventuring light class & the 44 Mediterranean

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

Hi all

adding to this thread does anybody know if the moulds are still around for the aquafibre 38 Adventuring light class & the 44 Mediterranean

Jonny

I hope not

I doubt they are about now jonny, the are not at Rackheath.

[Guest]

why not Clive there are stunning lasses

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

why not Clive there are stunning lasses

Jonny

Jonny,

when we talk about stunners I have seen lasses that could stun a cow at 50 paces, I recon they fall in that catagory

[Guest]

Jonny,

when we talk about stunner's I have seen lasses that could stun a cow at 50 paces, I recon they fall in that catagory

beauty is in the eye of the beholder & looks aint everything if you ha e one of these around the yard & dont want it ill gladly take it off your hands for a realy cheeky offer

Whats wrong with them !!

Jonny

[C.Ricko]

As you say Jonny, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, They do have plenty of room inside, but on my list of favorite looking boats they are not too near the top.

[Guest]

Women

Jonny

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi all, I rather liked the 44 ft version with its continuous windows (sorry Clive ), and saw one advertised for sale down here in the Bournemouth/Poole area, though i would imagine the boat itself was probably still on the Broads. They were asking £10,000 ono and i was tempted to give them a call. However, my all time favourite Aquafibre design was the stunning and trusty DC30. It was a boat that could easily be fitted out as a spacious and luxurious 2 berth, to a budget family 5 berth. With the aft mounted engine they are quiet under way, and they had fwd and aft cockpits, and they can get under Potter Heigham bridge. They don`t come any better than that. Aquafibre did offer a mk2 version with a high fwd cabin top with a sloping windscreen (like the Ruby 33) and i believe no fwd cockpit, but i`ve never seen any afloat, so i don`t know if they actually built any. I only saw it on a leaflet sheet with outline drawings of all the range. Does anybody remember them, or know if any of this type were ever built?. Regards and a merry christmas to one and all...............Neil

[Oddfellow]

My favourite design is the Pearl - it's a great looking cruiser, well propportioned and despite getting a bit old, still looks good - it's aged well and remains very popular in fleets.

The Varilength? Well, can't help but agree with Clive? Where did the inspiration come from?

Certainly they're very spacious inside.

I watched with interest the refit of Adventuring Light that became the training room for Horning Sailing Club and it was the perfect choice for this, but it's harly the sleekest thing around. I've seen more appealing carboard packaging for scaffold tubes.

However, I guess you can't argue with the buying public too much, these stub-nosed things were in Herbert Wood's hire fleet for years and years so they must have earned their keep.

[marshman]

And me? I always liked the Diamond - could never understand why relatively few were built.

Perhaps I like them 'cos I own one but several of the hire fleets still have them, including i know Freedom. Do the punters like them?

[C.Ricko]

I think possibly that the Diamond came out during the last recession and no yards were really building, when we came out then the Alphas were a much more stylish 'private' looking boat so they took over.

I have never been in a Diamond but I suspect they are a similar plan to a lowliner although with the sliding roof, there were plenty of those built, personally I think the older ones looked better as I am not keen on the oval windows in the front, Howvever I do think the smallest version of the Diamond is the best looking model.

[Oddfellow]

The Diamonds are nice boats at either 35 or 43 ft.

Both are popular cruisers but the 35 (Flight of Freedom) lets better than the 43 (True Freedom). This may simply be down to size, berthing and price, though.

I guess that the fit outs are similar across each builder. Ours were built by different builders, Flight is a Moores boat and is beautifully fitted and True is a Brooms boat, that's well fitted but, perhaps not as nice as the Moores one. Both are very comfortable with plenty of space for all.

True Freedom - 43ft Diamond - 6/7 berth

Flight of Freedom - 35ft Diamond - 4/6 berth

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

Hi Andy, you`ve got a good fleet and still growing i hear?. I`m impressed at what you`ve achieved with the ex Astons in the fleet, my particular favourite being Rambling Freedom. My first broads holiday was at the age of 11, and had my 12th birthday on the Sunday, and our boat was a shiny new Aston Orion. When we arrived at their Loddon yard, there stood four sets of hull and superstructure mouldings for the Thames class, which were brand new to the fleet for the 71 season. The Orion and Thames class were very much the same but the after section layout was in reverse. It`s great you`ve got the last of the Thames class, and have done a great job of up-dating her interior, and with her white hull and ally windscreen, she`s a real eye catcher. Well done. Regards and a happy new year.................... Neil .

[Guest]

The Varilength? Well, can't help but agree with Clive? Where did the inspiration come from?

Hi Andy

ill have you know i would give everybody party i have for one of those aquafibre 38s or 44s i love them beyond beleaf but thats just me the lines of the hull are stunning the inside has massive abouts of space first boat we hired i am still in love every time i see one the heart strings get pulled.

jonny

[Broads01]

I've always had a soft spot for those 39 foot Astons. They have an imposing presence on the water somehow and I'm pleased they still live on. Aston Thames itself has become Pearl Emblem at Ferry Marina - it's name still seems strange having been Aston Thames for the best part of 40 years.

[Guest]

I know this has already been asked about what happened to the moulds, but I wonder what they have done with the Bounty 27 (mew Elysian) complete set of tools that they had up there? Surely worth hanging onto....?

Also, looking at the excellent Aquafibre history site (I got carried away 'surfing' while I should be working!), I got onto the description for the Ideal 40/45 and read that it is described as being "Designed at the end of the 1970's as an extension to the Lancer 35 powerboat".

I've just googled Lancer 35 and only get pictures of Mitsubishi cars - what was the Lancer 35 - was it a Broom or Aquafibre design that I've no heard of?

Finally, I knew that Broom had made a few of the DC30's (there a Broom built one near me at York on the Ouse that look like it was built for a private owner that's beautiful) but I always assumed that it wasn't one of their designs - I thought the DC30 was a Dawncraft (and not the narrowbeam canal Dawncraft) - anybody clarify for me?

Best wishes,

James.

[Dan]

I could be wrong....

http://easternyachts.com/lancer.htm

Dan

[Guest]

You know what Dan, considering I work in IT so am a so called specialist, you seem to find all sorts of things on the interweb that I can't......

That looks very Ideal 40/45 like - well found!

Hey, shouldn't you be working too - and I owe you at least two emails now ;-))

,

James.

[Guest]

I do happen to like the aqua 44 dual steer version Aqua light having spent two weeks aboard her my self very nice boat inside easy to drive its a shame theres only two of these around & there both in Herbert woods fleet. now we come to the single steer version the 38 i haven't been on one but do love the look i have seen first love up for sale a couple of years back asking price well above 40K there was also another 38 moored at greenway marine Criage something it was called stunning sitting on the grass where i was moored in loddon always taking a look when nobody was looking. then you have a couple or one i think shining horizon at Richo's stalham stunning plus has a nice big sofa in the stern.

Jonny

[Guest]

Now, this finally proves my full on status as a nerd!

Just been looking on Google Maps and Bing maps aerial views to look at the mouldings at Aquafibre.

I assume that this is the right place?

Hopefully this link will work, as I've had trouble sharing them in the past (they don't always link properly for some reason):

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=ssbswh ... afibre____

The view from Google maps is similar but on the 'bing' version, if you click on 'aerial - birds eye' at the top, this photo is taken at a different time with far fewer moulds in the yard.

I don't think there is enough detail to identify the tools but quite an interesting view.

Best wishes,

James.

[C.Ricko]

this is from memory so I may be wrong but here goes!

the aerial version is the newer I think and many of the moulds are not there, there are a few older Broom sets still there.

Bottom right is the Diamond mould,

two above that is the Pearl,

two more above facing the other way is possibly the Broom 28 sedan although it may be the one opposite it below the Ensign 21.

2 down from the top on the right is the Sapphire

the yellow open hull is not there now and at a guess was the DC 30 as the canopy moulds are still there and yellow.

could all be wrong though!

[Guest]

this is from memory so I may be wrong but here goes!

the aerial version is the newer I think and many of the moulds are not there, there are a few older Broom sets still there.

Bottom right is the Diamond mould,

two above that is the Pearl,

two more above facing the other way is possibly the Broom 28 sedan although it may be the one opposite it below the Ensign 21.

2 down from the top on the right is the Sapphire

the yellow open hull is not there now and at a guess was the DC 30 as the canopy moulds are still there and yellow.

could all be wrong though!

Makes me look like a trainee nerd! Nice one Clive - thanks for the info - any idea which might be the New Elysian Bounty 27 (that I'm told was there?)

Do you think any of the designs/moulds have a value for resale to other builders for possible rebirth or is the new RC35 and RC45 going to be the only mould new generations want to buy?

Best wishes,

James.

[C.Ricko]

the 27 foot is not there, lots have been cut up, perhaps they went to thorpe when Bounty sold the moulds to Stelco?

I have been wandering about the moulds over the last few months just being nosey (with permission) while on other business, I dont know what is at thorpe as I have not been down there.