Boats Far From Home

[Vaughan]

5 hours ago, Broads01 said:

I can tell you that this is one of the original boats, with rounded corners to the windows.  Later ones had pointed corners.

When I enlarge the photo I can just make out the big letter S moulded into the engine room vent on the aft end of the cabin.  This stands for SOLAR and means she is one of the original boats, possibly fitted out in Wroxham by Dawncraft.  John Clabburn was one of the designers and owned Dawncraft at the time.  Built in 1975, at a guess.

Later boats, built by Bounty, had a moulded B on the vent cover instead of the S.

[PaulN]

Just seen this Alpha 31 for sale, but how on earth did it finish up in Italy?

https://www.rightboat.com/tr/boats-for-sale/alpha-craft/alpha-31-32/rb460186#&gid=null&pid=1 

[MargeandParge]

3 minutes ago, PaulN said:

Just seen this Alpha 31 for sale, but how on earth did it finish up in Italy?

https://www.rightboat.com/tr/boats-for-sale/alpha-craft/alpha-31-32/rb460186#&gid=null&pid=1 

Vetus MD 417 are a very good engine . 

Regards  Marge and Parge 

[Smoggy]

11 minutes ago, PaulN said:

but how on earth did it finish up in Italy?

Missed the yellow post on breydon!

[FlyingFortress]

It's OK it's a left hand drive one 😁

 

On another note, very nice looking boat but I don't know if it's me viewing on my phone but the pictures are awful 

[Mouldy]

1 hour ago, PaulN said:

Just seen this Alpha 31 for sale, but how on earth did it finish up in Italy?

https://www.rightboat.com/tr/boats-for-sale/alpha-craft/alpha-31-32/rb460186#&gid=null&pid=1 

Apparently, the hull is made of polyester.  Does that mean that any creases simply iron out?  

[oldgregg]

22 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Apparently, the hull is made of polyester.  

I mean they're not wrong....

[MargeandParge]

They  must have PASTA by Yarmouth and been TORT  A  LEANY into the waves.

Regards Marge and Parge 

[ChrisB]

There has been a big "Broads Type" hire industry around the lagoons and rivers in the Venice region for a long time. I am sure our French Correspondent can give a much better overview than me. My guess is ex-hire boat.

Here is Le Boat Italia:-

 

[ChrisB]

[OldBerkshireBoy]

https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/bounty-60-for-sale/717064

[Broads01]

8 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/bounty-60-for-sale/717064

No doubt with much money spent it could be converted into a luxury cruiser. It's too long for the Broads but good for the Thames I think.

[ExSurveyor]

Make a good holiday home afloat on the southern side. I think I would need bow thrusters.

[LizG]

Watching a video on YouTube saw this Wilds at Hebden Bridge on the Rochdale Canal. It's a screen shot so on the big screen might be very blurred

[webntweb]

21 hours ago, LizG said:

Watching a video on YouTube saw this Wilds at Hebden Bridge on the Rochdale Canal. It's a screen shot so on the big screen might be very blurred

That one has been there for quite a few years. I saw it when out on a picnic boat in April 2014.

[oldgregg]

On 16/11/2022 at 21:05, ExSurveyor said:

Make a good holiday home afloat on the southern side. I think I would need bow thrusters.

Yeah I think a single 55hp BMC in one of those would not be great.

[petersjoy]

just had this sent from a friend, now in Mirfield.

 

[oldgregg]

And still wearing her Broads reg number, as often seems to be the case....

[Captain]

Hi,

According to the database it was ex Brooms hire boat Seachief 2.

Neil 

[WherryNice]

That one was for sale last summer at NYA, we had a look, very nice boat! Didn't realize she was ex-hire until it was pointed out by the broker

[oldgregg]

14 hours ago, WherryNice said:

That one was for sale last summer at NYA, we had a look, very nice boat! Didn't realize she was ex-hire until it was pointed out by the broker

This is the thing.... Some hire fitouts are very nice and have aged really well.

Broom were very good in the 80's and 90's, but then of course they were also a huge producer of 'private' boats so their standard was higher than the average hire yard.

[WherryNice]

1 hour ago, oldgregg said:

This is the thing.... Some hire fitouts are very nice and have aged really well.

Broom were very good in the 80's and 90's, but then of course they were also a huge producer of 'private' boats so their standard was higher than the average hire yard.

Fully agree with you there, my folks have an ex-Broom hire boat and the fit out was very much a factor in their decision to buy her.

On the boat pictured it was the quality of the paint job that really threw us, it honestly looked like gel coat and it was only after close inspection once we were told she was painted that we spotted the odd speck of 'Broom Blue' where the canopy had rubbed.

[Vaughan]

 

 

This boat appeared on the moorings where we live, on the Canal du Midi a few days ago and seems to be there for the winter.  The canal closes this weekend and certain areas will then be drained for maintenance.  I assume this is a stretch where they know the canal will not be drained.  It was drained last year, for a lot of bank maintenance.

The boat is built on the Alpha 42 mould (which was the Wilds Caribbean) but with a greatly modified superstructure, to do away with the sliding canopy, giving a comfortable saloon interior, and adding a large upper sundeck with upper steering position.  The boats were actually moulded like this and then fitted out inside by Crown Cruisers, to what we called Crown Class standard, using top quality faced plywood and teak trim, spindled on the yard at Somerleyton.  In the CBL brochure, they were called Concorde and there were only about 8 of them built.

The Toulouse registration means she was probably hired from our base in Castelnaudary but I notice a tunnel searchlight on the cabin top which may mean she had been further north, perhaps in the Nivernais.

Someone has bought an ex hire boat which is a perfect choice for cruising anywhere on the French canals.  I hope I may get the chance to meet the owners, during this winter.

[NeilB]

Another feature of these 42ft models is the rear decks are fairy narrow which gives the aft cabins extra space.  My saloon is located at the stern and it makes a big difference!

[Broads01]

I remember the Alpha Craft hirefleet versions of these, not sure if they had one or two. One was called "Starfire" as I recall and had a full size 3 seater household sofa in the saloon. It's still on the Broads I think. I would imagine the airdraft is quite sensible.