Grande Girl 1 & 2 From Summercraft

[mjt]

Can anyone tell me what the bed lengths & standing heights are like in Grande Girl 1 & 2? We're thinking of hiring next year but I'm 6'2" and at my age, 73, constant stooping is not ideal, nor is a cramped sleeping position.

Any info will be gratefully received.

[Boatingman]

Hi mjt

Nice craft Grande Girls

Can I suggest you contact Summer craft directly I am sure they will supply information

Ray

[SwanR]

Afternoon Mike,

Haven't hired from Summercraft as their boat plans do look as if the bed position wouldn't suit us. Hubby is 6'4 so it's the one thing we don't compromise on. We have stuck to island beds mostly - even if the description / plan makes it look as if you can walk round the bed watch out for the ones with headboards in the middle of the room ... you can't hang your feet off the end of those!

So far we have hired Swan Reflection, Fair Prince, Silver Emblem, Rose Emblem, Moon Beam and Brinks Sonnet which have all suited us fine.

As Ray has suggested, contacting the yard is probably your best bet.

[mjt]

Hi Ray, thanks for responding. I know Summercraft have received very good reviews and favourable comments on the forums but I have to report that I haven't been able to get any information from them, which is why I posted here. They offered to measure up and let me know after a changeover day but, despite my reminding them after waiting for a few days, they've failed to get back to me.

Hi Jean, wow - 6'4" - you clearly have an even worse problem than me. In the course of our research we have noticed that many 'island' beds actually have the headboard at the 'free' end with feet tucked under the deck.

It's at least 10 years since we hired on the Broads. On that occasion it was San Valentino from Richardsons (I see it's still going). We used the bow bunks but I can't remember after all this time how much length and standing room we had. In any case I was a lot more flexible then. Grande Girl looks very similar so I was hoping it might suit us but without that information I'm hesitant to commit to a booking.

[Broads01]

Hi mjt. Alas Summercraft aren't my favourite people at the moment since the snooty way they dealt with my request to moor there in May. Having said that I've hired from them twice and they run a decent business and I've no doubt the Grande Girls are nice boats. If you search in the Holiday Tales section, there's a member called Mouldy who's hired them more than once as I recall and always in late September. You could pm him in case he doesn't pick up this thread. 

I've hired San Francisco from Richardsons which is the 35 foot version of the same design. It has an island double which I found very comfortable (I'm 6 foot 0).

[VetChugger]

And we hired "Sovereign" from Richardsons which is the same model and a tidy boat at a good price.

[BenArmstrong]

mjt,

 

I would contact Summer Craft directly, as these sizes can be discussed with them as these vessels do vary as 1 and 2 were built for different purposes, as Jonzo states, one was made as a private boat and bought.

 

Yours

Ben

[mjt]

Hi Ben, as already stated I have contacted them but in spite of two attempts they still haven't got back to me. I don't feel I should have to pester them for the information. If they want the business you'd think they'd be eager to supply it.

I am aware of the differences between the two boats though I didn't know one was originally built privately .

 

[NorfolkNog]

Unfortunately both Summercraft and Silverline have immaculate looking boats but their customer interface can sometimes be a bit flakey. 

That boat, I think, is an Aquafibre Pearl????  I think several yards have them, in fact I'm sure Royalls (now BB) had a couple which may be another option. I think if it were me I'd take my custom elsewhere (IMHO of course) :-) 

[DAVIDH]

Here is a list from my site  of all boats of this type for hire through Hoseasons. It might be useful in tracking down an alternative.

Regards
David

https://www.norfolkbroadsboathire.biz/similar_boat.asp?minsleeps=2&boatyardlocation=%&steersfrom=%&y=0&northorsouth=%&keyword=grande+girl&x=0&style=26

 

[Mouldy]

21 hours ago, Broads01 said:

 . . . . . .there's a member called Mouldy who's hired them more than once as I recall and always in late September. You could pm him in case he doesn't pick up this thread. . . . . . . . . 

Hey, that's me!!

Hi MJT - being somewhat vertically challenged (5ft 8ins) headroom has never been an issue with most of the boats I've hired.  I would think that you would be okay for headroom in the saloon, but it may be more restricted in the cabins (and heads).  Most broads cruisers are shaped to fit under bridges, such as Wroxham, so the headroom reduces to the sides of the cabins anyway.

As for berths, I think that those on the fore cabin are longer that in the aft cabin, but again, at my height, it's never been an issue.

I get on well with Sue and her team at Summercraft, but I have hired from there on six or seven occasions and never had cause to grumble.  Furthermore, there boats are turned out to a very high standard and I've never had cause to call them out to attend a breakdown on any of them.

We're back on Grande Girl 1 from the 23rd September and if you can hang on until then, I'll be happy to measure up for you.

[mjt]

Hi Jonzo & David,

Thanks for the links to those boats. Some look quite promising. I don't think those with a double in the bow would work for us. I suspect those with twin bow bunks are likely to offer a bit more length and as I now visit the heads a number of times in the night I wouldn't disturb SWMBO. Headroom in the heads might be an issue when getting washed although I might manage the way I did in our own boat, previous to the one we have now, by sitting on the loo to get washed (with the lid down, so don't laugh).

Hi Mouldy,

Thanks for the offer. That's very good of you. My only concern with waiting that long is that we want to book for next May and I'm a bit worried we might lose out if we don't get in quickly. We're going to be in Sheringham 1st to 3rd of September for the NNR gala so we might try to find time to call in and see Sue.

I wouldn't call 5'8" vertically challenged. That's a nice average height and I really envy people of your height as throughout my life my height has caused problems, from finding clothes to finding suitable beds (has to be king size), getting into the driving seat of cars - and particularly commercial vans (campervan conversions) - and now to boats. It even extends to little things you probably wouldn't think of like the height of mirrors in public loos.

Anyway, I digress. If I haven't resolved this by the end of September I'll be most grateful for your help.

[Matt]

We used to have a share in Evening Shadow which is an Pearl 38 design with the bunks in the 3rd cabin.

At 6 foot 2 i could sleep in the front V berths but feet were well up against the end of the bed. Headroom was not too much of a problem but the cabin was on the small side anyway. The v berths are quite high compared to the other berths.

The bunks were far smaller than the front V berths.


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[SwanR]

10 hours ago, mjt said:

I wouldn't call 5'8" vertically challenged. That's a nice average height and I really envy people of your height as throughout my life my height has caused problems, from finding clothes to finding suitable beds (has to be king size), getting into the driving seat of cars - and particularly commercial vans (campervan conversions) - and now to boats. It even extends to little things you probably wouldn't think of like the height of mirrors in public loos.

My hubby would agree with you there. He's 6'4 and I'm 5'5 so even putting up a mirror at home at a height to suit us both can be a challenge!

He tries to remember to wear a hat whenever we're on a boat to protect his head after a very nasty bang getting out in a hurry to moor up a few years ago. Headroom is never great for him .... another reason we bought a caravan instead of a boat ... he can stand up straight all the time!! 

[Matt]

I wondered what the bunk cabins were like on those.
I was considering a share on Moonlight Shadow a few months back - I really like centre-cockpit boats and I think they're the best all-rounders for the Broads. And the AF Pearl is one of the nicest-looking designs as well.

Best suited for kids!


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[BroadAmbition]

Not if it's well insulated (That's timber or biodegradable to you),  draft proofed with a decent heating system. In the depths of winter no thick jumpers etc needed in 'B.A' wheelhouse, no Sir thank you 

Griff

[mjt]

42 minutes ago, Jonzo said:

The only major downside with a centre-cockpit boat is in the colder months when the heat does tend to escape from that large (and well ventilated) mobile greenhouse perched on top...

 

That's what we found all those years ago with San Valentino. The first few days were cold, wet & blustery and the sliding canopy was very draughty. My daughter, in particular was very cold and miserable & we were stuffing the gaps with anything we could find. The canopy even came off its track on one occasion. Luckily I was able to lever it back without having to call Rickos out.

[tjg1677]

Had sunlit horizon 2 last year. I am six foot one and bunks were very comfortable. Headroom not so. Kept banging my head on the doorfdoorframes and could not stand upright in the bathrooms. Otherwise a fine boat.

Trev

[Broads01]

Forward steers with full sliding roofs can be draughty too, the draughtiest I've had being Concerto (Bounty 37). If I'm having a forward steer I always tend to choose a full roof over a sun roof though. 

On 15/08/2017 at 12:27, Jonzo said:

Yeah, that's what I concluded.

I think they'll be similar to the bunk cabin on the Crystal 37.

I tried the single beds on Thunder, and they're a good size (I could certainly sleep in them).

Oh dear and I've just booked Contessa for a week next year knowing I may need to sleep in the bunks cabin. Are they shorter than 6 foot do you know John? 

[Broads01]

Ah so you nabbed the same bargain as me. OK good, I'm not quite as tall as you so sounds good, thanks. 

[ranworthbreeze]

Here is a link to Richardson's site to look at Contessa

http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/contessa/

Regards

Alan

[Broads01]

I've always thought it's a boat Richardsons have put in the wrong price band. It's priced in the bottom 4 berth band making it the same as the Bounty 37s for example (which are also brilliant value of course). I booked the first week of September 2018 which was over £200 cheaper than smaller dual steers like San Julian for the same week. It would have been even less the following week or week after but it was already booked for the 3 weeks after I have it. 

[SwanR]

On the subject of draughts ... I agree that this is one downside to a forward steer cruiser at the cooler ends of the season. As for the centre cockpit design, Fair Prince was great. There was a cover to put on the outside over the back of the sliding canopy, hopefully that describes its position well enough but I've pasted in a photo below. Once the cover was in place after mooring up for the day we were perfectly warm and cosy inside. 

 

[Wyndham]

30 minutes ago, SwanR said:

On the subject of draughts ...

The forward steers are not so bad if all they have is a sliding sunroof, it it's a full/split sliding roof we take a couple of old duvet covers, stuff 'em in the gaps. Works a treat.

When we had Fair Prince we could never be bothered with that cover, mind it weren't that cold though.

[Broads01]

46 minutes ago, SwanR said:

On the subject of draughts ... I agree that this is one downside to a forward steer cruiser at the cooler ends of the season. As for the centre cockpit design, Fair Prince was great. There was a cover to put on the outside over the back of the sliding canopy, hopefully that describes its position well enough but I've pasted in a photo below. Once the cover was in place after mooring up for the day we were perfectly warm and cosy inside. 

 

I like the look of that cover for colder weather, it's not something I've ever had on a centre cockpit boat.