Anyone Recognise This As A Broom?

[ExSurveyor]

2 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

Crosshead screws are much easier. :-) 

They still have to be dressed,  you just need better eye sight.

[JennyMorgan]

A real Broom 37 and a maybe Broom 37, both of the same vintage. Certain similarities! It's worth looking at the joinery on other Broom 37's that are for sale.

[JennyMorgan]

This is a picture of an Aquafibre 37:

[oldgregg]

14 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

This is a picture of an Aquafibre 37:

That's the AF Crystal 37. Although actually that one isn't as such - It was an old hull with the superstructure later adapted to fit it by the use of a very thick deck joint 'adapter' piece that sets them apart. Woods rebuilt them around 1998.

A standard one looks like this (and yes the port and starboard sides of the flybridge look different, but I couldn't find a pic with them both the same way round).

The Ocean 37 and later the Crown mouldings were also available through Aquafibre, with Brinks Prelude being the only Ocean 37's in hire I can think of.

I would say that the Ocean 37 in the first of your two pictures has more freeboard than the Crystal or the DIY thing. There's an extra section of hull above that rubbing strake - the green bit with the engine vents - so I guess the Crystal uses a cut down version of the hull for inland waterway use in order to keep the air draft sensible (and because they're designed for single engines so need less height).

From the looks of it, the boat for sale is based on the hull used by the Crystal 37 and the snappily-entitled 'AF 37 Sedan G' sedan version.

[JennyMorgan]

Gregg, I reckon that you have nailed it. Almost as thrilling as 'who killed JR? '

[marshman]

I know nothing of real interest but the more you look at it, the less it actually looks like a Broom, in or out. Looks more to me like a specific one off, probably by a professional builder to an individuals spec.

The design of the windows and their positioning too, just look a little odd and the inside is just too dark with lots of poncy bits included which do not look Broom like - the little spice rack fiddle rails all over do not appeal to me at all. If Brooms did do it, perhaps they "forgot" their builders plate on purpose!

Still, as they say, it takes all sorts I suppose - at least it will always get people going, "Whats that??"

 

[oldgregg]

5 minutes ago, marshman said:

the little spice rack fiddle rails all over do not appeal to me at all

It was those that made me think it really doesn't feel like a Broom fitout...

They could have been added later of course, but Broom would have added a proper fiddle so there'd be no need.

[JennyMorgan]

The odds are on, in my opinion, her not being a Broom fit out. Broom is or was related to Aquafibre, I suspect that that is about it. B&Q spice racks aside I still like the seemingly logical layout for a river boat. A nice live-aboard to retire on? I'm too old to make the move now but if I were younger I would be seriously tempted, at the right price.

[oldgregg]

8 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Broom is or was related to Aquafibre, I suspect that that is about it. 

And that's why brokers get confused / use a bit of artistic license with their descriptions...

The relationship between Broom and Aquafibre and the way that mouldings were sold separately through the sister company (who in reality laid everything up until ten years ago) is a bit unusual so unless you're familiar with the Broads it's probably an odd one to get your head around.

Given the confusion, it's therefore quite easy for a broker to list something as a Broom and not be challenged on it. And while we're challenging it, it is difficult for us to prove definitively because of the changes at Broom over the last nine years.

[vanessan]

Does the tiger bedding come with it?? 

[JennyMorgan]

15 minutes ago, vanessan said:

Does the tiger bedding come with it?? 

Along with the handcuffs etc? 

Ahh ha, that comes after PumpMedic has bought her!

[Vaughan]

40 minutes ago, oldgregg said:

The relationship between Broom and Aquafibre and the way that mouldings were sold separately through the sister company (who in reality laid everything up until ten years ago) is a bit unusual so unless you're familiar with the Broads it's probably an odd one to get your head around.

This all goes back to two things which were happening in the late 60s :

1/. The Broads was in deep recession and Brooms were looking to diversify their building into offshore boats, rather than pure river boats, for the private market.

2/. Fibreglass was just arriving on the Broads.

Aquafibre was set up as an independent company by Martin Broom and Ian Mackintosh, of Rowntree Mackintosh in Norwich. The Brooms and the Mackintoshes are related by marriage. There was a third partner, who was killed a few years later in a crash of his private plane but I am afraid his name escapes me.

Aquafibre did most of the moulding for Brooms but would also sell to other yards for their own outfitting. Crown Cruisers built hundreds of the Classique and Crusader boats for France, all on AF moulds. Bizarrely, a lot of these later boats were fitted out by Brooms, under contract to Crown Cruisers, who had exclusive use of the moulds at that time.

So an "AF32", for example, was moulded by Aquafibre but could have been fitted out by any yard on the Broads who wanted to buy one.

Conversely, I think I am right that the Broom "Skipper" is actually on a Bourne 35 hull?

[oldgregg]

Rip Martins (Martins Plastics), John Linford, Vic Bell (Bell Boats) and 'Bobby' Richardson were also involved early on although it was a much-reduced consortium within a few years, for various reasons.

I think @Stationerystill will have pretty good insight here. I can't remember which of the guys was sadly involved in the plane crash.

The Skipper is 30 feet, so not directly the 35 hull.

 

[WherryNice]

The Skipper hull looks very similar to the Ocean 30 hull to me?

[oldgregg]

That's what I'd expect it to be based on.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

42 minutes ago, vanessan said:

Does the tiger bedding come with it?? 

 

24 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Along with the handcuffs etc? 

Ahh ha, that comes after PumpMedic has bought her!

Can`t a boy have any secrets on this forum? 

[MauriceMynah]

I remember Peter Linford talking to me about someone involved in a plane crash, I'm afraid that's all I remember but it does add weight to the Linford link.

Also, I always thought the Broom Skipper was a 30 footer

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, Pumpmedic said:

 

Can`t a boy have any secrets on this forum? 

Absolutely not! This forum is for sharing. 

[Lulu]

59 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Also, I always thought the Broom Skipper was a 30 footer

Our 1970’s Skipper is 30ft

[JennyMorgan]

A brief history of Aquafibre:

https://www.mby.com/news/aquafibre-a-look-back-9355

2 hours ago, Pumpmedic said:

 

Can`t a boy have any secrets on this forum? 

No, friends don't have secrets! 

[marshman]

Its not quite true that all the moulds went back to Brooms - I think that in the end Aquafibre went into receivership and some moulds were left up on the premises at Rackheath. In the end I believe that what was finally left up there in the hands of the Administrators was just smashed up.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Afternoon all,

Think we have a definitive answer after I shared the photos with the owners club who`s response was excellent as was the response here. One member I spoke to had actually viewed her last June but didn`t like the layout however was really helpful sharing what he knew and what he thought it should be valued at, other members including the Vice chairperson, the Eastern area rep and two long serving employees also helped and then finally today the owner replied to my questions and the answer is....

(Long drum roll please)

Yes the superstructure is sheathed marine ply built by another builder and she has been 90% refurbished over the last 5yrs. 

According to the owners club even if the build plate is missing if you look closely on the bow of the boat just above the waterline there will be a small Broom mould number on a Broom hull and internally remove any drawer and there should be a number written underneath or on the end.

Thanks to all that helped.

 

[oldgregg]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

Its not quite true that all the moulds went back to Brooms - I think that in the end Aquafibre went into receivership and some moulds were left up on the premises at Rackheath. In the end I believe that what was finally left up there in the hands of the Administrators was just smashed up.

Some went to Haines straight away, some were bought by Richardson's and some were bought by Barnes. In reality I think only the tooling for the production /charter stuff went to Brundall.

But yeah, a lot of stuff was cut up, some very recently.

 

[Lulu]

45 minutes ago, Pumpmedic said:

if you look closely on the bow of the boat just above the waterline there will be a small Broom mould number on a Broom hull and internally remove any drawer and there should be a number written underneath or on the end.

I know absolutely that our Skipper is very definitely a Broom and in original condition overall but I shall have fun pulling out the drawers and looking for number on the bow. Thank you!

[OldBerkshireBoy]

1 minute ago, Lulu said:

I know absolutely that our Skipper is very definitely a Broom and in original condition overall but I shall have fun pulling out the drawers and looking for number on the bow. Thank you!

Hehe, somehow I don`t think you will be the only one.