Looking For Vintage Brochure / Pictures

[Apollo]

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are the lucky owners of a 1972 Aquafibre 38 that we’ve moved to London and are converting into a houseboat.

Currently named Apollo it has gone through a few name changes and has been a rental for most of its life according to broads.org.uk, starting as Gleaming Light 2 at Herbert Woods.

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki2018/index.php?title=Boat_Details&BoatId=3704&BoatHistory=49462

I’ve emailed HW to ask if they had any vintage doc but no cigar so far. I also checked a couple of other threads here as well as broadlandboats.co.uk. I was wondering if anyone around here had 70’s pictures / brochure featuring our baby. Would be lovely to see her in her prime !

Thank you for reading!

[Turnoar]

I have a picture or slide with me sat on the bow of that exact design plus brother or sister with my dad on the helm of that model on “broads trials” in the early 70s. My father was a Woods apprentice in the 50s and my grandfather also a Herbert Woods apprentice in the 20s, heading up until his retirement in around 76 77. I’ll look it out and see if there is a reg number. Welcome to the forum Apollo.

[Turnoar]

Apollo update. From an initial plough of the understairs cupboard this could be it or a sister ship. It was my brother after all and my dad wasn’t helming for this photo. Registration number F2 somthing... the flagstaff looks to be in the same place! If this isn’t your baby it’s a sibling for shore! This is at Broadshaven for deafinite!

[Apollo]

Oh this is amazing!!! Thank you so much :) So is it you the kid on the picture? It definitely is the right model with the front bench. Our Broads reg is F867. They don’t change so they? Thank you again for fishing this out for us :D

[Captain]

Hi Apollo, 

Nice boat by the way, I am sure someone will be along with a photo/brochure pictures of your boat shortly. I believe it still has its original reg and operated at Richardson's after its time at Woods. Having a perusal of the Broads database and from memory suggest s Woods built around 13 of these new aquafibre design s back in 1971-3. Turnoars photo appears to be one of 6 Dawning Lights and Rapid Streams F200-5. I have a feeling these ended up in France and or the Thames at Woods subsidiary yards (Ladbrokes). 4 Gleaming lights appear to follow in 1972/3 F866-9 and finally 3 Hearts cruisers. Richardson's still have 1 of the Gleaming lights as a Major Gem and a former Hearts boat as Mercury.

Good luck in getting the photos 

Neil

[Vaughan]

Here she is from Blakes brochure of 1974. In later brochures they still use the same photo. Reg number appears to be F205?

I was at Port Cassafieres in south France in 1982 when they had AF boats that had been fitted out by Woods. The 44s were called Fleur du Midi and the 38s were called Fleur du Sud. When Crown Cruisers bought the yard from Rank, the 44s went to Castelnaudary and were called Flamingo, while I believe the 38s were sold into private hands.

[Vaughan]

Here is Dawning Light from the same brochure of 1974. Reg number is F200.

[Turnoar]

Hi Apollo, yes I’m in the middle, Captain has solved the exact class for me thanks, definitely a light I recall the streams were for Southgates base at Horning. Either 1971 or 72. With Vaughan’s info to boat as well there’s not much more I can add except to wish you Bon voyage!

[Vaughan]

This may be a better resolution.

[Turnoar]

Fender free, deck tools stowed down below, arms waving, life ring top dead centre, just as a brochure shot should be, no need for photoshop! Only thing I’d add is a bigger pennant.

[Vaughan]

 I have just noticed that your boat has s/s handrails and an aluminium windscreen, but those in the earlier photos have wooden ones. These may have been changed in later years but may also indicate that your boat is a later build. The side window profiles seem to be the same.

[LizG]

Are you sometimes moored on the Lea near Ware? Saw two ex Broads boats on a walk at the beginning of the year both with old reg numbers visible. Was one you? Liz

[Broads01]

5 hours ago, Captain said:

Hi Apollo, 

Nice boat by the way, I am sure someone will be along with a photo/brochure pictures of your boat shortly. I believe it still has its original reg and operated at Richardson's after its time at Woods. Having a perusal of the Broads database and from memory suggest s Woods built around 13 of these new aquafibre design s back in 1971-3. Turnoars photo appears to be one of 6 Dawning Lights and Rapid Streams F200-5. I have a feeling these ended up in France and or the Thames at Woods subsidiary yards (Ladbrokes). 4 Gleaming lights appear to follow in 1972/3 F866-9 and finally 3 Hearts cruisers. Richardson's still have 1 of the Gleaming lights as a Major Gem and a former Hearts boat as Mercury.

Good luck in getting the photos 

Neil

Richardsons have at least 4 I believe as there are 2 Major Gems and Ibiza also. There are plenty of the 42 foot version about also so it's certainly an enduring design. 

[Seagypsy]

11 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

Richardsons have at least 4 I believe as there are 2 Major Gems and Ibiza also. There are plenty of the 42 foot version about also so it's certainly an enduring design. 

The photo Richardsons show of Ibiza is Major Gem. We are on Ibiza in September it is 35ft in their brochure it says photo of similar boat i.e.Major Gem

[Broads01]

3 hours ago, Seagypsy said:

The photo Richardsons show of Ibiza is Major Gem. We are on Ibiza in September it is 35ft in their brochure it says photo of similar boat i.e.Major Gem

I'm pretty sure the brochure has the size wrong and it's 38 foot. 

[Seagypsy]

18 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

I'm pretty sure the brochure has the size wrong and it's 38 foot. 

Did think it funny saying similar boat and two different sizes. Will find out in September and if it is 38ft will take a few photos. Broadland Breeze is similar looking and that is shown as 35ft

[Davydine]

Pretty sure we had a holiday on Gleaming Light back in the 70s. Next time I am at my parents I will see if I can dig out some of dad's old sides, if you can wait a few weeks.

Edit to add that we also had Seafarer from Brooms which was a similar design if not identical.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Davydine
Aditional informatiom

[Broads01]

1 hour ago, Seagypsy said:

Did think it funny saying similar boat and two different sizes. Will find out in September and if it is 38ft will take a few photos. Broadland Breeze is similar looking and that is shown as 35ft

Broadland Breeze is 35 foot x 10 foot 6 and a Bourne 35 I think? Ibiza is an Aquafibre 38 like Major Gem. Ibiza is 12 foot wide too so should feel spacious. 

[Captain]

Richardson's have I believe 5 A/F 38 of this design in total. 2 Major Gems, 2 Ibiza's and 1Broadland Mercury however only 2 are Woods built the rest are former Super/Superb Gems of which 10 were built cc 1975. Certainly an enduring and popular design which started back in 71/2 with the Dawning light class and still looks good nearly 50 years on. It was more less replaced by the 42 in 1976 which was built on mass featuring on the Thames, Loch Lomond and across France. I believe Richardson's Supreme Gems were the first built in 76 (Beaver fleet had some at the same time) of which three stalwarts remain on hire renamed Superior Gem after the sister class of which 2 remain. Indeed Richardson's had until recently a large fleet of 42's including Thames and possibly French examples and Loch Lomond craft. Between 1981 and 1991 various modified 42s appeared many to slightly different variations such as Glistening Light (originally Flash of light) and the mainly Thames boats Rickos have 2/3 (Corsica) and Hamptons built 2 Majestic and Imperial Safari (Pacific Imperial) in 1987 and 1991. The Brinks Symphony class was probably the last 42 built in 1991 which briefly morphed into the huge 48ft Brinks Emporer class. 

Sorry I do carried away when I start to think about these things.

Neil

[Broads01]

No need to apologise Neil, that's interesting stuff for hire boat geeks like me. I hadn't realised the 38s pre-dated the 42s, I always thought they were built around the same time. I'd also forgotten the later design (Pacific Imperial etc) was related to the earlier one. 

[Malanka]

The original Corsica is currently a beautiful example named the Corsican currently owned by Geoffrey of cooking on the broads fame . A super design and a super paint job. Inside she is super too, an amazing coal burner and some fantastic company. Say hi if you see them.

 

M

[MauriceMynah]

Good point Martin. Not heard much from Geoffrey of late, hope he's ok!

[Malanka]

He is well he has lost a great deal of weight recently and is continuing to do so he swims regularly to get in better shape. 

We saw a lot of him last year and he is a lovely man. 

Geoff’s friend Steve is a lovely man too, he does a lot to help out. We always drop in for a wee drop o summat when we see them. 

 

M

 

[Broads01]

I met Geoff and Steve just after the meet 2 years ago. They're friendly chaps and the Corsican is indeed a lovely looking boat. 

[eddybear]

Had a chat with Steve Saturday yes they're both doing just fine and by the sounds of it lighter by the minute LOL, would have spoken with him longer but he was busy getting water and transporting it back to the boat as the main taps were not on in case of freezing, and by God it was cold that day the wind could nearly cut you In two, Said we would spake again soon when I Get properly back on the water (Still things to do)