Could A Grp Boat Ever Be Considered "classic"?

[Wyndham]

You know that phrase " Classic Broads Cruiser", it refers to or implies wooden boat, well in my head it does, and rightly so. They are slowly dying out and to keep some running for many years can only be good.

So without splitting hairs on the definition of classic, could any GRP boat ever be described as "Classic" and be offered with the same love as is directed to the woodies?

[JennyMorgan]

I would regard people with little Hamptons as having a classic Broads cruiser, just as I would those with Bermudas and the like. Some of these plastic fantastics are now over fifty years old!

[Wyndham]

6 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

I would regard people with little Hamptons as having a classic Broads cruiser....

 Line of the year.

[JennyMorgan]

15 minutes ago, Wyndham said:

 Line of the year.

You are too kind!

[DAVIDH]

And these two. The DC30 was the model all the boatyards seemed to be buying in the late 60s/early 70s. Maybe not as prolific but built like a tank and virtually indestructible is the Calypso. We had one from King Line when it was just a few weeks old. Believe me, it turned heads when we passed. Both are still in service today.
 

[CambridgeCabby]

By definition :

A classic is deemed to be an outstanding example of a particular style or with a timeless quality .

IMHO I feel that the material used to achieve said standard is of no or little consequence.

I  would  certainly regard the Hampton Safari as a classic as I would the Bounty “bathtubs”, and certainly the beautiful “woodies” such as Broad Ambition , Nipper and Malanka along with many others should also be considered as classics as should be the entire Hunters fleet of yachts and Martham marinas wonderful boats.

By my definition above then I would also consider Cerise Lady to be a classic of her type but as I said it’s my humble opinion and others can and no doubt will disagree. 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Wyndham said:

could any GRP boat ever be described as "Classic" and be offered with the same love as is directed to the woodies?

Yes 

[Malanka]

Just visit the wooden boat show in Beccles then look opposite to see IMO some beautiful classic boats. And some of my grp favs too. 

So yes of course they can.

To be honest classic will soon mean surviving. Which kind of says it all really.

 

M

[Stationerystill]

The period when we had glass hulls and wood superstructures might be considered. This is a Moores Griffin/Bourne 35.

 

[ChrisB]

Look no further than Eastwood Whelpton for  GRP classic. Tempest and Hurricane are Olin Stephens designed, Sparkman and Stephens 34s. Tim Whelton modified the under water profile so they could sail on The Broads. This was the yacht design that Ted Heath campaigned, the first of his Morning Clouds, in which he won the Sydney Hobart and Admirals cup.

They are still built in Australia and making round the world and and long blue water passages. You only have to look at their lines to see an absolute classic.

 

[eddybear]

9 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

I would regard people with little Hamptons as having a classic Broads cruiser, just as I would those with Bermudas and the like. Some of these plastic fantastics are now over fifty years old!

I would agree with you there, myself having had two Hampton Safaris, The first one a MK 2 And now I have the much rarer MK 4 Of which only three were built the first one had an argument with a bridge and is now much altered, the second one still survives In good condition and resides on the southern Broads, mine is still In original gel coat but the hull itself is painted which has just been freshly done and the top Compounded and polished, I haven't got pictures of this since the work was done but include library pictures, so do I consider this a classic yes by its very rarity being the last boat that Hamptons actually built and fitted out themselves and where ever possible when doing work or repairs on the boat I have kept faithfully to Alex Hamptons original plan and not bodged or changed things unnecessarily.

[marshman]

Surely, equally important is the Classic driving them!!!!!

[rightsaidfred]

The answer is in the word, classic doesn't mean vintage, any boat designed and built for use on the Broads is a classic Broads boat be it a woody, yacht, Bermuda or centre cockpit etc. vintage boats that have stood the test of time are something else and worthy of special consideration, just my opinion of course. 

Fred

[Poppy]

Classic? - or not??

Her hull and decks are fibreglass, the rest is wood.

[Vaughan]

How about the Freeman 22?

[scaniaman]

The classic car movement tend to use 25 years old as a yardstick, perhaps this might be a good place to start.

[Broads01]

4 hours ago, scaniaman said:

The classic car movement tend to use 25 years old as a yardstick, perhaps this might be a good place to start.

Not always. There's a thriving scene in modern classics which has no set minimum age. An example is the Rover 75 which tends to be considered a modern classic having ceased production only 14 years ago. 

Continuing the modern classic theme for boats, I would include the Connoisseur 37, the Aquafibre 32 dual steer and the Aquafibre 38.

[JennyMorgan]

8 hours ago, ChrisB said:

This was the yacht design that Ted Heath campaigned, the first of his Morning Clouds, in which he won the Sydney Hobart and Admirals cup.

Once spent the night alongside Ted Heath on Morning Cloud in the trots at Cowes. Don't suppose that would happen nowadays. He was a good sort although he got a bit of a paddy on and demanded that his crew tighten up the backstay, which they did, only too much so and apparently Morning Cloud had to go back to the yard for repairs, or so I heard a week or so later. Apparently the grp hadn't totally cured, not an unknown problem with grp at that time. 

[PCL023]

I guess there is no hard and fast rule here. There are some GRP,s built in the late 50’s and 60’s that out date some of the woodies that were built in the 70’s. I guess the life expectancy of GRP is greater and they tend to stick around longer than some of the same aged biodegradable woodies. Cars are therefore a bit different and tend to have a life span, look at the mk3 ford Escort, Austin Metro, etc, it’s a lot about how many remain. It’s the same as the Rover 75 mentioned, mine is now 17 years old. Do I keep because it is likely to be a classic? No it’s cheap very comfortable  motoring and I like the car, it’s different. I get lots of folks coming up to me saying yo don’t see many of them any more... 

Although we have GRP boat built in 1968, there are still plenty of them about, and they do have some “classics” lines compared to new builds of toady. I still don’t think you can beat those made from the real suff (wood) when it comes down to what is really regarded as a classic boat, just by the way these look, no matter when they were built. 

Cheers 

Paul 

[Ray]

Not sure if she really counts as a Classic but definitely my pride and joy 

 

 

[finny]

Broom skipper gets my vote 

finny

[JennyMorgan]

12 hours ago, Poppy said:

Classic? - or not??

Her hull and decks are fibreglass, the rest is wood.

My daughter owns a Press Bros boat launched in 1909, she's remarkably similar to Poppy's boat. 100 years apart, the ethos of the design has stood the test of time, both are surely classics., albeit one has a synthetic hull.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

2 hours ago, Ray said:

Not sure if she really counts as a Classic but definitely my pride and joy 

 

 

An absolute true classic in my mind. I`ve said for many many years, you can`t beat that "classic look" of a white GRP hull, with a timber top. We hired Maffetts "Kingfisher" many times, which is the same as this one. She`s now moored at Beccles, and i can never resist an opportunity to go round and see her. I think this one (and Kingfisher), are probably the most classic Broads cruiser, because they have that classic white hull, with varnished timber top, and are fwd dv (typical Broads cruiser). But that`s just my opinion.

 

Other classics are the Seamaster 27, Freeman 22 mk2,  Elysian 27 ctr ckpt,  Carribean 39, Aquafibre 38 & 42, and the list goes on.  There are a great many classic boats around, but it just depends on the individuals beliefs.

[Lulu]

1 hour ago, finny said:

Broom skipper gets my vote

We are trying to keep our Broom Skipper as original as possible, even the 1970's light fittings are staying.  The original fridge sadly is going to have to go as we cant get it to work. 

[ChrisB]

Totally agree with peoples sentiments regarding Freemans. The stepped deck line of the Mk2  put it in a different class visually over the Mk1.  Also the number still being enjoyed testifies to the quality of build. Interior joinery was also very good.