Barnes Brinkscraft

[andyg]

I notice barns have posted pictures of a new 46ft hull they are in the process of laying up on their FB page. It's for their next new class of boat to be added to the hire fleet. Sure looks big ! I'm wondering if it's a re working of another old alpha craft mold. Any thoughts ?? 

[VetChugger]

Some of the Alphacraft mouldings still provide excellent boats suited to the Broads.

[Cal]

46ft is going to be a big brute of a boat!!

[JennyMorgan]

56 minutes ago, Cal said:

46ft is going to be a big brute of a boat!!

And a pig to find a mooring for!

[MauriceMynah]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

46ft is going to be a big brute of a boat!!

Yes, bigger than their 45 footers but not as big as their 48 footers.

 

 

Posted to give clarification and balance.   :-)

[andyg]

2 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Yes, bigger than their 45 footers but not as big as their 48 footers.

 

 

Posted to give clarification and balance.   :-)

I remember a boat called enchantress, huge great thing that was god that's going back to the 80s. Do they have a current 48ft boat 🤔

[oldgregg]

10 hours ago, VetChugger said:

Some of the Alphacraft mouldings still provide excellent boats suited to the Broads.

Yeah, they do.

The Highliner 44 has been around for quite a while now but when fitted out well there is quite a lot of space in them because of the high sheer line and bathtub hull.

I've always thought the 35ft version looked better-proportioned but internally always seemed to be missing a couple of feet of space in the saloon so hopefully that also gets a stretch to around 37ft.

[MauriceMynah]

Brinks Emperor is, I believe, 48' One of my favourite craft for balance of design.

[oldgregg]

2 minutes ago, andyg said:

I remember a boat called enchantress, huge great thing that was god that's going back to the 80s. Do they have a current 48ft boat 🤔

Yeah, they have some stretched Aquafibre 42's. Because of grandfather rights (they were registered before 1992) they are I think now the largest Broads boats in hire that do not have a restricted cruising area.

[Cal]

23 minutes ago, andyg said:

I remember a boat called enchantress, huge great thing that was god that's going back to the 80s. Do they have a current 48ft boat 🤔

Isn't Enchantress moored at Acle nowadays. Seem to remember passing it on the riverside moorings there.

[Cal]

21 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Brinks Emperor is, I believe, 48' One of my favourite craft for balance of design.

Didn't realise they were still hiring that old tub out. It must be on borrowed hire time now that one!

[Mouldy]

2 minutes ago, Cal said:

Isn't Enchantress moored at Acle nowadays. Seem to remember passing it on the riverside moorings there.

I’ve seen it there, too.  Between the pub and Acle Dyke.

[andyg]

50 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Brinks Emperor is, I believe, 48' One of my favourite craft for balance of design.

I didn't realise it was that long. You learn something new every day 🤪

[Guest]

1 minute ago, andyg said:

I didn't realise it was that long. You learn something new every day

That's what the wife said..
 

[andyg]

32 minutes ago, Cal said:

Isn't Enchantress moored at Acle nowadays. Seem to remember passing it on the riverside moorings there.

I bet that made a good home for someone, Lots of space inside. It had a very odd shaped bow as well I seem to remember

[andyg]

1 minute ago, Jemaki said:

That's what the wife said..
 

Boom boom 👍

[oldgregg]

40 minutes ago, Cal said:

Didn't realise they were still hiring that old tub out. It must be on borrowed hire time now that one!

I think they're popular with stag / hen parties so might be in hire a while yet.

https://www.barnesbrinkcraft.co.uk/our-boats/detail/brinks-emperor-class/

I actually really like the old Aquafibre centre cockpits, they handle really well, are shaft drive and are spacious inside so I'd love one of the 48-footers refitted to lose a couple of cabins and have a nice open plan saloon / galley like on Carousel.

[MaceSwinger]

9 minutes ago, andyg said:

I bet that made a good home for someone, Lots of space inside. It had a very odd shaped bow as well I seem to remember

Almost something of a trimaran about the front end; the pointy end really isn't that pointy

[VetChugger]

I wouldn't mind betting that Langford Sr is looking down with a very broad smile on his face apart from what happened to his old yard. He was very proud of the boats he produced with the help of Jeremy Wolstenhome I think was the designer.

[andyg]

My mum dad and their friends hired one of the new 35ft center cockpit boats ( don't remember the name ) when they first launched them. I'm sure it had bright red cloth upholstery in the rear saloon. They were so impressed with the boat they went on to hire it for many years after. My dad was ex forces and was always impressed by how well the yard was run. I've never really understood why the yard went belly up tbh. When you consider how popular the design's still are and revenue that must of been made out of all them sets of molds that were sold. I guess if Richardson's ever put there new designs up for sale to other yards that could well bring down the curtains on the alpha designs. 

[MaceSwinger]

13 minutes ago, andyg said:

 I've never really understood why the yard went belly up tbh. 

Not wishing to hijack the thread, but if you're talking about Alpha then I shared the surprise. I know there was an accident a year or 2 before they closed up in which a life changing injury was sustained by one the the staff (I forget who) and I'm not sure if that contributed to the closure. The last time we hired from them they showed us the plans for a new boat they'd developed for use on  the French waterways, impressive stuff too. Sadly with Alpha closing and the demise of Bee's Boats it's only left the one yard, who  (without getting into details) I've not been blown away with.

[oldgregg]

1 hour ago, VetChugger said:

I wouldn't mind betting that Langford Sr is looking down with a very broad smile on his face apart from what happened to his old yard. He was very proud of the boats he produced with the help of Jeremy Wolstenhome I think was the designer.

You'll be thinking of Andrew Wolstenholme? I think the newer stuff was designed by John Moxham, who also did the recent Richardson's boats and has worked with Ferry Marina (and many more of course).

[andyg]

1 hour ago, MaceSwinger said:

Not wishing to hijack the thread, but if you're talking about Alpha then I shared the surprise. I know there was an accident a year or 2 before they closed up in which a life changing injury was sustained by one the the staff (I forget who) and I'm not sure if that contributed to the closure. The last time we hired from them they showed us the plans for a new boat they'd developed for use on  the French waterways, impressive stuff too. Sadly with Alpha closing and the demise of Bee's Boats it's only left the one yard, who  (without getting into details) I've not been blown away with.

I believe that was Langford jnr who suffered the accident, I'm may be wrong but I'm sure I read that on here. Could the new boat you talk of be the one Barnes are developing I wonder. I'm sure the have all alpha mold tools. Time will tell I guess. I know Paul at swancraft had the job of cleaning up the exteriors of the boats that had sat around in the yard for god knows how long. Such a shame to see such a successful business go adrift.