Motorboat Owner January 2015

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Motorboat JANUARY 2015

Owner Affordable practical boating

MY BOAT

Coronet 27 Falcon 22/23 l Thames cruising l Flipper 880ST

PRACTICAL

How to trim your boat

Welcome to the January issue,

From the Editor

which as it comes out on Christmas Eve, allows me to say that we wish you both a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Well the shortest day is now behind us, which means only one thing, the new boating season is coming. We’re kicking the new year off with that age old tradition, the London Boat Show. I know that the show has its critics, but I just love that mid-winter

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General Enquiries

01268 922991

2 October 2013

January 2015

See us at London Boat Show Stand BO76A

more importantly it allowed us to top up our fuel tanks as I suspect we’re going to be too busy to get any use out of it over the coming month. I have also managed to spend a bit of time on our project Mayland. I haven’t done as much as I would have liked, cue the man flu excuse, but I have managed to swap the two front cabin windows that were letting in water and staining Claire’s nice new interior paint job.

We also managed to squeeze in a trip down to Beaulieu, where we were able to test the lovely little English Harbour 27. You can read all about that next month but if you didn’t see it at Southampton, and can’t wait until next month to read about it, I urge you to visit English Harbour’s London Boat Show stand, B460, and have a look for yourself.

It really is a cracking boat.

welcome aboard

Image provided by MDL Marinas Ltd

fix of all things boaty. We are going to be at the show on stand B076A, so if you are visiting please do come along and say hello.

Despite being laid up for half the month with a serious dose of man flu, we managed to put a few hours on our boat this month.

A mid December weekend to Burnham on Crouch gave Claire the chance to get the boat Christmas tree out, (yes we really do have a special tree just for the boat), but

Waking up to a frosty sunrise, we love a bit of winter boating

Editor, Neale Byart Advertising: For all brokerage, 01268 922992 display or classified adverts neale@motorboatowner.co.uk 01268 922994 advertising@motorboatowner.co.uk Associate Editor, Claire Frew Subscriptions: 01268 922991 01268 922993 subscriptions@motorboatowner.co.uk claire@motorboatowner.co.uk Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

3

enjoy the

feel the

LIGHT

SPACE VERSATILITY

discover the

the all

NEW

S330

F380

S380

F450

S450

Contact your local dealer Southern & Eastern England Penton Hook Marine Sales Ltd T: 01932 570055 E: chris@pentonhooksales.co.uk W: www.thamesboatsales.co.uk

www.sealine.com

North of England, Scotland & Wales Shepherds Marine Ltd T: 01539 446004 E: sales@shepherdsmarine.co.uk W: www.shepherdsmarine.co.uk

Mainland Spain Sealine Costa Blanca T: +34 965 708 542 E: mark@sealinecostablanca.com W: www.sealinecostablanca.com

CONTENTS JANUARY 2015

p26

REGULARS

PRAC

PRACTICAL

TICAL

NEWS page 6 INBOX page 14 CUTTING EDGE page 52 Q&A page 32 TESTED page 66

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Trim your boat

HOW TO

Power tr

that becomes, T rimming a boat is a skill nature. After a like driving itself, second vely know if the boat while you instincti what you need to is trimmed right, and to boating it new those For isn’t. do if it , but once you may seem quite complex a button will press of understand how a angle and what it affect the boat’s running and passenger’s speed will do to the boat’s be trimming like an comfort, you’ll soon run through the we’ll expert. This month explaining how each basics of boat trim change the boats trimming action will you importantly, when attitude and, more g trim for optimum adjustin be should

page 36 Project Boat

Mayland 16

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outboa rd

s and st erndri ves

Januar

page 70

Cruising in company

PRACTICAL

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How to trim your boat p16

page 88 Look What I Saw

Readers photos

p54

CRUISING

East Coast & Thames MY BOAT

p40

p72

Falcon 22/23

CLASSIC CRUISER GUIDE GUIDE CLASSIC CRUISER Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

Toni Robilliard’s Coronet 27 BOAT TEST

Flipper 880ST

5

NEWS Team Britannia

A £2.9 million British round the world record bid called ‘Team Britannia’ is gathering pace. The project is being led by British powerboating icon Alan Priddy, who will be skipper during the voyage. Among the team is female powerboat champion, Shelley Jory, who will be acting as Bosun. An 80ft aluminium, super-efficient, wave piercing ‘torpedo’ boat will be built for the 24,000 mile trip. It will be powered by a new fuel emulsion, provided by British company SulNOx Fuel Fusions. A revolutionary mixture of diesel, water and emulsifier, will reduce emissions and will be monitored throughout the voyage. In early December 2014 the Royal British Legion was welcomed aboard as official charitable partner and it’s claimed that HRH Prince Harry has wished skipper Alan Priddy and team the best of luck. The team hope to shave up to seven days off the current record of 60 days 23 hours 49 minutes, held

by New Zealander Pete Bethune. Building, followed by sea trials, is planned for spring 2015. You can find out more on the Team Britannia website

Motorboat Owner Yamaha Outboard Winner In the September and October 2014 issues Motorboat Owner conducted a Reader Survey with a prize of a Yamaha F2.5hp outboard. On a very crisp November day, Motorboat Owner Editor, Neale presented winner Peter Luke with his prize. The musician said he was desperate to own a boat from an early age and is currently revovating his first, a Shetland 535 that he rescued from a local boatyard. He also has a small inflatable for him and his daughter to mess about in and the outboard will be used on that. Thank you to all those who took part in the survey, the response has been phenomenal. We are delighted to hear that readers are enjoying the magazine and we really appreciate your comments and feedback.

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January 2015

If you any have news from your region, please email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Northern Boat Show An all-new boat show is set to take place in Liverpool’s docks and along its waterfront in 2015. The 3-day Northern Boat Show will be held on the 5th-7th of June alongside The International Mersey River Festival. It will feature a range of boats, services, marine systems and equipment.

For show details visit www.northernboatshow.co.uk

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Motorboat Owner

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s t s i l a i c e p S The

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London Boat Show Stand A050

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7

NEWS Horning Boat Show

Plans are underway for the third Horning Boat Show to be held on Saturday 2nd May 2015. Horning’s waterfront, Village Green, Swan Green and the Recreation Ground will again play host to a variety of marine exhibitors and new boats. Around 7,000 visitors were recorded at last years show. Its organisers want 2015 to be bigger and better, and are extending a warm invitation to both exhibitors and visitors to the show.

For more information visit www.horningboatshow.co.uk

Guernsey Harbours update

Last month Motorboat Owner reported on Guernsey’s controversial £110m Harbour Plan, MyHarbours.gg. We have received this statement from Guernsey Harbours Leisure Manager Sally Diamond “The public consultation is now finished and Guernsey Harbours is analysing all the feedback from the surveys, the public meetings and all the correspondence we have received. When we have completed this work we will be preparing our submission to the States of Guernsey. As part of the consultation, Guernsey Harbours proposed two scenarios to increase the surplus to fund the capital development programme to sustain the maintenance and development of the harbour, marinas and entire estate. We have sought views from all islanders to make the decision and, until the analysis is complete, we cannot confirm what these charges will be. One scenario is to increase ALL harbour charges by 5% above RPI for four years from 2016. This would see an increase in all moorings, passenger travel and freight. The second scenario under consideration is a move to market based pricing which would affect local moorings, bulk cargo and cruise liner fees in particular. With this scenario, visitor moorings would not increase more than 3% above RPI”. It’s understood that a final proposal will not be published until March.

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January 2015

© Creamedia/Smart Communication

Every Sargo boat is built very solidly, without compromises. That’s why her ride is anything but rough even in rough seas.

HAMBLE

SARGO - the new name for Minor Offshore

Sargo’s solid and hydrodynamic hull is famous for its amazingly quiet ride. This is a genuine all-season boat whose speed, handling and ride make you feel safe even when the going gets tough. In fact, Sargo offers more safety margin than most skippers might ever need.

On Finland’s pristine Arctic West Coast we construct every Sargo’s hull to withstand rough seas anywhere. The thickness of the hull and the supporting beams are designed with safety in mind. A heavy-duty hull keeps the center of weight low enough while ensuring stability and durability.

The complete Sargo model range (25-36 ft) is internationally certified as B-Offshore, which proves our boats’ capabilities as true all-weather/all-season vessels. So you do not have to take just our word for it.

Sargo is a premium boat built in Finland, a new brand based on a great tradition since 1967.

Rain of shine, you’ll be fine. Sargo’s solid facts speak for themselves – without making too much noise about it.

Marco Marine is the UK importer for SARGO - THE ALL SEASON BOAT.

d renowned for solidity, safety and tough sportiness. In most situations Sargo effortlessly leaves most of the competitors in its wake on paper and at sea. A Sargo offers you confident, sensible boating and loads of fun at sea.

VPEO NLTV AO

VPE ONLT VAO

SARGO - same awesome boats just a new name What more could you ask for?

Marco Marine Limited, Marco Marine Limited, Hamble Point Marina, Hamble Hampshire, SO31 4JD Hamble Point Marina, Hamble Hampshire, SO31 4JD Sarins Hamble: Båtar Oy Ab, 67900 Kokkola,453245 Finland, info@sargoboats.fi, www.sargoboats.fi +44 (0)2380 Hamble: +44 (0)2380 453245 HE SARGO RANGE e: info@marcomarine.co.uk e: info@marcomarine.co.ukwww.marcomarine.co.uk www.marcomarine.co.uk RTH M234

VPE ONLT VAO

NEWS Plans revealed for new Cowes Marina With the development of the Cowes Breakwater well underway, plans for the new marina in East Cowes have been unveiled (pictured). Camper & Nicholson and Westcourt Real Estate have been announced as the preferred developers for the new Victoria Marina. The project will include the regeneration of 2.6 hectares of brownfield land in East Cowes. Commenting on the Cowes Outer Harbour Project Harbour Master, Captain Stuart McIntosh said “The final stages of harbour infrastructure involve the construction of the Shrape breakwater extension, and improved harbour access and navigational safety by the dredging of the new Eastern Channel.”

CWM FX London Boat Show

Preparations are well underway at the Excel Exhibition Centre for the CWM FX London Boat Show, taking place on the 9th-18th of January. New sponsor, CWM FX provides customisable trading platforms for businesses. The 10-day show will be open from 10am until 6pm daily, with an 8pm late night on Thursday. New boats to look out for include the Haines 360 on stand A458, the Broom 30 Coupe HT on stand A460, the Bayliner Ciera 8 on stand D470 and the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 on stand C430. Finally, the eagerly anticipated Fairline Shadow S will be unveiled on stand A480.

Jeanneau MF695

Broom 30 Coupe HT

Fairline Shadow S

The Fairline Shadow S leaves the factory bound for Excel. Its identity and size is a closely guarded secret but Fairline claim it will be the fastest model it’s ever built. Could the ‘300’ written on its cover be a clue?

Bayliner Ciera 8

Haines 360

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January 2015

If you any have news from your region, please email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

New Sealine C330

Sealine has announced a new model to its range, the C330 Cruiser. Based on the hull of the S330, which made its UK debut at the 2014 Southampton Boat Show, the C330 is being marketed as a ‘family boat, both inside and out’. It will have two spacious cabins down below and an enclosed wheelhouse with a sliding roof. Inside the wheelhouse there will be a large dinette area with a galley opposite, a door on the helmsman’s side will provide access to the side deck and folding glass doors open up to the aft cockpit for entertaining. The C330 will be available with single or twin Volvo Penta diesel sterndrives. Engine options range from a single D6 400hp giving 26 knots, up to twin D3 220hp producing 31 knots. Prices are expected to be from around £130,000. The boat will be making its debut at Boot Düsseldorf which starts on the 17th January.

The C330’s enclosed wheelhouse opens up to the aft cockpit and has a fold-out bar area >

Haynes marine manuals coming soon?

Haynes Publishing Group, known for producing vehicle workshop manuals, plan to enter the UK marine market with the aquisition of American company, Clymer Manuals. Clymer has a library of over 500 DIY titles covering areas such as marine engines, motorcycles, tractors and PWCs. Current titles cover most makes of outboards, as well as many common inboard petrol and diesel engines, and provide detailed instructions for the first time boater and experienced mechanic. For more information about Clymer marine manuals visit www.clymer.co.uk Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

11

NEWS Broads License increase ‘smallest’ in history

D Broad

According to the Broads Authority, Broads toll payers have benefitted from the smallest increase in the authority’s history in 2014. With no regular Government funding the 1.7% rise ‘will allow the Authority to continue to deliver current levels of service and replace vehicles, vessels and equipment’. David Broad, Broads Authority member and Chairman of the Navigation Committee, said “The Broads tolls are very good value for money, especially when compared to other waterways and in the context of all the valuable work the Authority is doing. We are in the process of enhancing our network of free public moorings, other facilities and infrastructure, improving dredging and ensuring our assets are updated and protected for the future. Therefore we need to increase tolls with inflation so we can continue to do more for the benefit of boaters.”

Essex Boatyards becomes Boats.co.uk In December 2014 the boat sales, service and charter business Essex Boatyards became Boats. co.uk. The company was founded in 1976 by David Barke Senior and is today very much a family run business. Sons James, Nick, Guy and David Barke Junior joined the business, and the company expanded with the addition of brands such as Arvor and Fairline. It operates two boat sales centres, its head office on Wallasea Island in Essex, and Fairline Southampton on the River Hamble. MD James Barke (pictured) said, “Changing our name to Boats.co.uk will make it easier to find, remember and contact us”.

New berths for Portishead

In response to demands for berths, Quay Marinas has lodged a planning application to add more berths to its Portishead Quays Marina. The marina currently has 249 berths and the proposal is to add a further 25 berths at the southern end of the basin ready for the 2015 season.

Marina Manager, Keith Berry said that with new restaurants and shops, and the construction around the basin nearing completion, the marina is attracting new resident and visiting boaters.

12

January 2015

If you any have news from your region, please email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

New Marina at Sheerness

There could be a new marina on the Kent coast if redevelopment plans for the Port of Sheerness go ahead. Option one in the ‘Port Master Plan’ details the reclaimation of 125 hectares of land lying off Garrison Point. 71 hectares of this reclaimed land will be used as an operational port and the remaining 54 hectares will include a development incorporating a circular-shaped marina.

The Sheerness ‘Port Master Plan’ can be found here.

DIARY DATES CWM FX London Boat Show 9th-18th January Ardingly Boat Jumble 25th January Notts & Lincs Boat Jumble 8th February Gosport Boat Jumble 15th February Essex Boat Jumble 22nd February Beaulieu Boat Jumble 26th April Horning Boat Show 2nd May Jersey Boat Show 2nd-4th May Click any of the above for more info

880 ST

The Flipper 880ST Sport Top combines a luxurious amount of space and power with the agile handling characteristics of a racer. The folding roof and large panorama windows tempt you to take to the water and enjoy the sun and waves.

UK dealer TL Harvey Marine.

Whitworth Close, Darlaston, West Midlands. WS10 8LJ T: 0121 568 8837 Cobbs Quay Marina, Poole, Dorset. BH15 4EL T: 01202 023117 E:: marine@tlharvey.com W: www.tlharveymarine.com Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

Redefining freedom 13

INBOX

@

STAR LETTER

Project boat

We are really enjoying reading the magazine and have just bought a 1983 26’ cruiser which needs some TLC over the coming weeks/months/decades. Orcadia, the original owner lived in the Orkneys, was previously owned by a now retired RYA Instructor who did all the refitting and improvements himself. Pam and I, both retired, are keeping her in Chichester Marina but we are faced with the question, how much should we spend on a boat which only cost us £9500 to buy? She is in sound condition but needs work to the engine, steering gear, interior and decking in the cockpit, as well as fitting a holding tank, heating, hot water and a refit of the interior. Phil & Pam Clark Editor replies: I think you need to look at a boat like this as an ongoing project. Do the important bits like the engine and steering and just start enjoying her. The rest you can do as and when time and money allow. I would imagine you could easily spend half the purchase price again on upgrades, but it will be a better boat for it.

Chrysler Nissan Engine

I saw in the Dec issue that you had a reader struggling to find information on the Chrysler Nissan M6-33 engine. I also own an RLM 32 and have the same engines and Chrysler Nissan badged Volvo drives. I have the original manual for the engine (quite large and not yet scanned) and also the Marine manual.

Please feel free to forward my details on to your reader.

I have managed to locate/identify sources for some parts, and I am also in touch with another owner with similar challenges. I believe that there are a number of RLMs with this engine still around, and I am sure that collaboratively we should have most of the information. I look forward to your email every month and it’s great to see the mag going from strength to strength. Andrew Partington Editor replies: Thanks very much for your help Andrew, I have passed on your details.

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January 2015

email:

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Seamaster 820

Great to see the Seamaster 820 feature last month. The new Seamaster 27 and 28 from Viking Mouldings still use the old 820 mould and I was fortunate in seeing the first one being built in 2005. This one ended up with a Turbo diesel Volvo Penta engine and outdrive and reached planing speeds, although the bulk built thus far have either hydraulic shaftdrive or outboards. The 820 and new version are very capable of offshore use, and owners can specify virtually whatever engine option they require. Also worth mentioning was the other versions like the Sirocco by New Seamaster Ltd in 1987 and the Duchess followed by the Carrington Marine 820. I have also seen many custom versions on my travels, Seamaster completed approximately 100, but many more were built after the company sadly ceased trading. Finally I would like to mention the Seamaster Club as the support group for owners.

Paul Killick, BSS Examiner and Seamaster Club Technical Adviser Editor replies: Hello Paul, thanks for your information. I believe I have met the owner of the first 27, a really nice guy who had crossed the Channel in it.

Bow thruster control

Your article on fitting a bow thruster was really excellent, very clearly written and well illustrated.

I’ve just had a bow thruster fitted to a 20 year old ex Emerald star Broom 42, and you may be interested in a modification I’ve made to the controls. I replaced the standard single lever Morse controls and separate bow thruster switch, with the Morse CH series control, which I sourced in the US. This has a rotatable head that operates the bow thruster and gives complete engine/gear/ thruster control on one hand, leaving the other free for steering. The boat is now very easy to control and can be made to go sideways if required. Geoff Woolley The Editor replies: I hadn’t heard of the Morse CH series control before, but it looks like a great bit of kit for an installation such as yours. I note that these are available in the UK through Force 4 Chandlery.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

15

Toni Robilliard’s Coronet 27

T

here must be something in the water on the Channel Island of Guernsey. Just over a year ago (Nov 13) you may remember we wrote the story about how one islander, Richard Poat, had built himself not one, but three boats. Well it appears it is not an unusual occurrence.

Meet Toni Robilliard, a retired airport firefighter with a passion for boating and a self taught flair for boat building.

It appears that building their own

perfect boat isn’t the only thing that Richard and Toni have in common. The first of Richard’s three home built boats, Honeychile 1, was based on a Coronet 24 hull, and back then Toni had been desperately seeking just such a hull for his first project. Toni is into fishing and diving and after doing a deal with Richard, turned Honeychile 1 into Kermit by ripping the topsides off and adding a small wheelhouse, while leaving plenty of open

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January 2015

cockpit space to cater for his hobbies.

Kermit served its purpose well for a number of years and even underwent a petrol to diesel conversion, but Toni hankered after something a bit bigger.

Something that could still be used to fish and dive from, but would also offer a bit more space and comfort for family boating.

In 2005 Toni stumbled upon a 1972 Coronet 27 in a local boatyard. It was a Motorboat Owner

MY BOAT

“Making my own boat allowed me to own something that I otherwise could not afford�

standard boat with twin 170hp 6 cylinder petrol engines but was in need of work to get it back in the water. This did not deter Toni. All he was looking for was a hull, the rest would be surplus to requirements.

After reaching an agreement with the owner, Toni took an angle grinder to the boat and chopped off the whole of the topsides, before having the hull trucked home and placed on blocks in his front garden. Luckily Toni has an understanding

17

Left Toni’s previous Coronet 24, Kermit and above, how the 27 looked when it came out of the factory

wife and good neighbours, as the boat would stay there until 2013 when it was finally launched.

In the meantime he still had Kermit to get his boating fix during the eight year build, but Toni was able to keep beavering away, a little at a time, and the result is pretty impressive. “It was great having the boat at home. It meant I could work on it easily, even for just half an hour, and I could leave all my tools and materials on board” he tells us. “For these eight years I worked pretty continuously, with just the

odd short break”. “It was a case of doing what I could, when I had time, and I just kept plugging away”.

First off Toni ripped out the old engines and drives. These were serviceable so were sold to add funds to the coffers, and the rest of the boat was stripped back to a bare hull before work began. I asked Toni if he had a set of drawings to work to, “no” he replied “I knew that I wanted a walk-around trawler style boat with a wheelhouse, so I left the original foredeck in place and started to produce a mock up

The topsides were cut off, and the hull and engines planted in Toni’s front garden back in 2005

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January 2015

MY BOAT

Hardboard was used to make the shape of the wheelhouse. This was transferred onto a melamine mould ready for fabrication out of fibreglass

wheelhouse with sheets of hardboard to find a design that looked right”.

“Once I had a design I was happy with, I transferred the shape onto sheets of melamine, which was used as a mould”.

Toni then built the wheelhouse in sections. With little previous fibreglass fabrication experience, Toni taught himself along the way. “I’m a practical sort of person and I just had a gut feeling for what would work” he said. The roof of the wheelhouse was moulded in Toni’s garage

and craned onto the boat when ready.

Other parts, such as the galley moulding, were also made off the boat and lifted into place when appropriate. “The galley was a particularly tight fit getting it through the wheelhouse door” Toni remembers.

The helm console was moulded in situ and finished off with a helm seat that had originally been removed from a Nimbus and recovered to match the rest of the custom made seating in the wheelhouse.

With all the fabricating and moulding,

Some sections, such as the roof panel, were fabricated separately in the garage and had to be craned onboard

Motorboat Owner

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The original toilet door was fitted to the new compartment. The corroding name badges were cleaned up and sprayed black. The retro cleats were re-used

there was an enormous amount of sanding, filling and fairing. Toni was lucky enough to be able to call upon the help of his friends to lend a hand with this part of the build.

Toni has kept a few original features on the 27. The toilet compartment door is still original Coronet 27, as are the wooden cleats and, of course, the Coronet badges.

He has also fitted the diving ladder from Kermit, but pretty much everything else is new. The wheelhouse windows were imported from the UK, the stainless steel rails were made locally, new fuel, water and waste tanks were made by Toni, and the galley’s Corian worktops were custom made by a local firm.

In the meantime Toni started his search Nearing completion after eight years as a garden ornament

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January 2015

MY BOAT

The original boat was powered by twin petrol sterndrives. Toni sold these and installed a single Volvo Penta KAD42 230hp. It gives a comfortable cruising speed of 20 knots

for a new engine. “I wanted a single diesel engine and was looking for a 6 cylinder Volvo KAD motor. Luckily I came across someone who was upgrading their RIB with a bigger engine, and managed to buy the 230hp KAD42 and outdrive from him

with just over 200 hours on the clock”.

The engine and drive cost Toni £4750 but he also had to pay out to have the turbo overhauled before it was ready to install.

The two holes on the transom were filled in, and one new single hole cut, before the

The day of reckoning. Zanadu is craned onto a trailer and towed down to the harbour Motorboat Owner

21

engine was finally fitted.

Eight years after starting, in the autumn of 2013, Toni was finally ready to launch Zanadu, a name that the boat came with and one that Toni was happy to keep.

The launch went without a hitch. No leaks, the boat sat right in the water and the engine ran well and provided the expected performance. Then in January 2014, with the boat out of the water for winter, the unthinkable happened. “We had a terrific storm one night, with waves breaking over the harbour wall” Tony explained. “Zanadu was on blocks on the hardstanding behind the wall and the force of the water caused by the sheer amount and weight of it knocked Zanadu and a couple of other boats off their blocks”. For those that know St Peter Port this was in the area of the model yacht pond by the yacht club, and such was the volume of water that boats were floating

on the hardstanding.

“The first I heard was on the radio the following morning when they mentioned that some boats had been damaged around the harbour. I rushed down and was greeted with the sight of Zanadu laying on her side”. Unfortunately after all the hard work, Zanadu was in a poor way. “She had two holes in the hull, the weight of the water had literally ripped the bathing platform off, it had bent inch thick stainless rails and had ripped the wheelhouse door clean off its frame and filled the cabin with water. There was also damage to the sterndrive and some structural damage to the wheelhouse too”.

To suffer this fate after an eight year build, and only a couple of months use, must have been devastating. “Luckily Rossborough, the local insurance company who provided cover for Zanadu, were excellent. Zanadu might be built on

Toni found Zanadu on its side. The hull sustained some damage, as did the outdrive and wheelhouse 22

January 2015

MY BOAT The boat was washed off its stands and the bathing platform was ripped off

a 1972 hull but in every other aspect she was like a new boat and, despite a sizeable claim, the insurance company approved repairs to be carried out at Island Marine Craft.” Toni explained. “Six months later, I had the boat back in as good as new condition. I cannot fault the repairers or the insurance company, they were both excellent throughout the ordeal”.

We visited Toni around four months after getting his boat back from the

menders and you would never know what had happened from looking at it. She is a real testament to the effort he has put into it. Many project boats can end up looking slightly wrong, but Toni has got the proportions of Zanadu just right, and she looks like she could have rolled of a production line within the last couple of years, instead of being based on a hull that is over 40 years old. Underway she performs well, hitting 26 knots flat out and

The bilges were filled with water, and the weight of the waves crashing down onto the boat had bent the one inch stainless steel rails

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23

The wheelhouse is comfortable, safe and practical with a helm seat taken out of a Nimbus

A double berth forward and separate toilet compartment make overnight stays possible

cruising comfortably at 20 knots. Zanadu feels much bigger that her 27ft and the coronet hull, well known for good sea keeping, handles the everyday chop of the Guernsey waters perfectly.

Since she has been back in the water Toni has already put 40 hours on the engine and, despite an occasional and tricky to diagnose sensor fault that reduces engine revs every now and again, Zanadu has performed faultlessly.

How much has he spent turning the old 27 into what we see today? “I honestly don’t know” Toni said, “I haven’t kept count”. Having finished the project, is there anything that he would change? “No, I’m really happy with how it turned out and wouldn’t change a thing”.

One thing he will be doing differently this year is his winter storage. “After last year I can’t risk leaving the boat down by the harbour. I’m going to have it trucked back to my house and put it back in its

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January 2015

MY BOAT Future boater at the helm.

Toni with his partner Issy’s grandson, Gus

spot in the front garden where I can keep a close eye on it and carry out any little maintenance jobs”. We just hope his neighbours are ready.

So after eight years of working on the boat every spare moment, what is Toni planning to do with his spare time? “Well I’ve got the house to work on, as that’s been a bit neglected over the last few years” and then he starts to talk about another boat building project. “Making my own boat allows me to own something that I otherwise could not afford”. “I can’t see me building anything yet, but I have in mind a small open boat with a centre console, built on, of course, a Coronet hull”.

Toni set out to design a boat that could be used for fishing and diving, but also one that he could occasionally stay onboard overnight. With a nice big open cockpit, a practical wheelhouse and accommodation that includes a double Motorboat Owner

berth forward and another convertible berth in the wheelhouse. We think he has achieved that and more. He has plans to visit the local French ports such as St Malo, Dielette and Carteret but mostly he is happy to potter around locally taking friends and family out. “I recently took my 90 year old mum out for a bit of dolphin spotting and she loved it” Toni told us.

“That makes everything worthwhile”.

Toni with his partner Issy on board Zanadu

25

PRACTICAL

HOW TO

Trim your boat

T

rimming a boat is a skill that becomes, like driving itself, second nature. After a while you instinctively know if the boat is trimmed right, and what you need to do if it isn’t. For those new to boating it may seem quite complex, but once you understand how a press of a button will affect the boat’s running angle and what it will do to the boat’s speed and passenger’s comfort, you’ll soon be trimming like an expert. This month we’ll run through the basics of boat trim, explaining how each trimming action will change the boats attitude and, more importantly, when you should be adjusting trim for optimum

performance, comfort and safety.

There are two ways in which the helmsman can change the trim of a boat. The first of these is the trim tabs, small plates attached to the transom and mounted level with the running surface which, when activated deflect downwards. The second weapon in our armoury is only available to boats powered by outboards or sterndrives, and that is to trim the engine or drive to change the propeller’s angle of attack in relation to the hull.

Before you start playing with buttons there is something more basic

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January 2015

that needs consideration when it comes to boat trim, weight distribution. When a boat leaves the factory it should sit on the water level across the beam and usually very slightly nose high. As gear is loaded onto a boat, and additional kit fitted, you may find that a boat will list one way or the other when stationary, or even have an unusually low bow or stern. If a boat sits at an unusual attitude when stationary, that will, to some extent, transfer to its attitude when running. Although you may be able to counter this by using trim tabs or power trim, it is best if you start with a boat that sits right, so if your boat is not level when

The owners of this boat have placed a bag of gravel in the bow to correct a bow high trim

it’s on its berth, consider moving weight around. If that is not possible you could do what the builders often resort to, and add some ballast.

Lateral trim and trim tabs So lets first look at the most common need for trimming, wind induced lean.

A fast planning boat will, when subjected to wind on the beam, lean into that wind. The stronger the wind, the greater the lean and, if you are on one long straight leg for some time, this lean will not only be uncomfortable, it will reduce hull efficiency and affect your speed and fuel consumption. Why does it do this? I have heard lots of theories, but it would seem to me that it is largely to do with the person on the helm, or the autopilot, steering slightly into the wind to counter the bow getting blown off course. Effectively the boat is constantly turning, although actually running in a straight line over the ground.

Another common cause for a boats lateral trim to get messed up when

underway is movement of passengers around the boat. The smaller the boat, and the deeper the vee of the hull, the more susceptible the boat will be to moving weight when underway. Our 28 foot Sealine is very sensitive to this, so much so that even if someone shuffles along a seat just a foot or so, the boat’s

A planing hulled boat will lean into the wind when it is running at speed

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PRACTICAL

trim gets thrown out and it starts to lean.

Keeping the boat running flat and level is the job of its trim tabs. In normal use, trim tabs should be left fully up and only brought into use to correct a trim issue. For lateral trim you need to lower the tab on the side of the boat that needs lifting. So, if you are motoring in a straight line with a beam wind on your port side the boat will be running leaning to port. By lowering the port trim tab it has the effect of raising the port side to bring the boat level again. Here’s the interesting part, trim tabs aren’t all wired the same way, so knowing which button to push, and in which direction, to lower a particular tab, is different on different boats. With the boat moored up in clear water, play around with the trim tab controls until you are happy that you know how to raise and lower each particular tab. Rewiring them so that the controls work in a more logical way for you is also an option so, for example, when you push the port side button down, the port side tab goes down. It’s each to his or her own

Lowering the windward tab will lift that side and bring the boat back level

here, but as long as your buttons make sense to you, that’s the important thing.

When trimming, it usually takes a few seconds for a trim tab adjustment to take effect, so it’s best to adjust the tab a small amount at a time and allow a few seconds to see how it changes the boat’s attitude before adjusting again. It is very easy to apply too much tab and overcook the correction, so that you find your boat leaning the opposite way, and then getting yourself in a mess applying the other tab to bring you back. If you over do it, don’t use the other tab, just back off the one you were using and try again.

Trim tabs and longitudinal trim As well as keeping a boat flat on the beam axis, trim tabs can also be used to control the fore and aft axis. With trim tabs fully up, the boat will run at its natural angle, based on the hull design and the weight carried aboard. Moving weight can change this attitude, and things like

a heavy dinghy and outboard on davits can induce a higher than ideal bow, as the extra weight aft causes the stern to dig in a little deeper. Shifting weight around is the best way of countering this kind of problem but if that is not possible you can use your trim tabs. By putting both trim

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January 2015

tabs down at the same time, the boat’s lateral trim will remain the same but it will have the effect of raising the stern and thus pushing the bow down. While this is useful for countering a poorly loaded boat, it is also a good feature to use when you are motoring into a head sea. The sharpest part of a modern boats planing hull is at the very front, with the hull becoming progressively flatter the further aft you go. This hull shape is called a modified vee and is to be found on pretty much all fast leisure boats. With the bow in the air, the hull will interact with the waves at a point where it is flattening off, about one third back. The result of this is a slamming action that almost all modified vee hulled boats suffer when driven fast into a head sea, as the waves hit the flat part of the hull. By using the trim tabs to push the bow down in this situation, you are forcing the sharper vee section of the hull down into the waves first. This part of the hull is better able to cut through the waves and you will find it provides a much reduced level of slamming and an ability to maintain a faster speed comfortably.

The opposite applies if you find yourself running with the waves in a following sea situation. If you force the bow down here you will find that you will stuff the bow into the back of the waves as you overtake them. This is not only uncomfortable but can actually be quite dangerous in a small boat as it can cause the boat to broach or take on lots of water. I once got it very wrong while driving a RIB, and the result was a boat that was literally half full of

A stern heavy boat will ride bow high. Trim tabs can be be used to provide a flatter ride

water after driving it through a wave. In a following sea you want to bring the tabs all the way off and allow the boat to run in its natural state, with the bow lifting over the waves rather than being forced through them.

Pushing both trim tabs down can also help a boat get up onto the plane faster.

Start off with the tabs fully deployed and, as your speed increases the tabs will lift the stern and therefore push the bow down. Once the boat is up on the plane the tabs can be retracted, which will allow the speed to increase and the fuel consumption to decrease. Ultimately, having trim tabs deployed increases drag,

Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

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PRACTICAL

which will slow the boat and increase fuel costs. For this reason it is always preferable to move weight around inside the boat to get it running correctly, rather than to rely on tabs full time.

A point worth remembering is that tabs

can only be used to push the bow down, they can’t be used to raise the bow beyond bringing the boat back to its normal attitude by raising the tabs. If your boat runs too bow down with no tabs, the only solution is moving weight aft.

Power trim on outboards and sterndrives Having an outboard or sterndrive, or two, adds yet another dimension to boat trimming. The engine or sterndrive leg itself can be trimmed to change the angle of the propeller in relation to the boat’s hull. Although theoretically you could use power trim to adjust lateral trim on a twin sterndrive or outboard powered boat, it is best to leave this to the trim tabs, which are far more effective. Power trim is, however, an effective tool for controlling the boats longitudinal trim. With the leg or outboard trimmed fully down this has the effect of pushing the bow down.

Trim them out and the bow will rise.

Like trim tabs these effects can be used when tackling a head or following sea, or simply used to get the boat on the plane faster. Always start with the leg/s or outboard/s trimmed fully down. Once you are up on the plane you should trim them out to a neutral position, or one commensurate with the sea conditions. If you have a trim indicator the neutral position is usually displayed, but trial and error will find the best position for your boat. Speed and comfort are the best indicators as to whether you have the trim right. If

With an outboard trimmed down (top) the bow is lowered. Trim it out and the bow rises

you find yourself in a head sea, trim the leg or outboard right in to push the bow into the waves. In a following sea trim them out to allow the bow to lift over the waves. Unlike trim tabs, power trim can be used to lift the bow beyond its natural attitude. When this happens you usually find the boat starts to ‘porpoise’, with the bow nodding as it goes beyond

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January 2015

its natural position, and then dropping back down again, only to climb back up due the excessive trim. If your boat starts to porpoise, just lower the leg/ outboard a touch until the boat runs flat, and you have found the sweet spot.

If you keep trimming the leg/outboard out, eventually the propeller will lose grip, the engine revs will increase, the boat will slow down and you will drop off the plane. An important tip about using power trim for those that like to drive their boat hard, is to always trim the leg or outboard fully in before cornering. If you throw a boat into a tight turn with the propeller trimmed out, at best, you will lose speed as the propeller ventilates, sucking air from the surface. At worst, you can loose control as the hull slips out. If this happens the sudden bite as the hull digs in again can throw people overboard or even, in narrow performance hulls, result in the boat overturning.

For most leisure boats getting the trim wrong is not as serious as that, but it is worth understanding the trim characteristics of your boat and getting

to grips with how to get it running right as the rewards will be better performance, a more comfortable ride and most importantly, reduced running costs. As with many things boat related, there is no substitute for getting out there and practising. Play with the trim, see what it does and find your boat’s perfect running angle.

The effects of trimming a sterndrive. Trimmed fully down (top), which is better in a head sea, and trimmed out to a neutral position (bottom), good for flat or following seas

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Q&A

Your Questions Answered

Shetland 535 project

Q As a non boat owner, but with a desire to put

that right, I have been rather inspired by your £1000 boat project. This got me thinking that maybe I could get on the water a little sooner than I anticipated. I live in Devon and am thinking about a small boat that I could keep at home, trail to various coastal destinations and use for a spot of day boating and maybe some fishing. I have seen a Shetland 535 locally that looks in pretty good condition, is on a nice unbraked trailer, but doesn’t have an engine. Would the 535 be a good boat for what I am looking for and what size of engine should I be looking at?

A The Shetland 535 is a great little boat for your purposes, just keep in mind that

any small boat is more susceptible to the weather and choose your trips accordingly.

The boat is rated up to 60hp, I believe, and for tidal use I would suggest you need at least 50hp on the back. For river cruising you could, of course, get away with a much smaller engine, with something like a 9.9hp pushing the boat along fine inland. What you are going to need to be careful about, when towing, is the overall weight. If you add a modern four stroke engine, you might find that the weight of the boat (circa 550kg), trailer, engine, and any kit you have added, will take the total weight over the legal limit of 750kg for an unbraked trailer.

Locking up my outboard motor

Q My insurance policy stipulates that any

outboard must be secured to the boat by additional means, other than the standard fixings. What’s the best way to go about this to keep them happy without spending a fortune?

A Your insurance company almost certainly want to know that you have taken

suitable precautions against theft of what is a commonly stolen item, and would, no doubt, not look favourably on a claim if it wasn’t. A good quality lock is a must and, depending upon the size of your outboard, I would suggest either a slot lock or a locking bolt from the range produced by Outboard Motor Locks. There are cheaper options out there, but paying a little extra for one of these good quality locks is definitely worth considering 32

January 2015

If you have a question, email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Water in my fuel

Q I have just managed to make

the classic mistake of putting water into my fuel tank. I was supposed to be filling the water tank and only noticed I had the hose in the wrong filler after a couple of minutes. I reckon I must have added 10 to 20 litres. Luckily I was on my home berth when it happened so I haven’t had to start the engines, but how do I go about Water sinks to the bottom of the fuel tank, making removal quite easy if you have a tank drain getting it out?

A The good news is that putting water in the fuel tank is better, and easier to deal

with, than putting fuel in the water tank. Luckily, being heavier than fuel, the water will now all be nicely collected at the bottom of the tank. If you have a drain, it should simply be a case of opening it until all the water is removed and just plain fuel is coming out. If you don’t have a drain, things are a little trickier. Your best bet would be to remove an inspection hatch, or if you don’t have one, the sender unit. You could then poke a tube into the deepest part of the tank and siphon the water out with a suction pump, either a manual one or one that works on negative pressure such as a Pela oil change pump. Don’t worry if you don’t get every last drop out, your fuel filters/water separators should be able to deal with any residue. Just make sure you keep an eye on these and regularly drain them over the next few months to ensure you get it all out. As a final tip, it may be worth regularly dosing the tank with a good quality fuel additive, once you have removed as much water as you can. Something like Grotamar 82 should deal with any bugs that may start to flourish if there is any water left in the Keep a close eye on your fuel tank. filters, and drain them regularly Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

33

Q&A

Your Questions Answered

Fitting a Raymarine C70 to Sealine S28

Q I own an S28 and I am looking to fit a Raymarine C70 multi function display but I

am not sure where to position it. In last months mag I saw the picture of you wiring the control for a bow thruster and I can see where you have fitted your Raymarine unit.

What I’m interested in, is how you have moved and mounted the speed and depth gauge. I can see where you have put them, but what is the mounting pod made from, and where did you get it?

A I have seen a couple of

Sometime you have to get a bit creative when finding space for extra electronic equipment. we had this fibreglass pod made to free up space for our Raymarine C80 multi function display

solutions to this problem.

One way around it, is to mount the two instruments below the steering wheel.

There is enough room to fit them there, but I felt that visibility was a bit too compromised. Instead I had a friend produce me a small fiberglass pod to my own design. Luckily I had a small plastic tub that was exactly the right size and shape. He used this as a mould and I finished it off by cutting it down to size, height wise, trimming the shaped edges for a better fit, and finally painting it in tough black stone ship paint, as used on cars, to match the black dash. If you are handy with GRP, it shouldn’t be too difficult to do something similar.

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January 2015

If you have a question, email us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

£40k retirement boat search

Q My wife and I have just retired and need to downsize our boat. We currently

have a twin engine Princess 35 on the coast but are thinking of getting something to keep on the Norfolk Broads, which are close to where we live. I don’t fancy the complexity of outdrives, I want diesel power and something between 25 and 30 foot. Being on the river I don’t see the point in having two engines to maintain so I am looking for a single shaftdrive boat. To make it a bit more difficult, I want something modern looking, which seems to rule out most of the boats I have found for sale. Our budget is around £40K, do you have any suggestions.

A There are a wide variety of boats that meet your

criteria, but the one I am going to have trouble with is ‘modern looking’. This is somewhat in the eye of the beholder but for what it’s worth here are a few boats currently for sale that may suit. A 1994 Capriole 24 £29,950 £29,950, a 1998 Stelco Capriole 850 £34950, a 1998 Alpha 29 £29,950, a 1994 Falcon Capriole 27 £35,950 l, a 2002 Shadow 26 £39,950, a 2000 Stelco Rivere 27 slightly over budget at £42,950, or, stretching the budget a little further, a 2008 Shetland 27 £45,950. I hope this gives you some food for thought and do let us know what you buy.

£45,950

Biodiesel in my tank for winter

Q I know in the past the advice was to always fill

up fuel tanks during the winter to stop condensation building. But now that most fuel contains biodiesel, which is hydroscopic, what’s the correct thing to do?

A It is true that Biodiesel attracts moisture but my thoughts are that with

concentrations of Biodiesel as low as 5%, the amount of moisture attracted to a full tank will still be less than what will find its way in through condensation in a tank with a large air space. I still favour the filling up in winter approach, but perhaps keep an extra close watch on the fuel filters come spring.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Motorboat Owner

£1K

CHALLENGE

PROJECT Mayland 16

I

t’s been a slow month for our project boat, Mayland 16 Olive. This was partly due to my being laid up with a bout of flu, but equally the fact that the weather has finally broken and we have been experiencing freezing temperatures and plenty of rain. Luckily we have escaped the snow so far, but these very short days play havoc with any jobs outside.

What I have managed to tackle this month is the problem of our leaking front windows. The Mayland’s cabin is a dry

place, bar these two forward facing plastic windows. One has cracked in two, and therefore leaked quite badly, the other was intact but heavily crazed and suffered from a leak somewhere around the seal, which was leaving water marks inside on the new paintwork.

The windows on Olive, like many on boats of this size and era, are plastic and simply held in place by a rubber seal. They really are as basic as you can get and yet surprisingly efficient. The two large side

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January 2015

“The front windows are cracked, crazed and unsalvageable” windows are still perfectly serviceable and dry, despite looking like the original 1970’s fitment. UV tends to be the killer of these types of windows as it attacks the plastic, causing the crazing, and perishes the rubber, creating leaks.

Replacement couldn’t be simpler and it doesn’t cost the earth either. I decided that I would replace both rubbers and plastic to ensure we had good leak free windows for our trip later this year. Removing the windows literally takes about a minute each, then it is a case of taking a few measurements of the rubber seals so you can order the correct size replacement, order in some suitable plastic, and refit them with a little silicone sealant to ensure a waterproof fit.

The type of rubber seal used on Olive is very common, and to re-order you just need to know the thickness of the material the window is being fitted into, the thickness of the plastic window itself, and the size of the web, which is the gap between the two and determines how much smaller than the hole you need to cut the window.

Ours turned out to be 5mm cabin thickness, 3mm window panels and a 6.5mm web. This size was available for a little over £3 a metre and for our two front windows we needed about 2.5m, so I ordered 3m to ensure we had plenty.

The front window on the starboard side was cracked all the way across. Below, the view from inside is obstructed by crazed Perspex

The same company, Seals Direct, also offer the insert that is added to stiffen up the installation after glazing. This comes in black, white or chrome. I chose to pay an extra £1 and go for the chrome. There won’t be many times on this project where I can splash the cash for a little bling, but this was definitely one of them.

Installation of this window type is aided by a special tool, which can be bought for around £10. Luckily I already had one in my tool kit. Plenty of lubrication is the key when fitting the trim and I used washing up liquid. Here’s how the job was done >>

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1

Remove the old insert by prizing it out with a screwdriver. If it’s brittle, like ours, it may break into many pieces

4

Take measurements of the thickness of the material the window is being bedded into.

It won’t be even all around but the seals can usually deal with up to 1mm difference

7

Seals Direct is a great resource for window fitting kit. I got the right size seal and a chrome insert for both of the front windows for just under £20

2

The old plastic window can usually now be pushed out, this one came out very easily as it was in two halves

5

You’ll need to decide on the thickness of the acrylic, if you are replacing it. Our old stuff was 3mm, so we ordered more of the same.

8

I cut the new acrylic to shape using the old windows as a template. The acrylic sheet, large enough for both front windows, was under £5

3

Pull off the old rubber seal and clean off any old sealant that you might find stuck to the fibreglass

6

The web is the distance between the two parts of the seal. As I would be using the old Perspex as a template I needed the same 6.5mm web

9

I temporarily fitted the new seal in place, making sure it fitted snugly into the corners, and then cut it just a little oversize to ensure a tight join once finished

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January 2015

10

11

12

A little silicone was added into the groove of the seal and it was placed in position with the join at the top

Silicone was added to the groove on the window side and the acrylic was placed in position by slotting it in at the bottom and then easing the lip over the window

Lastly I added the filler strip, which holds it all in place, using a special tool. You have to be careful not to stretch the strip as you go, otherwise it will end up too short

Below, when inserting the filler strip I used a concentrated washing up liquid mix to lubricate the rubber and ease fitting. Right, the finished job

Work has progressed a little on the canopy, with a second side screen now completed, but we are still a while way from having a protected cockpit.

Apart from fitting the helm seat I made last month, the upholstery has also ground to a halt, although we should be back on that particular case next month.

Motorboat Owner

£1K

CHALLENGE

This month’s spend

Window seals and trim £17.78 Acrylic window material £4.86

Monthly Total £22.64

Total to date: £802.99 Budget remaining: £197.01 Time spent this month

4 hours 30 minutes

Total time to date

44 hours 45mins

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

39

CLASSIC CRUISERS

a complete guide to the best boats on the used market

Falcon 22/23/245 I f you are looking for a British pocket sportscruiser and have around £10k to spend, you would probably start your search looking at boats from the Fairline and Sealine ranges, but there is another home grown builder to consider, Falcon.

The relatively small and low production sports boat manufacturer was a bit of a success story during the 80’s. One of its most popular boats was the 22 SPC, a model that evolved into the 23 SPC and later the 245. It was arguably one of the most affordable pocket cruisers of its time and remains a good value buy today.

The Falcon brand was established in the early 80’s and its first boat to hit the market was the 18. Falcon Sports Boats Limited was based just outside Norwich on the banks of the River Yare, at what is now Griffin Marina. In 1983 the Norfolk-based boat designer, Andrew Wolstenholme, was commissioned by Falcon to design a 22-foot starter cruiser.

Andrew, who went on to design for both Hardy and Broom Boats, told us ‘The 22 was my first powerboat design and it was an exciting time. It was just the builders, Bernie Lake and Ian Wilgress, and me, all

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January 2015

Built approx 260 1984-1994 Prices then £18,971 1987 Prices now £10,000-£20,000 Length 22 22ft / 6.7m Length 23 23ft 6in / 7.16m Beam 8ft 3in / 2.51m Draught 2ft 3in / 0.6m Air Draught 8ft /2.43m Fuel 22 227 litres / 23 205 litres Water 20 gallons / 91 litres Displacement 2-2.5t approx

of us with lots of fresh ideas on design and build”.

The model was launched in 1984 as the 22SPC. The SPC stands for ‘sports cabin’.

Production of the boat was fairly slow and the quality is renowned for its very high standard. Powered by various single BMW, Mercruiser or Volvo sterndrives, the boat could achieve up to 30 knots. The wording in a 1987 brochure describes the 22 SPC as ‘Total performance, lots of style, extremely comfortable, very practical and it costs less than you would expect’. The boat’s main British rivals at the time were

the Fairline 21 Weekend and Sprint, and the Sealine 22 Cabin and 215 Envoy.

Falcon soon had dealers all over the UK, including Broadland Boat Centre at Wroxham on the Broads, Shepherds Marina on Lake Windermere, and Walton Marine on the River Thames and Severn.

The much-improved 23 SPC model (above) was launched in 1989. Most notably it has an integrated bathing platform and a transom gate. In 1994 Falcon changed the model name again to the 245. Only a few modifications were made to the design and we understand

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The Falcon 22 SPC was introduced in 1984. The picture above is from the original 80’s brochure

only a handful of 245’s were actually built.

Falcon also produced a shaft drive riverboat version called the Capriole 24.

Production of this boat continued after Falcon folded under the company AMS Ltd, who later changed the boat’s name to the Capriole 740 to represent the boat’s metric length measurement.

The Falcon 245 was resurrected, albeit briefly, by Hertfordshire based boat builder Quayline Boats. The company launched the Quayline 245 at the 2006 Southampton Boat Show but we understand that the show model was the only boat built.

Interior The main cabin area is accessed by a folding door with a sliding hatch top.

On 22’s the door may be made of tinted Perspex while on 23’s this was a wooden louver-style. The top mounted locking mechanism is fiddly, and can often fail to lock properly, but an additional lock can easily be added to the side of the door for extra security.

As you descend the three steps into

the main cabin, you are greeted by the sight of a wide raised dinette area. It feels immediately cosy and inviting.

An opening hatch and small portholes provide light and fresh air. A slot-in table creates a very private dining area for four and, with infill cushions, it converts to a double berth. The galley is on the port side and the toilet compartment is to starboard. There is also a useful half height cupboard to starboard and long storage shelf lockers each side of the dinette.

While you are inside, have a general look about the interior for watermarks and staining on the wood and upholstery, particularly around hatches and ports.

Earlier boats may well have carpet hull

The Falcon 245 was introduced in 1994

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January 2015

The dinette area is impressively spacious and private and converts into a double berth

lining and, with this fitted, it is easy to see and trace any watermarks. This surface also might be suffering from mildew if left damp. A nice light wood finish on the newer models provides a more modern and refined feel.

There are two useful storage bins in the lockers under the dinette seating.

These lift out and give the opportunity to examine the hull to dinette joins. These joins have been known to crack and shift if a boat has had a hard life, so this area should be inspected carefully.

The portholes are usually Perspex and many will have become crazed through exposure to UV. This shouldn’t affect their integrity, but can be repaired or replaced quite easily for aesthetics.

The basic galley unit provides valuable work top space in its concealed state, and usually comprises of a two-ring hob and grill, a sink, and a large low level locker. It

does lack a draining board, although we saw one 23 where the owner had cleverly customised a drainer that slotted neatly on top of the hob. On the same 23 there was also a small, fold-out shelf over the entrance to the mid cabin, providing some additional work top space for the galley.

The basic galley unit is practical and offers good storage. A fridge may be fitted under the helm

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The mid cabin has a narrow double berth with storage at the end.

The 23, as pictured, has a hatch into the upper cockpit area. On the 22 this looks aft

The toilet compartment has a washbasin with a mixer tap and shower tray, ideal for those extended trips. It’s a good size compartment for showering, but it does lack a locker for your toiletries. The compartment would have normally been fitted with a sea toilet with a hatch in the main cabin floor accessing the toilet seacock. However, if a boat has been used inland, this toilet may have been replaced with a porta potti and the seacocks sealed off. One example had a holding tank fitted under the floor of the raised dinette area, which cleverly utilised what seems to be dead and inaccessible space. This area could also be used to mount a bowthruster

if required. A holding tank can also be located in the engine bay, on the opposite side to the calorifier.

The mid cabin has a narrow double berth with storage at the foot of the bed and a curtain for privacy. We understood that the interior of the 22 and 23 was identical. However, we were lucky enough to view the two models side-by-side and found the 23’s bunk was a couple of inches wider, which is an improvement.

On Deck It is on deck that you can really see the differences between the 22 and 23 models.

The 22’s side deck has a distinctive slope

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January 2015

1991 23 £11,950 Single Volvo Penta 501 229Hp Norfolk Yacht Agency 01603 713434 www.nya.co.uk

1987 22 £10,950 Single Volvo Penta 5.7 225hp Norfolk Yacht Agency 01603 713434 www.nya.co.uk The shower in the toilet compartment is ideal for extended stays. The headroom is just under 6ft

and the bow stanchions run along the outside of the deck. On the 23, and successive 245 model, the side deck is one level and the bow guardrails run inside of the side deck from the bow, up along the cabin top, and along the bottom of the side windscreens. This is a useful handhold when the boat is alongside, or for boarding, but this is not easily reachable when on deck. It does also mean that you have to climb over this rail to transit between foredeck and side deck. Also the sloping deck area, where you climb over this rail, can be a little slippery, particularly if it’s been polished.

The side decks are generous on all models, but once you have stepped out of the cockpit, there is little to hold on to if the canopy is erected. The radar arch and windscreen are very solid and make for good handholds,

1988 22 £11,950 Single Mercruiser 5.0L V8 230hp Thames Boat Sales 01932 570055 www.thamesboatsales.co.uk

1990 23 £11,000 Single Volvo V8 AQ211A Boat Showrooms Harleyford 01628 569888 www.boatshowrooms.com

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The 23 SPC has much improved access, with a transom door and integrated bathing platform. The side decks are one level and we love the feature detail of the metal engine vents

therefore running without covers up, particularly around the forward sections is the best option. You may find boats with a useful additional vertical grab rail fitted to the side of the radar arch. It is also possible to add a grab rail along the top and outside of the windscreen, resulting in some modifications to the canopy. Moving forward, when the boat is not alongside,

A foredeck locker doubles as a gas and anchor locker. It houses a single 4.5kg Calor gas bottle

is a bit of a challenge, and will take some getting used to, particularly when it comes to locks and mooring up. Running the bowline to the cockpit and stepping off at the stern might be practical.

On the 22 you may find the canopy framework somewhat restricts side entry to the cockpit, which is the usual means of access, but this could easily be modified.

The 23 is a much easier boat to board.

Its integrated bathing platform has three levels. Boarding from alongside, ie from a pontoon is via raised steps either side, and the lower middle level of the platform is perfect for stern-to access.

Designer Andrew Wolstenholme strived for a modern style and clean lines, which we think he achieved. He is particularly proud of the flush mounted hatch, a revolutionary feature which is now commonplace some 30 years later. He

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January 2015

At the helm there is a double helm seat with a fridge underneath

went on to describe the boat as ‘beautiful and clean’ and questioned whether the ‘go faster stripes’ that were added later were really needed. We would have to agree about the stripes, as they can really age a boat if they are not kept in good condition.

may result in less headroom depending on the canopy design.

Moving forward, the raised part of the cockpit has obviously been designed for being underway. The steering position on the starboard side has a double helm seat, and there is a bench seat-cum-sunlounger on the port side. The seat does not have an Cockpit and helm aft armrest on the 22, but this was rectified The cockpit has two levels, and it is in the on the 23. The 245 model goes one step lower aft section where you will see the further, as this seat is more of an L shape main differences between the 22, 23 and with only a single, bucket-style helm seat.

245 models. The 22 has a bench seat across The double helm seat hinges forward to the stern with a slot-in table for alfresco reveal an icebox or chest fridge. Sadly this dining. This seat pulls out and converts does make it awkward for getting drinks into a sunpad. With the canopy erected or food out while underway. It also means it is a useful occasional double berth in you have to go out into the cold cockpit to warmer weather. With access through the get milk for that morning cuppa. transom gate, the 23 has two opposing bench seats running fore and aft. Again Hull and Handling a table slots between the seats for cockpit Like most single sterndrive boats, the dining and both seats pull out to the Falcons handling characteristics can be middle, creating a sunpad area. The infill described as slippery. Handling in reverse cushions are cleverly stored in lockers will take some getting used to but overall underneath. This cockpit design is far manoeuvring is pretty simple. One owner more practical, social and desirable. We told us “even though ours has no bow also found that the step in the cockpit of thruster and is fairly high sided, its weight, the 22 was slightly higher than the 23, this balance and driving position, along Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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This fast and compact cruiser has a deep V planing hull

with the strong directional power of the duoprop drive, make close quarters work pretty straightforward once mastered. It also tends to go and stay where pointed”.

The deep V planing hull design, with its reverse chines and full-length spray rails, provides a comfortable ride in short chop sea conditions. However, as with any boat of this length, hull design can only go so far in keeping you comfortable, and you need to choose your weather carefully.

These boats weigh between 2 to 2.5 tonnes unladen. Providing you have a suitable four-wheel drive vehicle (rated to tow around 3.5 tonnes) and the correct trailer, the Falcon could make an excellent trailboat. However, it is at the upper limit for towing and is a big boat when out of the water.

Engines The 22 and 23 are predominantly powered by a single petrol sterndrive. In the first year or so of 22 SPC production, Falcon tied up with engine manufacturer BMW and fitted BMW’s 3.3 litre, 190hp, B220

engine and drive unit. We understand this gave 28 knots when the boat was new. Due to Falcon’s low production numbers we believe only a few BMW powered boats exist, as BMW closed their marine division in the late 80’s. Despite BMW parts being readily available, these engines are not favoured and BMW powered versions may be harder to sell, and command a lower price. If you are considering one, and there is no reason not to at the right price, our advice would be to do your research and consider the availability and price of parts. PH Marine is a supplier of BMW parts in the UK. There is another company in Canada called V12 Engineering that provide refurbished engines and drives.

By the late 80’s and throughout the build of the 23, these boats were powered almost exclusively by Volvo Penta, although price lists of the time do make mention of MerCruiser and OMC options. In 1987 the available engines ranged from Volvo’s 120hp AQ131 through to the 307hp AQ311. All of these engines were coupled

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January 2015

Gas struts on the engine hatch were one of the improvements made to the 23. This 1991 model is fitted with a Volvo Penta 501 229Hp engine

with Volvo 290 sterndrives with single or duo props. Old Volvo Penta parts are relatively easy to source via local dealers and internet auction sites such as ebay.

If you are considering one of these boats you would need to be fairly mechanically minded and be prepared to do some or all of the engine maintenance yourself.

The most common petrol installations were the Volvo Penta V6 AQ205 205hp or a V8 225hp AQ225. The AQ205 should give a top speed of around 26 knots and a cruising speed of around 22 knots. While the AQ225 should still be able push the boat up towards 30 knots. Ensure these engines have been well maintained and

On the 22, access to the front of the engine is through a large thwartships hatch in the cockpit

regularly serviced. Raw water-cooled engine exhaust systems, particularly manifolds, horns and risers need to be inspected and replaced regularly.

Falcon also offered some diesel options, which were around £8k more than the base petrol engine. In 1989 a 23 fitted with a Volvo AD31 130hp was priced at £30,200. On the same price list a 200hp AD41 model was available for £34,146.

Falcon builder Bernie Lake told us that 18 diesel boats were built, most of which were AD31’s, although a few had a Mercruiser 6 cylinder diesel. Only 10 of these 18 were UK orders, the rest were exported.

We were unable to find any diesels available on the used market. We can only assume that they are much-loved and therefore very desirable. A fact that will be reflected in their price, which we would expect to be in the region of £15-£20k.

Engine access on the 22 is via a large hatch in the cockpit floor. Be aware that this hatch is usually not hinged, something that Falcon rectified in the 23 model. This main hatch provides access to the front of the engine, while another hatch beyond requires the removal of the

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aft seat for full engine access. Inside there is room to work either side of the engine.

The engine hatch on the 23, now on gas struts, opens across the boat. With seating either side, entry to the engine bay is a little tighter than on the 22.

There are things to consider when purchasing a petrol-powered boat, other than the obvious safety aspects.

Availability of petrol is an important factor, as is the running cost, which can be expensive if used on the coast.

Although the boat may have the range, regular extended coastal cruising or channel crossings may be rather costly, although those weekend dashes across the bay shouldn’t break the bank. If you are intending to use a petrol version inland the economy should be fairly acceptable.

The 4.3 V6 is reported to use less than a gallon an hour at river speeds.

Some boats may have been re-engined

from petrol to diesel, which will increase their asking price on the used market.

We are aware of three 90’s 23SPC’s that have been re-engined, one with a Yamaha 370STI 165hp diesel, one with a 170hp Volvo KAD32 and one with a Mercruiser 120hp diesel. If you can find a good one it would be well worth paying the premium.

Conclusion The Falcon is a great little boat. Its layout will suit a couple, or a family with young kids. The boat is trailable too, which definitely broadens your horizons. We think that the 23 in particular would also suit retirees, as it’s a manageable size and offers good stern-to access. We understand that maintaining an older outdrive powered boat is not for everyone. However, at around £10k it offers a very versatile, comfortable and affordable package.

Before buying any used boat, always employ the services of a IIMS or a YDSA accredited surveyor and, if you have any doubt about the engines, a separate engine survey by a suitably qualified person is recommended.

Family Falcon 27/275 1989-1995

Falcon 34 Velici 1996-1999

Falcon 18 SPS 1982-1989

Prices £17,000-£35,000 Length 27ft 8in Beam 9ft An affordable twin petrol or diesel sportscruiser, with 4-6 berths and separate mid cabin.

Buy one (pictured) 1989 £16,950 www.clarkeandcarter.co.uk

Prices £49,000-£85,000 Length 34ft Beam 11ft 5in Spacious diesel sportscruiser with two separate cabins and a unique, raised helm position.

Buy one (pictured) 1997 £85,000 www.newark-marina.co.uk

Prices £5,000-£10,000 approx Length 18ft Beam 6ft 7in Falcon’s debut boat. This versatile outboard powered 18ft weekender offers 2 berths and power up to 55hp. There does not currently appear to be any 18’s on the used market.

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January 2015

PERSONALISED PRODUCTS We can supply hand held dry powder, foam, CO2 or water mist extinguishers in all sizes personalised with your boat name, make, model and logo Price from £12.00 PREMIUM RANGE Anything from the standard or engine room ranges using high quality, corrosion resistant stainless steel cylinders.

Price from £120

A cost effective range of hand held dry powder, foam, CO2 and water mist extinguishers from 1kg/litre to 9kg/litre and a selection of fire blankets from 1m2 to 1.8m2.

Price from £10.00

ENGINE ROOM SYSTEMS Build your own engine room system from a large selection of components. 1kg/litre to 50kg/litre, foam, CO2, dry powder, FM200 and water mist.

Manual, automatic or electronic activation.

Price from £100

firemonkeyltd.co.uk 08452 177574 sales@firemonkeyltd.co.uk

BOAT FIRE SYSTEMS

STANDARD RANGE

CUTTING FoldableRIB

FoldableRIB is a range of RIBs that collapse and fold in half, ideal for when storage is at a premium.

There are six models, from 2.7m to 4.6m and the manufacturers claim there are no extra parts to worry about or forget, ‘simply fit the two bolts and inflate’. The 460S RIB also comes with a sailing rig.

Prices from £2,216- £5,474 www.foldablerib.com

Dometic Cup Cooler

When the sun comes out you can now keep your drinks glass, can or bottle cool until the very last sip. Dometic Marine has produced a thermoelectric refrigerated cup holder which can replace most standard flush mounted, 102mm (4in) cup holders on boats.

Designed for marine conditions, they operate on 12V and have a stainless steel trim ring with two blue LED interior lights inside. Price £75 www.dometic.com

F-RIB 460

AnchorRoll

AnchorRoll is a new product that not only marks where your anchor is, it also acts as a tripping line. With 12 metres of line, the AnchorRoll spools line as the anchors drops so there is never any slack and it sits exactly above the anchor. Attached to the head of the anchor it can also be used as a tripping line with a breaking strain of 50kg. It can be customised with your boat name and fitted with a solar light for night-time use.

Price from €198 www.anchorroll.com

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January 2015

the latest boating gear and technology

International Micron 99

A new, multi-season antifoul called International Micron 99 has been launched. The manufacturers say it can provide up to 3 years of protection, and one year’s exposure time out of water without loss of performance. Designed to be profesionally applied, it is said to provide protection in salt, fresh and brackish waters. It is also self-smoothing, to help control biocide release and improve speed and fuel efficiency. It is available in black, navy, red, blue and white.

Price: Contact your professional applicator for price www.yachtpaint.com

Henri Lloyd

Introducing the Ultimate Cruiser and Squall Jacket from Henri Lloyd’s 2015 range.

The Ultimate Cruiser Jacket provides all weather protection and features optivision foldaway hood (Hi-Fit Trousers are also available). The Squall is a useful fleece lined mid layer-cum-casual everyday jacket.

Prices Ultimate Cruiser Jacket £210 Squall Jacket £130 www.henrilloyd.co.uk

Vetus Exhaust Waterlocks

Vetus has introduced a new range of exhaust waterlocks with a difference. The new range is said to be half the weight of other waterlocks on the market but offering almost twice the strength. The clever part though is the way all the parts swivel to allow very flexible installation options.

Seabung

Sometimes you see a new product and wonder why no-one has thought of it before. The Seabung is one of those. Designed to be pushed through the seacock from the inside to provide a watertight seal, the Seabung allows you to change a seacock while still afloat. The pack contains two sizes to cover most seacock sizes.

Price £49.99 seabung.com

Price from £189 for 4.5litre www.vetus.com

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

Thames calling The River Thames had always beckoned Broads boaters Julian and Mandy Gregory. So in the summer of 2013

by Julian Gregory they set off to fulfill their ambition

L

ibre, is a 1992 Broom 41 fitted with twin Perkins M300Ti diesel engines, which give a cruise speed of between 16-18 knots. We first went aboard her when she was exhibited by Norfolk Yacht Agency in the used boat section of the 2012 London Boat Show. Although we were immediately smitten, it was a little while before we took the plunge and made an offer. As it turned out, it was a good move and we bagged ourselves a great

boat, which had been thoroughly prepped for the show and was in tip-top condition.

Although built primarily as an offshore cruiser, with a full planing hull, the 41 has the inherent benefits of the aft cabin design that suits both coastal and inland cruising, including plenty of comfortable accommodation, easy access around the boat, wide side decks and a small skeg keel, which helps with low speed handling.

In fact with twin shafts, the keel and a bow

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January 2015

Brundall

Great Yarmouth

Lowestoft

Tollesbury Sonning Windsor

London

Our route took us from our base on the Broads to the River Thames. Above, the bridge at Great Yarmouth lifts as we depart for sea

thruster she is a dream to handle at close quarters and after a first season on the L to explore further NNEkeen CHA ENGLISH Broads we were afield. The Thames was beckoning but we were wary about the water depth on parts of the non-tidal river as we draw 1.3m.

We did some research on various websites and sought advice on forums, where we received a friendly and helpful welcome. A guy called Tony Riley was particularly helpful and it turned out that we kind of knew each other, having spoken on the phone many years ago when we both owned Princess 32’s.

After conversing online for a bit we subsequently met him, and his good lady, for a cuppa and a chat in Windsor. It was nice to put a face to a forum handle.

Our intention was to cruise in company with some friends, Steve and Barbara who own a Sealine 328 called Sensation. We have cruised extensively with them in the past in our last boat, a Fairline Targa 35, but this would be the first proper cruise since buying the Broom. The difference

in the two boat’s speed would mean that sea passages were likely to be undertaken independently. Being relatively seasoned boaters based in the North Sea we rarely have a single plan and always let the weather dictate our ultimate destination, because it tends to avoid disappointment.

Our friends had previously adopted a strategy of taking their boat to their holiday destination in advance by taking a week off a few weeks before their main holiday, so with this in mind the plan was for them to get to wherever they could and leave their boat. We would then look for a weather window to get Libre to the same location. Although our first choice was the Thames, we had other options including the Netherlands, or even taking the radical step of turning left out of Great Yarmouth, which is marked ‘there be dragons’ on local charts.

As it turned out they were able to get to the non-tidal Thames in one very long passage, and they left their boat at Penton Hook Marina. We decided to aim for

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CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

London the weekend before our holiday started in earnest, and made provisional arrangements to berth in Gallions Point Marina in Docklands.

The weather looked glorious for our departure weekend, so I enlisted the help of a couple of mates for a boys day out to get Libre from our base on the Broads down to the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club (RNSYC) in Lowestoft. We left Brundall late morning and enjoyed a leisurely cruise downriver in ideal conditions. We made Breydon Water in good time and transited the Breydon and Haven bridges with ease, before an idyllic slow cruise down the coast in flat calm conditions. Once berthed at RNSYC we enjoyed a well earned cold beer in the sunshine and were joined by my wife, Mandy before the lads departed. We had an excellent meal in the club and a reasonably early night, in preparation for getting underway first thing the following morning.

Saturday dawned with overcast skies, slightly restricted visibility and a bit of a chill to the air but crucially, low winds and calm seas. Being an optimist, and not being a fan of boating in a tent, we dropped the canopy and slipped our moorings at around 0800. We left the

After a long journey we were greeted by spectacular Thames barges racing upstream

harbour and followed the shipping channel south. The plan was to take what I describe as the offshore route, which took us several miles off Orfordness, across the end of the shipping channel into the River Orwell and into the Thames Estuary via Barrow Deep.

The sea was about as flat as it can be and, although a little chilly to start, as we got further south the cloud disappeared and we had sunshine for much of the day.

Entering the Thames we encountered the fantastic sight of a race between Thames barges. Unfortunately they were struggling with little or no wind.

Once into the river we dropped off the plane far sooner than we needed to, partly

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January 2015

We departed the lock at Gallions Point Marina in the morning to carry the tide up through London

because it was a lovely day and partly because we were on track to make the beginning of the tidal window to lock in to Gallions Point, even at displacement speeds. We made our destination by 1500hrs and we spent the rest of the day tidying the boat, pottering around in the dinghy and enjoyed drinks and a meal onboard.

The location of Gallions Point Marina is a little ‘industrial’, being surrounded by a mix of business premises, dockland flats and the City Airport. Many boats are live aboards, and it is fair to say that we stood out a bit. I was a little concerned about leaving the boat for a week and was not greatly reassured when the marina office closed and the entire front of the building was covered by steel roller shutters.

However, everyone that we encountered was very friendly and many stopped to chat.

We left to travel home the following

morning, catching a Docklands Light Railway train from the nearby station and returning home by rail. This was all very easy and convenient given that the DLR station is only about ten minutes walk from the marina. Despite being moored directly outside the marina office and being surrounded by fencing and locked gates, I was a little concerned about security and had some trepidation when we left the boat. It turned out that I needn’t have worried. The boat was perfectly safe and in fact, with the greatest tidal access of all the London marinas, easy and convenient transport links, and realistic pricing, I think that Gallions Point is a good option for a stopover in London, particularly if leaving the boat for a period of time. We certainly wouldn’t have any hesitation about using it again.

The following weekend we jumped on a train to return to London and rejoin the boat. The train was busy, it was extremely

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CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

The London skyline. There is something special about going through a capital city on your own boat

hot, but a cold beer at Kings Cross confirmed our holiday feeling and we made it to the boat unbowed by what had been a long and uncomfortable journey.

On arrival we gave the boat a quick hose down to remove a weeks worth of London grime and settled down to a meal and a good nights sleep in preparation for departure the next day.

The next morning we were up and about early to prepare the boat for a longish day transiting central London and heading upriver to Teddington Lock and on to the non-tidal section of the Thames. The tidal access meant we could lock out at 0900hrs and we were really looking forward to enjoying the sights of central London from

the river. There is something special about going through the capital city on your own boat.

The tidal Thames is a busy commercial river and the commercial operators don’t take any prisoners. They seem to expect you to keep out of their way, so you need to have your wits about you. You also need to treat the passage with as much attention to detail as you would any coastal passage.

Our plan was to carry the flood tide upriver, and we needed to be sure that we could get under every bridge. We dropped the mast at an early stage and ticked off each bridge as we passed it, to ensure that we knew exactly where we were, and to keep track of the state of the tide by observing the projected and actual clearances. Of particular relevance for us was the point at which we could put the mast back up having cleared the lowest bridge. We encountered some bridges with on-going work that meant that the span for small boat navigation had changed, which was a little confusing at times. One thing to watch for is a bundle of straw Teddington Lock is the gateway to the non tidal hanging under a bridge, which is the River Thames. Here you can buy a visitor licence daytime mark for reduced air draught.

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January 2015

A visitor licence purchased at Teddington Lock, and we are ready to get underway

Once past Battersea Power Station we were into unchartered waters for us, but it was interesting to see the river change as we moved away from central London.

There are a number of rowing clubs above Wandsworth Bridge, so encountering rowers is to be expected, but there are also some interesting sights. Things such as a Michael Jackson statue at Fulham’s Craven Cottage Stadium, and Harrods Furniture Depository, which I guess did what it says on the tin at some point in the past, or maybe it still does? I don’t know why, but we were surprised with how pleasant the Thames is between London and Teddington. Maybe we expected more of an urban sprawl but it wasn’t like that at all and we enjoyed the ever changing scenery as we went upstream. Interestingly, there is little in the way of moorings, even at places like Richmond, so it is a case of pushing on.

Having transited Teddington lock we berthed on the moorings just upstream

so that we could complete the registration process and buy a temporary license. The lock keepers were very friendly and the process was pain free (apart from the cost). I had thought that they might want to inspect the heads to ensure that we didn’t discharge anything overboard but they were quite laid back about it.

Now on non-tidal waters we continued at 8kmph past Hampton Court, through Walton-upon Thames, and ultimately to Shepperton Lock, where we met our friends at the Thames Court pub. We had an interesting encounter with the rowing community somewhere around Molesey, where a section of the river was closed off to accommodate a regatta. Unfortunately, the closed section included a mooring that our friends had told us was minutes from a supermarket where we had planned to re-supply. I nosed into the edge of the closed section to have a quick look to see if the mooring was accessible and as I did so I was mindful that a race was

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CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

The very beautiful stretch at Cliveden Reach is definately on our list when we return to the Thames

starting in the distance and was heading towards us. I knew that I wasn’t going to impede the race and, to be fair, I guess the rowers didn’t, but the tone of the bellowed objections via a loudspeaker from some distance away was quite unnecessary.

We enjoyed a very pleasant overnight stay at Shepperton and had a mooch around the Nauticalia shop in the morning before heading further upstream in the company of Sensation. Thames lock keepers take a lunch break and, whilst it is possible to operate the lock yourself,

We met Thames expert Tony Riley at Windsor and picked up some tips for going upstream

it provided us with the opportunity to stop for lunch ourselves and to enjoy the sunshine. We decided to have a longish day on the river, enjoying the sights as we went, and made our way up to Windsor, where we were lucky to find moorings on the island after passing through the town.

The following morning we had an unexpected visitor. Tony, the guy we met during our planning stages, and his wife arrived in their lovely Hardy called Legacy.

Having been a Thames boater for many years Tony was very helpful and gave us plenty of tips over a coffee on where to visit and, importantly for me, where we might encounter shallower water.

We decided to spend the rest of the day, and another night, in Windsor, and went for a mooch around the town. As we walked through the park adjacent to the river we encountered another unexpected sight. It’s not every day that you see a World War II Hurricane on a stick.

The next day we entered the second

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January 2015

week of our trip and pushed on further upstream with no real destination in mind. Being a lover of fresh air I insisted that we had the canopy down and when it started to rain I left it down, thinking that the rain would pass quickly. Unfortunately this didn’t happen and what followed can only be described as biblical. We were absolutely drenched and my wife had some erudite words of advice that she generously shared with me at regular intervals for the rest of the day. We passed some fabulous riverside property along the way, before transiting Boulter’s Lock in Maidenhead and along the very pretty Cliveden Reach. Shortly after we had to limbo under Cookham Lock cut bridge, one of the lowest we would encounter, before spotting a mooring space outside The Bounty at Bourne End. What an unusual place this proved to be, but we enjoyed some good basic pub grub and a few beers sitting beside

The canopies and radar arch had to come down for the low bridge in Cookham Lock cut

the river, before a very pleasant evening stroll in the surrounding countryside.

It was one of those all too rare perfect summer evenings. Whilst at The Bounty we chatted with a local couple who told us of some good eateries in Marlow. As a consequence, the next day we opted for a short hop up to the town.

Arriving at Marlow there wasn’t much in the way of moorings, but there was one spot on the end that was overlapping some

Libre and Sensation moored at The Bounty at Bourne End Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd 61

CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

Henley was very pleasant. The pontoons and marquees were still out post Henley Regatta

kind of outfall. We tried to get in but it was too shallow, so we held station in the river as we waited for Sensation to get through the lock. When they arrived they took advantage of their shallower draught and ability to raise the drives and managed to get alongside. We then rafted to them and were secure for the night. Following the recommendation from the night before we booked a table at the Chequers, which is a steakhouse with a South African influence.

Moorings at Marlow were scarce and shallow.

With Sensation’s low draught we found this spot

We all opted to choose our cut of steak from the butcher’s bar and the meal was excellent, if a tad expensive.

The following day our plan was to find a mooring in Henley to facilitate the arrival of our son and daughter, who were traveling by train to hook up with us to celebrate my birthday. Arriving in Henley post regatta, we found all the pontoons, stands and marquees still in evidence but minus the crowds and the rowing boats.

We did still encounter the odd rower including three lads on a Three Men In A Boat kind of holiday.

Henley proved to be a pleasant spot, and our plan to pick up the kids worked well as they arrived at the station, just a ten minute walk away. We decided to eat on-board with the nearby town centre providing some good quality, and easy to cook food of the pre-prepared variety.

The next morning we headed further upriver, with the intention of finding a spot for an overnight mooring

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and barbecue on one of the islands.

Unfortunately they had been blighted by a sudden upsurge in impenetrable undergrowth, and finding a suitable spot to moor proved impossible so we continued onwards.

The trip was pleasant, as we passed through locks and avoided the odd swimmer, and we eventually arrived at Sonning, which was to be the furthest upriver that Libre would go. We moored just below the bridge with the spoof letterbox that was widely reported in the media, and enjoyed a BBQ on the bank.

The next day was my birthday and we took a trip further upstream aboard Sensation. We went through Reading and as far as Pangbourne Meadows, where we moored for a lunchtime stop. A short but pleasant walk took us to The Ferryboat in Whitchurch where we enjoyed a very nice lunch sitting in the sun in the rear courtyard. After that it was back down to

This hireboat was quite obviously in trouble but declined our offers of a tow, in favour of swimmers pulling it to the bank

Sonning for a wash and brush up before champagne aboard Libre, followed by a truly superb meal at The Bull in Sonning.

On the way back down to Sonning we encountered some lads whose hire boat had broken down. They declined our offers of a tow, preferring instead to use a couple of swimmers to tow it to the bank.

We were now well over half way through our holiday so the next day we started to head back downstream for Harleyford, where we planned to meet up

We stopped for lunch and some birthday celebrations at Pangbourne Meadow moorings Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

63

CRUISING

East Coast & River Thames

with some friends from the Sealine Forum for a beer, barbecue and a natter. The trip down took us back through Henley and on to Harleyford, where Marina Manager Mark Pearce was very helpful and clearly wanted our brief stay to be a pleasant one.

We enjoyed a very convivial evening with a barbecue on our newly purchased Cobb, a brilliant bit of kit, and one or two glasses of sherry.

Our passage home continued the next day as we headed for Bray. Here we briefly touched bottom with our prop for just the second time on the whole trip. It was only momentarily and with no vibrations felt afterwards I kept my fingers crossed that no damage was done.

Entering the final part of our holiday, the weather turned wet and miserable as we headed downstream to Windsor.

We lowered the mast in preperation for the low bridges, this meant the canopy also had to be down as well, which wasn’t

great with the rain coming down like stair rods. We managed a jury rig with the front part of the canopy, so that we could stay dry between bridges. We continued downstream, calling in at Penton Hook Marina for a pump out and to top up the fuel tanks in preparation for the tidal Thames. As we continued downstream we passed David Gilmour’s (Pink Floyd) houseboat, Astoria, which is moored near to Hampton Court.

We had hoped to moor for the night in the area but there were no moorings left, so we continued a short distance downstream until we spotted a mooring adjacent to The Albany pub at Thames Ditton. We managed to get alongside and upon enquiring discovered that it is an EA free 24hr mooring, which was a result. A drink at the pub, a meal on board, and a superb sunset made for an enjoyable last night on the non-tidal Thames.

The next day we slipped our moorings

Sealine 328 Sensation passes the Houses of Parliament heading downstream through London

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January 2015

at 0800hrs. The plan was to hit Richmond on free flow, Hammersmith Bridge with enough water below and air above us, and to make the River Blackwater at high tide so we could get over the cill into Tollesbury Marina.

As we got beyond the Thames Barrier Sensation lifted her skirts and disappeared into the distance as we continued at displacement speeds. We knew that there wouldn’t be enough water to get into Tollesbury much before 1800hrs so it made sense to enjoy a leisurely potter downriver until we reached the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, where the log records us doing 18 knots.

The passage up the coast was lovely with the sun shining and the water almost appearing blue in colour as opposed to the usual muddy brown of the East Coast.

When we arrived in the Blackwater we had enough water to get into the creeks leading up to Tollesbury and picked up a mooring buoy at 1716hrs to wait for sufficient water to get into the marina.

Tollesbury is one of our favourite spots on the East Coast so we decided to spend a couple of nights there, enjoying a meal in the Cruising Club on the first night and a barbecue on the second night, with meat bought from the wonderful ‘olde worlde’ butcher in the village.

With just a couple of days of our holiday left we slipped our moorings at Tollesbury for the passage back up the coast to Lowestoft. Following a night at the RNSYC in Lowestoft we headed back into the Broads, mooring at Somerleyton for the final night of the holiday, and a meal

We visited Tollesbury on our return leg, it is one of our favourite spots on the East Coast

in the Kings Head.

Sunday morning we made our way back upriver to our home berth, and the end of what was one of the best boating holidays we have ever had. Unusually, everything went exactly according to plan, all the sea passages were pleasant, with no sign of rough weather, and we visited a new cruising ground for the first time.

Of course a major factor was being in the company of great friends, and meeting some new ones along the way. Overall, I can thoroughly recommend the non-tidal Thames as a destination for a summer cruise and I’m certain that we will do it again at some point.

LOGBOOK

‘Libre’ Broom 41

Twin Perkins M300Ti 300hp diesel engines

Distance cruised: 375nm Fuel used: 1250 litres (275 gallons) Average fuel consumption: 1.36 nm per gallon

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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tested Evinrude E-TEC G2

Evinrude’s ETEC range of two stroke engines have always seemed to offer a pretty appealing package, which makes it difficult to understand why they haven’t made bigger inroads into the outboard market in the UK. Bombardier Recreational Products hope that the new generation of ETEC engines will do just that, and invited us out to Italy to be among the first to test the new G2 range of 3.4 litre V6 engines ranging from 200hp up to 300hp.

The G2 is Evinrude’s first entirely new product in 38 years and BRP’s Director of Engineering and Innovation explained how they started with a blank sheet. “We looked at developing a four stroke engine, but we knew we could make better numbers by sticking with two stroke” he said. The

The top panel easily removes to reveal the integrated oil reservoir filling point

PRICE FROM

£17,399

numbers do seem pretty impressive too with BRP claiming 20% more torque, 15% better fuel economy and 75%, yes you did read that right, 75% lower emissions than current best in class outboards. And BRP claim that these are not just at one spot on the curve, but that the G2 produces more power and better economy right through the rev range. All this from a technology born out of the smokey old engines from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. The thing is, despite being two stroke, the G2 is a world away from two strokes of old. BRP has made changes to the way that the engine uses its fuel and oil mix to reduce not only carbon monoxide, but also hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. This system, called PurePower combustion, has been achieved by delivering a perfect 14:1 fuel air mixture to the cylinder, which is completely burnt by using a more efficient combustion process to ensure no unused fuel enters the exhaust.

As well as developments under the cowling, BRP has made some significant changes on the surface too. First off there is the design. BRP wanted the G2 to be

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All tests in Motorboat Owner are carried out by real boaters in real life situations

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine configuration 74° V6 ETEC direct injection Displacement 3.4 litre Output 225hp, 250hp, 300hp and 200hp HO, 225hp HO and 250hp HO Weight 253kg, HO models 244kg Shaft lengths 20, 25, 30 inches Alternator output 133 Amp Price from £17,399

distinguishable from the competitors at 100 yards in poor light, and with their radical redesign and customizable colour scheme I think it’s fair to say that is another tick in the box. The G2 can be equipped with side panels in a choice of five colours. To this you can add a choice of five different colour top and side panels and, lastly, you can choose one of up to 14 different accent colours to provide a possible 425 colour combinations.

Unlike existing engines, where you have a top and bottom cowling, the G2’s innards are accessed through the two side panels.

These are removed by undoing six single turn screws, so access is actually not as quick and easy as traditional outboards. But then with the G2 there is actually very little reason to be rummaging around under the hood anyway, as all the range comes with a 5 year, or 500 hour, dealer service interval.

That means that the engines are likely to only require a dealer service a handful of times in their entire life, and the average owner is unlikely to find themselves on first name terms with their service agent.

Being a two stroke does mean you need to add some oil to your fuel, but the G2 has an integrated 7.5 litre tank, filled from an easily removed panel on top of the engine. It is suggested that this tank will typically last around 50 hours Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

67

tested Evinrude E-TEC G2 continued...... of normal use. If you are running low, you get a warning when you reach a quarter of a tank, and if you run out of two stroke oil altogether, the engine will continue to run at get-you-home speeds for up to five hours.

Dual Axis rigging is another clever feature on the G2 and this routes the steering, fuel and throttle and shift connections into the outboard through the transom mounted midsection. This means that all the control cables remain stationery as the engine is turned, trimmed and tilted and in turn this means that shorter cables can be used and the transom well, usually filled with excess cabling, is no longer required and can be designed out of the boat and the space better used.

Another feature of note is Dynamic Power steering, which is integrated into the

The new displays provide useful engine information as well as control of features such as I-Trim and Dynamic Power Steering

outboard and changes steering resistance depending upon speed, application and helmsman’s choice. The engine also offers an improved alternator that delivers 40% more power at idle than the original ETEC alternator, a stiffer and more robust midsection to reduce chine walking, a new SLX gear case with a higher capacity water pump and integrated shift mechanism and a new throttle binnacle. Lastly there are three new digital displays, both touch and button control, that provide engine parameters, and control features such as the Dynamic Power Steering and Evinruide’s automatic engine trim function, I-Trim.

The G2 comes with a 5 year warranty that covers both mechanicals and corrosion and can also be used with Evinrude’s joystick control, I-Dock. If we can find one negative in all the facts and figures, it is weight. On paper the G2 weighs between 10 and 15kg more than the old ETEC, but BRP tell us this is mostly down to the bits that are now integrated into the engine, such as the steering system and oil reservoir, so the overall package weight hasn’t really changed.

So what’s it like on the water? We tested a 250HP HO G2 on the back of a Ranieri Cayman 23 Sport Touring RIB, a 700kg boat rated up to 250hp. At idle, sound levels are comparable to any modern outboard.

Open up the throttles though and there is a distinct difference, not so much in noise levels, just a nice two-stroke growl that I haven’t heard in a while. The High Output model provides a little bit more power with a little bit less weight, which BRP tell us adds up to about a 10% improvement in performance. The torque of the G2 is

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All tests in Motorboat Owner are carried out by real boaters in real life situations

PERFORMANCE Ranieri Caymen 23 Sport Touring As tested 80% fuel 4 crew

Our test boat was a Ranieri Cayman 23 Sport Touring

impressive, with the RIB taking off like a scolded cat. We were up on the plane is less than two seconds and hit 27 knots before five seconds. If watersports are your thing, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with the G2. Mid range torque is equally impressive and we found that regardless of what throttle setting you were cruising at, the engine always had the power to throw you back in your seat if you shove the lever forward.

The new throttle binnacle didn’t offer the best ergonomics I have experienced, and I found that if I used the main body of the binnacle for support I was in danger of operating the buttons that were placed on top. I did find a position in the end that offered both control and the avoidance of accidental button operation, but it Motorboat was not the most Owner “The G2 is a natural position.

The new distinctive engine electronic engine with great features” displays, like any new piece Value 4/5 of electronics, Usability 4/5 took a little Performance 5/5 bit of working

RPM

Knots

LPH

Noise dB

idle 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500

2.4 4.2 6.0 7.8 12.0 22.0 28.0 34.0 39.0 43.0 48.0

1.7 2.9 6.5 12.2 20.5 22.0 29.9 38.0 45.1 61.9 84.1

69 75 76 78 85 86 86 89 91 93 94

out, but once I had, I found they were easy to operate and navigate around.

We were not able to test the I-Trim as it was not set up on our test boat but the Dynamic Power Steering worked exactly as expected, although I found that medium assist seemed fine for most applications.

The throttle binnacle comes with a cruise control mode, which increases RPM’s in 1% increments

Contact: Bombardier Recreational Products www.brp.com

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Motorboat Owne r

Cruise in C ompa n y

Cruise in Company 2015 Programme

Broaden your horizons Channel Islands & France Cruise 31st May - 13th June Dunkirk & Opal Coast Cruise 2nd - 15th August

C

ruising in company is a fantastic way to broaden your experience and expand your cruising horizons. It also offers great security for those venturing offshore for the first time. Our Cruise in Company team will be there before, during and after each passage, offering a helping hand, advice and assistance whenever it is needed. We also make all of the arrangements for your cruise, leaving you free to just turn up and enjoy your holiday.

Where This year we will be running two Cruises in Company. The first will start in the Solent and will head off across the Channel to the west Cotentin coast of France, and the ports of Cherbourg, Carteret and Granville, and the Channel

Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. The second cruise will start in Ramsgate and, in this 75th anniversary year of the evacuation, will visit Dunkirk and the Opal and Normandy coasts of France, including Bolougne, Dieppe and St Valery en Caux.

When The Channel Islands and France cruise will start on the 31st of May, returning on the 13th of June.

The Dunkirk and Opal coast cruise will commence on the 2nd of August and return on the 15th of August.

Can I come?

All subscribers to Motorboat Owner are eligible to sign up. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

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How much does it cost?

Entrance fees are £395 inc VAT per boat regardless of size. There is no limit to the number of people onboard and no hidden costs.

What paperwork will I need?

Compulsory paperwork: • Passports for all crew • The boat’s original Part I or SSR registration document • Certificate of boat insurance (at least £2m third-party cover) • Ship’s radio licence • VHF operator’s certificate Recommended: • Proof of the boat’s VAT status • EHIC health cover card • Travel Insurance • Manuals for all on-board systems • Coastguard CG66 registration

What does the entrance fee include?

The fee includes all of the planning, admin work and any assistance you require during the trip. By being part of the group we may also be able to negotiate some discounts on berthing and fuel, although this is at the discretion of the harbours visited.

Do I need formal qualifications?

Officially no formal RYA qualifications are needed for these cruises. If you have any, such as ICC, CEVNI etc, it is a good idea to bring them with you.

Do I have to carry certain equipment?

As a minimum, we ask that your boat is equipped to the levels laid out in the RYA publication C8/98 Cruising Yacht Safety. A full list will be sent out with your booking form, but any vessel regularly going to sea should already be equipped to a suitable level.

How can I apply?

Register your interest at cruise@motorboatowner.co.uk We’ll reply with a booking form, which just needs filling out and returning to us by post.

What is the cancellation policy?

Once your booking is confirmed, and payment made, a full refund will be issued as long as the space can be filled.

There will be an admin fee of £25, but other than that you will receive a full refund right up until the day of the cruise, as long as we can re-book your place. Our cruises are subject to a minimum number of bookings. We reserve the right to cancel the event if they are undersubscribed. In this event you will receive a full refund.

CRUISING IN COMPANY

Can I bring any boat?

We can accept any boat that is capable of making a cross Channel passage, has a safe range of at least 100NM and a cruising speed of at least 16 knots.

How can I find out more?

If you have a specific question not answered here, please feel free to email us at cruise@motorboatowner.co.uk or call Claire Frew on 01268 922993 What happens next?

There are limited spaces available so please register your interest at cruise@motorboatowner.co.uk as soon as possible. We’ll reserve a space for you pending the return of your completed form and payment. Once this is received your place will be confirmed.

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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Flipper 880ST

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BOAT TEST

Length (LOA): 8.52m / 27ft 11in Beam: 3.15m / 10ft 4in Displacement: 3000kg (ex engines) Fuel capacity: 380 litres Water capacity: 100 litres RCD category: C Engine as tested: 2 x Mercury 150hp FourStroke EFI Other engine options: Twin 150hp to 300hp outboards Price from £109,990

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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A

sub 28ft boat with a hard top and an aft cabin, could the Flipper 880ST be the cleverest boat launched in 2014?

When I first saw the Flipper 880ST at the Helsinki Boat Show in early 2014, I was immediately struck by the design. On the surface it seemed to offer a perfect package with retractable roof and two very separate cabins in a boat just 8.5m long. I couldn’t wait to get it out on the water and that opportunity came a few months later when we attended Finnboat, Finland’s summer boating showcase.

First thing to get out of the way is that yes, the 880ST is outboard powered. I know at this size diesel sterndrives start to make a lot of sense but, looking at the fuel figures, it is clear that modern four stroke outboards, like the twin 150hp

Mercury’s fitted to our test boat, offer decent running costs. When you also factor in the lower purchase price it seems to me that the argument is not as clear-cut as it once was. On this boat of course, running a pair of outboards is what enables the builders to offer that separate aft cabin, a feature that on its own should make even the ardent diesel supporter think twice.

Up front there is a separate double berth in the bow. The berth

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January 2015

“An 8-metre sportscruiser with a hardtop and an aft cabin. It’s a clever package”

In addition to the slightly narrow sidedecks there is a walk through windscreen. Like most Scandinavian boats the compact galley is in the cockpit

takes up most of the cabin but there is a small dressing area at the foot of the bed, albeit with only 5ft 7in headroom. The centre section of the berth is made up with infill cushions, and with these removed this cabin could be used for two singles, or even as a private lounging area. The cabin has a small dressing table, with a built in

entertainment centre, a small cupboard beneath and a pair of lockers behind the upright cushions. There is no hanging locker in this cabin, although there is one just outside in the companionway.

The cabin offers lots of glass with double overhead panels, one of which is an opening hatch, another pair of glass

Keeping it bright.

Single pane glass sidescreens provide good unobstucted visibility and light, while the mostly clear canopy encloses the area

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

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The clever toilet compartment is spacious and light with good storage

ceiling panels on either side of the cabin, and a decent sized window in either side of the hull. As a result, the cabin feels more spacious than it actually is.

Step outside the forward cabin into the companionway and you have a couple more inches headroom while still retaining

privacy behind the sliding cabin door.

On the starboard side of this area is the previously mentioned hanging locker.

This is a very useful size, and comes with a bench seat with storage underneath, to add to the facilities of the forward cabin. On the port side is the boat’s toilet The aft cabin may lack en-suite facilities, but what a great use of space

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The forward cabin offers a double berth, or two singles with the infills removed

compartment. This is a very cleverly designed compartment and is spacious in every way except vertically. With 5ft 2in headroom it will have to be considered a seated compartment, but once you get your head around this it is a very acceptable space. The sea toilet is beneath a bench seat, which is perfect for seated showers, and there is a nice big storage locker running fore and aft. The sink has more storage below and, despite there only being a small porthole and a small skylight in this compartment, it feels very light due to clever choice and use of materials.

A couple of steps up from the companionway through a sliding door and you are in the cockpit. On the port side there is a well proportioned double navigators seat with grab rail and chart area in front. There are also three teak laid moulded steps that allow easy foredeck Motorboat Owner Š Digital Marine Media Ltd

access from the cockpit via an opening screen, although this will only work if you have the cockpit roof open. For those days when the roof stays closed, the 880ST is also equipped with a useable, if slightly narrow, pair of side decks, with plenty to grab onto as you make your way forward. The backrest of the navigator’s seat swings forward to create extra seating around the dinette, directly behind, and in the base of the seat our boat was fitted with an electric fridge.

Opposite is the single sliding helm seat and helm console, the latter of which seems quite narrow in its design. Having said that, it houses all the necessary equipment, including a 12inch multi function display, in a layout where everything is logically placed and falls easily to hand. There is a small chart storage area on top of the helm and a couple of drawers in the console below the helm seat.

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PERFORMANCE As tested 50% fuel 0% water 3 crew Force 3

The dinette is slightly raised, allowing it to accommodate a useful low level storage drawer beneath, and offers seating for five easily, although the table would really only accommodate four for dining. There is another large storage locker in the floor on the aft end of the dinette and a huge, lazarette type storage area beneath the port side dinette seating. In the cockpit floor, a large lifting hatch reveals access to the bilge and the boat’s tanks.

Opposite the dinette is the galley module. Initially this might look a little small, especially when you open the lid to reveal the sink and two burner hob and realize there is very little usable work surface. Again some clever thinking comes to the rescue and the opening lid slides along a runner and lays flat aft of the galley to provide plenty of flat work area if

RPM

650 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 5600

Knots LPH

GPH

MPG

3.1 5.0 6.4 8.2 10.0 15.4 21.3 26.2 30.6 34.8 37.7 38.6

0.92 1.54 2.22 3.59 5.15 7.24 9.46 11.47 14.19 17.97 22.99 24.39

3.31 3.25 2.88 2.28 1.94 2.13 2.25 2.28 2.16 1.94 1.64 1.58

4.2 7.0 10.1 16.3 23.4 32.9 43.0 52.1 64.5 81.7 104.5 108.7

Range (nm) 277 272 241 191 162 178 188 191 181 162 137 132

Noise 61 61 65 69 75 76 79 80 86 86 91 92

needed, although it does restrict access on and off the boat when in this mode. With three drawers and a decent sized cupboard in the galley, together with all the other storage in the area, this is one boat where there is no shortage of places for your pots, pans and provisions.

Aft of the galley, on the starboard side, is the main access on and off the boat via a companionway between cockpit and bathing platform. There is a useful moulded fender storage area here and to port there is a large sunpad, made bigger

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The boat performed brilliantly, and the unconventional looking helm worked well

“With 300hp on tap, the boat hit a top speed of 38 knots and purred along at 25 knots” by dropping the aft backrest of the dinette.

Below this sunpad is this boat’s unique selling point. Lift back the cushion, slide a hatch open and swing back a bi-fold Perspex door and you are greeted with a completely private double cabin. It really is just somewhere to sleep. There is no standing headroom, no storage, no ensuite facilities, but what a great feature to have on a boat of this size. A perfect cabin for occasional guests, it comes equipped with a transom window, which provides enough light for it not to feel claustrophobic, and a nice comfy mattress.

I would be very happy sleeping in here.

Out on the bathing platform there are two wet storage lockers, one of which contains the fuel filters, and, despite the large well required for the pair of outboards, there is full walk across access Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

with a raised central panel that hinges out of the way when the engines are tilted.

Underway Our test boat was fitted with twin 150hp Mercury EFI, the smallest engine option available. The 880ST can be specified with up to 600hp in the shape of twin 300’s.

There are no single engine options available as I was told the hull works better with twins. On paper our test boat probably looks plenty fast enough, and it was, but I would have preferred just a bit more power to help keep it going in the waves and tight turns. Twin 300’s are probably too much, but a pair of 200’s would, I think, be the good compromise. Don’t get me wrong, the 150’s work, it’s just that on this sports boat the acceleration and mid range pickup felt a bit lackluster with just 300hp on tap.

79

As you would expect, at slow speeds the Mercury’s were near silent. Open the throttles though and the noise picks up to quite a roar at top speed. At around 4000 rpm the boat settled into a comfortable 25+ knots cruise, with the engines purring at a mere 80dB. Our boat was fitted with mechanical throttle and shift controls, which are starting to feel surprisingly old fashioned. I would definitely consider upgrading to electronic controls if it is an option on your engine choice, just for a smoother more precise driving experience.

You have a choice of three driving positions in the 880ST. With the roof open you can stand and look out over the top of the windscreen. This provides the best view forwards and is useful when slow speed maneuvering, helping enormously with communication with foredeck crew.

Unfortunately vision aft is not so great and, if standing at speed, there is limited support for the helmsman.

You can of course sit, which gives a nice supported and protected driving position and, with the boat running nice and flat, pretty good visibility too. Then there is the middle way. With the seat squab raised you can perch on it for a semi seated driving

With the hardtop slid back there’s great visibility over the screen and foredeck while standing

position. This provides a protected and supported driving experience with the best all-round visibility, due to your slightly higher position.

Our testing was carried out on an inland sea, which gave us limited opportunities to put the hull through its paces. What we did throw at it, it soaked up and handled with ease, including stuffing it as hard as we could into the not insignificant wake of our 40-foot photo boat. Tight turns were composed, although as previously mentioned a bit more power would have been nice to keep the speed up, and the hull rode flat with only minimal use of trim required.

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January 2015

Conclusion The Flipper 880ST is a pretty boat that offers some very practical solutions for family boating in the northern European climate. The two separate cabins are nice and, despite a lack of headroom, the accommodation down below is very usable.

Twin 150’s provide a good top speed and a 25 knot cruising speed but, if you’re feeling flush, stick 400hp on the back for a more sporty and responsive experience.

With outboards becoming more and more efficient they could well be the future for boats of this size. We are certainly seeing more sub 30 footers fitted with them than we did a few years ago. The benefit, apart

Outboards free up space for the clever aft cabin and the very comfortable, sunken cockpit

from initial cost, is of course the room they free up so that designers can offer us clever features such as the 880’s aft cabin.

ENQUIRIES: T L Harvey 0121 568 8837 www.tlharveymarine.com

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LOA: 9.12m Beam: 3.3m Displacement: 4000kg Enquiries: T L Harvey Tel: 0121 568 8837 www.tlharveymarine.com

LOA: 9.9m Beam: 3.47m Displacement: 4500kg Enquiries: Norfolk Boat Sales Tel: 01603 781178 www.norfolkboatsales.co.uk

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> NEXT MONTH Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

This clever boat delivers a complete package. Two cabins, lower saloon and useful cockpit with single or twin diesel sterndrives.

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English Harbour 27

81

PENTON HOOK MARINE SALES www.thamesboatsales.co.uk See us at London Boat Show on the Sealine Stand with Sealine S330 & Sealine F380

USED BOATS

NEW Sealine S330 £196,800 February delivery. Single Volvo Penta D6 330hp. Lots of extras

NEW Sealine F380

£340,598

Twin Volvo Penta D4 Diesels

NEW Sealine S380 £257,000 May delivery Twin Volvo Penta D4 Diesels

2012 Fairline Squadron 42 £369,500 Twin Volvo D6 370hp Diesels Leather upholstery, full nav package

2009 Jetten 37AC £155,950 Single Yanmar 75hp Diesel.

Great specification

2009/10 Sealine SC35 £154,950 Twin Volvo D4 260hp Diesels Great specifications

2005/06 Sealine S34 £92,500 Twin Volvo KAD32 170hp Diesel Lovely example with low hours

Westwood A35 from £129,950 Choice of two. Good accommodation & use of space

Broom 33 from £82,950 Choice of two. Both fitted with Twin Volvo Penta 200hp Diesels

March Delivery. Huge specification

LIBRARY PHOTO 2008/09 Sealine S25 £42,950 Single Volvo Penta D3 190hp Diesel Well equipped and comfortable

2003 Sealine S28 £54,950 Twin Volvo Penta KAD32 170hp Diesels. Versatile sportscruiser

Penton Hook Marine Sales Ltd, Staines Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PQ

1989 Fairline Turbo 36 £74,950 Twin Volvo Penta 306hp Diesels.

High specification

Distributors for

Tel: 01932 570055 sales@pentonhooksales.co.uk

Brokerage boats required urgently

www.thamesboatsales.co.uk

Click here for full listings at Penton Hook Marine Sales

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1993 Sealine 310

1983 Fairline Turbo 36

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1994 Fairline Targa 28

2x Mercruiser 4.3lx 205hp Petrols - £44,950 Contact Windsor Racecourse

2x Volvo Penta TAMD 60B Diesels - £59,950 Contact Thames & Kennet

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2x Volvo Penta 4.3 GS Petrols - £39,950 Contact Windsor Racecourse

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2007 Regal 2665

1x Volvo Penta D4 260hp Diesel - £44,950 Contact Windsor Racecourse

2009 Glastron GT249

2002 Stevens 1180s

Single Mercruiser 5.0L Petrol - £25,950 Contact Thames & Kennet

2x Volvo Penta TAMDS31 Diesels - £175,000 Contact Thames & Kennet

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1999 Atlantic 38

2x Volvo Penta 318hp Diesels - £149,950 Contact Windsor Racecourse

1981 Princess 30DS

2x Volvo Penta AQ145A Petrols - £26,950 Contact Thames & Kennet

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1989 Atlanta 27

2x Volvo AQ131 Petrols - £14,950 Contact Walton

1986 Princess 412-2

2x Volvo TAMD 60C Diesels - £65,950 Contact Upton

1996 Broom Ocean 29

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2011 Jenneau Marlin 6

Single Volvo MD22l-A - £59,950 Contact Walton

Single Suzuki 70hp Outboard - £22,950 Contact Walton

2008 Amber Barge 60 WB

2002 Bayliner 245SB

Single Barrus Shire 65hp Diesel - £95,000 Contact Upton

Single Mercrusier 5.0L Petrol - £23,995 Contact Upton

Extensive Selection of New & Pre Owned Boats for Sale

More Locations, More Choice!

Brokerage Services

Optimised Boat Finder Search Facility

Quality Photographs & Descriptions

Seven Superior Marinas Throughout the UK

2005 Monterey 250

Single Yanmar 240hp Diesel - £38,950 Contact Walton

1999 Four Winns 258 Vista

Single Volvo 5.7L V8 Petrol - £18,500 Contact Upton

See us at the London Boat Show 2015 Stand B429

We have over 140 boats to choose from at seven different locations

SCAN HERE to view our boats for sale

www.tingdene.net Pyrford Marina

Tel (01932) 343 275

Thames & Kennet Marina

Tel (01189) 477 770

Brundall Bay Marina

Tel (01603) 717 804

River Thames, Caversham Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine MediaNorfolk Ltd Broads

River Wey, Surrey

Walton Marina

Tel (01932) 221 689

Racecourse Marina, Windsor

Tel (01753) 851 717

Upton Marina

Tel (01684) 593 111

Upton upon Severn Walton on Thames River Thames, Windsor

Stourport Marina

Tel (01299) 827 082 Stourport on Severn

79

Jeanneau Merry Fisher Merry 625 hasFisher a blue 925 hull 2006. & is aFully well fi tted out for offshore fi shing , inc. live bait maintained example. The wheel house is tanks, Raymarine:sh fihas nder,a ideal for shelter when DS600X needed &fishe RC435 chartplotter, RL70C radar. with 5 berths, large cockpit area ideal to relax the Double cabin forward/ single side family on finer days. She has a fish finder,cabin, GPS double berthSuzuki conversion in saloon. marine chart plotter, 115 out board £18995 heads. Hot and cold water, well laid out comfortable accommodation. cooker 3 Merry Fisher 8, great family Gas cruising boat Fridge, sink.& single 26-hp inboard withburner. a large saloon forward cabin with separate She has a large with Volvo heads. diesel. Fully serviced andcockpit maintained cockpit enclosure flybridge.

She has been annually.

Salt &water deck wash system, wellliferaft, maintained, high shorepower, spec including bow bowthruster, antifouled thruster, raymarine suite, Nanni Springfull 2014.

Fabulouselectronic leisure fisher must see.

4.390 TDI (200hp) diesel engine £67,000 £65,000.00 Plymouth

White Shark 205 2004. Yamaha HPDI 150 hp. VHF , Ski pole, full service history, blue hull, chemical toilet.

Trailer not included. Vessel based in Salcombe. Ready to go, great looking boat. £17,300 VAT paid.

Ranieri SeaTarga Lady 38 23 2006. is a family with Fairline Hardcruiser top cruiser a large spacious cockpit withD6-310, bimini &only full in mint condition.

Volvo cockpit enclosure.

SheFeb has 2014. a double berth, 345 hours.

Serviced Sleeps 7, electric sea toilet in separate compartment, mood lighting, HDTV 19’’, microwave, brand new fridge & stereo 2014, she has a radar, autopilot, shorepower, chart plotter & fish heating, finder, new auxiliary Suzuki out board 2014 &davits. main engine elec 6hp windlass, tender MUSTis a Suzuki 250hp four £stroke outboard £24,000 SEE. Plymouth 149,995

Jeanneau Cap Camarat 755 WA 2003 Large cockpit, twin helm seats, sea toilet, galley, forward berth. Twin Suzuki 140hp engines. Chartplotter/ GPS fishfinder, VHF. Ready go fully maintained, £17,500 £19,000.00 Salcombe.

AGENTS FOR JEANNEAU

SERVICING AND SPARE PARTS Brand New Jeanneau Merry Fisher 755 fitted with a 150 hp four stroke outboard engine sea toilet, sliding roof and side windows, pressurised water system. 2 double berths. On the water with a tank of fuel Ex Plymouth for £55,000.00 inc vat

Jeanneau Merry 2003 Merry Fisher 705 Fisher is great805 for coastal cruising Fishing, sheplotter, has heating, 3 berths Upgraded&systems radar, with separate 4 berths, electricheads, anchor efficient windlass, galley new so comfortable for families. Open prop 2012, Davits to transom, outboard cockpit great for fishing, she has a full and tender 2010, 4 man liferaft, bimini, cockpit enclosure, Navman electronics shower,turbo washroom heads. &shorepower, Yanmar 150hp engine with under 100 hrsPlymouth on the engine £35500 well presented £47,000.00

NEW AND USED QUALITY BROKERAGE

CALL US FOR YOUR BOATING NEEDS!

NEW BOATS

Brand Jeanneau BrandNew New Merry Merry Fisher 645 Fisher 695 is a multiHas forwardideal facing use cruiser for seats converting& family , outings to fouraccommodates seat around easily diner.

Suzuki 115hp 4 people, 360 degree outboard engine, VHF light & airy visibility radio, Chartplotter,. with sliding doors Fridge.

2 double leadingHas to the berths.

Warps, fenders, inviting cockpit, anchor.Tank fuel. she also ofbenefits Based viewing in from for separate toilet Plymouth! c o m p a rDon’t t m emiss nt. out for 2014 season!

Packages from £39,995.00 £39995 oninc thevat water

01752 600120 / www.traffordyachts.co.uk / sales@traffordyachts.co.uk QUEEN ANNE’S BATTERY, PLYMOUTH, DEVON PL4 0LP, UNITED KINGDOM

Classified

Motorboat Owner Affordable practical boating

1983 Fairline Turbo 36

1989 Fairline 21 Sprint

£59,950

£11,950

www.salcombemoorings.co.uk

0118 947 7770 jo@tingdene.net

1997 Broom 38

2005 Corvette 320

2001 Mayland Topaz

£145,000

£149,950

Thinking of Salcombe for your boat next year. Probably the cheapest moorings available at £20 per foot April/October. Best for twin keel boats up to 40ft where owners leave the boat for some time before voyages.

A great example of this popular Broom. This boat has been well looked after and upgraded by its owners with many extras.

01603 781178 sales@norfolkboatsales.co.uk

Twin Volvo TAMD60B 255hp Diesels.

Excellent sea boat. Cruised extensively along UK coast and Europe. Well cared for example.

A safe and seaworthy, flybridge aft cabin cruiser powered by twin Yanmar 315HP diesels. Lots of extras. Lying Plymouth 01752 255740 plymouth@ancasta.com

Single Volvo Penta AQ205A 205hp petrol. 4 berths in 2 cabins. New canopy and hob. A great starter boat. Lying Penton Hook Marina 01932 570055 sales@pentonhooksales.co.uk

2010 Tohatsu 50hp outboard, Garmin Fishfinder, Cobra VHF, New canopy and batteries. Just polished and antifouled. Good condition and ready to go. Essex

£6,750

07941 468549

Advertise with us • short description • 1 photo • contact details - email, telephone number, website (with hyperlink)

Special introductory offer £25 per month

Call us on 01268 922991

advertising@motorboatowner.co.uk

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

85

Owners Directory i Arvor Boat Owners Club

Dawncraft Owners Club & Forum

www.arvorboatowners.co.uk

www.dawncraftowners.com

Atlanta Boat Owners

Electric Boat Association

www.atlantaboats.co.uk

www.electric-boat-association.org.uk

Bavaria Owners’ Association

Elysian Boat Owners

www.bavariaowners.co.uk

www.elysianboats.co.uk

Bayliner Owners Club

Fairey Owners Club

Beneteau Owners’ Association

Fairline Owners Club

www.baylinerownersclub.org

www.beneteau-owners-association.org.uk

www.faireyownersclub.co.uk

www.fairlineownersclub.com

Birchwood Boat Owners Forum

Fjord Club

birchwoodboatowners.myfreeforum.org

www.fjordclub.com

Broom Owners Club

Fletcher Owners Club

www.broomowners.com

Chaparral Boat Owners Forum

forum.chaparralboats.com

Classic Motor Boat Association www.cmba-uk.com

Classic Offshore Powerboat Club www.classicoffshore.com

Cleopatra Owners Club mycleopatra.ning.com

fletcher-boats.co.uk/your-fletcher/owners-club

Freeman Cruisers Forum freemanboats.forumer.com

Freeman Owners Club

www.freemancruisers.com

Freeman Cruisers freeman-cruisers.forumotion.co.uk

Haines Owners Club www.hainesmarine.co.uk/owners.php

Coronet Cruisers

Hampton Safari Boat Club

freespace.virgin.net/simon.sherlock/index.htm

hamptonsafaribc.webplus.net

Cranchi Owners Club & Forum

Hardy Owners Club

cranchiownersclub.com

86

www.hardy-owner.org.uk

January 2015

Mariah Owners Club

Sea Ray Owners Club

www.mariahownersclub.com

www.clubsearay.com

Maxum Owners Club

Sealine Forum

www.maxumownersclub.com

www.sealineforum.co.uk

Microplus Boats

Sealine Owners Club

www.microplus.dk

www.sealineowners.com

Monterey Fourm

Seamaster Club

forums.montereyboats.com

www.seamasterclub.co.uk

Moonraker Owner’s Club

Seaward Owners Club

Nauticus

Shetland Owners Association

www.moonraker.dk/eng_index.htm

www.nauticus.co.uk

Nelson Boat Owners Club

www.nelsonboatownersclub.co.uk

Nimbus Owners Club UK www.nimbusowners.co.uk

Norman Appreciation Society www.normanboats.co.uk

Princess Owners Club princessownersclub.com

www.seawardboat.com/club.html

www.shetlandowners.co.uk/shetland/

Star Craft Owners Club www.bates-starcraft.co.uk

Sunseeker Owners Club sunseekerownersclub.com

Viking Owners Club

www.vikingowners.org.uk

Warrior Boats Owners Club

www.warriorboatsownersclub.co.uk

Regal Owners Forum www.regalownersforum.com

Relcraft Boaters Group www.relcraftboatersgroup.co.uk

Rinker Owners Club www.rinkerboats.com/owners-club

Owners Club missing?

@ contact us at

editorial@motorboatowner.co.uk

Motorboat Owner © Digital Marine Media Ltd

87

L K what I saw

Spotted something weird, wonderful, or interesting on your travels?

@

send your images to us at

editorial@

motorboatowner.co.uk

Lifesaving sunset

Lifeboat on exercise off Ilfracombe SPOTTED! by David Bagshaw

Dreaming of Chocolate

We loved the name of this Elysian 27 at Brundall SPOTTED! by Isobel Lincoln

Sea toilet

Not what you’d expect to find on the sea bed SPOTTED! by Simon Tully

Awful outfall parking

Not the best choice of berth for this cute blue dinghy SPOTTED! by John Frew 88

January 2015

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