New Member (10 minutes ago!) - looking for beginners advice

[Classic fever]

Dear all,
As a big classic car fan (1968 MGC Roadster) I have also had an interest in boats that I havn't acted upon until now, and classic boats really appeal. I'm looking to make my first purchase - ideally something that needs tidying rather than rebuilding for my first one (I'm sure the hobby will develop to renovation projects in time as it has done with cars!).

I anticpate the boat will be used mainly for family days out on the river, club events (dry & wet) and occasional visits to lakes / the coast when holidaying.

My criteria is as follows;
- Need to tow/launch it with a family estate car (BMW 3 series Est 2.0 petrol) - therefore trying to stick to 12-13ft, and ideally a trailer with rollers on
- Would like to have a size of engine that is economical to run - upto 50Hp?
- Needs 4 seats
- Needs retro charactor!
- Aluminium hull looks appealing - strong and lower maintenance I believe

The boats that have caught my eye are;
- Albatross - although seem hard to come by and only 400 x 4 seaters made?
- Broom Gemini
- Broom Saturn
- Delta Nymph

Really would welcome any pointers on the potential fit of the boats above (or any others I havn't discovered).

Also, am I being realistic about towing with an estate car (I'm, not sure if a 40/50hp engine on the back gets close to the legal kerb weight)

Really appreciate any advice you can give me / things I may not have considered

Thanks
Paul

[sean-nós]

Hi and welcome to the forum, here are two types that might be worth a look. The saro terrapin http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/speedboat-wit ... 27c6180556 and you got to love this little pearly miss Here is a link to it's rebuild. viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3394&hilit=pearly+miss I'm sure the guy's will be along with other ideas.

[floater]

Firstly a very warm welcome to you I hope you findwhat you are looking for and enjoy your boating. Generaly anything in the 13ft size range is perfectly suited to being towed by a family car in fact you could probably go up a few feet and still be ok.

Anything "Classic" with a retro character is bound to have a limited availability. Broom is probably your best bet, there are still a good number about in a range of conditions from shed to mint. With your classic car credentials the Albatross is likely to suit you as the motor will be a familiar car derived unit and offer better economy than an (period) outboard.

Others to add to your list may be Moonfleet, Simmonds, Fenn and Wood, or Yarecraft and many others that will probably be recomended by others. older boats tend to have flatter hulls which can be uncomfortable and wet on choppy water. If you intend to go to sea frequently look for a deeper vee hull like a Tremlett, Shakespeare or Avenger. The 4 seat Albatross however copes quite well from what I have seen.

It all boils down to availability and your personal taste. I would advise however that you get the best possible boat you can for your budget as buying cheap and hoping to save by restoring rarely pays off (been there) If you find something you fancy post it up with a how about this one question.

Again, welcome and I hope you enjoy your new hobby

[BroomBroom]

Hi Paul and welcome aboard!

I think you may expect a wide ranging set of answers here - hopefully you'll get enough information to sift through to enable you to make the right decision...

It may be useful to have some idea of budget as there's going to be quite a variance between a 'sorted' Albatross and Broom Gemini!

OK, here's my personal ramblings: If you are looking for something compact then the Gemini would fit the bill but it is not known for its ability in rough water due to the flattish hull. Upsides? that attractive flared bow...a Saturn/Scorpio might be a better all round contender - good for families too, as they all have quite a high freeboard. I would say up to 40hp on the Gemini - 65 on the Saturn should be more than adequate. 'Rapier' will hopefully pitch in here as he has owned both. I think the Brooms have a wonderful 'retro' character but there are many others to be had - I guess it's down to whatever floats your boat (groan) - Shakespeare, Healey, Sorcerer, Broom, Fletcher, Delta... and many others are all worth a look...

Can't say I know much about aluminium - tough - yes, but I believe that once they start to leak or get banged about, they can be a little trying. While I do have a bit of a soft spot for that Saro Terrapin sean-nós linked to, I think a well looked after fibreglass hull will need minimum maintenance and it's relatively easy to sort out the odd hard knock. Again, others with greater experience will, I'm sure, chime in here. Do you have a preference for inboard or outboard?

As 'floater' said, have a look around - we (well, Rapier mainly) find most boats of interest to us on eBay and put up links in the 'Boat Jumble' section - have a browse around and let us know what tickles your fancy.

I'm sure the right boat will find you before too long

Cheers,

Robin
PS - Any particular reason for roller trailer desire? Maybe just a personal thing but I'd go for bunks every time...

[Classic fever]

Thanks all for the warm welcome,

The feedback so far has been most useful and has helped me focus on what I'm after. Decided that I would like to get a tidy lower cost boat initially with a GRP hull for approx £1,000 - seen 3 in this bracket which have sold in the last 2 weeks. This should allow me to get an introduction to it all this summer without doing too much maintenance . If I get hooked, then maybe step up to a bigger investment later in a more sought after classic/renovation to keep long term.

Broombroom - I assumed a roller trailer would mean I didn't have to submerge the trailer as deep as I could pull the boat up on the rollers - my concern was that I am towing with a car, not a raised 4x4 so can't get as close the water. Please let me know if I have made an incorrect assumption here, and also interested to know why you prefer bunks?

Thanks
Paul

[se7en]

Bunks support the boat better, also, the boat won't move about on them in transit, with regard to launching and recovering, there's very little difference.

[BroomBroom]

interested to know why you prefer bunks?

As Se7en said, I find the boat sits more securely. The only experience I've had with rollers in the past was on larger boats and I never found it as easy to get my boat on the trailer - that could just be me though. I also had issues with rollers jamming and they marked the hull and left dints - even though the keel was well supported - just too much hassle for me. I don't think they will make much difference to ease of launching - I have an older 'period' trailer on which my boat sits quite high. That said, at most CMBA events there is usually a generous volunteer available to launch for us

An old trick is to use a length of looped chain around the tow ball when you get to the ramp (something I had to do a lot at my local launch site). This lets you get the trailer and boat further down the ramp than you would want to take your car...

I think your purchasing approach is spot on - like I said, I'm sure your boat will find you soon...

Robin

[Rapier]

Your 3 series will cope with just about any classic (outboard) speed boat up to 16-18ft and be legal. It's once you start getting onto the double axle trailer, heavy 3l 4 and V6 inboard and outdrive powered boats that you may be over the limit however. I did tow an inboard Glastron-Carlson with my 80s 325 coupe, but acceleration was slow...Can't add anything much else to this post - you're on the right track and look forward to seeing you on the water!