Broom Ocean 30 Cruiser

[Dearhound]

Hi, does anyone have any experience of these? & if so, what kind of experience?  Would it be good for a first time boat?

[RLWP]

What do you want to do with it?

 

Richard

[Alan de Enfield]

21 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Hi, does anyone have any experience of these? & if so, what kind of experience?  Would it be good for a first time boat?

What engine(s) does it have ?

They varied from single 40hp Fords to Twin-Mercedes (not a popular option).

 

I think the last one made were 1980 and most were around early to mid '70's so now getting a bit long in the tooth - 45 to 50 years old.

 

Value depends on age, condition and engine variant but between £10,000 & £15,000

 

They are noted for leaking windows.

 

Solidly built from the 'new' material called GRP, no one had any experience of it in the early 70's so rather than have a boat that 'broke' easily they over engineered them by (compared to today) probably a factor of 2 or 3.

Built like a tank.

 

Draft at 0.8 metres (32") is a bit deep for most canals

 

They do have a following and their is an owners club.

 

Edit to add :

Here is one for sale -

https://broom.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/broom-ocean-30/586687

Edited April 21, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[Dearhound]

6 minutes ago, RLWP said:

What do you want to do with it?

 

Richard

Live on it.

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Hi, does anyone have any experience of these? & if so, what kind of experience?  Would it be good for a first time boat?

 

I'm deeply puzzled. This is a canals forum yet you seem to be looking at boats suitable for the sea and the bigger rivers.

 

Why are you not looking at narrow boats?

 

 

Cracking good boats, Brooms though, by and large. Built to a high standard rather than down to a low price.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I'm deeply puzzled. This is a canals forum yet you seem to be looking at boats suitable for the sea and the bigger rivers.

 

Why are you not looking at narrow boats?

 

 

There are a lot of boats on the canals that are not sewer-tubes. You don't get much 'steel' for £10-£15k

But - agree, the ones the OP is finding are not ideal for use on the ever shallowing canal system.

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[Dearhound]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

What engine(s) does it have ?

They varied from single 40hp Fords to Twin-Mercedes (not a popular option).

 

I think the last one made were 1980 and most were around mid '70's so getting a bit long in the tooth - 45 to 50 years old.

 

They are noted for leaking windows.

 

Solidly built from the 'new' material called GRP, no one had any experience of it in the 70's so rather than have a boat that 'broke' easily they over engineered them by (compared to today) probably a factor of 2 or 3.

Built like a tank.

 

Draft at 0.8 metres (32") is a bit deep for most canals

 

They do have a following and their is an owners club.

Merc 636 engine 1971  

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Live on it.

 

<blood from a stone!> 

 

Live on it, where? 

[Dearhound]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There are a lot of boats on the canals that are not sewer-tubes. You don't get much 'steel' for £10-£15k

But - agree, the ones the OP is finding are not ideal for use on the ever shallowing canal system.

 

That's the dilemma - looking for a boat that has some versatility with 

'the ever shallowing canal system.'  & the potential for increasing difficulties for liveaboards....

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Dearhound said:

Merc 636 engine 1971  

Mercedes are not a well known/used variant of marine engine. Spares re available from :

 

http://www.westfield4x4.co.uk/spare-parts--rebuild-kits.html

 

Note : it is a 4x4 company not a marine company !!!

 

The boat is not really suitable for the canals due to draft. (32") you will be cursing all day as you drag along the bottom.

[Dearhound]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

<blood from a stone!> 

 

Live on it, where? 

Somewhere nice ! On some water!

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

Mercedes are not a well known/used variant of marine engine. Spares re available from :

 

http://www.westfield4x4.co.uk/spare-parts--rebuild-kits.html

 

Note : it is a 4x4 company not a marine company !!!

 

The boat is not really suitable for the canals due to draft. (32") you will be cursing all day as you drag along the bottom.

So most of the cruisers that one sees on the canals are more in the family of Dawncraft & Norman & Ormelite I guess?

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Dearhound said:

Somewhere nice ! On some water!

Buy it (if it meets your requirements) and use it on the River Trent (other rivers are available).

Keep it at Newark - lovely little town - mainline trains to London / Lincoln / Nottingham and beyond.

[howardang]

34 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Hi, does anyone have any experience of these? & if so, what kind of experience?  Would it be good for a first time boat?

If you are speaking about this boat being based on the canals and rivers then in my opinion no it is not suitable, unless you have some experience. Do you think you may be on the wrong forum?

 

Howard

Edited April 21, 2019 by howardang

[Dearhound]

4 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

That's the dilemma - looking for a boat that has some versatility with 

'the ever shallowing canal system.'  & the potential for increasing difficulties for liveaboards....

... what I meant to say was wouldn't it be nice to find a boat that could cope with a lot of the canals if not all, & also cope with rivers & estuaries.

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Somewhere nice ! On some water!

 

If you buy a sea boat you severely limit your choice of places to live. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

Somewhere nice ! On some water!

So most of the cruisers that one sees on the canals are more in the family of Dawncraft & Norman & Ormelite I guess?

I've been trying to think of GRP boats that are big enough to be liveaboards AND suitable for the canals and I am struggling.

 

I (we) have a 36 foot x 14 foot which is a great size and ideal for a liveaboard, but it means we cannot use any of the canals due to draft AND air draft.

 

I'll drop you a PM

[Dearhound]

1 minute ago, howardang said:

If you are speaking about this boat beong based on the canals and rivers then no it is not suitable. Don't you think you may be on the wrong forum?

 

Howard

I was trying to find out about this kind of boat.   Surely there are plenty of cruisers on the canals?

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I've been trying to think of GRP boats that are big enough to be liveaboards AND suitable for the canals and I am struggling.

 

 

Caribbeans are about all I can think of....

 

 

[RLWP]

1 minute ago, Dearhound said:

I was trying to find out about this kind of boat.   Surely there are plenty of cruisers on the canals?

Yes, and ones that are 10 foot wide can only use some of them. Which is why Mike asked where you want to live

 

Richard

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

I was trying to find out about this kind of boat.   Surely there are plenty of cruisers on the canals?

 

Seriously, you need to get out and about walking the towpaths seeing the boats and talking to boaters. 

 

Cruisers make up only a tiny proportion of boats on canals.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Dearhound said:

I was trying to find out about this kind of boat.   Surely there are plenty of cruisers on the canals?

There are, but they tend to be a bit small.

Here is a picture of a 30 foot /canal GRP cruiser' alongside my 36 foot cruiser. Size is 3-dimensional (not just length)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dearhound]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There are, but they tend to be a bit small.

Here is a picture of a 30 foot /canal GRP cruiser' alongside my 36 foot cruiser. Size is 3-dimensional (not just length)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 ft would be fine I think. To start with anyway.

[MtB]

Old Brooms are lovely boats, but as Alan says only suitable for big rivers or big canals. Living on a river is not as easy as a canal as levels change unpredictably. To give you any meaningful advice or help in choosing a bote you need to give us a clue about where in the UK you want to be. 

 

Like, are you in employment? If so, where? Got family you want to be in striking distance of? Where? Or are you a totally free spirit with no geographical ties whatsoever? 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Dearhound said:

30 ft would be fine I think. To start with anyway.

We had a 30 foot NB and there is no way I could live on my own, let alone with SWMBO

I know some do and quite happily, but not for me.

 

It was a case of having to put the bed up every night, take it down every day - doesn't sound bad and it isn't for a week's holiday. Cruise for 2 or 3 months (let alone live aboard full time) and it really starts to be a major irritant.

 

Get yourself down to Whilton boat sales and have a look at a few and see what layout you get for the various sizes.

 

Just remember that you loose 6 foot at the front, 6-9 Feet at the back, that leaves you 15 x 6  feet to get a bathroom, toilet, bedroom, kitchen and lounge.

 

Our 30 footer :

 

 

[Dearhound]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Old Brooms are lovely boats, but as Alan says only suitable for big rivers or big canals. Living on a river is not as easy as a canal as levels change unpredictably. To give you any meaningful advice or help in choosing a bote you need to give us a clue about where in the UK you want to be. 

 

Like, are you in employment? If so, where? Got family you want to be in striking distance of? Where? Or are you a totally free spirit with no geographical ties whatsoever? 

I have an elderly mum in Guildford, but apart from that we are free spirits & would like to travel the waterways as much as we can.  I suppose we don't necessarily need to be on the canals but that had been our original plan until I started wondering if they - the canals -  are really getting too busy  & started wondering if GRPs might be more economical as well as more versatile in a way....