Motor Boat & Yachting — February 2018

FINDME A USED...

Norfolk Broads-based Broom Marine

Group claims to be the oldest

production boatbuilder in the country

• with some justification, it put out
  its first boat in 1898, and continued
  making wooden boats for private
  and hire company customers.
  But it was in the 1960s that things
  changed with the adoption of the
  newfangled glassfibre, and the first
  boat Broom built with this wonder
  material was the Broom 30 in 1965.
  It was a big hit, with 250 examples
  built over the following 15 years.

INTERIOR

There were two versions of the 30

originally produced – the standard

boat was completely enclosed

and had a large central saloon

with a sleeping cabin at either

end. But the rarer Skipper version

had a smaller raised central area

with a canvas folding roof.

The galley was moved from

the middle to right aft ahead of

a converting dinette, which left

just the vee berths in the forward

cabin, along with the single heads.

EXTERIOR

It’s not just the roof that folds, the

wood-framed windscreens do too,

significantly lowering the air draught

(and allowing access beneath the

two lowest bridges on the Norfolk

Broads). Low wide side decks encircle

the whole boat, making it easy to hop

on and off.

PERFORMANCE

Unusually for a 30ft river boat, the

30 was available new with a choice of

single or twin engines, predominantly

Perkins. Twin engines lift the top

speed to almost 10 knots but the

single Perkins 4107 35hp unit fitted

to this boat cruises comfortably

at 5 knots and maxes at 7 knots.

SEAKEEPING

The big advantage with the single unit

is the long centre keel which protects

the propeller via a skeg that reaches

beneath the prop back to the rudder.

It provides protection and directional

stability, although the large rudder

means it can turn hard when needed.

1969 £22,750

DATA FILE

Length 30ft 0in (9.1m)

Beam 10ft 4in (3.2m)

Draught 2ft 6in (0.8m)

Displacement 4 tonnes

Fuel capacity

40 gallons (181 litres)

Engine Perkins 4107 35hp diesel

FOR SALE Broom Boat Sales.

Web: http://www.broomboats.com

Broom Skipper

Will need a

loving owner

An iconic

classic

★★★★

RATING

112

Wooden screens all

fold fl at to sneak

under bridges

Traditional 1960s

craftmanship shines

through in the saloon

Forward cabin is

supplemented by

convertible dinette

★

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