BROOM 38CL

[Guest]

Over the last few months my wife & I have viewed many "38 ish LOA" motor boats,and have now more or less decided on a Broom 38CL (we prefer aft cabin design), for canal/river/offshore extended cruising, ie. extended holidays.
Our choice is the Broom 38CL with twin 250hp Yanmar engines.

Q. Are there any past or present owners out there who can pass on "for" or "against" knowledge?.

Kind Regards.

Geoffrey

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I see you finally arrived at a decent boat, then! As a Broom owner myself, I'm sure you wont be dissapointed. The 38CL received a rave review in a MBM test and I think it won Motor Cruiser of the Year when it was introduced. It's supposed to be a v.good seaboat but equally good at slow speed thanks to its keel and low windage. I think 250hp Yanmars are adequate, certainly good enough for a 20knot cruise but dont expect sports boat performance. Broom build high quality boats and they're good people to deal with as well

 

[Guest]

Now I dont own one of these but have worked on many boats including a lot of brooms, now these hulls are not totally suited to a lot of sea work, better to go for the 41/later 415 if the pocket will stretch to this, also the older 37/39 is a better bet, these hulls are good sea boats although not as fast as your modern Princess/fairline, basically the stories I have heard about the 38 and 41 displacement hulls is that they have the hull aerodynamice of a skip, and are not a good match with the power plants that are being fitted, my reccomendation would be for the same money as a newish 38 is to buy a good used 41 with 300hp engines there are a few about as I have been looking myself for next years purchase, there is a nice one at Hamble point marina, for sale with Marina Marbella and it can be bought at the right price, it is in nice cond with 300hp Perkins Sabres, oh I just wish I had the funds right now!.

paul js.

 

[miket]

Like Deleted User, I own a late Broom 37 (1992).

I sympathise with Paul's comments, but perhaps it depends on the %'ge of sea/ river/ canal use. If the sea bit is likely to be in sensible conditions, I would be surprised if you had any problem with the 38. The big minus of the 37/ 39/ 41 is their draft. No problem at sea but an embarrassment in rivers/ canals, at 4 ft 3 inch.

I love the 37, especially with the VP TAMD 61A engines (306 hp per) which gives an easy cruise at 20/ 22 kts, and max of 27 kts.

Good luck.

 

[kimhollamby]

Paul, I suspect you got some duff advice. The 38CL and 42CL have one of the best semi-displacement hulls to have been produced for leisure boating in some time, in my view and are also two of the best ever out of Broom, again in my view. Very manageable at slow speed but capable of nipping along at reasonable pace without some of the vices of the older Broom semi-displacement models. Know of a lot of happy owners and the success of the 42 probably owes much to the success of the 38 ie many of the sales have been trade-ups.

They are very flat on the aft sections but that gives them useful lift without requiring huge engines and without, it seems, unduly hampering seakeeping. Up front the sections are sharp enough to punch through. They turn well but quite flat, which is unusual if you are used to a deep vee.

You've got the usual aft cabin machinery maintenance blues of course (ie access is a bit tight in some places) and some of the 38s had an unfortunate tendency to spin off their sterngland nuts (the ones that used the style of one big collet around the shaft). I know that from trying to fix one that did just that and kept me up until the early hours in Belgium one night! The aft deck cockpit is made nicely safe by the surround but is tight for big parties. On the other hand there's those large all round decks, plenty of accommodation and, for an aft cabin boat, reasonable looks.

If I could afford one I would be a buyer, for sure.

kim_hollamby@ipcmedia.com

 

[david_steward]

Re: If you could afford one????

I wouldn't mind being a pound behind that nice Mr Hollamby.

After all he does have at least two other careers.

One as a eighties gay icon and singer (aka Jimmy Summerville)

Second as sharp witted team captain on Have I got News For You (aka Ian Hislop)

He must be rolling in it.




Please insert your smart ass pretentious tag line here...


Dave S

 

[kimhollamby]

Re: If you could afford one????

Okay okay I confess...the real reason is I haven't got time to spend all that dosh. Mind you I do find certain similarities in editing Private Eye and running these forums

kim_hollamby@ipcmedia.com

 

[Guest]

Hi Kim I would concur with your comments re the 38cl it clearly did'nt get boat of the year 99 for nothing
When you refer to some of the vices of the older Broom semi dis hulls you may be including my old Crown.
The only vice I imagine you mean would be the tendency to be a bit skittish as it starts to plane a bit on the
extra wide keel, now reduced on the 38's ? Am I right ?

"The Med is calling me"