Humber 448

volvopaul

volvopaul

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Does anyone own or have owned one of these fine boats?

Just looking for your comments, good or bad.

Fred Booker only built 4 of these, designed by MBY David Marsh, I know the early 38 and 40 quite well the builder really went upmarket with the 448, the interior for a 10 year old boat is fantastic, just wondering about sea keeping ability.

Any comments welcome.
 
There was one moored in Berthon, then on the hard for sale, for a long time, may still be there. I really like it, and having peered through the window I agree that the interior looks very plush. Can't help on the handling though.
 
Yes its that one, ive looked at it for years for sale, going to dig out the boat report tonight its only done 160 hours from new and its 1 owner.
 
I've seen this boat, at Berthon, its the one with the "fairy wings".
I had a very good look inside, massive aft cabin, I think it needs 10-20K spending on new interior to bring it out of its early 80s time warp.
But what a good boat you will have at what I think, a fair price.
 
I remember it being at Berthon when I was there 1999-2003. Nice boat. Well looked after, if the Berthon team maintained it. Dunno about seakeeping, I hardly remember it ever going out!
 
Haven't owned one but once looked at buying one. The split radar arch looks silly and the interior helm is a joke. I hope these 2 items weren't dreamt up by Mr Marsh who should have known better. It is true that Booker built only a small number but I believe that the hull was from the same moulds as the old Humber 40 and I also believe that the same moulds were used for the Pearl 45. The hull is originally a John Bennett design methinks. Good sea boat by all accounts
 
I have a friend who I believe owned one (he doesn't post on here) If you want to PM your contact details I will pass them on to him. He has always said that he liked the boat.
 
Humber 448 [1997]

I think I have just purchased this boat. it's a Humber 448 launched in 1997. She surely is a beautiful boat and even now only 200 hours. It must have been parked up for quite a while. I am currently in the process of getting her shipshape
 
michael fesler said:
I think I have just purchased this boat. it's a Humber 448 launched in 1997. She surely is a beautiful boat and even now only 200 hours. It must have been parked up for quite a while. I am currently in the process of getting her shipshape
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Firstly welcome to the forum, I think your post got a bit buried,

Good resurrection of an old post and a resurrection of a Humber 448! I too recall the boat at Berthons, get some pictures taken when you have a chance, we would all be interested to see it.

should look like this;

import_20407-0.jpg
 
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Well, it all started like this. I was about to purchase the boat of my dreams a 2010 swift trawler 42, at 199k it was a steal. What should be beside it in the marina was a boat I had never seen of or heard about, Azzurra, a Humber 448. I fell in love with her immediately and happened upon the ships log. The first owner really looked after her, from lubricating the cocks, to cleaning the heads, to repairing ill fitting doors. My first paradigm, when deciding upon a venture into boating was wait 18 months before making a purchase, and the second was nothing older than 2007. I was in my 18th month of searching, and was compelled to break the second paradigm. I take the log to bed with me sometimes and enjoy reading how the first owner took real good care of her. The log, over a hundred pages long, notes every thing done, warts and all. It has 2 CAT 3126TA's so lots of warts as you can imagine - no soft box issues, and the well published after cooler issues were cured under warranty in 1998. The log ends in 2005, then an internet search shows she was parked up for quite a while in Berthon and sold in 2008. Two owners since then who were less fastidious in the essentials of safety and maintenance, but fortunately for me, quite good at interior design and refurbishment. I am currently and very gently bringing her back to pristine, starting with the engines, then plumbing, then electrics. If i have any money left, [highly unlikely] then I'll go the whole way on chart o tronics. She is an absolute joy to be on, managed to get her up to 23 knots, there's another 6 to 7 knots there somewhere, not that I shall ever need that. If anybody knows anything of this classics' history I'd be interested. I have a piece of boating history hopefully, she'll be mine for many years and having looked and scurried around hundreds of boats in the UK,Asia, and N Europe looking for my passion, that old adage that they don't build em like they used to rings true for me. Even the cocks are bronze and lubricate-able, something sadly missing on more modern vessels. I am in Bali at the moment and will only be able to be on her every three months - so lots of time to get things done. She deserves it.
 
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here is the love of my life - over the next twelve months or so, all consumables will be replaced and then it's off we go. Not sure where yet, in the mean - time Plymouth sound has lots to offer and I enjoy boating in the cold, so that;s lucky - we have lots of cold down here in Plymouth.
 
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I had never seen one either. I feel very fortunate to have secured a bit of British boating history - now if only i could get onto diesel.com. Every time i try to register it just ignores my request.
 
michael fesler said:
View attachment 45489

here is the love of my life - over the next twelve months or so, all consumables will be replaced and then it's off we go. Not sure where yet, in the mean - time Plymouth sound has lots to offer and I enjoy boating in the cold, so that;s lucky - we have lots of cold down here in Plymouth.
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certainly has a tough look to it, and those fairy wings as someone mentioned on the original thread, they add a certain something. congratulations, sounds like you are smitten.
 
Nice to see my post resurrected , she is a very good boat has acres of wood inside her, well built and owned previously by engineers I was told.
The thread I posted was because a friend was going to buy her but was put off on the sea trial, all she made empty with clean bottom and props was 24 knots.

The hull design is just about good for that, she will never be a top 20s boat, without 1200 hp.
Enjoy her for what she is, they do not make them like that anymore I can tell you, better call than the swift for sure.
 
michael fesler said:
View attachment 45489

here is the love of my life - over the next twelve months or so, all consumables will be replaced and then it's off we go. Not sure where yet, in the mean - time Plymouth sound has lots to offer and I enjoy boating in the cold, so that;s lucky - we have lots of cold down here in Plymouth.
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Hi Michael

You are just down the pontoon from me at Sutton, so when you are around call in for tea/coffee (A52, V48 called Intraventure).
 
IMG_0062.JPGwell Paul at sea trial, after 12 months sitting in the marina collecting Plymouth gunk, with full tanks, she purred along nicely 2700 rpm and got 23 k. Now i reckon with the turbos cleaned and the after coolers descaled and the bottom blasted and re-painted she'll easy get to 25k. I have no desire to go any faster than that anyway, I'm quite happy to potter around at displacements speeds knowing i've got a little bit go grunt if i need to get some where before closing time. does anybody know how to actually get on the diesel.com site. i've tried and miserably failed. i reckon this is a good enough place to enjoy a beer anyway.
 
Would love to pop around for a cuppa - I shall need all the help i can get, I've only ever parked a 32' boat before, [this is 46'] and never in Sutton harbour. My initial ingress and egress is sure to amuse. I shall be back to Plymouth in early December for a month.
 
michael fesler said:
View attachment 45493well Paul at sea trial, after 12 months sitting in the marina collecting Plymouth gunk, with full tanks, she purred along nicely 2700 rpm and got 23 k. Now i reckon with the turbos cleaned and the after coolers descaled and the bottom blasted and re-painted she'll easy get to 25k. I have no desire to go any faster than that anyway, I'm quite happy to potter around at displacements speeds knowing i've got a little bit go grunt if i need to get some where before closing time. does anybody know how to actually get on the diesel.com site. i've tried and miserably failed. i reckon this is a good enough place to enjoy a beer anyway.
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I think you have yo pay to enrol to boat diesel.com
 
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