Non-UK-mainstream boats: Buying in Europe?

I can really see the appeal for trad aft cabin single engine boats for northern inland waterways, with a covered aft deck and helm, with lots of internal accommodation. Easy access from the side decks etc. Single engine means service access is ok, and some room for storage. Certainly not a med boat IMHO. I did have a Sealine S41 which is technically aft cabin. great accommodation for the length, but no storage and engine room had terrible access. However, show me a boat without compromises!
 
Point taken.
There are several other aft cabin OPEN boats which look very sleek and elegant, but that's an entirely different kettle of fish.
My previous comments were strictly made with flybridges in mind.
 
MapisM said:
Point taken.
There are several other aft cabin OPEN boats which look very sleek and elegant, but that's an entirely different kettle of fish.
My previous comments were strictly made with flybridges in mind.
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Yeh I know , just adding a little humour........ the only exception maybe a Riva Corsaro ?
 
Another good point.
I would hesitate to call the Corsaro an ugly boat.
But I surely can think of more elegant Rivas, either... :)
 
aft cabin boats are great in the UK,simply because of the weather. In the med the sun shines pretty much every day and it's warm and rarely rains. The UK is the opposite. So having spacious bedrooms creates an extra saloon/lounge and you do end up using the cabins during the day, and you get much more use from the saloon rather than the cockpit or flybridge areas. Broom style boats are brilliant for UK weather as it can be very changeable and go cold/rain so the protected helm with easy to put up/folddown canopies allow you to keep going regardless. Also the seas around the UK are generally more lumpy than the med so having the helm towards the stern gives a smoother ride for everyone.
 
Portofino said:
Jezz lighten up ,it’s a boat forum no need to attack each other and get personal.

Mines an aft cabin boat too , the guest cabin is aft and agree with sentiments re separating guests .......but we are not a doing a aft cabin love in there ?

Where’s my “ belittling “ asking this question?

How much conscious time do aft cabin owners ( guests ?) spend in the AC ?

Nobodies answered, the replies have all dodged the Q
Realise majority of time is asleep , buts that not I am asking to be clear .

Just curious that’s all to see if U.K. aft cabin conscious usage is different / similar to the Med .
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Fair enough. Apologies for the personal criticism.

it’s clear people don’t like aft cabin boats or more of them would have sold. But I seek them out.

My aft cabin is used as a bedroom not a lounge., it’s too small for the latter. But it’s big enough for getting changed, ready showering etc etc even 2 at a time. Answer your question ?
 
Itama - the aft cabins on our two Brooms were ours so used all the time. Our usage tends to be spending most weekends aboard during the season and virtually all holidays so we really enjoyed the living space that they provided. Both en-suite so self contained as were the forward cabins so when kids were with us they had their own space and since they have flown the nest guests had their own space. Can’t add much to what kashrut says about their suitability for northern climes. We love sports cruiser too (currently on our third) and the Broom 41 had cockpit space that would eclipse many a sports cruiser so to our mind we had the best of all worlds.

MapisM - well you have just come across a boater who really does like the lines of many aft cabin boats! :)
To be fair I like practical, seamanlike lines more than I do any swoopy curves and an aft cabin boat is a very practical proposition. In my eyes our Broom 41 was a good looking boat. Perhaps not to you liking but she is on the market again so have a look ;)
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Greg2 said:
...To be fair I like practical, seamanlike lines more than I do any swoopy curves and an aft cabin boat is a very practical proposition. In my eyes our Broom 41 was a good looking boat. Perhaps not to you liking but she is on the market again so have a look ;)
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@Greg2, is that your ex-boat? Woo, small world. NYA wanted to me to see it when I was up there looking at that skanky Phantom. It's got great accommodation and looks in good order too.

I declined because it I really really don't want all that canvas. I could perhaps live with it if it had an interior helm too, for those normal UK days. (akin to a flybridge in other words).
 
Scala said:
@Greg2, is that your ex-boat? Woo, small world. NYA wanted to me to see it when I was up there looking at that skanky Phantom. It's got great accommodation and looks in good order too.

I declined because it I really really don't want all that canvas. I could perhaps live with it if it had an interior helm too, for those normal UK days. (akin to a flybridge in other words).
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It might surprise you but an interior helm on a Broom is usually superfluous because the upper helm is so good. In fact Broom discontinued interior helms for that very reason. On that 41 there is indeed a lot of canvas and because of the mast instead of a radar arch it is a bit more tricky to deal with. When we first looked at her at the 2012 London Boat Show (where SWMBO, standing on the pontoon looking at her said why are we looking at a new boat, there is no way we can afford it and was most shocked when I said her build year) it was a bit of a show stopper. Thankfully our lad persuaded us to have a closer look and to think differently about the canopy and I am glad he did because otherwise we would have missed five great seasons with her.

So back to the helm issue. The whole point of this set-up is that you have a sheltered helm with the canopy up so absolutely fine on rainy, blustery UK days. To make things even better I installed a heat exchanger system to take heat from one of the engines for windscreen de-misting and adding some warmth underway so it really is a good place to be. The really good thing is when the sun makes an appearance back goes the canopy and you get to enjoy the fresh air in a more sheltered and secure space than most flybridge boats. We had the forward section of the canopy modified so that the front section can be rolled up and we added some ties so that the whole front canopy can be folded back and rolled up. It is a bit fiddly because we have adapted things but perfectly useable. So our standard procedure in sunny weather was that we didn’t take the back section down but just removed all the sides and back, creating a lovely space with effectively a large Bimini. With the front section folded back it was ideal and I should say that the value that such a large enclosed cockpit adds is immense. A great social space and we virtually lived up there.

This particular 41 is indeed in great fettle. We looked after her and did some mods to the helm and elecronics as well as fitting the cockpit heating system and a stern thruster. Previous owners spent small fortunes on upholstery, teak etc. Brooms of this era are renowned for their build quality - the interior woodwork is simply beautiful.

I hope you don’t mind me saying but I think you might miss some real potential boats if you write things off on perceptions. I say this having initially done the same on the 41 but thankfully our lad brought me back on track.

NYA have just listed a 415 which was the successor to the 41 so a bit more modern in feel and with a folding radar arch so the whole canopy thing is easier. It is a local boat that has been sold several times in recent years and we have viewed it. No known problems re it being sold as far as I am aware - we knew one owner who just realised that it wasn’t for them after a year or so. A nice boat and you could do a lot worse than jumping in a car to come and have a look at both of them. Give me a shout if you do and we can grab a coffee across the road whilst I regale you with the benefits of Broom boats! ?

Edit: I should also say that the hull of the 41 / 415 is most seaworthy.
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Greg2 said:
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NYA have just listed a 415 which was the successor to the 41 so a bit more modern in feel and with a folding radar arch so the whole canopy thing is easier. It is a local boat that has been sold several times in recent years and we have viewed it. No known problems re it being sold as far as I am aware - we knew one owner who just realised that it wasn’t for them after a year or so. A nice boat and you could do a lot worse than jumping in a car to come and have a look at both of them. Give me a shout if you do and we can grab a coffee across the road whilst I regale you with the benefits of Broom boats! ?
Edit: I should also say that the hull of the 41 / 415 is most seaworthy.
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Greg, thanks for this. If I overcome my resistance to canvas then sportscruisers come back into the picture... That 415 looks good from an accommodation perspective, albeit out of reach financially. If next weekend's weather looks OK I might venture up to Brundall again.
 
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Scala said:
Greg, thanks for this. If I overcome my resistance to canvas then sportscruises come back into the picture... That 415 looks good from an accommodation perspective, albeit out of reach financially. If next weekend's weather looks OK I might venture up to Brundall again.
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Well that is the asking price.......
 
Elessar said:
Buying in Spain is easy. Their registration system shows previous owners vat status etc. So you can buy with confidence.
Italy however is another story. Just ask whiteligher
I bought in the US once too and did very well out of it. But I got $1.98.........
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I am also interested to buy in US.
 
As aft cabin flybridge boats go the Ferretti 690 Altura and then also in the big 840 Altura where both very elegant IMO, as was the Pearl 55/60, it is a pity Pearl abandoned aft cabins this to go more standard flybridge looks. I think those three example where among the best.

As for aft cabin open boats go, apart Itama, you had Sarnico (Riva), Rizzardi Top Line series as the most popular aft cabin sport cruiser yacht. Most 80s and 90s Pershing, including the much admired 54.
Eventually Pershing became more global as a brand, and the aft cabin was abandoned, it last aft cabin boat was the 45 Limited.
Still the Pershing 54 was its best seller till 2006/7 when the 50 model over came it, and is still today considered a favorite classic of the brand.
 
vette said:
I am also interested to buy in US.
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Ok. Things to consider:
You need to change all the mains electrics to 240 v. 240 v wiring is thinner so you don’t need to change the cabling.
Mine was a simple boat so I used a builders transformer. 240v to the sockets and 110 everywhere else.
To do a proper job would be a lot of work.
You need to pay import duty plus vat on the value of the total of the boat value, the shipping cost plus the duty.
Finally you need to get it CE marked.
I had a bargain because I did the CE work myself and I got $1.98.
Im not convinced it would be worth it now but take all the above into account and do the maths.
 
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