senior 32

[scoty]

While I am waiting for that lucky person to buy my Westerly sailing boat, I am now spending my time looking for a motor boat that I can cruise the rivers and canals plus in reasonable weather motor down the coast.

I have taken to a Senior 32 with outdrives, does anyone have experience with this boat and outdrives, are they (outdrives) vulnerable in rivers and canals .

Any information would be much appreciated.

 

[volvopaul]

The senior is a good boat, but as there getting on in years watch out for damp hulls, osmosis etc.

The engines and drives by now will be needing some kind of care, either just servicing or you may be looking a a repower.

I'm told the Enfield leg isn't cheap to repair, there is onlynone agent I know in the uk, bob knowles in Leicester uk.

Maybe look at the princess 32 or even a 33 I'm sure there will be something around at right money, I recently found a Mark 2 princess 33 with twin petrols advertised under 20k.

 

[mercuryman]

Senior 31

My dad has a 1967 vintage. His one was orignally built by Senior Marine for the Harbour board and was laid up 1" think on the hull. She was all rigged out down below with electronics and transducers for charting what is now the docks by Eling in Southampton. After 4 years use she was stripped and refitted in the standard cabin layout and sold on.

She still has the original hoofing great transducers in the hull. She has been in our family now nearly 20 years and a friend before that had her for 10. Great build and sea keeping even though we only max at 14 knots.

We had 4.107`s that were on their 3rd rebuild. Enfield drives which are on their 2nd. We are now in the process of putting 2 Ford FSD units in and marinising. Plus uprating the drives a bit more.

Like Paul said maybe a Project 32 same boat but early Princess with Volvo lumps in. Or an RLM again same hull but I think most of them had Nissan lumps in.

I have all the original sales brochures etc a complete hull fitted out back then was £4500! A bit more on top of that and you could of had the engine upgrade to twin 1.5 BMC`s with Sillette sonic drives.

 

[paultallett]

My dad has a 1967 vintage. His one was orignally built by Senior Marine for the Harbour board and was laid up 1" think on the hull. She was all rigged out down below with electronics and transducers for charting what is now the docks by Eling in Southampton. After 4 years use she was stripped and refitted in the standard cabin layout and sold on.

She still has the original hoofing great transducers in the hull. She has been in our family now nearly 20 years and a friend before that had her for 10. Great build and sea keeping even though we only max at 14 knots.

We had 4.107`s that were on their 3rd rebuild. Enfield drives which are on their 2nd. We are now in the process of putting 2 Ford FSD units in and marinising. Plus uprating the drives a bit more.

Like Paul said maybe a Project 32 same boat but early Princess with Volvo lumps in. Or an RLM again same hull but I think most of them had Nissan lumps in.

I have all the original sales brochures etc a complete hull fitted out back then was £4500! A bit more on top of that and you could of had the engine upgrade to twin 1.5 BMC`s with Sillette sonic drives.

Wow!! My boating bug came from growing up on my dads Princess 32. I'd love to see all the stuff Tom next time we get together...... Better still love to see you dads boat.

 

[macnorton]

I have had a Project 31 for about 10 years,

The Enfield/Perkins stern drives are ok as long as you remember they are there (ie dont reverse into shallow moorings), there are a number of parts suppliers beside Bob Knowles (whom I do not rate) and there are many boats on the system using them so plenty of SH bits about.

The hulls are well built and are not known to suffer badly with Osmosis, If the boat is fitted with twin keels it will bite the sea quite well under power, without them fitted they do roll, check the bridge clearance's where you intend to use the boat inland as you will need a removable roof to get down to 2m airdraught.

Perkins 4.107/8 can be a good reliable engine if used and serviced properly (there are many people on this forum who use them), you will get app 10 knts max with these engines/drives but look at a max coastal cruising speed of 7-8 and an inland speed of 6 knots.

The ones fitted with BMC 1500's are underpowered and the Nissan engines are a bit to much for the drives IMHO (the drives were designed by Perkins to acompany the 4.107)

Hope this helps...

Rick

 

[scoty]

Senior 32

I can only say a great big THANKYOU for your replies, full of usefull information, I like the Princess, but was not aware it has the same hull,


Now I can decide with more confidence,

 

[Sneds]

There is a Senior 32 moored next to me in Bristol, regularly crossing over to Cardiff and towing stricken sailing boats on the way!
Spacious boat and v economical.

 

[oldgit]

 

[SimonA]

Nice boats, from what I remember the hull was based on the Elysian 27 and lengthened, it was then used for the Princess 32.

Lots of Project/Senior/Princess 32's around here on the Great Ouse and have taken a look around a few up for sale, seems a lot of boat for the money.