Before the UK became a mecca for RIB usage and manufacture, the staple trailable family craft, particularly through the 1970s, was the runabout or sports boat. In the UK, there was a legion of such builders – some of whom built top-flight boats, some adequately fit for purpose, and some (usually “flops” or “splashes”) which were opportunistically (and cheaply) derived from moulded copies of the leading manufacturers’ key models. The biggest name by far in terms of volume, quality, style and range was undoubtedly Fletcher, followed (in no particular order) by Picton, Dateline, Shakespeare, Marina, Stapley, Sims Super V and myriad other small players.
But there was one brand of UK sports boat that flew under the radar and danced resolutely to its own tune. These boats were designed and crafted (“produced” is too generic a word) by J. Broom of Norfolk – sturdily built yet light; conservative in looks but, in their own way, extremely stylish, plus a clean, uncluttered elegance that was to prove timeless. They also had a beautifully swept back forefoot, which stopped the bow snatching or “grabbing” on hard corners.
Then there was unique branding, with the boats named after either the Zodiac or the field of astronomy – i.e. Aquarius, Gemini, Scorpio, Saturn etc. Broom sports boats weren’t overly well known (although the family were relations of the famous large-boat builders, CJ Broom of Brundall) and probably weren’t marketed that well, plus there wasn’t a large dealer network, but they were the go-to boat for the cognoscenti and for those who no longer wished to be buffeted, banged and thumped about in a small, fast boat. I guess if one wanted an automotive analogy, one could say they were the marine equivalent of a Morgan, a Marcos or a Reliant Scimitar.
The little gem shown here is a 13’6″ Saturn, bought by the son of a great guy – a longtime friend of mine (with whom I had the great pleasure of working in a boat shop along the Thames in Putney longer ago than either of us would want to admit). Anyway, my mate and his son are going to fully restore this little gem, and what a magnificent “blank canvas” they have!
This delightful little boat is almost undoubtedly from the 1970s and has certainly been repowered at one time. The outboard is a commercial-spec 55 hp twin-cylinder Johnson from maybe 1985 – identified by the recoil starter (rather than electric) and the thumb-screw (rather than bolt-on) transom bracket.
The motor, however, is close enough to “period” to suit the boat, which was still in production at that time.
The beauty of doing restorations on boats is that one can decide to present it as it was in period, or use modern materials, fittings and laser-cut wraps to create something bespoke and with a unique character. Either way, my mate and his son have something really special here, and there is little doubt that there will be many more glorious years ahead for this magnificent little jewel!
Danny Casey is highly experienced, undoubtedly idiosyncratic, and immensely knowledgeable about things mechanical, new or old. His knowledge and passion are as a result of spending his whole life in or around anything power-driven – especially marine engines. His passion for boating is second to none, with his life a montage of fabulous memories from decades spent in or around water and boats, both here and in Europe. Danny has spent myriad years in the recreational marine industry in a varied career in which he has bamboozled colleagues and competitors alike with his well-honed insight.
His mellifluous Irish accent, however, has at times been known to become somewhat less intelligible in occasional attempts at deliberate vagueness or when trying to prevent others from proffering a counter-argument or even getting a word in. Frank and to-the-point, but with a heart of gold, it can be hard to convince Danny to put pen to paper to share his knowledge. Marine Business News is grateful for his contributions. Connect with Danny through LinkedIn.
