a Broom Commander
The Broom Commander falls between the Captain which was 35ft long and the Admiral which was 43ft long. All three featured in the Brundall hire fleet in the nineteen sixties. Perrapin is the last all wooden boat to have been built for the fleet. Broom are still building boats of course but all of them are made of GRP. Perrapin is built of mahogany on oak with a folding windscreen and a centre cockpit. It was the BB Cruiser Company, also based in Brundall which ordered this particular boat as the flagship of its hire fleet right through to the early 1990s when the boat passed into private ownership.
The current owners are the third private owners and have cared for her since 2009 when they brought her to the Thames. Recently however Perrapin went south to Sandwich for some remedial work which included the replacement of most of the hull planking, hull recaulking using traditional cotton caulking, a full overhaul of the keel including the replacement of all keel bolts and the overhaul of her shaft log and stuffing box including the replacement of the prop shaft glands.
The interior is very original and if you are a fan of the swinging sixties the formica worktops in the galley will definitely appeal as will all the varnished mahogany fitted furniture. This is a great family cruiser or suitable for a couple for extended periods living on board. The cockpit covering can be rolled back offering an entirely open option for skipper and crew while the boat is cruising.
The engine is a single BMC diesel neatly located beneath the centre cockpit sole. All the sleeping areas are forward of the wheelhouse with living accommodation and one of the two heads aft.
The boat has an excellent full length cover and the option of a mooring near Datchet. If you look out of one of the nearby Windsor Castle turrets you will see her sitting on the tree lined banks of the Thames.
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