ferro cement hull canal boat

[Speedwheel]

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/canalnarrow-boats/ferro-cement-hull-canal-boat-PAA22687

 

Interesting.

[Tim Doran]

I know of a cement boat that is used as a butty workshop thing. It was built in someones garden, without too much knowledge of boat building. It tows quite well backwards but the bow is very steep and tends to push water.

 

Tim

[Timleech]

I think it was Dobsons at Shardlow who built some ferrocement narrow boats in the late 'sixties/early 'seventies.

 

I had the job of repairing a hole in the bow of one, which had hit a safe in the BCN IIRC

 

Tim

[Spacebar]

This boat was on Ebay too.

[carlt]

Dobsons built some, as did concoform, at Weedon and a Mr Davidson, who worked out of Sawley.

 

They last very well, until water gets into the ferro reinforcement and they begin to peel apart.

 

 

I had the job of repairing a hole in the bow of one, which had hit a safe in the BCN IIRC

 

I helped someone dock one, a few years ago but it was more a repointing job, than boatbuilding, so I wasn't much help.

 

If you can do plastering, then you can keep one afloat.

[Guest]

Dobsons built some, as did concoform, at Weedon and a Mr Davidson, who worked out of Sawley.

 

They last very well, until water gets into the ferro reinforcement and they begin to peel apart.

 

IIRC the first Broads boat we hired in the 60's/70's had a hull made from the same or similar stuff - I remember as a kid never being abale to quite understand when being told how a 'concrete boat' could float.

[Spacebar]

Dobsons built some, as did concoform, at Weedon and a Mr Davidson, who worked out of Sawley.

 

They last very well, until water gets into the ferro reinforcement and they begin to peel apart.

 

 

I helped someone dock one, a few years ago but it was more a repointing job, than boatbuilding, so I wasn't much help.

 

If you can do plastering, then you can keep one afloat.

Thats interesting as IM a plasterer by trade!

[J R]

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/canalnarrow-boats/ferro-cement-hull-canal-boat-PAA22687

 

Interesting.

 

Not so uncommon. Back in the day during bluewater rag & stick days used to come accross hulls that were made from ferro cement, mostly for high end racing style boats. It was a cheaper solution to high end wood hulls. Advances in GRP technology and the reduced cost of mass produced product, even in small runs, saw an end to their production. Never liked them even though you could mould good lines for the finished boat.

[rallyfan]

I remember back in the late 60's early 70's there was a hire boat firm on the Southern Oxford using ferro-cement hulled boats. IIRC they were based at Aynho.

[Timleech]

I remember back in the late 60's early 70's there was a hire boat firm on the Southern Oxford using ferro-cement hulled boats. IIRC they were based at Aynho.

 

Not sure, I had the feeling they were very heavy GRP but had a name which implied concrete?

I think the company was Morgan Giles, unless there was someone there before them who really did use ferrocement?

 

Tim

[Teadaemon]

IIRC the first Broads boat we hired in the 60's/70's had a hull made from the same or similar stuff - I remember as a kid never being abale to quite understand when being told how a 'concrete boat' could float.

 

I'd guess you must have been hiring from Windboats of Wroxham, ferrocement (or their patented variation 'Seacrete') was their thing. There are still a fair number of their hulls on the Broads, although often the wooden superstructures have seen better days. The Museum of the Broads have a ferrocement dinghy built by them as a publicity exercise - it floats, but as it requires six people to lift it on dry land I doubt it rows very well.

[Tim Lewis]

There is a concrete narrowboat at the museum in Gloucester made by Guests of Stourbridge who I remember as a local building contractor when I lived there in the 70's.

 

Details:

 

http://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/vessels/nwmnarrowboats.htm#Concrete

 

Tim

Edited March 15, 2011 by Tim Lewis

[buccaneer]

I remenber reading the local paper in the 1960 and it had a report and pictures of a concrete sailing boat being craned into the water and have heard said some were also built in the 1980.

Here is a link to one of an earlier age

http://www.prestonlancs.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2813-concrete-ships-on-the-ribble/

 

and here

Edited March 15, 2011 by buccaneer

[rallyfan]

Not sure, I had the feeling they were very heavy GRP but had a name which implied concrete?

I think the company was Morgan Giles, unless there was someone there before them who really did use ferrocement?

 

Tim

 

Thats the firm. I racked my brain trying to remember the name

[Guest]

I'd guess you must have been hiring from Windboats of Wroxham, ferrocement (or their patented variation 'Seacrete') was their thing. There are still a fair number of their hulls on the Broads, although often the wooden superstructures have seen better days. The Museum of the Broads have a ferrocement dinghy built by them as a publicity exercise - it floats, but as it requires six people to lift it on dry land I doubt it rows very well.

 

It was one like this -

 

http://www.horning.org.uk/imggallery.php?menu=main&style=Cncd

 

Built I believe by Windboats but we hired from Jenners of Thorpe - who I understand from previous info. I'd gleaned had it on loan from Hearts Cruisers....

[Tony Brooks]

I remember back in the late 60's early 70's there was a hire boat firm on the Southern Oxford using ferro-cement hulled boats. IIRC they were based at Aynho.

 

 

Also Maid Line on the Thames.

 

The customers would often swipe the corner of the transom on concrete bank structures and knock a big chunk out of the hull. I found it amusing when the Maid Line chap turned up with a bucket, dry mix and a trowel. A bit of river water, a stir and a bit of "plastering" sorted it out.