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Meanwhile on the other side of the fence!

Entries in this blog

Scrap narrowboats?

In the past when we have been asked to scrap narrowboats we have run a mile because the costs of getting the thing out of the water and removing then disposing of the nasties would have rapidly outweighed the scrap value.   But with the scrap value now if you had access to a dry dock or slipway and winch you could probably make a nice little earner with a gas axe out of breaking the occasional boat.   It's about time that some of the real floating junk was thinned out a bit and I often wonde
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

1

Narrowboats, Yanks and the good old USA.

Over the last few months I have dealt with quite a few seemingly genuine enquiries for narrowboats to be built and shipped to the USA, maybe Terry Darlington's latest book Narrow Dog to Indian River might have something to do with this?   Now my first reaction was it's a bloody silly idea and why the hell would you want a narrow ditch crawler in the states?   But after about half a dozen enquiries I have begun to wonder.   I do know from looking at the web stats that a lot of the interest
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

The Rosie & Jim fan club.

The Rosie & Jim fan club     This club was created for those with "Traditional Narrowboats" to share with us their various items of Rosie & Jim canalia.   About Rosie & Jim Rosie and Jim (sometimes written as "Rosie & Jim") is a British children's television programme which has appeared, on and off, on CITV (the ITV Children's Programming Section) since the early 1990s. The programme was the creation of Anne Wood and Doug Wilcox. The series was authored by Robin St
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

La Miellette a boat for France.

It's been a while since I updated this blog due to my new "freelance " job status but in between the I.T. world bits I still have to do some boat bits including the electrics on La Miellette a 61'x13'6" barge we have just completed that is destined for France.           She is worlds away from what most people perseive living on a boat to be but is still a very capable boat rather than being just a floating apartment.   You can view some more picture HERE or just watch them in a
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Are new narrowboats becoming a bad proposition?

The "happy days" in the narrowboat building game seem to have come to an end and maybe it's time for those looking into buying new narrowboats to consider if they are becoming a bad proposition.     For various reasons the price of new boats increased rapidly over the last six years or so and this accompanied by ever increasing operating costs seems to have slowed the new build market to a crawl. In previous years narrowboats have maintained there values relatively well but two or three used
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Return Of An Old Product

Due to renewed interest we have managed to obtain a new supply of this essential product in the construction and maintenance of modern steel narrowboats-     I would suggest that every narrowboat owner should follow the age old tradition of narrow boating and Waxoyl the full interior of their boats to prevent or control any rusting.   This product is endorsed by many famous narrowboat owners and is a tried and tested solution to internal rusting of modern narrowboats.   Available in 5lt
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

1

It's A Record Breaker

Well at least it is for boat building in Mirfield!   Boats have been built in Mirfield alongside the Calder & Hebble since 1776 but this one is a bit special being the largest boat ever built in Mirfield.   Measuring 61′ x 13′6″ she is very much in keeping with Mirfield's boat building tradition by being a broad beam barge, narrowboats wheren't traditionally built in Mirfied until the modern plaything narrowboats arrived in more recent years.     Boat building in Mirfield as carrie
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Solar power the truth!

So does solar power work on boats?   Well I really should be saying yes since we sell it shouldn't I?   I think the answer is yes for some no for most.   Lets look at it in simple terms (I like simple things!), how many of the houses on your street use solar power? Energy prices are rocketing so surely their must be lots of people using this green and free source of energy?   Well on mine none, you could say this is because we don't get enough sun in the UK? Well I have worked in some v
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

2

Cheap pump & fried rice sir!

Before parting with your hard earned cash at the local swindlers take a look at this-   A few months ago the email below arrived, it's not that uncommon these days to get this kind of offer.   Dear my friend , It's glad to email you and introduce our self: Our company is Specialized in producing many kinds of pump .at now we produce the copy of FLOJET pump. Meanwhile,we have improve the pump quality .so we have the good quality but competitive price.it means you will use less cost and get
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Searching Canal World Discussion Forums

The Canal World Discussion Forums search feature is about as effective as the current UK government so I have cobbled together a search feature using Google which seems to work much better.   You can find it and add it to your bookmarks/favourites HERE.   It might not always be bang up to date being largely dependent on how often Google indexes the site but it should help looking for old post.
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

1

Un Britannique en France

Moet Chandon features in Fluvial a French waterways magazine.   The article in FUVIAL tells of John and Irene Plunkett realising their dream on Moet Chandon, a cozy British wide beam narrow boat based in Carcassonne France.   You can read the English translation of the article HERE
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

No more narrowboats

Well with the last narrowboat now gone this is the first time in the companies history that we haven't got a single narrowboat on the order book.   So it seems times are a changing and our world is turning into the bigger boat market destined for France or further afield across Europe.     Everything for the next year or so looks much like the beast above some being relativelly tame river cruisers others being very serious boats that would be well capable of a chanel crossing.   We are
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Crick and boat shows

You know Crick always makes me cringe!   The magazines and websites etc all rave about and advice potential new build buyers to get to crick and get your deposit down.   But among the boat builders behind the smiles you often get some strong feelings of desperation and this is the final fling attitude!   I think crick is probably good to go look at what is out there. But nothing more than a feeding frenzy for the builders who want your money and signature at the event. I would think quite
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

The buildcam returns!

We are starting a new build today of a 57ft x 12ft 6in barge for Lesley & Stewart MacLennan.   Lesley & Stewart live in Australia and plan to take the boat to France to live aboard, Stewart is a wheelchair user and the boat is being built to accommodate his needs.   Because of the distances involved we have resurrected the buildcam so they can watch the build progress on-line. (And obviously it confirms where their money is going too! )   The picture below will refresh real time e
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

1

Am bored!

Old age set in big time on Tuesday morning when my knee collapsed for no apparent good reason resulting in me being sat at home very bored doing Long John Silver impressions around the house!   It might not be that unexpected, when I have now had chance to think of some of the possible causes- jumping off a ship and bending it the wrong way, a Bailey bridge being dropped on me and running around carrying everything and the kitchen sink on your back just because you could to name some of the m
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Crispy Fried Boaters

It seems that increasing numbers of boaters struggle with electrical power these days some whos existing boats were built with little in the way of it and others with new boats whos boats are very under spec.       I don't know if anyone else has noticed the increasing popularity of suitcase style generators along the lines of the one above purring away on the tow path or perched on the deck?   Well they may be the new boaters must have but it makes me a bit uneasy.   We wont even ment
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

1

Business rates

Well we had the business rates reaccessed to day and I have a feeling I already know what that means!  
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Hang them?

Muktar Ibrahim, Manfo Asiedu, Hussein Osman, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahya deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions.   If they are proved guilty in my view they should reinstate capital punishment and hang them publicly along with any others accused of acts of terrorism.   Instead we will probably let them serve 18 months and let them out with a new identity funded by the state.
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

2

You would think the end of the world had come.

The red diesel affair seems to be creating plenty of panic in the boat building world it seems a number of builders now have a new excuse when they throw in the towel!   At the end of the day it not going to go away and those that are blaming Europe for the mess should take a look nearer home and consider who it is that decides on the ridiculous levels of tax the mugs in Mr Blair's wonderland have to pay!  
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

Well done to Irene & John!

This is a bit late the event happening in October but Irene & John Plunkett who live on a barge in France we built definetly deserve a very well done for going to the aid of a gentleman who ended up in the water in his wheelchair.         The full story is HERE  
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

You wouldn't believe it!

Boaters are such dependable people.   You get the steel ordered the drawings are all done and then two days before it is all about to start the customer decides that after all maybe having a boat built is not a good idea after all!   I think I need another holiday or a very big stick.
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

0

The pricing game more fun than snakes and ladders!

After resisting the urge to find go find a big stick and locate said customer mentioned yesterday to beat with it, I actually got a job done and it's the one I hate the most, price increases!   It's not that I don't like putting up prices you have to do that or go bust, but it's the forecasting the future bit that I don't like. Most builders have around a years order book secured on sensible deposits and fixed price contracts (Those that claim to have years of business on the books based on £1
Gary Peacock

Gary Peacock

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