noddyboater

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Back in '99 I was struggling to find another 10k to buy one of their ex show boats. I saw it years later and was somewhat relieved that I couldn't afford it and had to make do with a cheaper Five Towns BCN tug replica. You live and learn, it wasn't that I knew they were boats to aspire to owning, just that their adverts told us they were.

To put things into perspective, even the so called "elite" builders were up to some pretty dodgy stuff too, back in the day. I can remember a used boat having a pre-purchase survey at a marina I moored in that found the steel plates to be of various thicknesses, but basically getting thinner towards the bow. Not a Liverpool, nor a Marque but a company generally blowing their own trumpet as the best that money could buy. Think slab sides, portholes, low gunwhales..

Luckily, that's what pubs are for.

It's got bags of history. To go with the bags of pills taken.

"Turns heads where ever she goes" And stomachs.

They weren't skiing, they were just going up and down the river as close to me as possible having a laugh while I tried to sort the engine out. As I said it was all in good spirits but I did have to shut the stern doors when the wake was going down the cabin steps! Yes, good value food and the beer wasn't bad either.

I pulled in when moving a boat with an ailing engine, it was a busy ski day but they made room for me. Two blokes then spent the next hour swamping me with their wash, they were old enough to know better but it was all in good humour. We ended up staying overnight and the pub was excellent.

Apologies Peter, I didn't realise that one on the dock for weeks was yours. No offence intended. It just goes to show though that even an experienced builder can make big mistakes when the £ signs are rolling by. I liked the one they built with a full height pvc door and frame between the living "pod" and the propulsion unit. Where the water would be 2 feet deep.

I can only go on first hand experience, not what someone else has written in a review, where very often they don't actually leave the marina. The boat I spent some time on didn't steer or handle well and was useless to reverse. The propeller supplied was also a joke, luckily my friend decided to bin it and fit a crowther before venturing out on the Trent. Very often you don't realise how badly a boat handles until you go on one that actually does everything it should. I knew of a chap that made a career fitting out Tyler Wilson shells. On retirement he bought a 20 year old tug buil

Exactly this. It's all well and good that a child can steer with their little finger but it's a bit like driving a car that's over power steered. I prefer my heavy tiller that allows me to nip in the cabin and put the kettle on while it carries on, straight down the middle.

I wasn't criticising the recessed panels, I was wondering why someone went for the expensive "traditional" details then put a window in the side that stands out like a sore co#k. Mr Wilson's yard builds well finished shells, good welding, clean lines. He used to occasionally turn out one off shells with real flair, but as he told me once "There's no money in that stuff anymore" I will however question your opinion of how well his boats swim. My personal opinion based on spending hours at the (shaking) tiller of one his run of the mill boats owned by a friend, is that they don't sw

No gripes from me, I just wonder what goes in some customers minds when they're spending a pile of money on a new shell. Recessed panels? Check. With planking detail? Oooh, yes please. Forecabin? Check. A scattering of false rivets? Yes please, we're going for the full traditional look here. Oh yeah, can you stick me a caravan window in the side please, so people can look in at the size of my TV? Smashing.

To be honest I hadn't heard that David Blunkett had commissioned a new build but it's good that he's supporting a local business.