Shropshire Landlubber

Just googled and discoverd that they're not the same place, but Stoke Boats looks more like what I might need, thank you Arthur Thank you Jen Who would think that there is a place actually called Etruria in England - Not being local to the area I assumed it was a business name, hence the geographical confusion, it being so close to Stoke on Trent and all that !

Thank you very much - I've also been pointed at Etruria Marina, is this the same place?

Can anyone advise on a boatyard on or near the Caldon Canal, Staffordshire, where I might get a GRP 28 foot cruiser out of the water for a survey and onward road transport. Also, any recommendation for a surveyor in that area would be helpful please. Many thanks

Thank you, but has to be narrow beam. Will be mooring on the Llangollen and intend to cruise as many canals as possible in retirement, so over 6'10" would not be workable for us.

Many thanks Capt Flint - don't worry about the lack of jpg, I get the idea. Unfortunately, since we intend to explore as many waterways as possible, starting from our planned mooring on the Llangollen, we can only chose from 6'10" beam boats. Clearly that narrows our choice (excuse the pun) and excludes loads of good options such as Broads cruisers.

Thank you all for your comments - seem to have gone a bit off-piste but a really helpful conversation about electrics and charging from an outboard - I have been pndering how much it may cost to set up a hybrid system, with small diesel charging up batteries for an all-electric propulsion (inboard or outboard) as required to top up batteries. I'm sure I'm not the only person to have wondered about this, but I really quite fancy the idea of a silent boat, if possible to have sufficient power at the prop for canals or rivers

Thank you Dora - agree, an inboard diesel would be preferable but I guess it will come down to what I can find with not many seeming to be on the market I think it will have to be a 32 footer to meet our needs so I guess that does limit what I can find, but I gather from another source that the Creighton 32 was only built as an inboard (not sure if that is a correct statement or not)

Thank you Tony - that's the sort of info that I'm trying to find out tbh ! I've found very little info and want to know what I should expect if we go to look at any that come up for sale. From images I've found, at least one has some sort of Z drive (I think) but as yet I've find nothing to verify "standard" engine / propulsion.

Hello - for a number of reasons my wife and I have decided to go down the GRP Centre Cockpit route for our retirement project (cruising not residential). Vikings and Normans spring to mind and plenty of info is out there but whilst searching for available boats I've come across the Creighton 32 Centre Cockpit which seem to suit all of our needs, having an inboard diesel, low access to the cockpit, second private cabin area and plenty of outside space. However, I can find out very little about them on the internet and would love to hear from anyone who has owned one or has experience of them - in particular any construction / osmosis issues, strengths or weakness of drive set-up, guidance or general thoughts. Yes, I know they're yogourt pots and yes, I know that those that are still afloat are pretty old, but I'm not afraid to take on a "project" as long as the hull and propulsion are in good order, the rest is well within my skills Thank you in advance ot any kind souls who can assist ! Doug

Does anyone have experience of the Crieghton 32 cruiser please, in particular the reliability of the inboard engine and outdrive setup, or any issues with osmosis / construction etc ? The layout with the rear deck space really appeals to me but I realise that they are all pretty old now and could be a heap of problems unless have been well looked after. I've seen a couple for sale, hence my thirst for a little more knowledge if anyone has any before I follow up. Thank you

Apologies to you, Tony, and also to Magnetman - mis-read the header! Seems that most of the 32 ft CC cruisers have 25 or 30 hp - modern outboards should produce sufficent output for careful use I guess but would depend upon decent batteries and regular running / cruising, like any other boat. We are not heavy users of wiggly-amps and favour gas as much as possible on boats or caravans So many choices, so many ideas - must be time for a glass of "rouge" whilst I ponder some more!

Very many thanks for all the responses and info - very informative and helping us ot get our thinking straight. I'm interested in Tony's comment about outboards being vulnerable to theft - I had been wondering about this and how frequently this occurs, although I imagine it's quite difficult to remove a hefty 30hp outboard if moored alongside without some sort of lifting gear - maybe not? We do intend to get aout and about on as much of the network as we can, but this will involve leaving the boat for a weeks or so at times, but I think we may look to leave it at marinas rather than just on the towpath somewhere, for security and also transport convenience.

many thanks Barneyp - a really helpful response. Yes, my research over the last day or so suggests that a Viking 32 with centre cockpit is likely to be my best option and they seem to be available at quite reasonable money for one in pretty good condition, even the older boats. Have found one advert for a Viking Atlantic 330 (on Apolloduck) which looks like a Viking 32 but with additional platform at the stern for the outboard (giving better room in the aft cabin) - but nowhere can I find any more info about this, which is a shame as it looks perfect for what I need! I think my mind has been put at rest re draft and air draft. I'm not a huge fan of long tunnels anyway and suffer from claustrophobia so it's mainly bridges and short tunnels that concern me. also, have struggled with water depth on both the Ashby (last year) and the Llangollan (year before) in steel boats so want to avoid ripping out the bottom of a GRP boat !

Thank you, you make an interesting point about the height to climb aboard compared with the easy step onto a steel boat with cruiser or trad stern. However, I've just looked at the Sea Otter and I have to say that beauty is surely in the eye of the beholder, but it's lines do not appeal to me despite the clear practicality! Do you have any info about air draft and tunnels with a Viking please?

I've just re-registered on this Forum having had quite an access faff with login and passwords under the username Vasco826 - hopeful I can stay this time without issues. We're looking at options for a retirement plan for myself and my good lady and are tending towards 50% ashore in Shropshire and 50% afloat cruising the network, accompanied by at least one Labrador. However the choice of boat is the biggest challenge right now. My better half is not happy at the helm of a traditional steel boat and with age we anticipate perhaps more issues with standing for long periods, so I'm leaning towards a GRP cruiser such as a Viking 32 with centre cockpit. This would mean that she can "drive" whilst I do the locks and bridges, being the more agile of the pair! I've read pretty much all I can find here on the subject of Steel v GRP and have taken onboard all the advise I can - the question I've not found the answer to though is the matter of Draft and Air Draft. Can anyone offer me any guidance about a comparison of Draft for Steel NB v GRP Cruiser and the same for Air Draft (limitations to use of tunnels is my concern here) Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated Also, any suggestions for a reasonably recent-build 32 foot centre cockpit design other than the Vikings would be helpful - not too keen on Normans since all are pretty dated as far as I can see Many thanks, and pleased to be back Doug