saladdays
-
Posts
25 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by saladdays
-
-
I was a member of the IWA for a while but have let my membership lapse.Seems to me the only real purpose of this organisation is to keep the staff within it employed like a lot of trade organisations. They should join the IWA with the canal and river trust and have one single body in my opinion.
-
1
-
-
Running costs on our shared narrowboat ISIS work out for our group at £100 each per month. We have done quite a bit of extra work on our boat since it was launched in 2010.New fresh water gauge,DAB radio,locking fuel cap,top of the range matress,sound insulation in the engine compartment.and other small stuff. I suppose we are paying a little more than the average syndicate but we are also now trying to build up a fund to pay for major works like a full repaint or engine replacement that will come along at some future point.
It is cheaper than hiring no doubt about that but you must really want to committ to at least Two weeks holiday a year. Also if you are a control freak then being in shared ownership is not for you.
The point about paying for a mooring all year round is that we need a base to do the changeover each week and when its cold the boat is seldom used by its owners so we need a full time mooring.In fact at Alvechurch(ABC Boat managment) we have our own name plate on our pontoon and we insist that ABC do not use it,or anyone else! for any of the hire boats. I know that this is not the case in other schemes,well it wasnt in the Ex ownerships scheme and paying for a mooring without a proper designated mooring is just silly.
-
Thank you all for the replies.Will look at DAB as well good point and will circulate info to our group of owners.
Regards,
salladays
-
Hello and happy new year. We are looking for a new FM/AM Radio/CD/mp3 player for our shared narrowboat Isis.The radio supplied from new.. like all I have seen on shared narrowboats... looks like it was a cheap last minute purchase from Halfords.This is one area of our narrowboat fitting out that needs a proper bit of kit to go along with the rest of the £100,0000 boat. Has anyone fitted anything that could slot into the existing rectangular slot with a bit of class that they would care to reccomend?
Cheers
-
Help!
Tawny Owl currently sits at the bottom of Hatton Locks. By Friday afternoon she needs to be at Stourbridge for the banter. Then she needs to return home so...
That's - Hatton flight, Knowle flight, Ashtead flight, Farmer's bridge then the Stourbridge 16 between Wednesday and Friday with a crew of two. Now, Bazza's pretty keen but.....
Then, between Sunday/Monday and Wednesday returning the same (ish) way
Does anyone fancy a bit of boating? It could be a few hours of lock wheeling. It could be a couple of days including accommodation. We also have two spare berths for Friday night at Stourbridge but Tawny is full on Saturday night
Anyone?
Help!!!
Richard
I could help next(not the 28th as its our shared boat NB Isis AGM) Sunday up the Stourbridge 16 and the Delph 8 as I live in Stourbridge.Phone me on 07711 682342 and I will be available for the day. Dave Sheppard.
-
Got back from our Easter jaunt on Sunday and I'm getting round to sorting my photos.
We were heading downriver, just short of Worcester city centre, minding our own business, and look what came round the bend.....
We got out of their way, got the camera out and ENJOYED
I don't know what the Viking Afloat boat following us made of it though!
I have a feeling that Victoria and Canis Major belong to CWDF members. I couldn't see a name on the other two boats.
It fair made our afternoon, the sound as much as the sight. Thank you all, ever so much
Now, repeat after me "I do not want a boat with a trad engine, I do not want a boat with a trad engine, I do not want a boat with a trad engine"
SAM
Ryde
IOW
May I also add that the photo is really great and thank you for taking it and sharing it.Thanks also to the historic boat owners who made my week really great at Droitwich.I moored up Isis in the basin on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Easter and was able to take in the atmosphere. Having finished my week on our shared narrowboat I have another hobby running,had great pleasure,whilst out on a long Sunday run seeing a working boat and butty being taken through the lock at the navvigation pub, Staffs and Worcester. They really have made a difference to the midlands canal/river scene in the last few days.Please come again soon!
-
Thanks for your help.If the centre of Birmingham still exists in September, we'll go for that option! What a world we live in!!
Just check that your dates and if they clash with the Liberal Democrats Annual conferance at the Convention centre in Sept..expect your boat to be searched,An escorted cruise through the canal near Gas Street basin and machine guns to be waved around.This happend to me during a Conservative conf so expect the same if not much more this September An expected TUC march down Broad Street could lead to general trouble,So on balance given what we have seen over the last few nights you might want to avoid that week. Or perhaps pay for moorings in Sherbourne wharf which is gate locked at night.I've moored up quite a few times near the NIA/Sealife centre and never had much of a problem.
-
Utu, first things first, this sounds utterly horrific. I very much hope you manage to make the best of a horrible situation.
Secondly, I suspect you'll already know this given you are working with solicitors, but if the company has continued to trade whilst the directors knew (or ought to have known) there was no reasonable prospect the company could avoid going into insolvent liquidation the directors can be required to contribute to the company's assets. Mr and Mrs Harp are the two directors, and presumably have a house, vehicles etc which could potentially be up for grabs to settle the company's debts.
A long shot,It's a limited company and sounds like another rouge one with no cash and no prospect of the bank lending it any money. So what they do is use customers money to fund themselves.It really is important to check that businesses have cash in the bank before doing business with them.
-
I don't think many boatbuilders, or other companies would just hand over their bank statements to anyone walking into a workshop! A bank reference perhaps, and of course registered companies can be financially checked by the public. But would you show your personal bank statements to the builder?
I also think you underestimate the actual costs involved,(for a decent builder anyway) possibly quite significantly. Granted, someone who builds in a polytunnel may have lower overheads, perhaps he buys ready machined timber, who knows, but many builders have a good amount of machinery if they work their own timber and build the boat from rough sawn not pre-machined or moulded timbers or MDF
I see the builder in question however didn't feel a BMF membership worth paying for....they might have helped the customer along....or at least have had some discipline structure..which they have evoked with others.....but that's a whole different thread!
I don't think many boatbuilders, or other companies would just hand over their bank statements to anyone walking into a workshop! A bank reference perhaps, and of course registered companies can be financially checked by the public. But would you show your personal bank statements to the builder?
I also think you underestimate the actual costs involved,(for a decent builder anyway) possibly quite significantly. Granted, someone who builds in a polytunnel may have lower overheads, perhaps he buys ready machined timber, who knows, but many builders have a good amount of machinery if they work their own timber and build the boat from rough sawn not pre-machined or moulded timbers or MDF
I see the builder in question however didn't feel a BMF membership worth paying for....they might have helped the customer along....or at least have had some discipline structure..which they have evoked with others.....but that's a whole different thread!
edit...forgot to say: I do agree a no cash company is a no no!
You are right about the contract that would help of course, but if a company has no track record of making regular profits with cash in the bank why would any sane person want to deal with them. I remember a certain OwnerShips LTD, company that claimed to be "a not for profit boat owners club" actually it was a business run off the back of strung along owners...Hundreds of them! to provide the cash for the late A. Matthews not "for profit" club what a con man he was. I mean no harm to your business and wish you well but as I say buyers must check the financial stability and strenth of a company for a major one of special purchase like a new build narrowboat. Very foolish not to.
-
Having read the thread so far I like the idea of lodging the capital with a 3rd party (e.g. solicitor) and cash being released to the builder / fitter upon successful completion of contract stages. The builder / fitter gets to see that the cash is available and the buyer knows that they're safe because the cash is released upon completion of each stage.
From my own professional experience what's missing is a good and clearly defined set of clear and rigidly defined unambiguous requirements that all parties agree to before work is started and can be used to determine if the contract has been successfully delivered. They also help prevent cost creep and mean that late changes have to be agreed and managed. Statements of work, requirements and specifications can be a pain in the **** to write and agree between all parties, but when they're in place it makes it easier to sort out who's responsible for what and where liability lies.
I must add that the industry I work in we're set up to make in volumes of 10,000's / 100,000's per year so we have to get it right because the costs of getting it wrong are horrific.
I think the main problem is how very easy it is with no cash to enter the market as a boat builder. You need very little in the way of machinery and you can rent out a very cheap shed. I would not want to deal with any builder unless they could show me audited accounts that showed a company making regular profits and that most of the profit was retained within the company.I would also want to see the most up to date bank statements and would expect the company I was about to deal with showing a healthy balance. A no cash company is a disaster waiting to happen.
-
Having just watched the heros from the 1960's triumph in re opening the Stourbridge arm on TV golden age of canals (red button replay) tonight, what a great debt of gratitude I owe them.
We have a problem with vandalism in Stourbridge with two historic bridge walls(on the Stourbridge arm) being torn down by unaware mindless young men. The situation is getting really quite bad with I believe the threat of collapse of one of these bridge structures a possibility. We do have somepeople who must be aware of the situation as tempory fencing has appeared from somwhere.However it is clearly going to cost thousands of pounds to restore and I am concerned and want to do something about it. I am going down the local police station in Stourbridge to see what they can do to police the towpath more often but it really needs a group of people to start the restoration. Who should I be talking to? or do these things get sorted out by british waterways or the Stourbridge canal trust?
If any one can point me in the direction of a solution or the start of one, that would be great thanks.
Saladdays
07711 682342
-
Did not get to go on the ones with the very long waiting times. Couple of things stood out.. Value for money boats good on steelwork and not bad paint are Aintree boats and the New boat (Collingwood ex Liverpool boats) Hanbury range but spoilt by poor interior finishing details like screws missing from hinges on cabinets .Really good boats start at a whooping £90,000 and Hudson boats are just ridiculous like the rooms you could never go into at your nan and grandad's house.Stoke on Trent boats fake rivits not good, never got to see any more than the badly finished rivits, waited for 25 minutes and gave up..Most people were just having a look with zero intention of buying at these kind of prices.Blue water boats for me was the best boat for value and quality and had lovely owners on board.Kate boats looked very nice as well.
The BCBM share boat was lovely but again I cannot see the value in a share at £10,000 x 12.5 owners which values the boat at £125,000.00 The owners will be very lucky to get £7,000 per share after a couple of years and would value the boat at a more realistic £87,500.00 It seems to me that more boatbuilders will go bust as the price for quality is now quite a long, long way away from the reality of peoples pocket's. The second hand market is where I will be looking when I buy my own boat in a few years time it's much better value. Looked to me that loads of people were spending a lot of time looking at the second hand dealers stands. I think the Crick show overall is a good day out the boat trip was very nice
and I enjoyed it but poor marks for a lack vegetarian food. -
Going out on my shareboat Isis on Sunday afternoon down to Stratford. Never been out on a bank holiday weekend,What moorings do you think will be available in Stratford on Tuesday sometime and where? I have been lucky in the past to get in at the basin.Isis is 62 foot long. Any advice about Stratford? Cheers in advance.
-
Copied below are the details,
Andrew
BCNS MARATHON CHALLENGE 2011
Boat Entry Form
The BCN Challenge will take place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th May 2011, starting at 8am on
Saturday and finishing at 2pm on the Sunday. The event is open to everyone with a boat licensed for
use on British Waterways canals. Historic working boats and pairs are welcome.
Boats may start at any point on the BCN but should finish at Walsall Town Arm. (See rules for further details) Participants may navigate for as long as they like during the 30 hour period up to a maximum of 24 hours.
The winner will be the boat crew who amass the greatest number of points during the challenge.
Additional points will be awarded for navigating lesser used waterways and there will be bonus points
for correctly answered questions at certain places.
All boat entries will receive a commemorative plaque and the winning boat crew will also receive a shield.
The winners will be announced at the Canal Festival, Pelsall on Saturday 11th June 2011.
There will be an entry fee of £15 per boat which includes the commemorative plaque.
The entry fee for a working pair will also be £15.
The entry fee will include 12 months membership of the BCNS for those entrants who have never been members of the Society. (Applies to team leader only)
Please send completed application forms, together with the entry fee to:
Mr R Kenn, 14 Hollemeadow Avenue, Walsall, West Midlands, WS3 1JQ. Telephone: 01922 428644
You will then be sent the Entry Pack which includes route planning sheets, the rules of the Marathon Challenge and a sealed envelope containing the cruising log for use during the challenge.
Entry Details
Boat Name(s) & BW No.(s): Length (ft):
Team Leader:
Address:
Post Code: Telephone:
Mobile Phone (Mandatory):
____________________________________________________________________________________
BCNS Use Only:
Entry Fee Received on: Amount: £
Entry Pack Sent on (Date):
Is it ok to use a hire boat for the weekend?
-
Having just come off Shared Narrowboat Isis I just wanted to say how pleased I am with the way this seems to be working out for me.
Having had a difficult experience with the former OwnerShips scheme the ABC boat managment team are doing a great job looking after the boat and the quality of the build is fantastic. Isis is a 62 foot semi trad made in Alverchurch and does everthing that ABC said it would and more. The best things on Isis are 1.The Bow thrusters2. The TWO macerator toilets 3.The quality of the shell and fit out all five star.
I have enjoyed this years boating so much..and I still have another week to come in November Cheers ABC and all fellow NB Isis owners.
-
1
-
-
The trouble is closing the board and acting the way OwnerShips have.. means that only those inside the scheme are likely to be attracted to it.I have bought a share in Isis a new British built boat from Alverchurch ABC and so far am delighted with the amount of contact we have had from ABC and have been able to see the boat being built, and now very nicely painted, and will see the start of the fit out at the next open day on 22nd May. I hope that the ABC company may launch a share owners section? with a forum,we will see over the next few months.They need to be brave to do that of course but I must say they have been really great so far.Alverchurch is a great base of course and the Weighbridge real ale pub at the Marina is a real gem.Beer festival this weekend by the way 30 beers and lots of cider choices looked like around 10? went up last night and had a couple very nice indeed.
-
Worrying thing seem to be happening with Ownerships, judging by recent postings on their forum.
Looks like all the balls are no longer in the air !
Seems to me that things have gone badly wrong with the cash trail. Likely that the boats with the non working jet thrusters could end up having to pay for a complete rip out and start again bow thruster solution. . Ouch!I have moved on to the new build Isis ABC boat with Bow thrusters! to be launched in July Buit in the UK!! But I must say the OwnerShip scheme in general is a great scheme and I wish all the owners well and hope the scheme continues.
-
I would always say hire a boat once to see if you like canals.
It's a no brainer to continually hire over the years as hireboats are very basic & have no luxuries.
To the original poster...Why didn't you think of changing boats if not getting on with other owners?
Silkwood owners are proud of their boat even if it is now 12 years old, we keep it well maintained & yes we do have problems but they are always resolved.
You have to accept sometimes that if you havn't got on with current owners wjats to say it'll be any different on any other boat.
Hi thanks again for all the interesting advice. I am sure that I can get on with people I just need a second chance to prove it. I am out on a Anglo welsh hire boat at Easter, which has cost a small fortune to hire for a weekend.Market Harborough Foxton locks way. In the meantime I am in the market for a share if any one wants to give me a second chance.
-
And what was your initial outlay??
I paid £8,750 for a 12 th share.If you can find that kind of money you get a really good boat.Then you pay around £1,000 per year for 3 weeks plus other weekends or week as they are available.A pretty good deal. I will be getting back less than I paid of course but it still works out as being much better value than hiring. Thank you all for your help and comments.
-
Having sold my share in NB Farndon OwnerShips 5 star class(not a happy experience though not the fault of OwnerShips, a fall out with the other owners)I am now considering other shared ownership options. Of the other operators none of them seem to be very large players.Any recomendations.
-
To add to comments re:Ownerships. We had 2/3 seasons on one of the boats and a great time was had by all. Good experience for new boaters and an opportunity to learn the ropes without to much risk.
The support and advice from the Ownerships management team was good and it didnt take to long for us to sell our share when it was evident that our growing kids didnt want to give up the nights out with their friends rather than a few days on a narrow boat
The luck of the draw with your 11 other shared owners is quite right. Certainly there was a lot of time spent discussing furnishings etc and the odd couple or two who may delight in announcing that they "had spent a few quid last time out on a broom or matching kitchen towels".
All in all I would recommend this route as you develop a relationship with canal boating and possibly before you step up to buy a boat of your own later on.
Go for it and good luck
I have been a share owner for just over 6 months.NB Farndon is Polish built and is a very high quality boat at least as good as the Polish new boat co ones. We have had some teething problems but I guess that is the same for any new built boat. On the whole the scheme seems to work very well and it works for me! Looking forward to my third trip in May and we have just had a nice re blacking and and the jet thrusters are now working!
-
Thanks for the tip Dave.I am taking my Ownerships boat Farndon up to Birmingham and will be overnight the day before Christmas Eve so i was wondering if I might find a secure mooring I will give Earle a call tommorow.HiOozels St loop is best accessed at the crossroads with the Sea life Centre..turn left from Gas St, right from Wolverhampton or straight ahead from Farmers Bridge. Sherborne Wharf control most of the moorings and run trip boats from there. The contact is Earle Wightman and the phone No 0121 455 6163. The stretch between the junction and the start of Sherborne Wharf, about 150 yards is private on the right and public to the left. As has already been said, lots of security bods around and CCTV too. If leaving the boat for a while, I'd try Earle for a temporary mooring
Cheers
Dave
-
British waterways have done an amazing job in getting this breach fixed in such a short time.If you had seen the damage most people would have assumed it was going to take many hundreds or even Millions of £s to fix.I can only say I am well impressed with BW and the contractors.I am new(Ownerships FarndonI have just had confirmation from BW West Midlands that the breach stoppage on the Stourbridge Arm is scheduled to be lifted on 5th December. This date has been confirmed today, as yet no press release to that effect has been issued. ) to boating and aware that some people give BW a hard time to be honest I think they do a great job.
One Weeks Cruise from Alvechurch
in Holidays Afloat
Posted
You are lucky Alvechurch is great! For the best in high quality pubs with fine dinning along the way cruise to Stratford and back. Book a night at the theatre.Moor up in the basin walk along the river..Stratford canal is fantastic one of the best....Droitwich canal is a fantastic adventure too, Spoilt for choice you are.