Fly Navy Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 Is there a boat manufacturer hierarchy with narrowboats? The best, the worst and those that aren't worth the water they have displaced! (And your reasons for ranking them please? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 You told me off for placing boats in a hierarchical order last night and now look at you.? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 (edited) Why? Are you trying to insult some owners here? What do you own Edited March 2, 2019 by RLWP 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Arthur Marshall Posted March 2, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 Scruffy boats are best. Then come boats with logs on the roof. After that, anything with a motorbike on the back. Internally, you can judge a boat by the number of musical instruments it holds. Obviously, if the engine goes thronk ponk rather than tickertickerticker you've got a winner. Will that do? 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 Ask 10 different people and I'm sure you'll get a significant number of different orders, it's all going to be opinion at the end of the day. I have an 18 year old boat built by a fabricator who probably only ever build one other boat, and she has so far served me well for the last 3 years living aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 7 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said: Scruffy boats are best. Then come boats with logs on the roof. After that, anything with a motorbike on the back. Internally, you can judge a boat by the number of musical instruments it holds. Obviously, if the engine goes thronk ponk rather than tickertickerticker you've got a winner. Will that do? Ex-hire boats sit quite a long way down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 2 hours ago, RLWP said: Ex-hire boats sit quite a long way down I thought Tawny could float on a damp facecloth ... that's not sitting very far down!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Sam Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 Far too contentious a topic. Cheap boats like Springers are thought by some to be beneath contempt but there are hundreds of them keeping folk happy on the canal. Hire boats have to find a new home after the fleets have done with them, again loads of them have satisfied owners. The ones I don't like are the once beautiful individual boats built by very skilled and desirable builders that are left to rot by uncaring owners. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland elsdon Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 A lot of people claim yarwoods boats are better than woolwich boats. Having had 2 of each they all have issues. Ricky boats were great, one of the best boats for playing with was Jimmy (isis) small ricky motor with an st4 in it. Never got in to Joshers so cant comment, though i enjoyed steering The King a few times. Given the choice based on looks a Yarwoods boat is pretty much the best. If you more at alvecote though the Josher is king Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 6 hours ago, Boater Sam said: Far too contentious a topic. Why? No more so than discussing our favourite cars/ pubs/ film stars. I'd say that the boats at the top of the "hierarchy" (if that's what it is) are the makes which most people have never heard of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mark99 Posted March 3, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 Quite an easy question My bote at top and everyone elses joint last. 1 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland elsdon Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 Theres nothing faster than an ex hire boat , and my boats a 1937 ford transit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 17 minutes ago, mark99 said: Quite an easy question My bote at top and everyone elses joint last. Think bruv might argue 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 Floating boats on the top. Sunk boats on the bottom. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 There are always boats that people are jealous of (lovely little tjalk on botentekoop right now that I would commit serious crimes for) but I see the same views from my deck that someone with gold plated taps sees and if I had a battered Springer with overplated everything I would see exactly the same stuff through the windows (and think of the depreciation that I wouldn't be losing) So, yes there are good and not so good boats, cars, dogs, everything really, (I would put wives as well but mine might see this post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickent Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 A floating boat is a good boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Captain Pegg Posted March 3, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) 10 hours ago, Fly Navy said: Is there a boat manufacturer hierarchy with narrowboats? The best, the worst and those that aren't worth the water they have displaced! (And your reasons for ranking them please? Thanks in advance The straight answer is yes. Well, at least probably, in most people's mind. I think it's probably best to get your head around different categories or groups rather than hierarchy. Different types appeal to different people. So very vaguely (and maybe slightly tongue in cheek);- Ex-working boats - a bubble of its own inhabited by people who don't know any other type of boat exists. Keep out. Enthusiast boats - built by a long standing boat builder with a nod to tradition. Will have a proper traditional stern with a boatman's (back) cabin and a slow revving engine in it's own engine room. More frequent examples on market will be Norton Canes, Les Allen, Canal Transport Services but also renowned boat builders like Roger Farrington, Roger Fuller and Steve Priest and a few others are out there. May all look overpriced to you. Bling boat - the boating equivalent of a mock Tudor mansion. Pretensions to the above and of a high quality but including fake rivets and exaggerated steelwork features. Examples are SM Hudson, RW Davis, Barry Hawkins. The latter two branded some boats as "Northwich Trader". The owners of this type of craft believe they are at the top of the hierarchy. Good solid boats - could be any style but will probably have a modern reliable Japanese engine in a box or under the rear deck, quite possibly a Beta Marine (marinised Kubota). Probably a bit contentious to list but maybe Orion, or a shell by Colecraft fitted out by others. May have non-traditional signwriting. A sin in the eyes of owners of the first two categories. The interior will be wood and will not be white. Exterior may be overly polished on some examples. London liveaboard - mutton dressed as lamb. White panelled interior, modern appliances, big tiles in bathroom. Like a floating flat. Operational engine an optional extra, any number available on market. Probably an old example of the above that's outlived it's natural purpose on the canals. Ex-hire boat - a misunderstood type of boat that is looked down on by owners of blingy boats and shiny examples of good solid boats. Good examples can become excellent liveaboard boats. May be a better bet than above type. Springer - the exception that proves the rule. Thank God. JP Edited March 3, 2019 by Captain Pegg 11 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koukouvagia Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 My first boat was a Springer; I now have a Braithwaite and Kirk. Neither firm started out as boat builders and both built gas holders and storage tanks etc. originally. Both are excellent but very different boats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark99 Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 Springer equivalent to a Morris Minor. Characterful cheap minor classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickent Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 5 minutes ago, mark99 said: Springer equivalent to a Morris Minor. Characterful cheap minor classic. The way some people look down on springers you would think they were equivalent to s Trabant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmelly Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 11 hours ago, Fly Navy said: Is there a boat manufacturer hierarchy with narrowboats? The best, the worst and those that aren't worth the water they have displaced! (And your reasons for ranking them please? Thanks in advance Yes, but as in other things in life its only for saddos. I have owned 8 liveaboards. One was a SM Hudson, superb quality but didnt float any better than any of my other boats. My fave was from a builder practicaly no one has heard of that being Horsley Quenet. I love my present colecraft, one of two I have owned. I also love springers but have never owned one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLWP Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 2 hours ago, Athy said: Why? No more so than discussing our favourite cars/ pubs/ film stars. I'd say that the boats at the top of the "hierarchy" (if that's what it is) are the makes which most people have never heard of. Shiny purple boats and their owners are the worst See, not contentious at all, is it Richard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 28 minutes ago, mark99 said: Springer equivalent to a Morris Minor. Characterful cheap minor classic. I always say they are the waterways version of the VW Beetle. Not amazing build quality, but with their own quirks and style. Some of the well maintained ones are excellent boats, but as they were cheap and cheerful boats 40 or 50 years ago not all of them have been looked after. It will be interesting to see what eg Liverpool boats will look like in another 20 or 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark99 Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) C Pegg pretty much nailed it. Perhaps one omission. Self build shell/boats. Most are hideous E.E.L example being the nadir. But there is one on the Wey that is a great shell obvs a talented fabricator. Edited March 3, 2019 by mark99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 51 minutes ago, mark99 said: Springer equivalent to a Morris Minor. Characterful cheap minor classic. Yup - a good analogy. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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