GRP Boat Options

[EnglishRose]

We are waiting on a decision for end of garden mooring, which may or not get granted and have asked CRT for guidance on what sizes would be permitted in he event of this getting granted. I may be jumping the gun a little but a bit of advance research is always useful!

 

Basically, we are new to boating and we will be having work done on our house next spring/summer meaning it is in essence not practical for us to live there (so if mooring is granted we have time to find a suitable boat). Whilst we can use nearby family accommodation as a base we are interested in a narrowboat as an option to cruise whilst this is happening and give us our own space. Whist we only need space for two of us and we can both work remotely (from a laptop) we do want practical space and a shower and toilet. We would only likely be on it spring and summer and then keep it to use for leisure and as a rental for friends and family.

 

Our budget £10k and for this and to give us practical space with what we want, and hopefully less maintenance issues GRP narrowboats seem to appeal (although they need to be narrowboat size for the canals around us in Cheshire/Shropshire/Llangollen). My research so far suggests:

 

- Highbridge or Dawncraft 30/32 seem to have a good balance of living and practical space compared to a similar size non GRP narrowboat

 

- Diesel is better but rarely see this and pay a premium for diesel.

 

- Heating can be an issue, so to find one with solid fuel would be better (although these are not always done well)

 

- Osmosis can be an issue for GRP boats.

 

Is there anything else to consider and alternative GRP boats that I may have missed. Any advice or suggestions welcome.

[Mad Harold]

A Highbridge would be a good choice,but don't come up for sale very often.I am on my second Norman,and though good solid old boats unless you get the bigger models (the 27 or 32) you may find them a bit small.

A diesel grp boat will have in most cases a transom drive.These are quite troublesome and expensive to service and repair.

Heating on a petrol powered grp boat is usually a room sealed diesel or gas blown air heater, (Webasto,Eberspacher,or Propex)

Osmosis is rare,but if spotted early is easily repaired.

 

[EnglishRose]

7 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

A Highbridge would be a good choice,but don't come up for sale very often.I am on my second Norman,and though good solid old boats unless you get the bigger models (the 27 or 32) you may find them a bit small.

A diesel grp boat will have in most cases a transom drive.These are quite troublesome and expensive to service and repair.

Heating on a petrol powered grp boat is usually a room sealed diesel or gas blown air heater, (Webasto,Eberspacher,or Propex)

Osmosis is rare,but if spotted early is easily repaired.

 

Thanks is this is helpful.

 

Yes, I don't believe they come up for sale often but dependent on mooring we have a bit of time to try and find something suitable 

[jocave]

https://www.midwayboats.co.uk/usedboats-300.html

 

[EnglishRose]

7 minutes ago, jocave said:

https://www.midwayboats.co.uk/usedboats-300.html

 

This one is actually sold (a friend actually recommended it already).

[WotEver]

23 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

Osmosis is rare,but if spotted early is easily repaired.

Plus... I’ve never heard of a boat sinking from osmosis. Has anyone?

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Plus... I’ve never heard of a boat sinking from osmosis. Has anyone?

Osmosis affects the structural integrity which on the Inland Waterways is pretty much 'way-over specified.

 

On Lumpy water hitting waves at high speed the loads and structural requirements are very different.

 

I once saw a GRP cruiser that was 'broken in half' (broke its back) which was allegedly dues to weakening caused by Osmosis

[David Mack]

On 12/08/2019 at 12:17, EnglishRose said:

 and then keep it to use for leisure and as a rental for friends and family.

 

I trust you mean you will be lending it to friends and family. They can make a reasonable contribution towards fuel and gas used etc., but if you are renting it to anybody you will need a hire boat BSC and licence, and all the more onerous requirements that come with that...

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/723.pdf

Edited August 13, 2019 by David Mack

[EnglishRose]

Just now, David Mack said:

 

I trust you mean you will be lending it to friends and family. They can make a reasonable contribution towards fuel and gas used etc., but if you are renting it to anybody you will need a hire boat BSC and licence, and all the more onerous requirements that come with that...

Yes, they would contribute to fuel etc and in return for all the help they have given and will be giving us whilst building work is happening (lots of favours owed)! Definitely not a hire boat and I've no idea what a BSC is.

 

[David Mack]

Boat Safety Certificate.

A sort of MOT for boats. 

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org

 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, EnglishRose said:

I've no idea what a BSC is.

A Boat safety certificate (like a Car MOT)

 

Test to ensure the boat is 'safe'.

A commercial (hire) boat has much stricter requirements which a 'leisure / private' boat rarely manages to achieve.

[EnglishRose]

Ah right thank you. We would just need one for a leisure or private use.

[bramley]

Nauticus 27 is a great boat with a good layout too. Again as above i would be in the Highbridge options the extra 5ft makes all the difference and clever designs for the rear lower beds 

[EnglishRose]

We were successful in mooring and are looking at possible GRP options.

 

One query I have is about one boat. Concerning the width I've had this response, 'I believe it was built to be 6' 10". However the owner of this one has pointed out that she seems to have spread in the centre. We measured her yesterday and she is 7' across the middle'.

 

Has anyone every heard of this happening and good/bad/issues? If we wanted to use it on the Llangollen I'm sure some points are narrower than this....

[Alan de Enfield]

7 hours ago, EnglishRose said:

We were successful in mooring and are looking at possible GRP options.

 

One query I have is about one boat. Concerning the width I've had this response, 'I believe it was built to be 6' 10". However the owner of this one has pointed out that she seems to have spread in the centre. We measured her yesterday and she is 7' across the middle'.

 

Has anyone every heard of this happening and good/bad/issues? If we wanted to use it on the Llangollen I'm sure some points are narrower than this....

Boat do 'spread' but not (in general) GRP

 

Yes at 7' you will struggle (won't get thru the lock) on the bottom of the Llangollen

 

 

How did you measure her ?

[EnglishRose]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Boat do 'spread' but not (in general) GRP

 

Yes at 7' you will struggle (won't get thru the lock) on the bottom of the Llangollen

 

 

How did you measure her ?

That was the message I had from the owner. I haven't measured her or viewed her yet, we were going to but then they sent me this!

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, EnglishRose said:

That was the message I had from the owner. I haven't measured her or viewed her yet, we were going to but then they sent me this!

It is quite easy to lose / gain a couple of inches when measuring a boat (its only about a 2% error on 7 foot) which is why it is critical as the methods used.

 

The only way I got an accurate width on mine was to rest a 5 metre long plank of wood across the roof, (my boat is 4.3 metre / 14 foot beam) attach a 'plumb-bob' close to one end and drop it over the side, so the string just touches the side.

Now attach a 'sliding plumb-bob' on the other end of the plank.

 

Slide the plumb-bob string along until the string just touches the side.

 

Measure the distance between the two 'strings' on the plank and that will be the beam of the boat.

 

It shouldn't be difficult to find an 8 foot long 'decking board', scaffold plank, scaffold pole etc.

 

 

At the same time you can measure the airdraft of the boat by dropping the plumb-bob down until it touches the water. Measure the length of string to the bottom of your 'plank', add in any higher items (such as vents, chimneys, solar panels etc and you have your airdraft.

[PeterF]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Boat do 'spread' but not (in general) GRP

 

Yes at 7' you will struggle (won't get thru the lock) on the bottom of the Llangollen

 

 

How did you measure her ?

Hurlseton bottom lock is planned to be rebuilt to the correct width this winter, will be closed from 4th November to 27th March so 7ft boats should be OK after spring 2020. There may of course be other pinch points, but this worst one should be gone.

[Mad Harold]

As pointed out,GRP boats don't usually "spread"but the rubbing strip may be quite a thick one.

Worth checking,but I found measuring the beam rather difficult.I got different sizes every time I tried to measure it.

Follow A de E's advice and see if you can get an accurate width.

[Mad Harold]

6 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

As pointed out,GRP boats don't usually "spread"but the rubbing strip may be quite a thick one.

Worth checking,but I found measuring the beam rather difficult.I got different sizes every time I tried to measure it.

Follow A de E's advice and see if you can get an accurate width.

My first boat,a GRP Norman was supposed to be 6'-10" However some of the lock entrances on my local ditch (the HNC) are just 7' wide.On my first trip up the narrow, it took a fair bit of heaving and grunting to get into a couple of locks,and with fenders up.With fenders down there was no chance.On susequent trips it became easier as the rubbing strip started to wear.

I now have the same make and model of boat,and this one slips easily into the locks, fenders down!

I would have thought that Norman would have the same mould for a particular model,but I now think that they must have had more than one and that there was some variation between moulds.Can't ask them now,as they stopped making boats in the eighties.