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CB Marine & Wessex Boat Builders


Tasemu

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Hi there, i'm looking at 2 boats on the weekend, one from CB and one from Wessex. I was hoping to garner a few opinions from you all as to the boat builders. Do they have a generally good reputation, is there anything I should keep an eye out for when viewing these boats?

 

Thanks for any and all advice!

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I can only assume by "CB Marine" you mean Calcutt Boats?

Whilst their BMC engine marinisations were at one staged badge CB Marine, I can't say it is something I particularly have seen with their boats.

 

Depending n age the "standard" Calcutt boat was their "Clipper class", and I would place these at the lower budget  end of the market.  I don't think they made the shells I've seen, which may well have come from a builder like Andicraft, but I'm not sure.

I believe Calcutt didn't tend to use sprayfoam insulation, and even think I have a vague memory they might still have been insulating some Clipper class boats with polystyrene slab - not a great choice in my view.  Bjut again I'm relying on memory, and admit I could be wrong.

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If it is a Calcutt "Clipper Class", I've managed to turn up "anhars" buikd blog from 2006.

Linky.

 

As I thought I remembered (above) at that time they were using slab insulation.  OK if done thouroughly, but IMO the most likely to give issues if it hasn't been.

EDIT:

Blooming heck!

That boat is currently for sale at a staggering price because of the mooring it is on...

https://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/calcutt-boats-50-cruiser-stern/561711

 

There would need to be good security of tenure, as it is doubtful that the boat itself is now worth more than say a quarter to a third of the £115K price tag

Edited by alan_fincher
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49 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

 

 

There would need to be good security of tenure, as it is doubtful that the boat itself is now worth more than say a quarter to a third of the £115K price tag

I wonder what the rent is if you are paying 50K to get in the door

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13 hours ago, Tasemu said:

Hi there, i'm looking at 2 boats on the weekend, one from CB and one from Wessex. I was hoping to garner a few opinions from you all as to the boat builders. Do they have a generally good reputation, is there anything I should keep an eye out for when viewing these boats?

 

Thanks for any and all advice!

 

Never 'eard of em.

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Thanks!

 

http://www.devizesmarina.com/boats.php?id=146 < CB Marine

 

^ This one i'm very interested in, because its built in 2000 which isn't too old, and apparently it has a back boiler that can heat my radiators and hot water tank while running the fire, which sounds amazing, but tbh i have no idea if this is just a useless gimmick and doesn't work well, or if its as great as it sounds. And it's 30,000 which i thought was quite cheap for the boat.

 

http://www.devizesmarina.com/boats.php?id=118 < Wessex Boat Builders

 

^ This one I like too, though not as much as Tally Ho. It is more expensive but the paint work is in better condition, it has a pump out (i CC, so i'm guessing this is a bad thing according to others i've spoken to), and no back boiler. However it is slightly newer than Tally Ho... So, i'm honestly not sure.

 

If you guys fancy taking a look and giving me any advice for when I got in to view them for the second time I'd really really appreciate it!

 

 

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On interior fittings and layout alone I would take Ethel Red, and I like her stern arrangement, with the choice of either a fully open semi-trad or just the centre slide. Layout looks better and brighter. Bathroom looks bigger and more practical. Electrical set up sounds better.

The lounge seating in the first looks impractical and uncomfortable. 

Edited by Graham Davis
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58 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

On interior fittings and layout alone I would take Ethel Red, and I like her stern arrangement, with the choice of either a fully open semi-trad or just the centre slide. Layout looks better and brighter. Bathroom looks bigger and more practical. Electrical set up sounds better.

The lounge seating in the first looks impractical and uncomfortable. 

The electrical setup looked similar for both to me, could you elaborate please?

 

53 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Tally Ho says it has a cruiser stern, but while there isn't a picture of the stern itself, the hull and cabin lines leading to the back bulkhead suggest a trad stern.

I've viewed it once before, it had a cruiser stern but access to the boat is through a slide hatch/doors in the center of the stern I'm pretty sure.

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3 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Tally Ho just says it has a 1000w inverter, and gives no further details, whereas Ethel Red states it has a known and well respected system installed.

I do understand the victron inverter charger, however I have my own inverter 1500w that i'll be bringing onto the boat, and we will be off-grid so i don't imagine we will ever use the charger capability. Not sure if this is enough to sway your opinion, but keen to hear if you would still be set on Ethel Red regardless. :)

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1 hour ago, Tasemu said:

it has a pump out (i CC, so i'm guessing this is a bad thing according to others i've spoken to

We cc’ed for nearly 7 years and extended cruised for as long again with pump outs, including three very cold winters and never had a problem. Toilets are entirely a matter of personal preference, you can make arguments for and against any of the systems. We did have a pump out kit which came in handy just a few times in all those years. A standby porta potti tucked away and brought out in emergency is also good.

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3 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

I do understand the victron inverter charger, however I have my own inverter 1500w that i'll be bringing onto the boat, and we will be off-grid so i don't imagine we will ever use the charger capability. Not sure if this is enough to sway your opinion, but keen to hear if you would still be set on Ethel Red regardless. :)

Since they haven't bothered to state the make or type of inverter fitted to Tally Ho I remain suspicious. The Victron fitted to Ethel Red is a known and well respected entity that does more than act as an inverter. 
And I doubt your assertion that you will never need the charging capability of the Victron; that shows that you may not understand the electrical demands that even continuously cruising puts on batteries.

Other than that the layout of Ethel Red "feels" better from the photographs.
Yes you would need to buy some chairs for the lounge but from my experience fitted settees along the sides of a hull are rarely if ever comfortable for long periods, especially when they are also convertible to another bed. And how often do you think you would need an extra double bed?
The bathroom is more roomy, although the shower is a bit open, but there is plenty of room to get around. The loo fitment on Tally Ho is decidedly narrow and I know from experience can be uncomfortable and difficult to clean. 
I prefer the layout of the kitchen on ER. It is easier to work in and you are not in the way if someone needs to get passed you.

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21 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Since they haven't bothered to state the make or type of inverter fitted to Tally Ho I remain suspicious. The Victron fitted to Ethel Red is a known and well respected entity that does more than act as an inverter. 
And I doubt your assertion that you will never need the charging capability of the Victron; that shows that you may not understand the electrical demands that even continuously cruising puts on batteries.

Other than that the layout of Ethel Red "feels" better from the photographs.
Yes you would need to buy some chairs for the lounge but from my experience fitted settees along the sides of a hull are rarely if ever comfortable for long periods, especially when they are also convertible to another bed. And how often do you think you would need an extra double bed?
The bathroom is more roomy, although the shower is a bit open, but there is plenty of room to get around. The loo fitment on Tally Ho is decidedly narrow and I know from experience can be uncomfortable and difficult to clean. 
I prefer the layout of the kitchen on ER. It is easier to work in and you are not in the way if someone needs to get passed you.

Fair play, we have only been CCing for 6 months, so we aren't sure on what a bigger boat will do battery-wise. Thanks for your advice! :)

39 minutes ago, BruceinSanity said:

We cc’ed for nearly 7 years and extended cruised for as long again with pump outs, including three very cold winters and never had a problem. Toilets are entirely a matter of personal preference, you can make arguments for and against any of the systems. We did have a pump out kit which came in handy just a few times in all those years. A standby porta potti tucked away and brought out in emergency is also good.

Fair point, i've only used a cassette but what you're saying makes sense to me. I wont judge it on the toilet then :)

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21 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Could someone weigh in on the back boiler situation? Is it a good solution for radiator and water heating? Or is it better just to use a diesel water heater / engine.

A bit confused by this. Is Tally Ho the boat with hot water heating via Solid fuel stove. I can see the squirrel,but not the second stove, though perhaps it is right at the back.

 

Anyway neither boat suggests radiators heated by solid fuel stove (unless there is a second squirrel stove out of sight). A well designed gravity system utilising big bore pipes and radiators, backed up by a second system,is in my opinion a great way to heat a boat.

Edited by rusty69
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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

A bit confused by this. Is Tally Ho the boat with hot water heating via Solid fuel stove. I can see the squirrel,but not the second stove, though perhaps it is right at the back.

 

Anyway neither boat suggests radiators heated by solid fuel stove. A well designed gravity system utilising big bore pipes and radiators, backed up by a second system,is in my opinion a great way to heat a boat.

I'm reading through the description and the features list for Tally Ho and read this, so I'm guessing its the squirrel?

 

Heating: Squirrel solid fuel stove feeding radiators.
Water Heating: Twin coiled calorifier heated via engine and solid fuel stove
Edited by Tasemu
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Just now, Tasemu said:

I'm reading through the description and the features list for Tally Ho and read this, so I'm guessing its the squirrel?

 

Heating: Squirrel solid fuel stove feeding radiators.
Water Heating: Twin coiled calorifier heated via engine and solid fuel stove

Ok, it must be right at the back out of sight.A luxury on a 52ft boat.

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Just now, rusty69 said:

Ok, it must be right at the back out of sight.A luxury on a 52ft boat.

I'm slightly confused myself, as I have been on the boat and definitely only saw 1 solid fuel stove in the boat, and it was the morso (squirrel?) in the saloon.. So i can only imagine it being that stove that is supplying the back boiler. But i cant see any pipes in the picture, didn't have the chance to look when I was there. I think i'm going to look again tomorrow. But i take it that if it is all plugged in, then that's a good thing and back boilers work? I'd hate to buy it and then have luke warm water when i wanted hot, haha.

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