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How important is it to keep a boat original?


Welsherfarr

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I have just bought a 1974 boat called Thelma from Tardebigge. She has a boat man's cabin a petter pj2 in a large engine room and a forward cabin leading to a 15ft tarp area. 

Now the boat hull is sound however the wood and fibreglass top are shot so requires replacing. Now being wood an fibreglass if I rip it all off I could build anything I want in that space (bridge clearance allowing) 

 

Inside the boat it has a old style boatmans cabin and the forward cabin is built out in the same style and setup. For my needs I do feel like I need to reimagine these areas to fit with my needs in this build. 

 

So..... 

How does this sit with the boating community on stripping a boat and building bit your way? Would the internal fittings be of use to someone? 

The cabin area needs huge renovation so i need to put the work in to make it sound either way. Does a 1974 boat have historic value? Do I need to be true to the original build or just do my bit to keep another boat on the canal and see what I can build? 

 

What's your thoughts on this??

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8 hours ago, blackrose said:

Do what you want, it's your boat. If it was a really old boat then maybe there would be an issue.

I agree with this. Its yours and you need to fit it out precisely how you want as its for your use 

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Mine's a 60s build as far as I know, and about the only original bits left are the headlamp and the weird light in the toilet, which I kept for sentimental reasons.... oh, I suppose the steel of the cabin sides,too. Some of the rust in the engine hole might be original too.

I can see the point of restoring genuine old working boats, but not of copies.

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1. Take some photos and post on here

2. Walt 10 milliseconds for a horde of replies fro the assembled multitudes

3. Keep the engine and engine room

4. replace the rotting old superstructure = cabin with a steel ditto

5. Do what you will with the interal cabin layouts

 

 

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This topic is interesting and worthy of debate but I don't understand why you have started another one when your other thread/topic was covering this issue well

 

I'm not trying to be funny just saying there might be more value (to you) to keeping them as one (the mods will help you do this if you want to)

 

IMHO you should try to keep it as original in looks as possible as it was/is a great boat which I have known for decades BUT move with the time in terms of materials and methods - others will feel differently I'm sure...........

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5 hours ago, Rob-M said:

If I had purchased it I would have wanted to keep the external appearance the same as this is what has always appealed to me with Thelma.

Cloth'd up fronts are also VERY useful - more than you now know - as you haven't used it yet ?

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Well as others have said, it’s your boat so you can do what you wish with it.    If it had been an ex working boat then renovating the boat would have to be done with an eye on its past.    From the pictures I have seen of Thelma I would replace the wooden cabin with a steel one and then re-work the interior to your personal requirements.      I have seen several boats (both former working boats as well as modern copies) that have kept the clothed area, but with steel plates underneath the cloth ( yes I know the tarpaulins) at that area is used as a modern cabin space  But from the external  still Looking traditional.   
 

enjoy! 

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If the Petter runs well keep it. A steel cabin is probably the best way forward, but keep a similar tumblehome to the original.

Slab sided cabins can spoil the appearance of a good hull, but that is just my opinion.

Do what suits you, It is your boat and have fun.

 

Edited by PhilR
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On 19/07/2020 at 23:40, Welsherfarr said:

I have just bought a 1974 boat called Thelma from Tardebigge. She has a boat man's cabin a petter pj2 in a large engine room and a forward cabin leading to a 15ft tarp area. 

Now the boat hull is sound however the wood and fibreglass top are shot so requires replacing. Now being wood an fibreglass if I rip it all off I could build anything I want in that space (bridge clearance allowing) 

 

Inside the boat it has a old style boatmans cabin and the forward cabin is built out in the same style and setup. For my needs I do feel like I need to reimagine these areas to fit with my needs in this build. 

 

So..... 

How does this sit with the boating community on stripping a boat and building bit your way? Would the internal fittings be of use to someone? 

The cabin area needs huge renovation so i need to put the work in to make it sound either way. Does a 1974 boat have historic value? Do I need to be true to the original build or just do my bit to keep another boat on the canal and see what I can build? 

 

What's your thoughts on this??

It's your boat - do what you want within the realms of keeping her sound and able to pass under bridges and through locks.

 

Old boats aren't of value just for being old, same applies to buildings. They are valuable for what they represent, being of a type or characteristic of their period. Even then you have to decided which period of the boat's history you wish to represent. If you had just purchased a converted and shortened ex-working boat that had served as a hire boat do you recreate the hire boat or the working boat? 

 

From what you've described I doubt Thelma represents anything that is begging to be preserved, so just get on with it.  

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