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What boat builder to pick....!


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Hi everyone, 

 

Hope you are enjoying your day!

 

I have decided to get myself a custom fully fitted widebeam liveaboard.

 

I am a novice from Norway, and I am not gonna try to hide it ?

 

But I could really need some name drops of a few well reputed boat builders. 

 

I am scared to death after reading some Collingwood reviews online, and figured I 

really need to do my homework when it comes to who gets to build my boat. 

 

That said, I am sure there are plenty of people who are more than happy with their Collingwood 

boat, but I just can not take any risks.  

 

Any experiences good as well as bad is highly welcome. 

 

Best regards, 

 

Daniel 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Dan

Do yourself a favour and buy second hand. There are many many people who fork out for a new boat and find they dont like the lifestyle and their boats come up for sale on a very regular basis at a huge cost saving against new. Unless you have lived aboard for any length of time you also have no idea of what you realy want so buy secondhand, save money and no risk with builder being crap or running away with you money or going bust. Its a no brainer.

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Johnathan Wilson is my choice mine was built and stretched by him, I am very pleased with the boat, Finness or Steve at Thorne for the fitout.  Finness do seem to be doing a lot of electric drive boats not a bad thing 

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38 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Hi Dan

Do yourself a favour and buy second hand. There are many many people who fork out for a new boat and find they dont like the lifestyle and their boats come up for sale on a very regular basis at a huge cost saving against new. Unless you have lived aboard for any length of time you also have no idea of what you realy want so buy secondhand, save money and no risk with builder being crap or running away with you money or going bust. Its a no brainer.

Thanks, but I am 100% confident about boat life and continuous cruising, and I do want to build a boat from scratch. For me there is no alternative. I want to know exactly what I am buying and I want all the warranties and guarantees following a new build. Me being a "novice" was meant that I do not have a first hand experience with any boat builder in UK :) 

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21 minutes ago, Dan Howl said:

Thanks, but I am 100% confident about boat life and continuous cruising, and I do want to build a boat from scratch. For me there is no alternative. I want to know exactly what I am buying and I want all the warranties and guarantees following a new build. Me being a "novice" was meant that I do not have a first hand experience with any boat builder in UK :) 

You may not be aware that there is a "narrow section" of canals running roughly across the middle of the country which means that you cannot cruise any boat above 7 feet from North to South (or vice versa)

Many of the 'wider' canals are not suitable in places for widebeam boats and again restricts where you can physically go.

 

You suggest you will be CCing, what part of the country do you plan to use the boat in ? (it may determine what size you can have)

 

"Red" canals are widebeam canals.

 

Inland Waterways of England & Wales Map | Waterway, Map of britain ...

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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45 minutes ago, matty40s said:

.

 

The 2nd hand widebeam market has come to a shuddering go slow, almost 200 on AppallingDuck last time I looked, 2 years ago about 80.

 

....and thus Dan might benefit from looking at them, as it's quite likely that he'd find one to his taste and save himself a LOT of money - some of which could be used to carry out alterations to features which he didn't like.

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34 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You may not be aware that there is a "narrow section" of canals running roughly across the middle of the country which means that you cannot cruise any boat above 7 feet from North to South (or vice versa)

Many of the 'wider' canals are not suitable in places for widebeam boats and again restricts where you can physically go.

 

You suggest you will be CCing, what part of the country do you plan to use the boat in ? (it may determine what size you can have)

 

"Red" canals are widebeam canals.

 

Inland Waterways of England & Wales Map | Waterway, Map of britain ...

 

 

Thanks, Alan. I am all aware of this. I am going for a 70x12.06ft eurocruiser :)    Any advice on well reputed builders are highly welcome!  

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I think Bluewater are probably worth a mention here also the guys in Warwick near Kate boats?

 

however Paul Barber would be my choice...........but again there was/is a very nice pre-owned one of his for sale recently??

 

Just checked and "Mirage"is still available on the duck

 

I have bought new boats and would definitely go pre - owned.

 

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Buying a new boat is not like buying a car, no handbook just the required documents. They are all different.

Yes, a guarantee of sorts, but even from the best builder you will spend months getting niggles sorted out. From the not so good builders you will spend months in court trying to get your money back.

Its all very cottage industry, not production line quality control.

Buy used, with all the problems sorted out for you, use it, learn what you want (it will be different from what you think now) then flog it and have one built.

A great financial saving too.

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1 hour ago, Dan Howl said:

Thanks, Alan. I am all aware of this. I am going for a 70x12.06ft eurocruiser :)    Any advice on well reputed builders are highly welcome!  

I was under the impression that the 'Eurocruiser' was a design, a finished boat & a brand name so it looks as if you have already chosen your manufacturer.

 

You may find the thread (a week or so ago) on square stern 'fat-boats' of interest

 

Its a bit like going to Saab and asking them to build you a Mercedes 300SE

 

https://newandusedboat.co.uk/eurocruiser-widebeam-canal-boat/

 

The Eurocruiser

from 65ft x 12ft 6″

Launched just over 3 years ago the Eurocruiser has gone on to become our best selling widebeam. In 2019 the Eurocruiser was remodelled to feature a number of modifications and enhancements.

The distinctive square stern contains two attractive features – a wheel for steering, and built-in upholstered seating for socialising.

At home on the canal and equally adept on the river, the Eurocruiser is a spacious,
beautifully appointed craft that’s perfect for residential or leisure use, whether
in the UK or on the waterways of Europe.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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6 hours ago, bigray said:

Paul Barber builds some excellent boats and his skills are well known. If you are on Facebook he can be found here https://www.facebook.com/PjBarberBoatbuilderLtd/

 

 

Thanks, Bigray!! 

3 hours ago, Glynn said:

Blue Water Boats, fantastic fabrication quality. 

Thanks, Glynn!  

7 hours ago, matty40s said:

Elton Moss, Tyler Wilson...

 

The 2nd hand widebeam market has come to a shuddering go slow, almost 200 on AppallingDuck last time I looked, 2 years ago about 80.

 

Thanks, Matty!     And experience with New&Used? 

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5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I was under the impression that the 'Eurocruiser' was a design, a finished boat & a brand name so it looks as if you have already chosen your manufacturer.

 

You may find the thread (a week or so ago) on square stern 'fat-boats' of interest

 

Its a bit like going to Saab and asking them to build you a Mercedes 300SE

 

https://newandusedboat.co.uk/eurocruiser-widebeam-canal-boat/

 

The Eurocruiser

from 65ft x 12ft 6″

Launched just over 3 years ago the Eurocruiser has gone on to become our best selling widebeam. In 2019 the Eurocruiser was remodelled to feature a number of modifications and enhancements.

The distinctive square stern contains two attractive features – a wheel for steering, and built-in upholstered seating for socialising.

At home on the canal and equally adept on the river, the Eurocruiser is a spacious,
beautifully appointed craft that’s perfect for residential or leisure use, whether
in the UK or on the waterways of Europe.

Eurocruiser is a type of stern. And it happens to be the name of a widebeam model as well. 

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I might have seen some of these Eurocruiser things, big squareback jobbies with white leather type bench seats and a steering wheel right at one side?, usually driven by men with gold chains/medallions round their necks trying to look rich and superior (but struggling to steer them). Kids throw stones at them, other boaters have a little snigger.

 

70 by 12' 6" is a big boat, where do you hope to use it? Have you handled such a big boat on the British Waterways?

 

.................Dave

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2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

That's interesting, I only know of three types of "stern"

 

Trad

Semi-Trad

Cruiser

 

Always willing to learn so I'd be very grateful if you could post links or pictures of "Euro-cruiser Sterns"

 

Every day is a School day

https://www.thefitoutpontoon.co.uk/narrowboat-widebeam-plans/

 

Scroll down and you will see some variations on sterns.

 

https://www.thefitoutpontoon.co.uk/narrowboat-widebeam-plans/

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1 minute ago, dmr said:

I might have seen some of these Eurocruiser things, big squareback jobbies with white leather type bench seats and a steering wheel right at one side?, usually driven by men with gold chains/medallions round their necks trying to look rich and superior (but struggling to steer them). Kids throw stones at them, other boaters have a little snigger.

 

70 by 12' 6" is a big boat, where do you hope to use it? Have you handled such a big boat on the British Waterways?

 

.................Dave

Haha. I think there is room for all kinds of sizes and builds as long as you are cool and nice with your fellow boaters, mate. Pity I do not have gold chains but sounds like a hilarious gang out there. Anyways, going to use it in and around London. Any advice on boat builders? 

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4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

That's interesting, I only know of three types of "stern"

 

Trad

Semi-Trad

Cruiser

 

Always willing to learn so I'd be very grateful if you could post links or pictures of "Euro-cruiser Sterns"

 

Every day is a School day

That's because you are limiting your knowledge to canal and river boats, not letting your knowledge be widened by the floating container sized flat using a brick as a template to maximise internal living space.

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1 minute ago, Dan Howl said:

Haha. I think there is room for all kinds of sizes and builds as long as you are cool and nice with your fellow boaters, mate. Pity I do not have gold chains but sounds like a hilarious gang out there. Anyways, going to use it in and around London. Any advice on boat builders? 

You are going to be very popular in London with yet another huge boat. ?

 

..............Dave

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7 hours ago, matty40s said:

Elton Moss, Tyler Wilson...

 

The 2nd hand widebeam market has come to a shuddering go slow, almost 200 on AppallingDuck last time I looked, 2 years ago about 80.

 

Just had a look on 'duck   whats going on?  I thought huge residential fat narrowboats were in big demand right now. Most surprising is that a lot of them are less than 5 years old, and quite a few only 1 or 2 years old, and often for less than £100,000. Actually its not surprising at all. Good "trad" narrowboats with portholes and proper engine rooms look to change hands for silly amounts of money

 

  https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/steve-hudson-62-traditional/514161

 

......Dave

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8 minutes ago, Dan Howl said:

 

Thanks for the link, That has spoiled my day week year you are not really going to pay good money for a monstrosity like that - AND pay £8,000 + VAT extra to have a stern quarter that will hit every hard surface going.

 

6 minutes ago, Dan Howl said:

Anyways, going to use it in and around London.

 

Thank God, you are unlikely to 'run into me'

 

7 minutes ago, matty40s said:

That's because you are limiting your knowledge to canal and river boats, not letting your knowledge be widened by the floating container sized flat using a brick as a template to maximise internal living space.

 

Yes, you are correct, being on a Canal forum I assumed we were taking about boats, not a "London night-soil barge" with a lid on it.

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