Abandoned boats to be auctioned off

[Alan de Enfield]

Ireland’s inland water authority will auction off 31 boats seized from canals and rivers across the country.

Waterways Ireland, the cross-border body which manages the island’s navigable channels, said it would accept bids for the vessels, which were lifted from the Grand and Royal canals and the Barrow and Shannon navigations.

 

Included in the catalogue are cruisers, speedboats, yachts and narrowboats, as well as a converted trawler and a Dutch motorboat. The boats being auctioned, most of which appear to be in poor condition, were either derelict or abandoned or their owners had failed to register them.

Waterways Ireland said owners had an opportunity to claim their property back within a specified period of time: 42 days for boats.

 

The catalogue shows several (wooden or GRP tops) NB's and a few grp crusiers that would be suitable canal projects

 

The PDF catalogue is too large to post on the forum.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[David Mack]

https://www.waterwaysireland.org/news-centre/news/354/sale-of-craft-removed-from-grand-canal-royal-canal-barrow-navigation-and-shannon-navigation

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, David Mack said:

https://www.waterwaysireland.org/news-centre/news/354/sale-of-craft-removed-from-grand-canal-royal-canal-barrow-navigation-and-shannon-navigation

 

Thanks, I got the details from "The Times", but not much point in posting a link as its behind a paywall.

[Heartland]

Yes.

 

I picked up their intention to do this when putting together a piece for the Modern Transport Group

 

There is certain potential there if the boats are in reasonable condition

[zenataomm]

Catalogue [url=Vessel Catalogue July 2021.pdf (waterwaysireland.org)]HERE[/url]

[Naughty Cal]

Doesn't look to be much worth saving there!

[PD1964]

  I’m sure some of these will be on “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces” featuring a pair of spoilt clueless kids or a “Nice’but’Dim” City boy called Marcus Fortingham-Smythe, converting it to a hipster London home to live on the canal, complete with solar powered Coffee machine and bagel baker☕️🥯.

Which lot would you have? 
 I would pick Lot 27. Heineken🍻Cheers.
  

Edited July 9, 2021 by PD1964

[Laurie Booth]

4 hours ago, PD1964 said:

  I’m sure some of these will be on “George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces” featuring a pair of spoilt clueless kids or a “Nice’but’Dim” City boy called Marcus Fortingham-Smythe, converting it to a hipster London home to live on the canal, complete with solar powered Coffee machine and bagel baker☕️🥯.

Which lot would you have? 
 I would pick Lot 27. Heineken🍻Cheers.
  

Yep, got to go for the Heineken boat

 

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Lots 11, 22, 27

 

22) Those Powles are magnificent boats - it possibly could become so again.

[Guest]

Only the little Freeman would appeal to me.

[BilgePump]

If you are looking for a cheap hobby project boat, are round the corner from the location, have a suitable trailer and driveway/cheap yard to work on renovating one, then there are some little GRP project boats in there that could be worth checking out.

Shetland, Norman, Microplus, the Elysian and Freeman, should all be worth saving. As long as there's no stonking great hole in the side, they all look perfecty viable hulls to put back into service with a bit of elbow grease and materials, if they can be picked up for peanuts.

Sadly, the sailing boats look to be missing their sticks and rags, expensive bits, and little speedboats are worthless without engines. Wooden abandoned boats? Not for the faint hearted and very possibly too far gone structurally to restore.

Getting up to the bigger boats, they're a significant financial commitment to move, store and renovate, but I could see someone with the money, skills, energy and motivation to put back a few of them back into service. 

[OldGoat]

Following on from BilgePump above -

Have a care with Freeman kit - there was only one model that was narrow enough for the canals. Those with inboard engines are just over the narrow lock limit.

A shame 'cos there's still a retailer supplying or can source many of the bits that break!

 

[BilgePump]

17 hours ago, OldGoat said:

Following on from BilgePump above -

Have a care with Freeman kit - there was only one model that was narrow enough for the canals. Those with inboard engines are just over the narrow lock limit.

A shame 'cos there's still a retailer supplying or can source many of the bits that break!

 

Indeed. The one in the auction is described as a 23 which never came in narrow beam. However, it looks more like a 22 Mark 2 with the step in the deck, according to the various models' dimensions at https://www.freemancruisers.com/boats/classic

 

The Elysian are river cruisers with a beam well over seven feet I think. The Shetland, Microplus and Norman fit narrow canals.

 

There's also a Creighton 26 in the auction that looks to be a reasonable shell and should be 6'10" beam. 

[9teen60six]

Certainly not for the faint hearted...

 

Transport costs alone would prevent UK bidders unless they had a contact coming back with an empty trailer...

[GUMPY]

On 10/07/2021 at 16:31, OldGoat said:

Have a care with Freeman kit - there was only one model that was narrow enough for the canals. Those with inboard engines are just over the narrow lock limit.

Our Freeman  mk2 22NB had a very nice petrol inboard engine

Saw it last week still in the same marina and on the same mooring as it was when we had it  10 years ago.