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Anyone want to buy the most famous boat on the canals


luggsy

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7 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

It's a term leaking through from the world of historic motor cars. Owners of unique or rare, very valuable cars (e.g the fastback Talbot Tiger an acquaintance of mine purchased for £1/4m) find themselves referred to as 'custodians' rather than owners by other enthusiasts, as it implies they are no more than the people caring for it, for the benefit of future generations.

 

Similarly, owners of historic boats sometimes find themselves seen as custodians by other boaters. But for the purchaser(s) of the 'Silver Foxes' clonecraft to refer to themselves as custodians implies a shocking level of misunderstanding about what they've just bought, don'tcher think?!

 

 

And historic properties - owners of old or significant properties are often referred to as 'custodians' too.

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14 minutes ago, MtB said:

But for the purchaser(s) of the 'Silver Foxes' clonecraft to refer to themselves as custodians implies a shocking level of misunderstanding about what they've just bought, don'tcher think?!

 

 

Well, perhaps it's mildly pretentious, but no more than that.

I've heard it  used with reference to buildings too, but generally with reference to 300-year old farmhouses rather than 1980s semi's on the Bum Street estate.

   You have got me musing now....if you buy something brand new, would the term "custodian" be appropriate? Probably not. It tends to be something you've taken over from someone else and that you'll sell on eventually. It rather smacks of estate-agent speak.

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2 minutes ago, Athy said:

Well, perhaps it's mildly pretentious, but no more than that.

I've heard it  used with reference to buildings too, but generally with reference to 300-year old farmhouses rather than 1980s semi's on the Bum Street estate.

   You have got me musing now....if you buy something brand new, would the term "custodian" be appropriate? Probably not. It tends to be something you've taken over from someone else and that you'll sell on eventually. It rather smacks of estate-agent speak.

 

Well yes pretentious, but I meant it suggests to me they've been fooled by them Silver Foxes into believing they've bought the boating equivalent of the 300-year old farmhouse, when they actually bought the Bum Street semi. 

 

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38 minutes ago, MtB said:

Similarly, owners of historic boats sometimes find themselves seen as custodians by other boaters. But for the purchaser(s) of the 'Silver Foxes' clonecraft to refer to themselves as custodians implies a shocking level of misunderstanding about what they've just bought, don'tcher think?!

 

They could be correct.  Look at what we know:

 

They have paid more for a boat than it's specifications would suggest it's worth.

 

The boat needs extra work to make it practical for use.

 

Lots of random people will recognise the boat and come and gawp at it.

 

It's a boat that used to be used commercially.

 

That sounds like buying a historic boat to me! 

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1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Well yes pretentious, but I meant it suggests to me they've been fooled by them Silver Foxes into believing they've bought the boating equivalent of the 300-year old farmhouse, when they actually bought the Bum Street semi. 

 

My choice of the estate's name was of course completely random.

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  What made me laugh is that they say they produced a brochure with the help from ABNB and contacted other brokers for advice, why did they not just sell it through a broker and let them do all the work? Simple answer is that if they did they boat would of been valued at about £75k max. They also say they weeded out the Fender Kickers and time wasters, so obviously just targeted their market, their clueless naive followers living out of the country who know absolutely nothing about narrowboats or canals.
  I wonder if the Foxes managed to get the freebies that Bickerstaffe were touting for, for their new boat?😂

Edited by PD1964
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1 hour ago, PD1964 said:

  What made me laugh is that they say they produced a brochure with the help from ABNB and contacted other brokers for advice, why did they not just sell it through a broker and let them do all the work? Simple answer is that if they did they boat would of been valued at about £75k max. They also say they weeded out the Fender Kickers and time wasters, so obviously just targeted their market, their clueless naive followers living out of the country who know absolutely nothing about narrowboats or canals.
  I wonder if the Foxes managed to get the freebies that Bickerstaffe were touting for, for their new boat?😂

 

You seem to have a lot of pent-up anger.

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I don't understand why people on here slate them so much, just don't watch them?  Maybe they sold their boat privately to avoid broker fees, after all it was always likely to sell - seems sensible to try get the most for your boat as anyone selling would do?

 

I'm looking forward to their new travels on the Caledonian soon, that should make a refreshing change as not seen anyone do 'up there' yet... :)  cant wait for the glorious Scottish scenery!

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2 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

I don't understand why people on here slate them so much, just don't watch them?  Maybe they sold their boat privately to avoid broker fees, after all it was always likely to sell - seems sensible to try get the most for your boat as anyone selling would do?

 

I'm looking forward to their new travels on the Caledonian soon, that should make a refreshing change as not seen anyone do 'up there' yet... :)  cant wait for the glorious Scottish scenery!

I think some of the issue is the “know it all” attitude after being on the cut for 5 mins…this also leads to their followers thinking they are god gift to boating. 

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19 minutes ago, frangar said:

I think some of the issue is the “know it all” attitude after being on the cut for 5 mins…this also leads to their followers thinking they are god gift to boating. 

 

To be fair to them, they have been full time boaters for 2.5 years now, and have previously owned another boat before this one, and are pitching their videos at the 'uninformed' more than seasoned boaters, so are bound to come off with a bit of a "know it all attitude" to people who have been doing this for decades.

 

That said, I don't really understand the opposition to the boat so much - sure, it's way overpriced, and doesn't have much in the way of 'heritage' value, but apart from that it's a far nicer boat than some of the ones we've seen for sale.

 

At the end of the day if they can get top dollar for their old boat due to their profile & following and thus have more to spend on their new one, well who can blame them for that?

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1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

That is odd, I don't understand that at all.

 I think boaters that have been on the Canals more then a few years aren’t as bothered about them as the new boaters that have been on a year or so who maybe watched their Vlogs with excitement.

 It will be interesting to what the new owners are expecting from buying the boat, just hope their not expecting anything special or any minor celebrityism and they can just enjoy the canals as themselves on their new boat as that’s all it is at the end of the day and people just take them as they find them and not for who owned the boat previously. 

Edited by PD1964
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Having owned a "well-known" boat it took the best part of my ownership (9 years) for the "isn't this xxx's boat how are they" to stop. 

Oh and just to show no discrimination 99.9% of Vlogs are self obsessed shyte. 😱

I have seen one where the Vblogger didn't feature in it and it was mostly about places so that makes up the 0.1%

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1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

I don't understand why people on here slate them so much, just don't watch them? 

I don't watch them though I did tune in to one of their episodes as it was in an area I was interested in. I am no prude but I found it a bit smutty and for no apparent reason other than being crude. I switched off and haven't bothered looking at any of their stuff since. 

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3 minutes ago, frangar said:

2 1/2 years?...wow....Ive been on the Cut 30 years and I still freely admit Im learning all the time still....in fact you should never stop learning about boating...from how a boat handles in a particular situation to why a structure was built in such a way....

 

The trouble is that people seem to lap up these Vlogs and take everything they are told as the right way to do something often from people who have little clue themselves,

As Fred Heritage said when in his 70s and had worked on boats all his working life, there is always something to learn

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Just now, ditchcrawler said:

As Fred Heritage said when in his 70s and had worked on boats all his working life, there is always something to learn

Exactly...that is something Ive heard from a lot of ex working boatmen and women...its a good maxim to live a life by...sadly I doubt if the type of person that has a vlog would even think to look twice to the old chap leaning on a lock gate or bridge parapet.....and this history is fast fading from those that have experienced it first hand sadly.

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Just went from home mooring through birmingham down stourbridge ,up to staffs and worcs, back to soar up soar and tied up today at top of buckby.

Have done all of it once before and much of it many times..

came over leicester cut on first boat 40 years ago.

Did I learn anything new.

Oh yes, loads . Talked a a range maker in loughborough, and anchor maker in dudley,  and in spite of all the moaning about depths the leicester line was easier in 2021 on a 1936 motor boat than it was on a 1979 colecraft in 1981.

Every day gives opportunity.

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6 hours ago, frangar said:

Exactly...that is something I've heard from a lot of ex working boatmen and women...its a good maxim to live a life by...sadly I doubt if the type of person that has a vlog would even think to look twice to the old chap leaning on a lock gate or bridge parapet.....and this history is fast fading from those that have experienced it first hand sadly.

I still visit "my" retired narrowboat captain each week. I have learnt far more from him about boating and life than any vlog / blog.
Many of the boaters who are still with us may not be educated in the conventional sense but they are worldly wise and have much common sense.

 

With regard to "Silver Foxes" I have watched some of their vlogs, the younger of the two men is quite sensible and knowledgeable, but I’m afraid the older one with his constant banal, supposedly funny comments annoys me. I will not be watching them again.

Edited by Ray T
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Some people on here consistently miss the point about some of the video bloggers on you tube, particularly the Foxes.

 

They are the equivalent of a tv light entertainment programme. They are not meant to be highly technical instructional videos, they would turn their target audience off in minutes if they were.

 

Like lots of light entertainment stuff it doesnt appeal to everyone, particularly their humour. Its often silly and probably considered childish by some but I doubt they care about that too much.

 

Their use of social media has probably left some curmudgeonly old farts behind. Forums like this are competing for an audience and I doubt it is winning. The Norfolk Broads forum seems to have virtually died, replaced by various Facebook groups, loads of boating channels now exist on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tik Tok seems to be in an ascendancy too.

 

Faced with the choice of the likes of here or the wealth of stuff elswhere it is not surprising the Instagram generation look to what they are familiar with which generally isnt something akin to a group of boring old toothless gits drinking in a smoke filled bar which neither serves food nor allows kids in.

 

 

Edited by The Happy Nomad
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