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Are Narrowboats getting uglier?


PD1964

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64539FE4-EE5E-4B84-9CE9-F8D12D91007F.jpeg.ff5392ad52f44ded714767aa7cb118f4.jpegHave just seen this cover on a waterways magazine and thought “what an ugly characterless boat” and wondered why buy such a boat?

   Have the new bread of boat owners gone away from having a nice looking shell with flowing lines, nice steelwork and paint scheme to just being interested in internal layout and what’s inside? Looking at the array of digital antennas and media dishes on the roof I imagine it may be high tech and very IKEA in design but outside square and ugly. I know they have probably designed it to have optimal internal living space, but such a lifeless shell IMO. Others may disagree as beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. 

  

Edited by PD1964
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3 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 

64539FE4-EE5E-4B84-9CE9-F8D12D91007F.jpeg.ff5392ad52f44ded714767aa7cb118f4.jpegHave just seen this cover on a waterways magazine and thought “what an ugly characterless boat” and wondered why buy such a boat. Have the new bread of boat owners gone away from having a nice looking shell with flowing lines, nice steelwork and paint scheme to just being interested in what’s inside? Looking at the array of digital antennas and media dishes on the roof I imagine it may be high tech inside and very IKEA in design but outside square and ugly. I now they have probably designed it to have optimal internal living space, but such a lifeless shell IMO. Others may disagree as beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. 

  

Ugly.

Impractical.

Easily damaged.

Unimaginatively boring.

Artistically challenged.

Likely to cause infrastructure damage.

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This is due to a fundamental weakness in our modern society, we are intent on perpetual change and "development". Boats reached their pinnacle of beauty a while ago (100 years?)  so if they have to keep changing then the only way to go is down.

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Given the "As you like it" and builder who stuck to couples vision comment I guess that it what was requested and delivered. Not my cup of tea and given the lack of windows / portholes it must be very dark inside, unless of course the other side is all glass.

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2 minutes ago, Arf said:

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Shipping containers are 8' wide, so a broad beam. Maximised head room and living space inside. CaRT index number written on the end, rather than the sides. Wide opening doors to get the settee through. Simple, minimalist paint scheme. Bolt an outboard on the other end and you are good to go.

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30 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 

64539FE4-EE5E-4B84-9CE9-F8D12D91007F.jpeg.ff5392ad52f44ded714767aa7cb118f4.jpegHave just seen this cover on a waterways magazine and thought “what an ugly characterless boat” and wondered why buy such a boat?

   Have the new bread of boat owners gone away from having a nice looking shell with flowing lines, nice steelwork and paint scheme to just being interested in internal layout and what’s inside? Looking at the array of digital antennas and media dishes on the roof I imagine it may be high tech and very IKEA in design but outside square and ugly. I know they have probably designed it to have optimal internal living space, but such a lifeless shell IMO. Others may disagree as beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. 

  

I think you have summed it up, just need a square bow like CRT work boats and that's it a 57 X 6-6 Box

 

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Where we are in Hartford Marina a new 12ft 6in  boat was craned in yesterday to join the several 12ft 6in ones already here. The locks either side are around 11ft so they have about a mile of waterway to cruise.

 

Although I suspect all their engine hours will be from the pontoon to pumpout and back.

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22 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Narrowboat, just an iffy angle on the pic causing distortion ;) 

 

https://youtube.com/channel/UCYjNOYOqAzuUgNYupdHgTCQ

Looked at the latest, lost interest in fifteen seconds. As long as the owners are happy, I suppose that's all that matters. The canals weren't, after all, built so boats could be pretty on them.

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2 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Looked at the latest, lost interest in fifteen seconds. As long as the owners are happy, I suppose that's all that matters. The canals weren't, after all, built so boats could be pretty on them.

I skipped through an early one.

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49 minutes ago, pearley said:

Where we are in Hartford Marina a new 12ft 6in  boat was craned in yesterday to join the several 12ft 6in ones already here. The locks either side are around 11ft so they have about a mile of waterway to cruise.

How peculiar. I mean, if you want the extra space which a widebeam offers, fine: but surely it would be much more sensible to have a 10-foot beam craft, still offering a considerable space advantage, plus you can trundle off for your holidays on it.

 

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Normally I'd say it's subjective, Beauty is in the eye of...etc.  But yes, that's ugly.  And also impractical for cruising.  Another example of a couple having a bespoke boat built before they know anything about canals or boating.  It'll be up for sale within a year.  I notice the youtube videos stopped in June.

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Skipped through No4, exactly as I imagined, painted interior, IKEA like decor and a boat trying to be a semi-detached house complete with massive TV. Oh and lots of un-interesting Vlogs to come every week, or maybe not as @doratheexplorer has highlighted.

 Just hope they haven’t realised it might not be for them.

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1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Shipping containers are 8' wide, so a broad beam. Maximised head room and living space inside. CaRT index number written on the end, rather than the sides. Wide opening doors to get the settee through. Simple, minimalist paint scheme. Bolt an outboard on the other end and you are good to go.

 

Blisworth, GU.

 

IMG_0419.jpg

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

How peculiar. I mean, if you want the extra space which a widebeam offers, fine: but surely it would be much more sensible to have a 10-foot beam craft, still offering a considerable space advantage, plus you can trundle off for your holidays on it.

 

There are weird VAT rules that mean that you don't pay VAT on a 60x12'6" widebeam whereas you do on anything smaller making them considerably cheaper to buy!

 

If you want a big static home on the water and maybe already have a small boat for cruising, they look like quite good value. Anyone who thinks they can cruise a 60' x 12'6" lump on the canals will soon be disappointed, and they are very unwelcome on the Thames because they take up a huge amount of mooring space and look like a pig with a prolapse.

 

 

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27 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Why not buy a used skip,nail a B+Q shed on top, stick an old Seagull outboard on it and self certify to RCD requirements.

Much cheaper and arguably better looking.  😃

Already been done, we had one moored at Foxes next to the Gary's Shed for years until last year

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I've read the Canal Boat review. The first comment is that the owners found many builders unwilling to even consider some of their plans. It was built by Pendle Narrowboats. I remember 6/7 years ago when planning our current boat we went to see them and it was clear their business was about lifestyle and interior decor rather than cruising practicality. And even them they were mostly building widebeams to be shipped down south.

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