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Are Narrowboats getting uglier?


PD1964

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6 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Most modern skips - especially the pictured DROPS hydraulic pickup skips - are built to a much higher standard than most modern narrow boat shells ...

 

I console myself that my boat was built by a firm that specialised in fuel tanks rather than dustbins. 

 

Looking at some of the welds I suspect they got the apprentices to practice on boats until they were good enough to try a diesel tank, but you can't have everything ...

 

 

 

It is a shame because they were such nice / good boats when they were built a mile down the road from us at Cefn y Bedd - we were actually going to put a deposit on one.

Taken over by "Skips are us", production moved, skilled staff lost and they were never the same again.

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26 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Narrowboat builders when the skip business goes quiet - one of their narrowboats featured 'front page'

 

Screenshot (180).png

How many times have we seen this response and Ad? 
 At least it’s better then your Baton Twirling little girls.

Edited by PD1964
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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is a shame because they were such nice / good boats when they were built a mile down the road from us at Cefn y Bedd - we were actually going to put a deposit on one.

Taken over by "Skips are us", production moved, skilled staff lost and they were never the same again.

Thought Cefn y Bedd was near Wrexham.

 

I know where Y Felinheli is because I went through it by mistake a few hours ago. 

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17 minutes ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:

Thought Cefn y Bedd was near Wrexham.

 

I know where Y Felinheli is because I went through it by mistake a few hours ago. 

 

We moved from the farm at Cefn y Bedd in 2005.

 

How could you go thru Y Felinhelli by mistake ? (Don't tell me you got lost on the new Caernarfon ring road !)

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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

Modern boats tend to be made of thicker steel which is more difficult to curve.

Really? Bottom plates may now be thicker than on working narrow boats, but carrying boats were generally built with 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch plate hull sides, whereas today's leisure narrow boats are built with 6mm hull sides, which is  slightly less than 1/4 inch, and so easier to bend.

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12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

We moved from the farm at Cefn y Bedd in 2005.

 

How could you go thru Y Felinhelli by mistake ? (Don't tell me you got lost on the new Caernarfon ring road !)

Ah, that explains it. 

 

I managed to visit Y Felinhelli by mistake when driving from Bangor to Betws-y-Coed  via Llanberis this pm taking a "scenic route" last used over 25 years ago. Next time, I will stick to the A5 or use the satnav ... 

 

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7 minutes ago, Tonka said:

 

A painted bucket is still only a bucket

I think to some people this will always be the case, be it a boat, house or car, maybe even member of the opposite sex..

I started off not knowing a Springer from a Stowe Hill, but was interested in enough to educate myself before spending a shit load of money. As Dave Moore said,  the shell is one thing that isn't easily changed, what's inside doesn't really matter. 

He also touched on the truth of the subject - Yes, boats are getting uglier because the really skilled builders are a dying breed.  As far as I'm aware there's only one young lad carrying on when his father retires,  and 90% of the people contributing on here won't have heard of him. 

 

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7 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

I think to some people this will always be the case, be it a boat, house or car, maybe even member of the opposite sex..

I started off not knowing a Springer from a Stowe Hill, but was interested in enough to educate myself before spending a shit load of money. As Dave Moore said,  the shell is one thing that isn't easily changed, what's inside doesn't really matter. 

He also touched on the truth of the subject - Yes, boats are getting uglier because the really skilled builders are a dying breed.  As far as I'm aware there's only one young lad carrying on when his father retires,  and 90% of the people contributing on here won't have heard of him. 

 

We still haven't!   Pray tell o'sage of the canals.

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13 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

The graceful vessel in MtB and my photos are a clue..

 

I had heard that Ian Kemps son had taken over boat building whilst Ian concentrated on his art.

I had also heard once that Roger Fullers son was going to be building boats.

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38 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

The graceful vessel in MtB and my photos are a clue..

 

But there are no windows!

 

And someone has concreted over the well deck!

Edited by Tracy D'arth
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37 minutes ago, Tonka said:

I had heard that Ian Kemps son had taken over boat building whilst Ian concentrated on his art.

I had also heard once that Roger Fullers son was going to be building boats.

I believe Joe Fuller is back in the industry now after his time spreading the good word of our Lord,  but not actually building shells. 

Which is a shame. 

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3 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

To make use of that wasted space in front as a patio?

 

Conversation I overheard on a boat passing mine a couple of years ago:

 

Female voice: "Oh look at the long front deck on that boat, it's beautiful!"

 

Male voice: "Its a waste of space"

 

Female voice: "No, it would be fantastic for sunbathing!"

 

Male voice: "Yeah but it's a waste of space..."

 

 

Quelle pillock.

 

But typical of the attitude of most narrow boaters to elegant shell design.

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2 hours ago, Tonka said:

Some people on here rate Orion boats but I do not like them. I do not think Doug Moore boats are a good example, they are ok but not the best. 

A painted bucket is still only a bucket

I think the example with the Cratch was rather ugly, the poster said they had distinctive upswept sides and counter. I see none of that in that boat. I have seen some nice Orion tugs, I like the  R.W Davis and Mel Davis shells, seen some really nice ones of the latter but also some plain boring ones. So nice shell builders don’t always produce nice shells. I’ve also seen nice shells painted in mismatched  colours making them just plain looking, I think the customer has to be held accountable for turning a nice shell into a plain or sometimes ugly boat.

 

Edited by PD1964
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21 minutes ago, MtB said:

Quelle pillock.

 

But typical of the attitude of most narrow boaters to elegant shell design.

 

It rather depends on what one uses a boat for. If you need to maximise cabin space for a live aboard then a long tug deck is a waste of space, unless it's used to store a pull out bed of course.

 

Just because somebody places the value of space over aesthetics (and they do look very nice) doesn't make them a 'pillock'. It's just they have different needs.

 

They also make very good skating rinks in winter. I remember once visiting @wrigglefingers rather lovely boat that had a tug deck at Audlem one frosty day. Nearly went in the marina!!

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They've become a bit like ordinary modern cars, generally boring, all look similar, engine and transmission crambed into a tiny space to make the cabin space as big as possible to accomodate obese people. :)

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2 hours ago, Tonka said:

Some people on here rate Orion boats but I do not like them. I do not think Doug Moore boats are a good example, they are ok but not the best. 

A painted bucket is still only a bucket

My boat is an Orion and, not surprisingly, I like it. Despite its multiple eccentricities.

 

When I first bought it (9 years ago) it was often recognised as an Orion, much rarer now. Perhaps boaters in general are less interested in manufacturers today.

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18 minutes ago, frahkn said:

My boat is an Orion and, not surprisingly, I like it. Despite its multiple eccentricities.

A lot of people don’t know what they’ve got. I seen one of the first if not the first Orion boats a lovely little 36ft called “Sheba” owned by the Sheffield artist Joe Scarborough, a really nice boat, but just a boat to most people. I’ve always liked their tugs always distinctive, but most are more concerned with the interior these days when buying then the shell or even engine. 

Edited by PD1964
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This morning I waited for a family to cross one of the swing bridges in Vines Park, Droitwich before opening it up. The young girl in the group said "look mummy, there's the boat" pointing to the landing where I was tied, and her mum replied "yes, I can see it, it's a pretty one."

 

She was of course inferring that not all canal boats are pretty and as mine is 53 years old maybe it's proof of the opening premise.

 

 

Edited by Captain Pegg
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