Boat Index/directory

[magnetman]

1 minute ago, cuthound said:

 

That is what happens when your crew close the lock gates whilst you are still leaving the lock...    

 

 

 

Were these boats part of the early failed experiments with volunteer lock keepers?

 

 

Shotbolt Engineering. Perhaps their name was influenced by crossbows and there was a deemed necessity to be harming others.

 

 

 

I hate it but it is interesting to see interpretations so its not all bad.

 

 

I do have some fears around the possibility that people take it seriously when it is quite obviously a good giggle.

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Not sure how nicking pictures off the internet works but as there is no water in the pool I'll dive in head first at the deep end and see what happens.

 

 

Hudson boat out of Glascote basin.

 

 

 

Compare with an actual real replica other boat built by a different maker called Roger Fuller. 

 

 

 

 

 

I was like OMG.

 

 

Compare that Hudson with an early Hudson and they are miles apart and yes I am not talking about Neil Hudson 

[enigmatic]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

Liverpool boats did some wide beams with square sterns. Not sure about narrow boats but they have been making steel boats for a long time so probably did a few.

There certainly arrr some interesting interpretations around.

 

This was on an old thread on here about 'josher' bows. Mr Josher and his Fellows would be turning in their graves. Or perhaps proud to be influencial.

 

 

 

 

That bow looks like it wants to be fed some bread

[jpcdriver]

4 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

So who is responsible for this?

 

 

Those very square sterns with rounded ends to the air vents are Aintree shells. They do rounded sterns as well but the air vents are always like that. When discussing my new build with a boat fitter who used both Aintree and Collingwood shells he mentioned the easiest difference to spot is the air vents. Aintree rounded ends, Collingwood straight vertical ends to the vents.

[Silent Flight]

12 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Compare that Hudson with an early Hudson and they are miles apart and yes I am not talking about Neil Hudson 

Could you find a picture example please?

[magnetman]

The early Steve Hudson boats were more ordinary. Good shape but nothing unusual. Not that easy to recognise. It was only when he got to Glascote that the mock tudor thing happened.

[Captain Pegg]

25 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The early Steve Hudson boats were more ordinary. Good shape but nothing unusual. Not that easy to recognise. It was only when he got to Glascote that the mock tudor thing happened.

 I like "mock tudor". If they were houses that's the style they'd be.

[Tonka]

2 hours ago, Owls Den said:

Could you find a picture example please?

Have a look on https://livingonanarrowboat.co.uk/ as he has an early one. See if there is a photo of the bow

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

Were these boats part of the early failed experiments with volunteer lock keepers?

 

 

Shotbolt Engineering. Perhaps their name was influenced by crossbows and there was a deemed necessity to be harming others.

 

 

 

I hate it but it is interesting to see interpretations so its not all bad.

 

 

I do have some fears around the possibility that people take it seriously when it is quite obviously a good giggle.

 

John Shotbolt built boats in Bill Fen Marina on the Middle Levels.

[rusty69]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

Were these boats part of the early failed experiments with volunteer lock keepers?

 

 

Shotbolt Engineering. Perhaps their name was influenced by crossbows and there was a deemed necessity to be harming others.

 

 

 

I hate it but it is interesting to see interpretations so its not all bad.

 

 

I do have some fears around the possibility that people take it seriously when it is quite obviously a good giggle.

That looks like a Michael Huggins boat to me. John Shotbolt wasn't building boats in 2008, and they didn't have that kind of bow. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by rusty69

[Guest]

We looked at a used Shotbolt boat in 2010 when we bought.

 

It had a rather nifty coal hopper that you filled through the well deck and accessed from inside the boat.

 

I believe it was a bit of a trademark of his boats.

 

And no it didnt have a bow like as we wouldnt have viewed it as that style is just not to my taste.

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by M_JG

[magnetman]

22 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

That looks like a Michael Huggins boat to me. John Shotbolt wasn't building boats in 2008, and they didn't have that kind of bow. 

I was just going from the advert. I did think his boats were more ordinary. 

 

 

[JamesFrance]

Here is a photo of Steve Hudson arriving at the Braunston boat show in 1999

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

Were these boats part of the early failed experiments with volunteer lock keepers?

 

 

Shotbolt Engineering. Perhaps their name was influenced by crossbows and there was a deemed necessity to be harming others.

 

 

 

I hate it but it is interesting to see interpretations so its not all bad.

 

 

I do have some fears around the possibility that people take it seriously when it is quite obviously a good giggle.

It looks like The Foxy Doxy Saddle Fitting Co Built by Burscough Boat Trading Ltd in 2016 from the bows

[MtB]

41 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

That looks like a Michael Huggins boat to me. John Shotbolt wasn't building boats in 2008, and they didn't have that kind of bow. 

 

Agreed. I tried to buy a Shotbolt Engineering boat from Whilton long, long ago, and it certainly had a 'normal-looking' bow shape.

 

Misdescribed in their listing as Sholtbolt Engineering. Extra "l". 

 

 

[rusty69]

9 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Agreed. I tried to buy a Shotbolt Engineering boat from Whilton long, long ago, and it certainly had a 'normal-looking' bow shape.

 

Misdescribed in their listing as Sholtbolt Engineering. Extra "l". 

 

 

One of our boats is by Nene Engineering. Nene engineering bought Shotbolts plans (prior to Michael using Johns shed to build to his style, I think). It has a 'normal' looking bow.

Edited April 26, 2023 by rusty69

[Captain Pegg]

4 hours ago, jpcdriver said:

Those very square sterns with rounded ends to the air vents are Aintree shells. They do rounded sterns as well but the air vents are always like that. When discussing my new build with a boat fitter who used both Aintree and Collingwood shells he mentioned the easiest difference to spot is the air vents. Aintree rounded ends, Collingwood straight vertical ends to the vents.

So are the Playschool windows ( ©️ @Tracy D'arth ) just an Aintree boats thing or do Collingwood and others do those too?

[Ray T]

7 hours ago, magnetman said:

East West marine. No tumblehome.

[andyberg]

Hawkins rivet detail

[rusty69]

8 hours ago, magnetman said:

noticed it was at their yard but did they really do the extreme ones? There was a boat with the same bows at Bulbourne for a number of yars. Owner was known for going fast through Tring cutting when nobody was about which I thought was quite a cool thing to do.

I seem to remember speaking to that bloke in the 90s. A very odd front end. A blue boat iirc. He said it was great at reversing. 

[magnetman]

It was blue. He was BW employee. Moored outside the Bulbourne yard. I'm not sure what was in it but it seemed to have a large unit. Not a clonky engine more like a big 4 or a 6 perhaps.

I think it got sold and moved away. 

 

Not been that way for quite a number of yars now myself. 

 

 

I think the boat might have ended up as a lived on thing in the London. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by magnetman
edit to add "no"

[rusty69]

Yes, he did work there. And had a mooring there iirc. I probably have a pic of his boat somewhere, as it fascinated me at the time. 

[magnetman]

The boat was moored on the back of the buildings at "boob'n" yard towards the lock.

 

It is in some online images but a bit distant and difficult to make out. 

 

The bows were very unusual. 

 

I'm not that convinced it was for icebreaking as usually with an icebreaker one wants to get on top it it rather than slice into it like a knife. 

 

Good 'I am coming through now" boat though. 

Needs a PA system on the front to let people know at bridgeholes. 

[rusty69]

Well the quick conversation I had with him whilst passing, suggested to me that it's unique selling point was its reversing in a straight line ability.

 

We used to cross Tring summit quite often when we moored at winkwell,and it always caught my eye en route to the curry pub. 

[Stroudwater1]

11 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

 

Simon Piper's boats are easy. PIPER, cut in to the hull side at the stern on each side as engine bay air vents/intakes.

Like this one 

Then there are some boats with curved sterns who wished it  to be more square? 
 

 

Some SM Hudsons and many RW Davis have their names stamped on the base of the tiller. Warning hard to read and best not to climb onto the stern to have a look even if it seems no one is in 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Stroudwater1
No E in Davis