Club Line Cruisers

[Ange]

I've just come across some pics of our first ever narrowboat hire holiday in 1987 when the crew consisted of five of us aged between 18 and 27.

 

 

The boat was Club Countess hired from Club Line Cruisers on the Coventry Canal. We looked out for them when we went up the Coventry recently and didn't see any sign of them. I've done a google search and found references to the company, but when I clicked on their website address not found was returned.

 

Is this hire company no more?

[Heffalump]

Jaysus, I was born in 1987!!! Although that picture looks like it could have been taken yesterday, hairstyles aside, I don't think a lot has changed I don't know anything about the co I'm afraid, but thanks for sharing the piccy!

[Ange]

Jaysus, I was born in 1987!!! Although that picture looks like it could have been taken yesterday, hairstyles aside, I don't think a lot has changed I don't know anything about the co I'm afraid, but thanks for sharing the piccy!

You're welcome - though thanks for making me feel very old!

[woodenit]

Jaysus, I was born in 1987!!! Although that picture looks like it could have been taken yesterday, hairstyles aside, I don't think a lot has changed I don't know anything about the co I'm afraid, but thanks for sharing the piccy!

 

yeah thanks for that, now i feel 100. when i first read it i thought oh its only a few of years ago, now youve made me do sums.

[adam1uk]

I assume they are no more. There were still Clubline boats around when we went down to Coventry basin a few years ago, but there were no hire boats at their base when we went past in March this year. The little basin they used now seems to be home to a few residential boaters.

[RichardH]

I think you are right, they finished about 4 years ago I think.

[carlt]

I think you are right, they finished about 4 years ago I think.

They were swallowed up, iirc, but I can't remember who by.

[alan_fincher]

They have certainly been gone some years, I think - I suspect somebody like Tony Collins would know fairly accurately.

 

I know several of the Club Line fleet were being sold off by Whilton when we were looking about four and a half years ago. Or more accurately not being sold off, as they seemed to struggle to sell them.

 

IIRC they were using the Ford XLD engine in two berth boats maybe only 30 feet long - a bit of a frightening thought in the hands of novice hirers, as a tad too much power, one would have thought!

[Albion]

They have certainly been gone some years, I think - I suspect somebody like Tony Collins would know fairly accurately.

 

I know several of the Club Line fleet were being sold off by Whilton when we were looking about four and a half years ago. Or more accurately not being sold off, as they seemed to struggle to sell them.

 

IIRC they were using the Ford XLD engine in two berth boats maybe only 30 feet long - a bit of a frightening thought in the hands of novice hirers, as a tad too much power, one would have thought!

 

IIRC they standardised on the Ford XLD throughout their fleet so even their smaller boats would be so fitted. And yes, they did close down several years ago and the boats were sold off eventually.

Roger

[Heffalump]

Hehe sorry But I'm only a youngin at 21! So yer can't be THAT old shirly

[Dan]

The last few years they hired things were a bit messy, I think ownership changed somewhere around 2000, and they were ran alongside the Canalbreaks fleet (now at Hillmorton), some of the boats changed and they centered on the Swan Lane Wharf name rather than the Clubline. I think their last year in this guise was 2006.

 

All the best

 

Dan

[the grinch]

yes Clubline is sadly history

 

when i was there 1985 - 87 we were operating 21 boats ranging from 2 to 12 berth some boats were standard hireboats and the more upmarket boats were Club Connoisseur and Club Classic

the team at the time were Reg & Barbara, Keith & Janet + daughter, Colin, Colin(sid), Tony and myself plus a multitude of sat/sun cleaners. during the week we would build boats and weekends turning the hire fleet

I left in 1987 and Reg, Keith + family sold up a few years ago the people taking over never really operated in the same way.

most of the newer 1984 onwards boats were fitted with Ford XLD engines, but the older ones had a mixed bag of BMC 1.8, Sabb and lister engines.

Countess as shown in the picture was part of the fleet at this time as was her sister (Club Countess 1 & 2) others were Ace 1 & 2. Centurion 1,2 & 3. Cadet, and several others which I can't think of at the moment

the base was at Swan Lane Wharf in Swan lane, Stoke Heath, Coventry between bridges 4 & 5 just south of the new bridge/tunnel

[Mayflower]

yes Clubline is sadly history

 

when i was there 1985 - 87 we were operating 21 boats ranging from 2 to 12 berth some boats were standard hireboats and the more upmarket boats were Club Connoisseur and Club Classic

the team at the time were Reg & Barbara, Keith & Janet + daughter, Colin, Colin(sid), Tony and myself plus a multitude of sat/sun cleaners. during the week we would build boats and weekends turning the hire fleet

I left in 1987 and Reg, Keith + family sold up a few years ago the people taking over never really operated in the same way.

most of the newer 1984 onwards boats were fitted with Ford XLD engines, but the older ones had a mixed bag of BMC 1.8, Sabb and lister engines.

Countess as shown in the picture was part of the fleet at this time as was her sister (Club Countess 1 & 2) others were Ace 1 & 2. Centurion 1,2 & 3. Cadet, and several others which I can't think of at the moment

the base was at Swan Lane Wharf in Swan lane, Stoke Heath, Coventry between bridges 4 & 5 just south of the new bridge/tunnel

 

 

Oooh! I've just found this thread! I'm back (after 18 months away from a different thread called "Am I daft to want this boat"). I'd also been trying to find out anything about Clubline because we bought a Clubline boat this August. She's 1981, 32 ft, BMC engine (and yes, it's more than a bit over-powered for her size!). She's currently painted blue and called "Samhach" with a translation of "Quietly" - which I think is how she is now registered. If I work out how to post a photo, might you (Hamsterfan?) be able to tell me anything at all about her? Or generically anything like the hull thickness etc? All I know at present is that we've got broken paving slabs as ballast (we took the back end floor up over Christmas!) and some rusting floor support struts!

[the grinch]

32' would be one of the smaller boats

 

cadet had a window with a door on the right looking from the front in the front bulkhead

club one and two were twin doored if i recalled correctly

classic had a patio window in the front

 

but yes if you post some more info i may be able to work out if it is a hire or a private build a licence number may reveal it's original id.

 

a quick look reveals that Journeyman 32'6" and Tarka 34' are the only registered boats on jim's site, but the list is highly inaccurate as only 1 ace is listed there were 3 - 2 centurions (3) wysiwyg isn't listed at all neither are the countess's (2)

Edited January 6, 2010 by hamsterfan

[Mayflower]

32' would be one of the smaller boats

 

cadet had a window with a door on the right looking from the front in the front bulkhead

club one and two were twin doored if i recalled correctly

classic had a patio window in the front

 

but yes if you post some more info i may be able to work out if it is a hire or a private build a licence number may reveal it's original id.

 

a quick look reveals that Journeyman 32'6" and Tarka 34' are the only registered boats on jim's site, but the list is highly inaccurate as only 1 ace is listed there were 3 - 2 centurions (3) wysiwyg isn't listed at all neither are the countess's (2)

 

 

Thank you! Right here is more info - it would be great if you can tell me more!

 

32 foot (nominal - never sure if this figure is supposed to include the rudder!), registration number 68756, cruiser stern with steel double doors and hatch, glazed wooden double doors centrally placed at the front, leading to small well deck (now has cratch), stove at front starboard corner of cabin, kitchen aft, loo very aft on port side with small locker space in equivalent starboard corner. Paving slab ballast, BMC 1.5 diesel engine, with a left-handed prop (looking astern it rotates clockwise). Registered build year 1981.

 

I'd be interested to know if you know the original steel thicknesses too! We've just booked an out of water hull inspection for the end of March - and yes we KNOW we should have done that before we bought her!

 

Photos:

[Evo]

well bugger me....I live near Coventry and in the eighties I used to race motorbikes...to fund my racing i used to do car repairs in my spare time...lots of welding in those days..I've welded tons of sills, wings and floorpans on more marinas and escorts than you can poke a stick at....all my oxy/acetylene used to come from Clubline. A mate of my brothers eventually worked there...!!! Paul his name was....I cant believe I've forgotten his surname. Oh I just remembered ..it was Butler. Last year me and the missus spent the weekend in Cov basin..a great weekend and I too chugged passed the old basin entrance on Swan lane where they used to be. It depressed me that they were no longer there. I watched them build a few boats and they seemed to have quite a few in the little basin at the time.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Evo

[tony collins]

Thank you! Right here is more info - it would be great if you can tell me more!

 

32 foot (nominal - never sure if this figure is supposed to include the rudder!), registration number 68756, cruiser stern with steel double doors and hatch, glazed wooden double doors centrally placed at the front, leading to small well deck (now has cratch), stove at front starboard corner of cabin, kitchen aft, loo very aft on port side with small locker space in equivalent starboard corner. Paving slab ballast, BMC 1.5 diesel engine, with a left-handed prop (looking astern it rotates clockwise). Registered build year 1981.

 

I'd be interested to know if you know the original steel thicknesses too! We've just booked an out of water hull inspection for the end of March - and yes we KNOW we should have done that before we bought her!

 

In 1981 Club line advertised their 35 ft four berth which had a 6mm base plate. Features: "6mm floor plates, water cooled Leyland engine, fully insulated, refrigerator, hot/cold water,shower bath, cabin heater, fire extinguishers, lifebuoy, front and rear fenders, 4 year BWB certificate (if required) Price £10,550." I imagine that they would have standardised on 6mm for their whole range.

 

It was always a spectacle to see one of their boats launched inside the workshop. The arm was just wide enough to accommodate the boat, with the result that the water had very little place togo other than over the worshop floor.

 

They later introduced their WYSIWYG range which attacked the starter market. Incidentally some of their hire boats had wood burning stoves on board which was unusual for a hire boat.

 

After they sold up, Reg Neal ran the Navigation Inn at Bedworth, just up the canal for a few years.

 

Tony.

[Guest]

I've just come across some pics

 

You said pics (plural) - come on there must be more, what are you hiding??

 

Dodgy fashion and hair do's perhaps??

:lol:

[the grinch]

the reason is obvious by the description as too why i didn't find her in my original search.

 

QUIETLY Built by NOT KNOWN - Length 9.76 metres (32 feet ) - Beam 2.08 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft 0.01 metres ( ) 0 hull, power of 999BHP. Registered with British Waterways number 68756 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 19-May-09.

 

i will copy the info to Jim Shead for updating.

 

i would say she looks like the two or three of clubs but was probably a private build

 

base plates were thicker on 50'+ boats 8mm and some of the 70' boats had 10mm at the time i was there.

 

the launchings were achieved by jacking the front end up and removing the RSJ's from underneath 1 RSJ had a roller on it this was turned over and the boat would be tied down at the stern the jack was then lowered until the hull was suspended on the roller and the stern rope. the rope was then let go and the hull would shoot forwards into the canal basin as it entered the water. (not for the faint hearted!) it was then dragged back into the shed for the cabin to be fitted.

Edited January 8, 2010 by hamsterfan

[Ange]

You said pics (plural) - come on there must be more, what are you hiding??

 

Dodgy fashion and hair do's perhaps??

:lol:

Hehe - the year was 1987 so the hairdo's & fashion were decidedly dodgy - I was very selective about which one I published on t'internet for the world to see!

[the grinch]

Hehe - the year was 1987 so the hairdo's & fashion were decidedly dodgy - I was very selective about which one I published on t'internet for the world to see!

 

your secrets safe with me i won't tell

 

i was there in 1987 so i may have shown you through the boat or brought you back into the yard on your return!

at that time we had 21 boats hiring. we could only get 18 in the basin so a couple would be turned and put out early so we could get the last ones in to fuel and water.

[Ange]

your secrets safe with me i won't tell

 

i was there in 1987 so i may have shown you through the boat or brought you back into the yard on your return!

at that time we had 21 boats hiring. we could only get 18 in the basin so a couple would be turned and put out early so we could get the last ones in to fuel and water.

It could very well have been you that saw us out. We remember it was a young chap about the same age as me (I was 21 at the time) who saw us out of the yard, then jumped back on at Sutton Stop IIRC to see us through the right turn at Hawkesbury Junction - one of the trickier manoeuvers we've encountered, particularly on a sunny day when the beer garden is full at the Greyhound!

[the grinch]

i was 22 then, now i'm just getting old LOL

it was normal practice to meet the boats up at Hawkesbury and show customers how a lock worked. it must have been me as the others were all older except Tony who was about 17 at the time.

[Keeping Up]

Sounds like you made a big impression on Ange, Hamsterfan, if she remembers you after all these years

[the grinch]

once seen never forgotten!!