Boat builder recommendation

[JanetH]

We are looking at getting a narrowboat built to a sailaway stage and have looked at Canal Transport Services (CTS) at Norton Canes near Walsall. Has anyone had any experience of them recently, I know they have a good reputation and build a handsome hull. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Albion]

We are looking at getting a narrowboat built to a sailaway stage and have looked at Canal Transport Services (CTS) at Norton Canes near Walsall. Has anyone had any experience of them recently, I know they have a good reputation and build a handsome hull. Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

In my opinion you'd be better going next door to Norton Canes Boatbuilders (Graham Edgson) but he may be more expensive. You won't get a better shell though, both for looks and construction.

Roger

ex owner of a NCB boat

[wrigglefingers]

We are looking at getting a narrowboat built to a sailaway stage and have looked at Canal Transport Services (CTS) at Norton Canes near Walsall. Has anyone had any experience of them recently, I know they have a good reputation and build a handsome hull. Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

Talk to Dave Harris at Dadford's Wharf in Wordsley. No finer hull-builder and thoroughly thoughtful and considerate man.

 

Jill

[JanetH]

In my opinion you'd be better going next door to Norton Canes Boatbuilders (Graham Edgson) but he may be more expensive. You won't get a better shell though, both for looks and construction.

Roger

ex owner of a NCB boat

[johnmck]

Hi.

 

Have a look at XR&D,(www.xrandd.co.uk) based at Boughton, Notts. Cracking shells.

 

John.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN

[PhilR]

Roger Fuller

 

R W Davies

[JanetH]

In my opinion you'd be better going next door to Norton Canes Boatbuilders (Graham Edgson) but he may be more expensive. You won't get a better shell though, both for looks and construction.

Roger

ex owner of a NCB boat

 

 

thanks for that but Norton Canes have a 3 year order book, can't wait that long!

[PhilR]

thanks for that but Norton Canes have a 3 year order book, can't wait that long!

 

3 years!!!!

 

That is amazing, whilst boat builders are going bust everywhere I suppose that really does say something about their shells ...................

[RLWP]

3 years!!!!

 

That is amazing, whilst boat builders are going bust everywhere I suppose that really does say something about their shells ...................

 

Not just their shells. They are really, really nice people.

 

Richard

[JanetH]

Not just their shells. They are really, really nice people.

 

Richard

 

 

we have onlhy been looking at builders with a good few years under their belts and so far everyone has well in excess of 1 year order book.

[bargeeboy]

we have onlhy been looking at builders with a good few years under their belts and so far everyone has well in excess of 1 year order book.

 

I can deliver before Christmas oh and been around over 25 years

[richardf]

I would have no hesitation in recommending CTS - they build fantastic boats and really know their trade. Dennis Cooper is a fine boatbuilder and his son Matthew is carrying on the family tradition!

[Ally]

I'll second XR&D!!

[WotEver]

Am I the only one who rates Graham Reeve's shells?

 

Bit further from Walsall, but not a million miles away.

 

T

[denboy]

dave clarke also at boughton camp ollerton(the original partner of R&D)

[mrsmelly]

Am I the only one who rates Graham Reeve's shells?

 

Bit further from Walsall, but not a million miles away.

 

T

 

Reeves shells are ok for the middle market but fall way below the build of the likes of norton canes etc..........

[Phil Speight]

dave clarke also at boughton camp ollerton(the original partner of R&D)

As guidance for someone all the above has a major snag . The disparity in price and therefore in quality between various of the suggested builders. For instance Norton Canes and Dave Harris ( Roger Fuller is no longer building boats ) are in a different league as regards steelwork quality from many of the others.

You cannot for instance , fairly compare an Ex-R&D shell to a Harris. It`s not fair on either . The Harris is a truly bespoke top of the market item and is inevitably more expensive than the other - which is also a decent piece of work GIVEN IT`S PRICE AND MARKET POSITION.

Now, when I were a lad a good boat was deemed to be one with a well built hull with good swims , a concave counter bottom, superb welding, good performance etc etc . Nowadays a boat is often judged not on it`s grace , integrity and dynamic performance , but by the quality and quantity of domestic equipment it carries. We used to admire a boat for it`s virtues as a boat - now we often admire them for their ability and comfort when they are seen as floating holiday homes or alternative dwellings - and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that. Buy at the top of the market , Harris, Norton Canes, and their ilk and you can have both - but at a price. Most people go for the middle ground , and the compromise is often to be found in less refined and "boaty" steelwork.

Finally there are a couple of builders named within this stream whose products I wouldn`t go near with a barge pole - sadly I can`t name them because it would be unprofessional to do so. Look for long term experience and a canal/boating background if the "boat" element of "narrow boat" matters. You can spread your net much wider if it doesn`t.

Phil

(

Edited August 26, 2009 by Phil Speight

[alan_fincher]

Finally there are a couple of builders named within this stream whose products I wouldn`t go near with a barge pole - sadly I can`t name them because it would be unprofessional to do so.

I'm not sure there are too many remaining names left in this thread that you haven't mentioned, though!

[Phil Speight]

I'm not sure there are too many remaining names left in this thread that you haven't mentioned, though!

Hmmm

 

Perhaps I`m thinking of a stream of boatbuilders . My post was a bit daft I guess - since there are enough names left for those I would be happy with to miss my point . What spurred me on was a thought I have long had. There are people nowadays very happy with boats that suit their requirements perfectly ( which of course makes them GOOD boats ) who come at the whole subject from a different direction to mine . They would not understand , and have only a superficial interest in, the elements of a boat that I would admire , as I in turn fail to see what is so special about their perfectly legitimate choice. Where I might admire a skillful but almost hidden piece of fabrication and take pleasure from knowing it was there, they may rejoice in a feature that I would find unimportant - or even annoying. It`s not only as a boat enthusiast that I have come to appreciate high class fabrication. As a painter I have taken a lot of paint off a lot of boats and I`ve seen what goes on out of sight on a lot of them. Much of what sometimes horrifies me could well be of no significance whatsoever to a particuar type of modern boat owner and will not for one moment prevent the boat from meeting their every requirement and expectation. So - one man`s meat is another man`s poison holds good here as much as anywhere. So I guess what I should have tried to get across was that if we are to make comparisons they should only be of like with like - otherwise they are just a list. If you were to want a motorcycle and saught advice the first question would be to establish what you wanted it for , specifically what type of thing would suit your exact purpose and how much money was available. Only then would discussion move on to manufacturers.

It`s been said before , you can buy a good boat or a bad one for 65k - just as you can buy a good one or a bad for one twice that ( eh! - Just believe me ). What we shouldn`t do is mix the groups up.

Phil

Edited August 26, 2009 by Phil Speight

[David Schweizer]

I'm not sure there are too many remaining names left in this thread that you haven't mentioned, though!

 

As we have taken to naming top marque boatbuilders, we cannot omit my personal favourite, Roger Farington of Ivy Bridge Marine at Braunston, who is still definitely top quality building boats.

Edited August 26, 2009 by David Schweizer

[denboy]

As guidance for someone all the above has a major snag . The disparity in price and therefore in quality between various of the suggested builders. For instance Norton Canes and Dave Harris ( Roger Fuller is no longer building boats ) are in a different league as regards steelwork quality from many of the others.

You cannot for instance , fairly compare an Ex-R&D shell to a Harris. It`s not fair on either . The Harris is a truly bespoke top of the market item and is inevitably more expensive than the other - which is also a decent piece of work GIVEN IT`S PRICE AND MARKET POSITION.

Now, when I were a lad a good boat was deemed to be one with a well built hull with good swims , a concave counter bottom, superb welding, good performance etc etc . Nowadays a boat is often judged not on it`s grace , integrity and dynamic performance , but by the quality and quantity of domestic equipment it carries. We used to admire a boat for it`s virtues as a boat - now we often admire them for their ability and comfort when they are seen as floating holiday homes or alternative dwellings - and there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that. Buy at the top of the market , Harris, Norton Canes, and their ilk and you can have both - but at a price. Most people go for the middle ground , and the compromise is often to be found in less refined and "boaty" steelwork.

Finally there are a couple of builders named within this stream whose products I wouldn`t go near with a barge pole - sadly I can`t name them because it would be unprofessional to do so. Look for long term experience and a canal/boating background if the "boat" element of "narrow boat" matters. You can spread your net much wider if it doesn`t.

Phil

(

So i take it that since you seem to have singled out my post you dont rate dave clarke,,my point in posting his name is that he is still building boats and has been for around 35 years or so thats an experianced boat builder, not the best pedigree but plenty of experience

[David Schweizer]

So i take it that since you seem to have singled out my post you dont rate dave clarke,,my point in posting his name is that he is still building boats and has been for around 35 years or so thats an experianced boat builder, not the best pedigree but plenty of experience

Please re-read Phil's post. To me he is saying that the quality of both Dave Harris and Norton Canes boats are in a different (superior) league to many others. he says "...The Harris is a truly bespoke top of the market item..." hardly the words of a man who does not rate the named builder.

Edited August 27, 2009 by David Schweizer

[denboy]

Please re-read Phil's post. To me he is saying that the quality of both Dave Harris and Norton Canes boats are in a different (superior) league to many others. he says "...The Harris is a truly bespoke top of the market item..." hardly the words of a man who does not rate the named builder.

Dave harris is not dave clarke tho and dave clarke is not x r&d

[Phil Speight]

As we have taken to naming top marque boatbuilders, we cannot omit my personal favourite, Roger Farington of Ivy Bridge Marine at Braunston, who is still definitely top quality building boats.

Indeed . The names I`ve dropped are only there to represent a whole group of builders - but an actual list would include Roger and a number of others.

Phil

Edited August 27, 2009 by Phil Speight

[Phil Speight]

Dave harris is not dave clarke tho and dave clarke is not x r&d

I am trying to say , clearly not clearly enough, that we can only compare like with like. I aren`t looking to buy a boat , ( indeed I`m trying sell one ) so I can afford to have expensive tastes that appeal to me as an admirer of the best available. Does the original poster want the best available at a particular price or at any price ?

I did not deliberately pick your post out. I should have read the whole stream more carefully perhaps but my response was triggered by the trend rather than the actual . The words I used were unfortunate and the result of a very long and very frustrating day. There is a whole colossal range of boats I would not wish to buy if I had freedom to choose that could well be the very best choice for a person whose requirements would differ from mine . I have long defended Springers for instance but , the way my life has developed and moved on I wouldn`t want one to save my life. And , before anybody bites , I still admire Springers for the position they gladly adopted and the number of people they got on the water. Neither am I suggesting that any boat builder named here should be compared with Springer. I should also say that whatever horrors I may have discovered while painting relatively inexpensive boats have been matched and even topped by a couple of extremely expensive ones .

As you say , Dave Clarke has been bulding boats for a very long time and he has been very successful and Im pleased that he and many other s are managing to survive when it`s not that easy. This clearly shows that his boats very well suit the market he is aiming them at ( and that isn`t a loaded comment )

and could equally suit the person who started this off. Without more information though we can`t know that. If however I was absolutely loaded and wanted an Italian supercar I wouldn`t go to the wrong part of the market looking for one.

Edited August 27, 2009 by Phil Speight