Going DOWN........

[alan_fincher]

I notice the rather ill conceived "motorised butty" "Kenneth" has just turned up again via Apollo Duck with a further reduced price.

 

Actually on ABNB's site it now lists as "Sensible offers IRO £85k considered".

 

Already put forward as an example of why the more outlandish offerings are never going to make a good resale value I rest my case.

 

IIRC the original build price was supposed to have been about twice what you could presumably now offer at.

 

Oh, and apparently it has an RCD until 2010, which probably now means it needs a BSC......

 

ABNB Sales Linky

 

EDITED TO ADD.....

 

I particurly like.....

 

Built primarily as a family residence, it is self sufficient and serves its purpose well be it moored, towed behind a motor or even under its own power

 

Apparently it's ability to move very far, or very well "under it's own power" is a bit lacking!

Edited March 21, 2011 by alan_fincher

[casper ghost]

Is this the one that was at Crick a few years ago at about £117k? If so I went to lok inside but the seller decided I wasn't dressed smartly enough... I had to laugh..

Gary

[Sir Nibble]

Going down? Damn! What an anti climax!

[Guest]

Going down? Damn! What an anti climax!

[matty40s]

I did have a shufty round when I was first looking, out of interest. It was up for bids starting at £135000 then.

Unfortunately, they had designed the interior and also the customer that was going to buy it, and that customer hasn't appeared yet. I wonder how many of the "starry night bedroom lights for teenagers" are still working????

[Lady Muck]

I was more shocked about this TBH. My link

 

It's not even a couple of years since it was on Ebay for £28k, a tad optimistically priced, I thought. One of the trip boat helmsmen we know crashed into this boat in the Islington tunnel, because he couldn't see her, because instead of a headlight, she had someone standing on the bows with a cigarette lighter. The owner sold it and bought a yacht in the Greek Islands. We know this because she ended up in the Daily Mail after getting into difficulty in a storm abandoning ship and having to swim to shore with a basket of Rottweilers on her head (she had no money to pay her rescuers and no tender.)

 

Think she should've stuck to the inland waterways TBH.

 

And no I'm not making this up.

Edited March 22, 2011 by Lady Muck

[Barry]

For the uninitiated...what exactly is wrong with Kenneth and why is it ill conceived?

 

Please bear in mind that my knowledge and experience of narrowboats is very limited.

[RLWP]

For the uninitiated...what exactly is wrong with Kenneth and why is it ill conceived?

 

Please bear in mind that my knowledge and experience of narrowboats is very limited.

 

IIRC Kenneth has a diesel generator mounted in the bow, and has electric drive. The intention was to provide enough power for localised moving, not cruising.

 

I think that's right anyway

 

Richard

[koukouvagia]

For the uninitiated...what exactly is wrong with Kenneth and why is it ill conceived?

 

 

There are three features that I would consider ill-conceived. The wide Dover-type top plank, which destroys the illusion that it is a replica; the butterfly windows which you wouldn't be able to keep open in the summer if you were moving; but worst of all the location of the hydraulic pipes. These are in a very vulnerable position – just waiting to get caught when you're turning the boat in tight positions.

Also, if you want to get off at the front on the left hand side, you'll need to walk a fair distance along the gunwale. This is fine on a conventional boat but awkward when there's no handrail. I'm not sure how easy it is to get out via the forecabin. At the very least you'd have to clamber over the double bed.

 

IIRC Kenneth has a diesel generator mounted in the bow, and has electric drive. The intention was to provide enough power for localised moving, not cruising.

 

I hadn't realised it wasn't meant for cruising - just for sitting on a mooring. In which case I suppose my objections are not so valid.

[Hairy-Neil]

 

Also, if you want to get off at the front on the left hand side, you'll need to walk a fair distance along the gunwale. This is fine on a conventional boat but awkward when there's no handrail.

 

 

 

It's very bad practice to get on of off the front of a moving boat. If that's awkward to do on this boat I see this as a bonus.

[alan_fincher]

IIRC Kenneth has a diesel generator mounted in the bow, and has electric drive. The intention was to provide enough power for localised moving, not cruising.

 

I think that's right anyway

 

Richard

I think that probably just about sums up one problem area....

 

The impression given in the review was a boat that could move slowly on it's own for very local trips, but could in no way be considered a boat that it is feasible to cruise much of the system in.

 

The other problem is that it looks absolutely nothing like a butty.

 

The ridiculously short back cabin, and the "top plank" that starts to make even Dover look relatively normal, just produce this grotesque caricature of any actual boat.

 

Originally way into the £100,000 range, (even £150,000 possibly ??), for an odd looking boat you can't actually boat in.

 

I'd buy Dover in strong preference to this!.....

[WJM]

A technical question - how does a motorised butty work? Without a counter plate above the propellor does it not just suck air and go nowhere?

[pinkoi]

I think that probably just about sums up one problem area....

 

The impression given in the review was a boat that could move slowly on it's own for very local trips, but could in no way be considered a boat that it is feasible to cruise much of the system in.

 

 

Given it's essentially "a boat you can't boat in" lets hope who ever buys it has a mooring near the water point, or a long hose. Given that it has a dishwasher, an automatic washing machine and shower complimented by less than a 600 litre water tank...

 

good work!!

 

[Chalky]

IIRC Kenneth has a diesel generator mounted in the bow, and has electric drive.

 

 

Nothing wrong with the concept - the type 45 has electric drive running off diesel / gas turbine. Not as efficient as direct drive, but it does allow for a different package. For a narrow boat application a water cooled inverter running at 350V would be smaller than a breeze block. The motor would be a cylinder about 12" * 12". Interesting project, just about £5 - 7K more than a conventional setup. You'd have 100A @ 300V ish 3 phase floating around which could be interesting, especially if it was a bid damp!

[koukouvagia]

A technical question - how does a motorised butty work? Without a counter plate above the propellor does it not just suck air and go nowhere?

 

 

There is very little wash from this arrangement with the propeller in the centre of a ring. The boat handles beautifully - it's like having a giant outboard.

[alan_fincher]

The boat handles beautifully - it's like having a giant outboard.

I don't know about that. My outboard powered boat stopped rather quicker than Hampton does!

 

I agree it turns very well, though, and is no slouch in "forwards".

[Strads]

Does make you wonder at the "mind" of the person who commmisioned "kenneth"

 

On what they had in mind from the "start" and why they didnt stay with it !

 

or do we know the last part and realise they wernt CWF readers at the time!

[RLWP]

Does make you wonder at the "mind" of the person who commmisioned "kenneth"

 

On what they had in mind from the "start" and why they didnt stay with it !

 

or do we know the last part and realise they wernt CWF readers at the time!

 

IIRC she was part of a pair

 

Richard

[Hairy-Neil]

 

The other problem is that it looks absolutely nothing like a butty.

 

The ridiculously short back cabin, and the "top plank" that starts to make even Dover look relatively normal, just produce this grotesque caricature of any actual boat.

 

 

 

As modern boats go I don't dislike this one. I'll save your terminology for 'Anne'....

 

clicky

[carlt]

As modern boats go I don't dislike this one. I'll save your terminology for 'Anne'....

 

clicky

A bizarre butty/tug hybrid.....a Buggy?

[deletedaccount]

Unless you're extremely short you're going to get a terrible nights sleep in any of those beds.

 

5ft 11in x 4ft 3in perm cross bed;

5ft 8in x 2ft 6in perm single

5ft 3in x 2ft 0in guest single;

6ft 0in x 2ft 1in (tapering) single in bmc extends to 2ft 7in wide

 

Ok, so I could fit in the BMC, but still...

 

...only just. A 6ft bed is no good for anyone 5ft8 or bigger imo.