Fibreglass narrowboat... ?

[OldGoat]

Thanks for all your help everyone, we've held off for now, having to reconsider a few things.

 

 

Perhaps if you would list your requirements on here, you'd be overwhelmed with suggestions and caveats - eve if you ignored them it would be parth of the learning curve. For example:-

 

Layout - bedrooms -where kitchen - where

Space

Kitchen - cooker, sink

Style, liveaboard, cruising, holidays, CC

Energy resources - shore connected, generate your own, solar panels, live by candlelight

Number of occupants.

What attracts you to a boat, pretty inside, practicality, durability.

 

I could go on.

Make a list, voice your concerns, ask for help. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know"

[Tam & Di]

Sorry I should have either described it better or linked the ad. Hastily posting this morning at work!

 

Anywho, it looks like this: http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=268656ℑ=1

 

It's really lovely inside.

 

I see it has single birth beds - OK as long as you don't anticipate ever having twins.

[MtB]

I must say, it looks like a steel hull in the tiny photo with a fibreglass top.

 

Even so, the price is ludicrous no matter how nice inside. The mooring is of virtually zero value as you can probably be given one month's notice to leave at any time by the marina. You can buy a very nice all steel narrowboat the same size for £30k, which will hold it's value well.

 

To answer your question about whether it will be easy to sell on, the answer is YES, for about £5k.

 

MtB

[jeremymead]

I designed and built the Fibreline narrowboats for 25 to 55 ft. if i can help

[Captain Fizz]

A fibreglass hull from 1969 could well have problems with osmosis.

[Staarek]

It looks like Dobson, have you got a link to the actual ad?

[Phil Ambrose]

 

Wrong. Antifoul is used inland and on canals.

 

We know a lady who owns and lives on a fibreglass narrowboat. She loves it. It was cheap to buy and is proving to be cheap to run and maintain.

 

When you come to sell it price it right (if you bought it cheap sell it cheap) and there won't be a problem.

 

Osmosis can be a concern on older grp boats but shouldn't be a major concern. It can be locally treated.

 

We own a grp cruiser and don't worry about osmosis although ours is only a ten year old hull.

Phylis is right, antifoul IS used on inland waterways, NBs are only "blacked" to stop them rusting. As for Osmosis any boat with Osmosis will likely outlive the owner. My previous boat that we lived was GRP and built in 1981, free from Osmosis.

Having said that a GRP NB is not a sort after build and selling it on would be harder than a steel build.

Phil

[Athy]

I designed and built the Fibreline narrowboats for 25 to 55 ft. if i can help

Welcome Jeremy - though you could be a year too late, we have not heard from Lily for that long now.

When did you produce these boats, and how many did you make?

[alan_fincher]

It looks like Dobson, have you got a link to the actual ad?

Over a year later, probably not!

[Phil Ambrose]

A fibreglass hull from 1969 could well have problems with osmosis.

Why?

Phil

[Naughty Cal]

A fibreglass hull from 1969 could well have problems with osmosis.

It could equally not.

 

Osmosis isn't really of detriment to GRP boats. They will all get it eventually.

 

Depending on the extent it can be treated DIY or just left if the boat value doesn't warrant spending many thousands on a professional repair.

[Staarek]

Over a year later, probably not!

Only noticed the date now... It's a shame though as I would really like to see some more details.

[Neil2]

If anyone wants a grp narrowboat there is one of those boats Morgan Giles built for BW back in the 60's on Toilet Duck at the moment. He started it at £35,000 and a few years back he might have got it too, but it's now £26,000.

[alan_fincher]

If anyone wants a grp narrowboat there is one of those boats Morgan Giles built for BW back in the 60's on Toilet Duck at the moment. He started it at £35,000 and a few years back he might have got it too, but it's now £26,000.

Ducky linky.

 

You'll need to be able to turn your computer screen on it's side, (or even fully upside down), to really appreciate the boat, though!

[ditchcrawler]

I designed and built the Fibreline narrowboats for 25 to 55 ft. if i can help

This posting is from February last year

[kevinl]

I always liked these as a compromise between a narrowboat and GRP compromise

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Highbridge-crusader-/221365511976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item338a69a728

[cereal tiller]

I always liked these as a compromise between a narrowboat and GRP compromise

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Highbridge-crusader-/221365511976?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item338a69a728

Those Highbridge boats are nice looking.

 

I have wondered why the did not make a longer version?

 

CT

[Neil2]

Those Highbridge boats are nice looking.

 

I have wondered why the did not make a longer version?

 

CT

The Highbridge range was the brainchild of Bob Smith an ex Dawncraft employee who bought a number of moulds when Dawncraft went under in the 1970's. The most popular 32 foot Highbridge was basically a Dawncraft Rover reborn. Some of them had inboard engines though most are o/b powered. To make a longer version would have meant creating new moulds and I guess they didn't think it was worth the investment.

 

Also at the time Dawncraft went bust a lot of grp makers were struggling because the oil crisis had forced resin prices through the roof, so a big grp cruiser would have been an expensive gamble.

 

The classic Morgan Giles 40 foot cruiser was built in the 60's and the lay up on them is apparently massive, they say you could put one on wheels and use it as a tank.

 

I'm sure if someone produced a 45 maybe 50 foot grp narrowboat today there would be a market, but it still wouldn't be big enough to warrant all the investment that goes into producing grp craft.

 

I wonder, apart from the Viking is there is a narrow beam cruiser of any length still in production?

[Naughty Cal]

There's a couple of those on the Fossdyke at the minute. Interesting boats.

[carlt]

Dawncraft decided that their 38 footer was the limit a conventional GRP cruiser could be stretched and the kink in the roof of any existing Dawncraft 38, at the 32 feet mark, is evidence that they had over guesstimated.

 

I put a bulkhead into someone's 38 footer, to firm up the roof at the hogging point but I don't know if it worked.

[jeremymead]

The Highbridge range was the brainchild of Bob Smith an ex Dawncraft employee who bought a number of moulds when Dawncraft went under in the 1970's. The most popular 32 foot Highbridge was basically a Dawncraft Rover reborn. Some of them had inboard engines though most are o/b powered. To make a longer version would have meant creating new moulds and I guess they didn't think it was worth the investment.

 

Also at the time Dawncraft went bust a lot of grp makers were struggling because the oil crisis had forced resin prices through the roof, so a big grp cruiser would have been an expensive gamble.

 

The classic Morgan Giles 40 foot cruiser was built in the 60's and the lay up on them is apparently massive, they say you could put one on wheels and use it as a tank.

 

I'm sure if someone produced a 45 maybe 50 foot grp narrowboat today there would be a market, but it still wouldn't be big enough to warrant all the investment that goes into producing grp craft.

 

I wonder, apart from the Viking is there is a narrow beam cruiser of any length still in production?

 

[jeremymead]

Fibreline made two boats at 55ft three at 45 and one at 30ft then was sold and mothballed. 55ft unit was the longest possible at the time and was a record. The one in the photo in this article was the first produced. It's hull is 32 mm thick including 2layers of Kevlar. The structure has ribs and bulkheads . The hull shape has a chine and was more stable than a steel boat with a flat bottom. The drive system made it able to steer in reverse, sto wit hint half it's length. It never took off. Dawn craft,and I had one, hull is less than 10mm thick and always failed in going over 30 ft.

One day hopefully someone will produce a new fibreglass narrowboat. If I had the monies to do so I would.

Ambition was mine it is still registered I would like to now where she is, and the others too

The likelihood of osmosis was taken seriously in production process and I think it not a problem. Gel coats do need attending after 20 years so can be seen, but that's just a paint job.

Would like to hear from you as to the whereabouts of the 7 boats built?

[Richard T]

I Think that two are in the Loughborough area, one on the CRT moorings at Bishops Meadow and the other on private moorings between Mountsorrel and Barrow. I'll take photos next time I go past them.

[jeremymead]

Dawncraft decided that their 38 footer was the limit a conventional GRP cruiser could be stretched and the kink in the roof of any existing Dawncraft 38, at the 32 feet mark, is evidence that they had over guesstimated.

 

I put a bulkhead into someone's 38 footer, to firm up the roof at the hogging point but I don't know if it worked.

Think out of the box, I know

[cereal tiller]

Fibreline made two boats at 55ft three at 45 and one at 30ft then was sold and mothballed. 55ft unit was the longest possible at the time and was a record. The one in the photo in this article was the first produced. It's hull is 32 mm thick including 2layers of Kevlar. The structure has ribs and bulkheads . The hull shape has a chine and was more stable than a steel boat with a flat bottom. The drive system made it able to steer in reverse, sto wit hint half it's length. It never took off. Dawn craft,and I had one, hull is less than 10mm thick and always failed in going over 30 ft.

One day hopefully someone will produce a new fibreglass narrowboat. If I had the monies to do so I would.

Ambition was mine it is still registered I would like to now where she is, and the others too

The likelihood of osmosis was taken seriously in production process and I think it not a problem. Gel coats do need attending after 20 years so can be seen, but that's just a paint job.

Would like to hear from you as to the whereabouts of the 7 boats built?

The 32 mm lay up is unusual,seems excessive for such a lightweight boat?

 

Why Kevlar,not usual with polyester resin and glass mat/cloth ?

 

CT