Proper Boatbuilders?

[Worlock]

Hi

I currently own a Stowe Hill Marine narrowboat (1988), I am possibly looking at another boat, the builders are listed as 'Proper Boatbuilders', I can't find any info on them, anybody heard of them?

Thanks for your help

[magnetman]

Hello

 

It sounds like a joke but surely they just mean the boat was built by 'proper boatbuilders' ie not just a steel tube/box manufacturer like Liverpool boats or that sort of thing.

 

Perhaps a solid boat like a Les Allen or something. depends rather on the age of the boat, I am not convinced there are many 'proper boatbuilders' about although I'm sure some people will point some out.

 

I don't think its a company name but it could be

Do you have more of the advert text ?

[Paul C]

I'd not want a solid boat, we have a hollow one and the air in the middle, apparently, really helps towards it being able to float.

[magnetman]

[Grace and Favour]

Welcome to the forum Worlock,

 

If you have the boat's registration number, you could look it up on the Jim-Shead register of boats page here

[RLWP]

Naturally, there are no boatbuilders called 'proper' in that list

 

Richard

[magnetman]

Is it just me or is the first post of this thread actually very funny

[Boat&Bikes]

Hello

 

It sounds like a joke but surely they just mean the boat was built by 'proper boatbuilders' ie not just a steel tube/box manufacturer like Liverpool boats or that sort of thing.

 

Perhaps a solid boat like a Les Allen or something. depends rather on the age of the boat, I am not convinced there are many 'proper boatbuilders' about although I'm sure some people will point some out.

 

I don't think its a company name but it could be :unsure:Do you have more of the advert text ?

When you slag off Liverpool boats etc is there a reason or just some kind of snobbery I dont get?

 

Ian

[magnetman]

I don't think they can be described as 'proper boatbuilders'

 

If you think that's slagging them off sorry but it wasn't meant to be.

and its not a snob thing either, its a boat thing

[Traveller]

For some reason Liverpool Boats seem to have become the modern day Springer. I know not why though as they seem ok to me. But that is just imo.

[Boat&Bikes]

I don't think they can be described as 'proper boatbuilders'

 

If you think that's slagging them off sorry but it wasn't meant to be.and its not a snob thing either, its a boat thing

It sounds like slagging off but happy that its not. Dont understand about not being proper boats though? They float and move and steer on water so thats a boat yes?

[alan_fincher]

This one?

 

Linky

[RLWP]

When you slag off Liverpool boats etc is there a reason or just some kind of snobbery I dont get?

 

Ian

 

I think there are a couple of things in play here. Liverpool built a lot of boats - lots and lots. This brings the comparison with Springer - there are lots and lots of those too

 

Because they built lots and lots, some of them will have had problems - it's just inevitable. No-one talks about the ones that don't have problems, only the ones that do. So Liverpool boats start to collect stories based on a tiny percentage of the boats built.

 

We all have our pet Liverpool boat stories, usually picked up second, third, fourth or fifth hand and embroidered along the way. I have two, one of which I know to be true as it happened on the boat belonging to our neighbour on our mooring

 

Richard

Richard

[Athy]

It was only when we sold Batto, our Liverpool-shell previous boat, that we found out that the side deck, or gunwale, or whatever it may be called, was an inch wider on one side of the boat than on the other. But the fact that we never twigged that during the four years that we owned her shows what a minor blemish it was.

[RLWP]

I now have three stories...

 

Richard

[Worlock]

Wow, some very amusing answers, brilliant , I soooo wish I had read my original post twice!!

Yes, alan_fincher, it is the boat you've found on the link.

 

Thank you Grace and Favour, I'll get the boat reg and do as you suggest.

 

I have been very happy with my current boat, so I don't want to make a bad move!

[RLWP]

Wow, some very amusing answers, brilliant , I soooo wish I had read my original post twice!!

Yes, alan_fincher, it is the boat you've found on the link.

 

Thank you Grace and Favour, I'll get the boat reg and do as you suggest.

 

I have been very happy with my current boat, so I don't want to make a bad move!

 

You can search based on the boat name and builder too - Mister P was built by Canalcraft:

 

 

Mister P - Built by Canalcraft - Length 15.113 metres ( 49 feet 7 inches ) - Beam 2.13 metres ( 7 feet ) - Draft 0.61 ( 2 feet ). Metal hull, power of 180 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 74885 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on Wednesday 22nd May 2013.

 

 

Richard

Edited April 10, 2014 by RLWP

[MtB]

 

I think there are a couple of things in play here. Liverpool built a lot of boats - lots and lots. This brings the comparison with Springer - there are lots and lots of those too

 

Because they built lots and lots, some of them will have had problems - it's just inevitable. No-one talks about the ones that don't have problems, only the ones that do. So Liverpool boats start to collect stories based on a tiny percentage of the boats built.

 

We all have our pet Liverpool boat stories, usually picked up second, third, fourth or fifth hand and embroidered along the way. I have two, one of which I know to be true as it happened on the boat belonging to our neighbour on our mooring

 

Richard

Richard

 

I have direct experience of a fair number of brand new Liverpool boats.

 

I used to do the pre-delivery gas inspections on them for New Boat Co when they were flogging two or three a week from their Reading office at Thames and kennet.

 

These PDI gas inspections were very important as I never saw a single Liverpool boat out of the dozens I checked with a safe-to-use gas installation straight out of the factory. I was finding major faults like compression rings missing from fittings. Multiple large leaks, not minor stuff. And while I was spending (often considerable time) making them safe to hand over, each boat was usually full of other tradesmen fixing other things at the same time. And all this was before the handover, when the customer got a chance to compile their own snagging list.

 

The quality of all the Liverpool boats I worked on was appalling straight from the factory. Second hand ones, like second hand houses, have had the problems mostly ironed out by the owners.

 

 

MtB

[Proper Job]

Mister P - Built by Canalcraft - Length 15.113 metres ( 49 feet 7 inches ) - Beam 2.13 metres ( 7 feet ) - Draft 0.61 ( 2 feet ). Metal hull, power of 180 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 74885 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on Wednesday 22nd May 2013.

 

180 BHP from a 1.5 Thornycroft is quite impressive too.

 

You just gotta love imported data

[SamKingfisher]

Important with Liverpool to distinguish between hulls and fit outs. I think the fit outs cut a lot of corners (price thing) the hulls not so much. Also I believe there was a bad period maybe late 80s?

 

There are three circa 2000s Liverpool shells on my mooring - all seem v solid and swim well.

[StephenA]

Mister P - Built by Canalcraft - Length 15.113 metres ( 49 feet 7 inches ) - Beam 2.13 metres ( 7 feet ) - Draft 0.61 ( 2 feet ). Metal hull, power of 180 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 74885 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on Wednesday 22nd May 2013.

 

180 BHP from a 1.5 Thornycroft is quite impressive too.

 

You just gotta love imported data

 

You've got to love the original data in the first place .... the raw data I have has 180 as the power output.

[Worlock]

Hi, thanks for your help, really grateful

[magnetman]

I imagine someone put in 1800 (cc) and the data input was slightly incorrect losing a 0.

 

So was 'canalcraft' a proper boat builder?

 

Or did they have bolt-on rudder blades

[RLWP]

Canal Craft still trade: http://www.scanalcraft.co.uk/

 

Richard

[Neil2]

It's a pity they didn't get a Proper Photographer to take the pictures.

 

Actually, this looks like an interesting boat. I suspect Proper Boatbuilders is the name used by the fitter out who may have been a skilled amateur or a short lived professional. The Alde central heating 240v electrics 3x beds and pump out loo suggest ex-hire boat, but my money would be on a high quality DIY fitout by someone who knew exactly what they wanted.

 

There are probably some documents to give more clues as to its provenance. Thorneycroft 1.5 and Aquadrive is a nice combination and she looks to have a seriously long swim.