I Found a Boat. Anyone got info on ex hire CanalBoat Club

[Terryb]

Well guys, the looking is nearly over. After spending many, many hours surfing the interweb thingy and visiting marinas. I think my search is nearly over. I was told a couple of years back, that when I get on board the "right boat" I will know. Well, I am pretty excited about how I feel now, after viewing several CanalBoat Club, vessels. I think I have found what I have been looking for, with one exception. None of them have a wood burner, which I just have to have.

My main questions are though, anyone got any experience of these boats, ie. Build Quality longevity, post rental condition etc. Are they selling for a reason ?

Also, is it quite a straight forward job to fit a wood burner in.

[Athy]

I have not owned one but have taken a keen interest in them lately as I have been considering buying one. I assume that you are talking about either a 45 or 55 foot boat built by South West Durham Steelcraft? If not, excuse me and read no further.

 

They are usually considered to be well built, and the ones I have looked at appear to be well fitted out with ample mod cons such as microwave, hip bath, and the big bedroom at the pointy end. They will also, as ex-hire or ex-timeshare boats, have been regularly maintained. They are being sold off, I think, because most of them are now around 12 years old, which is elderly for a hire boat.

 

As for wood burning stoves, I agree with you entirely. Looking at the layout, it should not be hard in the 55 foot model. In the 45 footer you would have to jiggle the seating around, as the only logical place for the stove would be between the galley and the saloon - but I have seen one for sale in which this had been done, by removing the fixed L shaped seating and substituting free-standing armchairs.

 

Is it one the ones currently advertised on Apollo Duck, being sold by ABC Leisure?

[frangar]

I'm not sure they were blacked as often as they might have been...the ones I've seen lifted at Debdale didn't exactly have a lot of paint left on the hull....or anodes in a a few cases....they also seem not to go slowly anywhere...I've seen them regularly black smoking across the leicester summit.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

Edited to add.

 

Due to the lack of bow doors you won't be able to get out in a narrow lock if for some reason the rear exit is blocked.....not a great design!

Edited December 24, 2014 by frangar

[Athy]

Due to the lack of bow doors you won't be able to get out in a narrow lock if for some reason the rear exit is blocked.....not a great design!

Not so, though that has been claimed. The boats have a twin side hatch towards the bow; above this is a lifting flap/ cover/ bit of roof through which people can get out. If you look at Lady Dubois, the second one down on Apollo Duck's list of SW Durham boats, one of the photos clearly shows this feature.

 

Terry, the next one down the list, the 55-footer African Queen, has a stove, though it looks like a diesel one. This boat looks as if it may have been built for a private buyer as some of its interior is quite non-standard.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Athy

[Boatingbiker]

South West Durham did build boats for the CanalBoat Club, as we often recognize them on our travels when compared to our boat.

 

When we have had work carried out (re-paint only) the boat yard commented upon the fact that they were well built. Ours, a 56ft model has a Lockmaster oil fired boiler coupled to radiators, and once fired up works well (too well at time when 35 deg C has been recorded in the cabin !)The advantage over solid fuel is no ash to clear up or solid fuel to carry on board. But we are all different. Pump out loo -oh shouldn't of mentioned toilets on here!

 

Our engine does not emit black smoke as earlier post and we are often overtaken on the cut - perhaps we cruise at a slower speed than others LOL

 

we are delighted with our boats have made only small changes since purchase 4 years ago

 

Hope this helps

Edited December 24, 2014 by Boatingbiker

[john6767]

Not an ex-Canal Time/Canal Boat Club one, but our boat is a 50ft trad shell built but SW Durham and fitted out by CV Marine, the same as the Canal Time ones are. Ours has a Beta 35 engine, which I think most of the hire cruiser stern ones do as well. As ours is a trad it has a different layout to the ex-hire ones, but things like the kitchen is recognisable as the same as ours.

 

I feel ours is well built (and so did the surveyor when we bought it), and from an engineering perspective has all the right stuff well executed (they built lots of boats in their time). What it does lack is finesse in the steel work, and in our case a bad paint job (getting repainted next year at only 10 years old). The fit-out is well thought out, and likewise has all the right stuff, but again perhaps lacks some finesse. They are a budget boat for sure, but I am very pleased with ours which we have had for almost 5 years now with little trouble (touch wood).

 

Ours goes well enough (cough), but no block smoke, it is a Beta engine, they seem to just work well.

 

One comment on "African Queen" as mentioned above, that does not look like a CV Marine fit-out to me, perhaps that is a good or a bad thing I don't know, but just an observation.

Edited December 24, 2014 by john6767

[Athy]

One comment on "African Queen" as mentioned above, that does not look like a CV Marine fit-out to me, perhaps that is a good or a bad thing I don't know, but just an observation.

 

 

Yes, either privately built, or perhaps sold out of hire service a while ago and refitted by or for the current owner.

[frangar]

The black smoke comment was because they mainly seemed to go everywhere flat out! Often the rear fender was underwater!....they weren't loved and cared for by the hirers or the owners.

 

And I'm not sure about getting out via a hatch above the doors either unless you are of a very thin athletic build!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Graham Davis]

We had a CanalTime boat for 2 weeks when our Shareboat had an engine problem and to be honest we were quite pleased with it.

Fit out was adequate and suitable for hard use by hirers, but could probably be easily modified for a live aboard, mainly in the seating area.

Engine was more than adequate on the Severn upstream.

We liked the large bedroom at the front, but if we had one would fit a window in the front bulkhead.

You can get out of the front side doors when in a lock; as has been said there is a top flap and this "just" gives room, plus there is a Houdini in the kitchen.

In 2 weeks we did Streethay, Great Haywood, Stourport, Worcester and were then intending to go up the W & B and back to Streethay but they closed the W & B due to a lock problem, so we returned to Stourport and went back via the 21 and Central Birmingham. The lock keeper at Diglis was most surprised to see a CT boat!!

[Terryb]

I have not owned one but have taken a keen interest in them lately as I have been considering buying one. I assume that you are talking about either a 45 or 55 foot boat built by South West Durham Steelcraft? If not, excuse me and read no further.

 

They are usually considered to be well built, and the ones I have looked at appear to be well fitted out with ample mod cons such as microwave, hip bath, and the big bedroom at the pointy end. They will also, as ex-hire or ex-timeshare boats, have been regularly maintained. They are being sold off, I think, because most of them are now around 12 years old, which is elderly for a hire boat.

 

As for wood burning stoves, I agree with you entirely. Looking at the layout, it should not be hard in the 55 foot model. In the 45 footer you would have to jiggle the seating around, as the only logical place for the stove would be between the galley and the saloon - but I have seen one for sale in which this had been done, by removing the fixed L shaped seating and substituting free-standing armchairs.

 

Is it one the ones currently advertised on Apollo Duck, being sold by ABC Leisure?

Great work Athy, yes I was looking at Ms Duboi though thought it may be just on the small side. there were 3 others almost identical at 55 feet, like you mentioned, all with no front doors. That causes me no problem, as even I could manage to sort that if needed. I just felt immediately at home on them as most I have been on make me wonder where to store anything.

They do have side hatches, one I looked at had a glass houdini in the galley which I liked big time.

The main thing was that they all seemed to be structurally very solid.

Ooooh !! I cant wait for the money to drop through my door.

House sold, most of legalities are done, not long now.

[Sea Dog]

I've noticed these boats often, though not necassarily for the same reasons as you I reckon they must be built like brick outhouses and be fitted with buldozer engines, so you may well be onto a good thing caring for one of these old warhorses through its retirement. My tips would be to fit an adjustable throttle where the ON/OFF switch was and make sure you have enough money left for some kind of a repaint - even if it's only to signwrite a very big EX in front of CanalBoat Club!

 

Best of luck with your purchase, I hope you get a good 'un.

 

 

 

 

Edited to correct CanalBoat Club.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Sea Dog

[Athy]

My tips would be to fit an adjustable throttle where the ON/OFF switch was

Ooh, you cynical Dog, you! Have a greeno for the funniest post of the day (maybe even of the week, gosh).

[Terryb]

Ooh, you cynical Dog, you! Have a greeno for the funniest post of the day (maybe even of the week, gosh).

Ditto. Made me laugh too.