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Viewing two boats this weekend!

Lmcgrath87

By Lmcgrath87
in New to Boating?

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Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

Posted
Posted

As no-one has spelled it out, these are the things that make a 'good' shell:

 

(Or a list of filters to save wasting your time looking at junk.)

 

 

1) Builder. Only view boats with shells built by recognised and well regarded builders. (There are exceptions to this but as a newbie I suggest you don't take the risk.)

 

2) Age. The younger the better. (and overplating does NOT make an old shell equivalent to a younger one).

 

3) Cabin will be steel not wood or fibreglass

 

4) Steel thicknesses. A 'decent' hull will have been crafted from 10mm steel for the baseplate and 8mm steel for the hull sides. Cabin thicknesses are less important but best to be at least 5mm sides and 4mm roof.

 

5) Engine. Not strictly part of a 'good' hull but hard and expensive to change. BMC in an older boat is hard to fault. Perkins as said above, why, when a BMC is better on so many fronts? Or Beta and Isuzu are good choices too. Old air cooled Listers best avoided, as are vintage engines and anything inappropriate for a NB e.g. Volvo, Ford.

 

 

Just written in a hurry of the top of my head. Others will no doubt add to it/pick it apart biggrin.png

 

 

MtB

Why 8mm hull sides? Why "at least" 5mm for the cabin sides?

 

In any case I think it's over simplistic to talk about minimum specs, a 10mm hull with 4mm pitting is no better than a 6mm hull with no pits. Condition is all that matters and that entirely depends on how the boat has been used and looked after. Some will say a 10mm baseplate allows a greater margin of error, I don't see that as necessarily a good thing.

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
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Okay. Its a 46ft 97 South west Durham steelcraft and drotwich boat builders. Cruiser stern, Lister engine. Beautiful. We love it.

 

We seriously looked at these a couple of years ago (BWML at Sawley had several that had just come off a hire fleet). I just could not see the front bed arrangement working for us as there was no access to the bow.

 

The only way you get around to the bow was to go ashore and then back onto the bow, or walk along the gunnels.

 

Maybe "your" boat has been modified but if not, just think carefully how it may work for you.

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Paul C Veteran II

Paul C

Posted
Posted

Why 8mm hull sides? Why "at least" 5mm for the cabin sides?

 

In any case I think it's over simplistic to talk about minimum specs, a 10mm hull with 4mm pitting is no better than a 6mm hull with no pits. Condition is all that matters and that entirely depends on how the boat has been used and looked after. Some will say a 10mm baseplate allows a greater margin of error, I don't see that as necessarily a good thing.

 

I always had in mind that the most common spec was 10/6/4 up until a few years ago (ie 10mm base, 6mm sides, 4mm roof). More recently, 10/6/5/4 is gaining popularity (10mm base, 6mm hull sides up to gunnels, 5mm sides cabin top, 4mm roof). I can only assume that the reduction of cabin sides from 6mm to 5mm was for stability reasons?

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Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

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Posted

 

We seriously looked at these a couple of years ago (BWML at Sawley had several that had just come off a hire fleet). I just could not see the front bed arrangement working for us as there was no access to the bow.

 

The only way you get around to the bow was to go ashore and then back onto the bow, or walk along the gunnels.

 

Maybe "your" boat has been modified but if not, just think carefully how it may work for you.

So is it one of those "Canaltime" boats then?

 

I thought they all had Beta engines.

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dave moore Influencer

dave moore

Posted
Posted

Are you sure about 6mm cabin sides? Working in the business, I can't recall one, but I could be wrong. The greater the thickness of cabin side, the less need for bracing and attendant blemishes/ripples on it.

 

Dave

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The Pipe Rising Star

The Pipe

Posted
Posted

 

I always had in mind that the most common spec was 10/6/4 up until a few years ago (ie 10mm base, 6mm sides, 4mm roof). More recently, 10/6/5/4 is gaining popularity (10mm base, 6mm hull sides up to gunnels, 5mm sides cabin top, 4mm roof). I can only assume that the reduction of cabin sides from 6mm to 5mm was for stability reasons?

Never heard of 6mm cabin sides 10/6/4 is 10mm base 6mm hull side and 4mm cabin (side and top).

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bottle Veteran II

bottle

Posted
Posted

Birmingham Square style boats..... were they lacking tumble home too?

 

I don't think so, mine has a 'normal' tumble home, the square relates to the hull up to gunwale.

 

My shell 2009 is 10,6,5,4.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

I thought the current 'industry standard' (if there is such a thing) was 6mm sides?

 

Colecraft make their sides from 6mm steel for example, and they're generally considered decent quality.

 

My Liverpool boat is 10:6:5:5 (baseplate, sides, cabin sides, roof).

 

Which builders of narrowboats are using 8mm steel for the sides?

 

 

Yes perfectly correct. Told you I wrote that post in one helluva hurry!

 

MtB

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

Mr. Boiler, did I really read your post right? Avoid vintage engines?? Why, so that there are more of them left for you???

 

No, we were discussing what makes a 'good shell' for a newbie to buy as a first boat.

 

I'm more than a bit worried that the OP has offered on a boat with a Lister... Which Lister exactly? Water cooled Canalstar is fine, earlier air cooled are not nice to live with as a liveaboard.

 

MtB

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Southern Star Experienced

Southern Star

Posted
Posted

Yes.

Many are now building with 12mm base plate and sometimes thicker.

But why? My boat has an 8mm base plate, is 28 years old, and when surveyed 5 months ago showed maximum pitting of 0.5 mm even though the base plate has never been blacked. A 12mm base plate would cost more, would use more diesel to propel, and would make the boat sit lower in the water.

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Keeping Up Veteran II

Keeping UpDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

But why? My boat has an 8mm base plate, is 28 years old, and when surveyed 5 months ago showed maximum pitting of 0.5 mm even though the base plate has never been blacked. A 12mm base plate would cost more, would use more diesel to propel, and would make the boat sit lower in the water.

 

Not necessarily. Mine is 23 years old and having a 12mm baseplate means there's no ballast required so the floor sits directly on the ribs without the need for any additional bearers. As a result it actually cost less than having a thinner baseplate, and the floor is lower so everything internal is lower which makes it more stable, plus there is more headroom despite having a lower roof than most so it fits through small tunnels and under low bridges. It doesn't sit any lower in the water and therefore doesn't use more diesel to propel it.

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