Trying to find my old boat, please help.

[W+T]

Hi all, some few years ago, well maybe 3-4 years ago i sold a boat a much loved and i would love to find it and see if it will be for sale and maybe then purchase it back. This was the boat when i sold it

 

 

 

It is a Dalescraft 26 foot cruiser. Small rear outer deck area and the middle of the cabin slides rear wards to open up a full cockpit, i am sure it went down to Nottingham, but since then it could be anywhere. I sold it to a chap called James.

 

I am after a long haul of stress over the ;ast few years and lost my NB i am in need of starting back to square one with boating, i would love a Creighton 32 but they are scare and funds are low.

 

if anyone sees either the Calescraft or a Creighton 32 please tell.

 

many thanks

 

wayne

[Guest]

Hi all, some few years ago, well maybe 3-4 years ago i sold a boat a much loved and i would love to find it and see if it will be for sale and maybe then purchase it back. This was the boat when i sold it

 

 

 

It is a Dalescraft 26 foot cruiser. Small rear outer deck area and the middle of the cabin slides rear wards to open up a full cockpit, i am sure it went down to Nottingham, but since then it could be anywhere. I sold it to a chap called James.

 

I am after a long haul of stress over the ;ast few years and lost my NB i am in need of starting back to square one with boating, i would love a Creighton 32 but they are scare and funds are low.

 

if anyone sees either the Calescraft or a Creighton 32 please tell.

 

many thanks

 

wayne

 

Canal plan's boat listing shows one boat with that name currently listed but the description doesn't match. The name could of course have been changed or it may be out the water and unlicensed.

 

Tickey Built by Floating Homes Ltd - Length : 12.446 metres ( 40 feet 10 inches ) - Beam : 2.083 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft : 0.457 ( 1 foot 6 inches ). Metal hull . Registered with Canal & River Trust number 510379 as a Motor Boat. ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 )

 

ed. should have added that I hope you find it's a neat looking boat.

Edited March 28, 2015 by MJG

[W+T]

Hi Martin, when i got it had been out the water for around 18 years so probably not even now known off my the Canal plan etc. It is a 26 footer NB aswell.

 

I was on the Dawncraft Owner forum ( now shut down ) when i got it and had a full thread on there of when i got it and also chatted to a chap that knew the chap i sold it to, some 2 years he hadnt touched it much and was out of the water. Now i have no contact with anyone for the DC Owners forum members.

[W+T]

More pics

 

 

 

Reason i loved it was the small rear deck area and seperate front double berth, also the sliding roof..

[Guest]

Hi Martin, when i got it had been out the water for around 18 years so probably not even now known off my the Canal plan etc. It is a 26 footer NB aswell.

 

I was on the Dawncraft Owner forum ( now shut down ) when i got it and had a full thread on there of when i got it and also chatted to a chap that knew the chap i sold it to, some 2 years he hadnt touched it much and was out of the water. Now i have no contact with anyone for the DC Owners forum members.

 

Sorry I misunderstood and just assumed it had been put back in the water after you sold it and perhaps had been licensed then. If it is still sound it looks as if it could be made into a real nice little boat.

[Peter X]

I believe it's not unknown for people to extend boats, but will you still like it and be able to afford it if it's now 14 feet longer?

Also, will it fit on your driveway?

[W+T]

It could be on yhe water now Martin for all we know, i may not be able to afford it either but i need to know either way, cant afford much but still worth a go in finding it hey, be great to get it back. days after i sold it i was gutted, ok i tell a lie, as soon as it went off down the road on the wagon.

It could also of been extended, be a shame to though as its a rare old boat and would be great to restored to original state.

[kevinl]

I believe it's not unknown for people to extend boats, but will you still like it and be able to afford it if it's now 14 feet longer?

Also, will it fit on your driveway?

Extending it to 40 feet may be possible but changing it from GRP to "Metal hull" is a bit of a job

There's a nice looking one for sale on the link below £2,900 asking price.

K

 

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Canal-Narrow-Boats-for-sale/dalescraft-26-foot-cruiser/73534#VMlsGJTWFpba82Fj.97

[W+T]

That looks a beaut K, only other one i have ever seen and good price, shame no more pics its mad they dont make more of an effort to sell something, it is slightly over our budget aswell, saying that i need to sell my car yet to fund it so well over budget, but its going to be around £2k max.

 

Oh and extending a GRP with steel yes a big task that would be lol,

[Southern Star]

Personally...

 

I think you are dwelling in the past. I'm sure you have wonderful memories associated with this boat, but this does not necessarily translate into it being a logical decision to buy it back again.

 

For a start, it doesn't appear to have been in the water for all of the time you owned it, and for well over a decade before. So it would probably be better described as a garden ornament rather than a boat. It doesn't appear to be licensed now, and so is probably languishing in somebody's back garden, growing more and more moss by the day and becoming ever more dilapidated.

 

I'm sure that if you were to state what your budget was, we could find you a decent boat, water-ready.

 

Sorry if this sounds harsh, just saying it as I see it.

[Guest]

Personally...

 

I think you are dwelling in the past. I'm sure you have wonderful memories associated with this boat, but this does not necessarily translate into it being a logical decision to buy it back again.

 

For a start, it doesn't appear to have been in the water for all of the time you owned it, and for well over a decade before. So it would probably be better described as a garden ornament rather than a boat. It doesn't appear to be licensed now, and so is probably languishing in somebody's back garden, growing more and more moss by the day and becoming ever more dilapidated.

 

I'm sure that if you were to state what your budget was, we could find you a decent boat, water-ready.

 

Sorry if this sounds harsh, just saying it as I see it.

 

The Op has stated their budget.

That looks a beaut K, only other one i have ever seen and good price, shame no more pics its mad they dont make more of an effort to sell something, it is slightly over our budget aswell, saying that i need to sell my car yet to fund it so well over budget, but its going to be around £2k max.

 

Oh and extending a GRP with steel yes a big task that would be lol,

 

That's a shame as its a great looking boat.

[dccruiser]

Hi Martin, when i got it had been out the water for around 18 years so probably not even now known off my the Canal plan etc. It is a 26 footer NB aswell.

 

I was on the Dawncraft Owner forum ( now shut down ) when i got it and had a full thread on there of when i got it and also chatted to a chap that knew the chap i sold it to, some 2 years he hadnt touched it much and was out of the water. Now i have no contact with anyone for the DC Owners forum members.

Funnily enough i had a lot to do with that forum! it is doubtful you will find your boat again, but there are plenty to be had, i bought a creighton 32 with a perkins 4108 which had been partially stripped for £1500 , a number of unfinished dawncrafts well within your budget and a non running Nauticus that took 2 hours to fix for a grand, so take your time and keep watching ebay, gumtree and appolo duck as well as just looking around marinas and something will turn up

 

Good Luck

 

Rick

[W+T]

Personally...

 

I think you are dwelling in the past. I'm sure you have wonderful memories associated with this boat, but this does not necessarily translate into it being a logical decision to buy it back again.

 

For a start, it doesn't appear to have been in the water for all of the time you owned it, and for well over a decade before. So it would probably be better described as a garden ornament rather than a boat. It doesn't appear to be licensed now, and so is probably languishing in somebody's back garden, growing more and more moss by the day and becoming ever more dilapidated.

 

I'm sure that if you were to state what your budget was, we could find you a decent boat, water-ready.

 

Sorry if this sounds harsh, just saying it as I see it.

 

 

No not dwelling, well yes on a Dalescraft, as said they are rare and the one other posted here for sale is the only other one i have ever seen, yes loads of other boats for sale which i will have to settle for but untill then i will search for what i would prefer. Oh and harsh, its fine

 

It is a shame Martin, but hey ho poop happens, i just hope its been saved, great little boats

 

Hi rick, i remember a Rick on the forum, i had a Creighton 26 when i joined ( Me n Thee )

 

I dont hink i will find it or another but you never know, whilei am getting the funds in a month or so i may just find it/one, as you say thre are loads of boats about, not into the Dawncaft, like Burland, had a few and as you know Creightons. i have spotted a few and looking forward to getting afloat again

[dccruiser]

 

 

No not dwelling, well yes on a Dalescraft, as said they are rare and the one other posted here for sale is the only other one i have ever seen, yes loads of other boats for sale which i will have to settle for but untill then i will search for what i would prefer. Oh and harsh, its fine

 

It is a shame Martin, but hey ho poop happens, i just hope its been saved, great little boats

 

Hi rick, i remember a Rick on the forum, i had a Creighton 26 when i joined ( Me n Thee )

 

I dont hink i will find it or another but you never know, whilei am getting the funds in a month or so i may just find it/one, as you say thre are loads of boats about, not into the Dawncaft, like Burland, had a few and as you know Creightons. i have spotted a few and looking forward to getting afloat again

I do vaguely remember that name and the creighton At that time i knew a lot of people off the site as i used to repair a lot of enfield and sonic stern drives and also fitted eberspacher and webasto blown air heating to many plastic boats ... actually got a call from someone recently in yorkshire who had kept my number all these years asking if i could nip up to yorkshire to sort his drive out!

 

Rick

 

Incidentally, i do like the dalescraft, very similar to the trentcrafts dobsons used to build in shardlow.

Edited March 28, 2015 by dccruiser

[Peter X]

Oops, I never was any good at spot the difference puzzles. GRP to metal hull would of course be a conversion on the scale of Trigger's broom, but if someone had actually done that transplant I think the resulting mess of a boat would already be famous on the forum.

 

If a GRP boat sits in someone's garden gathering moss, does it actually deteriorate that much? It might look pretty shabby, but I'd imagine the GRP underneath would still be OK and that there are ways of removing moss without doing any damage? If the moss is external you could just leave it on and call it the natural look. I suppose the real deterioration would be to the engine and boat interior, not the hull.

[dccruiser]

Oops, I never was any good at spot the difference puzzles. GRP to metal hull would of course be a conversion on the scale of Trigger's broom, but if someone had actually done that transplant I think the resulting mess of a boat would already be famous on the forum.

 

If a GRP boat sits in someone's garden gathering moss, does it actually deteriorate that much? It might look pretty shabby, but I'd imagine the GRP underneath would still be OK and that there are ways of removing moss without doing any damage? If the moss is external you could just leave it on and call it the natural look. I suppose the real deterioration would be to the engine and boat interior, not the hull.

I bought a Dawncraft with 20 years of moss on it, it was on blocks with the rubbing strakes hanging off as all the screws had rotted, i cleaned the top with cream cleaner and scouring pads, filled 108 holes in the hull ... yes, i counted them! put new fenders on and toplac'd the hull scrubbed the canopy with a scrubbing brush and put new wood around the skirt, when it was finished and i brought it back down the river it looked like a new boat.

 

Rick

[W+T]

Oops, I never was any good at spot the difference puzzles. GRP to metal hull would of course be a conversion on the scale of Trigger's broom, but if someone had actually done that transplant I think the resulting mess of a boat would already be famous on the forum.

 

If a GRP boat sits in someone's garden gathering moss, does it actually deteriorate that much? It might look pretty shabby, but I'd imagine the GRP underneath would still be OK and that there are ways of removing moss without doing any damage? If the moss is external you could just leave it on and call it the natural look. I suppose the real deterioration would be to the engine and boat interior, not the hull.

 

 

All i did to this boat was a power wash to get it looking a lot better, if i got the proper polishing gear on it who knows how good it could of been, and after 18 years being stood on hard standing. its amazing how GRP boats last the harsh weather they get thrown at them.

 

On another note about Creighton, i just found a 32 that is centre cockpit with no rear sun deck, never seen one like that before.

[Naughty Cal]

I know of a Dalescraft for sale in Lincoln. The owner is looking for about £5k for it.

[W+T]

I know of a Dalescraft for sale in Lincoln. The owner is looking for about £5k for it.

 

 

Thanks Cal, well over budget though, around £2k will be better, less the better as i can and love to refurb a boat again.

[craftycarper]

Hi Wayne nice to see your back and we'll, I,m also an ex DC forum member, and remember you and tickey ,still have the same boat, 34 ft centre cockpit dawncraft, there are a few ex members kicking about on here from time to time good luck on your quest

[W+T]

Hi Wayne nice to see your back and we'll, I,m also an ex DC forum member, and remember you and tickey ,still have the same boat, 34 ft centre cockpit dawncraft, there are a few ex members kicking about on here from time to time good luck on your quest

 

Hi kida, i noticed you here and there, good to be back, had a nightmare latley and now just cruise on into the sunset lol

[CheekyMonkey84]

Doesn't look like yours but you said you wanted a cheap one! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boat-Dawncraft-Canalboat-Narrowboat-Restoration-Project-/161653397568?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a34b1840

[W+T]

Found this, he mite swap for my car, but what is it, i found from canal plan that it was built by Davison boats and is 25 foot and runs a kubota diesel engine, but what build quality were they, good solid or tissue paper.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2015 by W+T

[cuthound]

Do you know which model Kubota engine?

 

They are Japanese plant (diggers, dumper trucks etc) engines and are generally considered to be reliable.

[bizzard]

Found this, he mite swap for my car, but what is it, i found from canal plan that it was built by Davison boats and is 25 foot and runs a kubota diesel engine, but what build quality were they, good solid or tissue paper.

 

 

Davidsons Trentcraft. Inboard engine up in the bows with shafting through to the stern, some had a Petters mini 6, some are outboard driven. Foreward wheel steering. Good boats, a lot of room inside for their size. We have a derelict one here, which someone once lived on for a year.