Concrete hull?

[tombom]

There's an individual selling (EDIT: it's already sold) a concrete hull narrow boat on eBay. Are they any good?

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40ft-Narrowboat-Canalboat-project-narrow-canal-boat-SORRY-SOLD-ELSEWHERE-/231547196749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e949d54d

Edited April 30, 2015 by tombom

[mrsmelly]

There's an individual selling (EDIT: it's already sold) a concrete hull narrow boat on eBay. Are they any good?

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/40ft-Narrowboat-Canalboat-project-narrow-canal-boat-SORRY-SOLD-ELSEWHERE-/231547196749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35e949d54d

 

Concrete ( Seacrete ) as often called has been used for boat hulls for many many years. There were several seagoing Yachts and lots of working barges made from the stuff and it was durable. I have never seen a narrowboat built of it but hey ho why not, they are built of dafter stuff such as aluminium.

 

Tim

[Guest]

Concrete ( Seacrete ) as often called has been used for boat hulls for many many years. There were several seagoing Yachts and lots of working barges made from the stuff and it was durable. I have never seen a narrowboat built of it but hey ho why not, they are built of dafter stuff such as aluminium.

 

Tim

When we were kids the first boat my dad hired for a family boating holiday on the broads was a boat with a seacrete hull.

 

A Windboat 26 from Jennings at Thorpe.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Style_Details&style=Cncd

 

Being young at the time I couldn't work out how a boat made from concrete could possibly float........

[Timleech]

Concrete ( Seacrete ) as often called has been used for boat hulls for many many years. There were several seagoing Yachts and lots of working barges made from the stuff and it was durable. I have never seen a narrowboat built of it but hey ho why not, they are built of dafter stuff such as aluminium.

 

Tim

One of my first jobs on the dry dock, in the late 1960s, was to repair a hole in the bows of a concrete pleasure narrow boat, I was told it had struck a discarded safe in th BCN.

 

 

Tim

[bargemast]

When we were kids the first boat my dad hired for a family boating holiday on the broads was a boat with a seacrete hull.

 

A Windboat 26 from Jennings at Thorpe.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Style_Details&style=Cncd

 

Being young at the time I couldn't work out how a boat made from concrete could possibly float........

 

2 of these boats with a few other ex-Broads boat came to France in the early 80's, and there's one of these seacrete boats abandonned about 60km from here on a canal.

 

Peter.

Edited April 30, 2015 by bargemast

[Naughty Cal]

When we were kids the first boat my dad hired for a family boating holiday on the broads was a boat with a seacrete hull.

 

A Windboat 26 from Jennings at Thorpe.

 

http://www.broads.org.uk/wiki/index.php5?title=Style_Details&style=Cncd

 

Being young at the time I couldn't work out how a boat made from concrete could possibly float........

There is one of those boats on the Lincoln Boat Club moorings.

 

Not the best picture but it is the boat to Naughty-Cal's starboard.

 

[cotswoldsman]

Just go down to Purton if you want to see how long concrete hulls last

 

 

http://johnsloan.squarespace.com/diary/2010/7/27/purton-boat-graveyard-26-july-2010.html

[Athy]

Being young at the time I couldn't work out how a boat made from concrete could possibly float........

I thought similarly when I was on the Trent & Mersey and saw a sign proclaiming "Stone Boatbuilders".

When I visited the Gloucester boat museum some years ago there was a concrete barge there. I think it was of WW2 vintage.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Athy

[cotswoldsman]

I thought similarly when I was on the Trent & Mersey and saw a sign proclaiming "Stone Boatbuilders".

When I visited the Gloucester boat museum some years ago there was a concrete barge there. I think it was of WW2 vintage.

Yes built in WW2 when there was a shortage of steel

[Guest]

Yes built in WW2 when there was a shortage of steel

As of course was the Mulberry floating harbour constructed and used for the D Day landings.

 

The remains of which can still be seen today.

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_harbour

 

It strikes me a boat so constructed would be durable but given Tim's comment perhaps more susceptible to impact damage??

[RLWP]

I worked on a boat very similar to the one in the advert. The local boatyard wouldn't dry dock it as they couldn't be sure what would happen to the hull

 

Richard

[John V]

large numbers of vessels were built of concrete during WW1 some of them surprisingly large coasters. They are far far tougher than most people seem to believe. Many concrete dumb barges can be found incorporated into sea walls and other coastal works.

[magictime]

We were considering one of these a few years back but I think there was some sort of question mark over getting insurance. I forget the details now, but probably worth checking before taking the plunge.

[Naughty Cal]

We were considering one of these a few years back but I think there was some sort of question mark over getting insurance. I forget the details now, but probably worth checking before taking the plunge.

Getting insurance cant be that difficult judging by the numbers still in use!

[X Alan W]

 

Concrete ( Seacrete ) as often called has been used for boat hulls for many many years. There were several seagoing Yachts and lots of working barges made from the stuff and it was durable. I have never seen a narrowboat built of it but hey ho why not, they are built of dafter stuff such as aluminium.

 

Tim

IIRC Davisons advertised Secrete hulled narrow beam boats for sale in the late 60's

Edited May 2, 2015 by X Alan W

[Stilllearning]

Just go down to Purton if you want to see how long concrete hulls last

 

 

http://johnsloan.squarespace.com/diary/2010/7/27/purton-boat-graveyard-26-july-2010.html

A fantastic link to a story I had all but forgotten, thanks.

[nebulae]

There is a concrete narrow boat hull used as bank protection somewhere. I saw it recently,I think it is on the Birmingham and Fazely Canal,cant remember exactly where. Was another one at the museum at Gloucester. These are narrow boats not barges. Interesting to know if they were ever used/how succesfull they were.

[Jim Riley]

There was one in the Hebden Bridge area a few years ago, don't know where now.

[Keeping Up]

I believe that Concoform Marine were so named because they made them. Before I knew that I'd always thought it sounded like a brand name for a Sailor's contraceptive.

[Rose Narrowboats]

I believe that Concoform Marine were so named because they made them. Before I knew that I'd always thought it sounded like a brand name for a Sailor's contraceptive.

They were - Concoform originally made concrete piling, beams etc, and later built some concrete barges for use on the Thames.

 

Norman Clarke showed me an old brochure of theirs once covering the piling and such - I think it was 1930s, so no barges at that point.

[cuthound]

We hired from Concoform Marine once in the 80's. I recall that their brochure gave a bit about their history, and as Rose Narrow boats says, it showed pumped concrete systems for pilings etc, no mention of concrete boats in it though.

[ValandPete]

We had a share in a concrete hull 42' narrowboat named Jim Hawkins in 70's I think it was. According to listing still being licensed.

 

Val