Ex-Member Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Still looking to buy our first boat and have seen some of interest including one that has just popped up on Apollo Duck 'Maid of Oak' which is literally made of oak i.e. the hull and nicely fitted out. Anyone want to comment on pros/cons of a wooden hull? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggs Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Finding surveyors and people who know about wooden boats may be a bit tricky - possible insurance issue??? Tendency to distort over time - getting wider and not fitting in some locks - but should be OK at 6'10". May not want to lift it with a crane or pull it up a ramp - so would need to dry dock it always - certainly an issue with wooden top metal boats. But here's some more about this boat http://www.batesboatyard.co.uk/narrowboats.htm Amused by the comment in the add "modern metal does not flex" which is totally not true - you just have to specify the right type and grade. also http://wcbs.org.uk/?page_id=103 If you like it get it surveyed and buy it (well make an offer) - provided you have the income to maintain it; looks a very nice boat to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stagedamager Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) Trevor Whitling is your man to do the survey. At that age she should be relatively sound provided she has been regularly caulked and tarred. Price seems very high. Good luck! Kind regards Dan Edited September 12, 2016 by stagedamager 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Seriously diffrent animal to a steel boat, lovely to boat on and to work on, but also a hell of a lot of time and money as well once beyond design life. How simular it is to a convention wooden nb I am not sure. Equally I'm not sure what it's worth, nor how it would devalue. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) This is a new build check out bates boat yard. Its not a rebuild its compleatly new was build to compeate with the likes of new steel builds Never seen the boat so cant really coment but i bet it cost a fair bit to build when you consider most boats that need rebuilds that are wood are around the 65-100k mark Edited September 12, 2016 by billybobbooth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Although this was a purpose built leisure boat, the "recently built" on the Bates Boatyard pages is now somewhat out of date, I think. The advert claims a 2006 build, so 10 years old, and that sounds about right to me. An awful lot could go wrong with a wooden hull in 10 years, so how it has been maintained over that period is of the utmost importance. I would have thought it was a very specialist thing, and f someone is a first time buyer with £60K to spend it would seem a very odd choice, unless they had a particular reason to want something totally different from the norm. £60K would buy you an incredibly nice steel boat of similar age that can be docked and maintained at just about any boatyard in the country. Wooden boats are very specialist now, so unless you learn all the required skills yourself, I would say you are potentially relying on only maybe a handful of people who really have the required skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Its definitely not a standard wooden Narrowboat IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 We pass Maid of Oak regularly, I don't think it would be for me as it has lots of big windows. However, it does look like it has been well looked after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-Member Posted September 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Hi and thanks for the comments etc I don't think it is going to be the one for us as I already assumed it was more of a specialist area and I would not have the skills (and probably the ££££) to maintain it. I just wondered what other people's opinions might be as it is the first (modern) wooden boat I have seen and also, I like the fact it is unusual and stands out a bit from the crowd,,,,,,, by the way if anyone knows of a nice 50 to 58ft semi trad/reverse layout going let me know!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 As far a I am aware it is the only new build wooden narrowboat in existence. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 As far a I am aware it is the only new build wooden narrowboat in existence. Daniel Raymond ? But perhaps more seriously this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 As far a I am aware it is the only new build wooden narrowboat in existence. Daniel You not seen satern or raymond??? But no it is the first modern wooden boat prob sence the late 70s early 80s Raymond ? But perhaps more seriously this. Beet me to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-Member Posted September 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 Finding surveyors and people who know about wooden boats may be a bit tricky - possible insurance issue??? Tendency to distort over time - getting wider and not fitting in some locks - but should be OK at 6'10". May not want to lift it with a crane or pull it up a ramp - so would need to dry dock it always - certainly an issue with wooden top metal boats. But here's some more about this boat http://www.batesboatyard.co.uk/narrowboats.htm Amused by the comment in the add "modern metal does not flex" which is totally not true - you just have to specify the right type and grade. also http://wcbs.org.uk/?page_id=103 If you like it get it surveyed and buy it (well make an offer) - provided you have the income to maintain it; looks a very nice boat to me. Thanks for the link, it shows the construction of the boat over the period of build and I think it is fascinating. The workmanship and effort is incredible. It makes you wonder how Tudor ships were made without the use of modern tools and machinery........ The more I look at it the more I appreciate it............... I daren't go and see it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 I seem to remember it being featured in one of the boatimags when it was new.. It can't have been commercially viable, otherwise there surely would have been more built like it. That's a pity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
national velvet Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 A more recently built wooden narrowboat is Dawn Rose on the Chesterfield Canal, granted it is a cuckoo boat not a boat for living and cruising in. But It did take specialist knowledge from members of the canal trust to build it. Also it will need treating correctly in order to maintain it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 A more recently built wooden narrowboat is Dawn Rose on the Chesterfield Canal, granted it is a cuckoo boat not a boat for living and cruising in. But It did take specialist knowledge from members of the canal trust to build it. Also it will need treating correctly in order to maintain it. As mentioned in Alan Fincher's link in post no.11, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chertsey Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 I seem to remember it being featured in one of the boatimags when it was new.. It can't have been commercially viable, otherwise there surely would have been more built like it. That's a pity. Yes, I remember that. Especially the part where the man who commissioned it refused to tell his wife what it actually cost! I thought it was looking a bit sorry for itself last time we passed and I'm not surprised its up for sale. An impossible boat to price though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 As people said wood boats all come down to maintenance. A well built boat with no love will last 10-15 years but by that time youll be onto a massive amount of work. But dock every 2 years with all seams scrapped and re sealed and 2-3 layers of black stuff and youll only every now and then need new planks. Look at stour lots of work in 96 now requires a rebuild for not being docked regularly so 20 years needs rebuild look at tay and severn both had major work but kept well maintained and look in good condition need the odd work but nothing like stour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starman Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 It was an idealistic but laudable dream for the couple who commissioned it - and it cost a very, very great deal more than £60k to build. I Iike the light, airy interior and, being wood, it does feel you're in a proper boat. Some clever technical ideas too like the hydraulic drive. But the last couple of times I've been past it looks like it needs some TLC on the exterior. Yes, an unusual and interesting boat but unless you desire a wooden boat with all the extra work involved then why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 I get the feeling its going to be a boat that will only go down hill and be a massive heartache in say 15 years time if the current owners ever see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 (edited) As people said wood boats all come down to maintenance. A well built boat with no love will last 10-15 years but by that time youll be onto a massive amount of work. But dock every 2 years with all seams scrapped and re sealed and 2-3 layers of black stuff and youll only every now and then need new planks. Look at stour lots of work in 96 now requires a rebuild for not being docked regularly so 20 years needs rebuild look at tay and severn both had major work but kept well maintained and look in good condition need the odd work but nothing like stour. Or Gort: Edited September 13, 2016 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted September 14, 2016 Report Share Posted September 14, 2016 You not seen satern or raymond??? But no it is the first modern wooden boat prob sence the late 70s early 80s Beet me to it I have indeed, but while they are full rebuilds, they are rebuilds at a very least aiming to be around about inline with the historic craft that is their namesake. This boat, while likely having significant similarities in the hull construction is a bespoke build new leisure boat, and certainly the ply and powder coated aluminium cabin sides are as far as I know unique. Dawn Rose is new to me, but as you say, is also clearly a new boat if also intended as a replica. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 Video of Maid of Oak being launched: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X Alan W Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 (edited) Video of Maid of Oak being launched: Excellent video nice to see side slip launches still being carried out; also of interest to me that I'm pretty sure that the motor in Severn Is a Semi diesel " Seffle" 25Hp SV110 single, if this is so it was taken out of my boat of way back FMC "Lily". Still sounding crisp, a tiny "tweek"on the sprayer adjuster rod would have reduced the smoke Edited September 17, 2016 by X Alan W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted September 16, 2016 Report Share Posted September 16, 2016 Yes its still in there! Dont you need a nice national in lily rather than that silly thing??? I know a nice boat it would fit into. Yes all the boats at Puttenham are side slipped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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