Boatbuilder with a sense of humour

[tonyreptiles]

Hi All,

we're looking for a recommendation for a builder who might supply a 20ft narrowboat style butty shell. We've read this post and others and have a few that we might approach, but your esteemed advice would be most appreciated. 

Our first contact with a couple of builders has not been positive. Having provided a spec and been promised a call back with a quote, we've heard nothing. (2 months later - no reply from New and Used Boat Co and one other that I cannot remember). I'm assuming that our 20ft project is not close enough to their standard fayre and therefore they aren't interested.  

 

So, can anyone recommend a reliable builder who might make a 20ft butty shell? A recommendation here would take some of the pot-luck out of the equation.

We're based near Lancaster, but happy to travel.

 

Many thanks

TR

Edited June 11, 2017 by tonyreptiles

[Chewbacka]

You could try Colecraft, but it will probably depend upon how full their order book is as to their interest level.

[Nightwatch]

Little Boat Company?

Who makes skips besides Skoda?

[stagedamager]

I think you're probably better going to smaller builders who may have the capacity and who have the skill to build "off plan". many larger ones just churn out from templates so would be reluctant to alter their model per se.

Maybe also try Brinklow Boat Services or Paul Barbers at Sheet Stores.

 

Kind regards

 

Dan 

Edited June 11, 2017 by stagedamager

[GUMPY]

Roger Farrington. Ivy Bridge Marine likes unusual steelwork projects. He is based at Braunston.

[Beo]

You could try Mel Davies - he likes to do unusual stuff. 

[matty40s]

3 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Roger Farrington. Ivy Bridge Marine likes unusual steelwork projects. He is based at Braunston.

Unforunately,I believe Roger is not working at present as he has some medical issues to surmount.

You could try XRnD, or Tim Carter near Weedon who likes a challenge.

 

[stagedamager]

I was going to say Tim Carter but wasn't sure how busy he was!

[ditchcrawler]

Would Martin of Kedian who posts on here be up for this

[dave moore]

To be honest, I can't see any of the top end builders I work with being interested in this, but I'll make a couple of calls tomorrow just in case.

Dave

[Starcoaster]

32 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Would Martin of Kedian who posts on here be up for this

From an enquiry a couple of months ago, I believe he has a workload already set up for the next year!

[Ray T]

A previous thread: 

Also: http://www.thefitoutpontoon.co.uk/narrowboat-marine-supplier-widebeam-sailaway-builders.html

Edited June 11, 2017 by Ray T

[Bee]

Not shot down by me. Looks eminently sensible. I would think that a decent fabricator could do something like that, wouldn't need to be a boatbuilder.

[SUIGENERIS]

Suggest you try Nick Thorpe at Hixon.  Very approachable about anything out of the ordinary, excellent standard of work and very competitive.  Built our hull exactly to our specification, on time and price. He has a website. Nick Thorpe Boat Building.

 

Cheers. Mick

[adam1uk]

I'm not really surprised you haven't heard back from New and Used; they sell a range of pretty much off the peg boat, and they don't really build them themselves, so you're way off their usual fare.

You could try the big names such as Tim Tyler or Colecraft, but I would expect both of them to be pretty busy.

I think Nick Thorpe is an excellent suggestion, as he's already some some pretty short boats and turns out a very nice shell.  You could also try Stoke Boats, who do steelwork;  Darren at Cauldon Boats is worth a call too;  Bourne Boats also have a steelwork arm.

Whoever you get to do it, expect it to be relatively expensive.  You're asking for all the difficult bits (the bow, the stern, the swims, basically all the curved sections) with almost none of the easy bits (hull and cabin sides).  So a 20ft is not going to be a third of the price of a 60ft.

[peterboat]

I am seeing Jonny [Tylerwilson] in a couple of hours I will ask him whether he could do one but do know he is busy

[Athy]

There's a variety of good suggestions in the above posts. May I suggest a different (and perhaps cheaper) approach? Buy an older boat and have it cut down to the size which you require. Some companies (I believe that Streethay Wharf is one) will stretch a boat which entails cutting it in half and welding in an extra section; I should think that cutting it in half and removing a section would not be beyond their wit.        

[alan_fincher]

I assumed OP meant something genuinely "butty" instyle, including a butty style "counter less" stern and butty elum.

I hadn't envisaged "work flat" style which some seem to be envisaging.

As they say they have a spec of what they want, it would be useful to have some idea what it contains.

My initial though is that anything built truly "butty style" but only 20 feet long would be virtually all front swim and rear swim, with very little straight bit in the middle, and ill probably roll like nothing on earth each time a single person steps on and off, whereas if you compromise and make both ends very bluff it will still be a fairly odd craft, and still probably not very practical.

I'm really not sure how practical this is at all, TBH, unless OP means "work flat" style.

8 minutes ago, Athy said:

There's a variety of good suggestions in the above posts. May I suggest a different (and perhaps cheaper) approach? Buy an older boat and have it cut down to the size which you require. Some companies (I believe that Streethay Wharf is one) will stretch a boat which entails cutting it in half and welding in an extra section; I should think that cutting it in half and removing a section would not be beyond their wit.        

Most boats you might buy and cut part out of though, will have an engine, and a stern with a motor style counter, not a butty style one.

We don't even know if OP wants this to be a cabined boat, or one with a (very small!) hold, do we, though?  So hard to advise unless he gives more detail!

[Athy]

13 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Most boats you might buy and cut part out of though, will have an engine, and a stern with a motor style counter, not a butty style one.

We don't even know if OP wants this to be a cabined boat, or one with a (very small!) hold, do we, though?  So hard to advise unless he gives more detail!

Quite so. The O.P. may, for example, want it as a floating office, as I believe a member on here used to have. Perhaps a Wilderness boat would fit the bill, as I think they made them in  20 foot-ish length. The engine could be removed if required.

[GUMPY]

24 minutes ago, Athy said:

There's a variety of good suggestions in the above posts. May I suggest a different (and perhaps cheaper) approach? Buy an older boat and have it cut down to the size which you require. Some companies (I believe that Streethay Wharf is one) will stretch a boat which entails cutting it in half and welding in an extra section; I should think that cutting it in half and removing a section would not be beyond their wit.        

that's an excellent idea could be a good thing to do with a redundant ex working butty, at least it would preseve the important bits.

[mrsmelly]

16 hours ago, tonyreptiles said:

Hi All,

we're looking for a recommendation for a builder who might supply a 20ft narrowboat style butty shell. We've read this post and others and have a few that we might approach, but your esteemed advice would be most appreciated. 

Our first contact with a couple of builders has not been positive. Having provided a spec and been promised a call back with a quote, we've heard nothing. (2 months later - no reply from New and Used Boat Co and one other that I cannot remember). I'm assuming that our 20ft project is not close enough to their standard fayre and therefore they aren't interested.  

 

So, can anyone recommend a reliable builder who might make a 20ft butty shell? A recommendation here would take some of the pot-luck out of the equation.

We're based near Lancaster, but happy to travel.

 

Many thanks

TR

I have access to a new unused but been standing for years wilderness beaver shell. If you are interested pm me.

[ditchcrawler]

40 minutes ago, Loddon said:

that's an excellent idea could be a good thing to do with a redundant ex working butty, at least it would preseve the important bits.

A bit like this blog http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-jam-butty.html

[alan_fincher]

56 minutes ago, Loddon said:

that's an excellent idea could be a good thing to do with a redundant ex working butty, at least it would preseve the important bits.

Except that if you only retain at least 20 feet of it, I don't think you would have a craft that was much use for very much.

Aso nobody seems to want less than about £6K to £8k for a butty that probably still need refooting and rebottoming.

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Except that if you only retain at least 20 feet of it, I don't think you would have a craft that was much use for very much.

Aso nobody seems to want less than about £6K to £8k for a butty that probably still need refooting and rebottoming.

I thought the same, but wonder if Loddon's comment was tongue-in-cheek.

[alan_fincher]

27 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

A bit like this blog http://captainahabswaterytales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/the-jam-butty.html

I think that butty is over 25 feet long from memory - how practical a boat it might have been if 5 feet shorter I am not at all sure.  As I said the lack of much "straight bit" between the two "pointy bits" can cause all sorts of issues.