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Who is still building good narrowboat shells?


Boater Sam

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18 hours ago, Richard T said:

Another shellbuilder that gets good reviews is Alexander based at Stourport. http://www.alexanderboatbuilders.co.uk/narrowboat.html

I'd agree (I'd have to, my boat has an Alexander shell by Jim Sparks).

A good compromise between quality and cost. Better than Colecraft but not as good as the very top end (not as expensive).

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2 minutes ago, davidg said:

The "riveted knees" in the well deck were added after the hull was complete so as not to spoil the illusion of it being a riveted hull. Seems it worked?, they weren't riveted. Steve may have riveted the engine room, I lined the engine room out so should remember but I've been to sleep since then...

So I assume BBS has never buikt a rivetted hull from new, David?

So when something like the lengthening of Sextans has been done, do you know the mix of welding, rivetting involved in that work?

I assume appropriate knees have to be formed from a suitable material??

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4 minutes ago, davidg said:

The "riveted knees" in the well deck were added after the hull was complete so as not to spoil the illusion of it being a riveted hull. Seems it worked?, they weren't riveted. Steve may have riveted the engine room, I lined the engine room out so should remember but I've been to sleep since then...

Should add: it wasn't just knees, it has all the relevant working parts of a riveted little Woolwich in that area, angles, butt straps &c.

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21 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Were his narrow boat shell builds of particularly good quality then?

They were confined mainly to the local Sicilian market, which was notably resistant to boaters intruding from outside the area, so I'm not sure. I'm told that the builders did it their way.

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This talk of riveted hulls makes me wonder. Are boats built this way better for some reason? I can’t think of any reason that they are but obviously I don’t know everything.

30 minutes ago, cuthound said:

I'd agree (I'd have to, my boat has an Alexander shell by Jim Sparks).

A good compromise between quality and cost. Better than Colecraft but not as good as the very top end (not as expensive).

Better in what ways? 

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1 hour ago, ianali said:

This talk of riveted hulls makes me wonder. Are boats built this way better for some reason? I can’t think of any reason that they are but obviously I don’t know everything.

Better in what ways? 

Little details like grabrails set into the front edge of the hull, (makes it easier to get onboard as you get older), cant & handrail scrolls, longer swims etc, as well as a very subtle lift to the rear cabin sides.

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3 hours ago, ianali said:

This talk of riveted hulls makes me wonder. Are boats built this way better for some reason? I can’t think of any reason that they are but obviously I don’t know everything.

I would say that no they are not.

It is more a case that once upon a time that was probably the only realistic way of doing it, but over time welding has become the preferred way of building steel narrow boats.

By no means all steel working narrow boats were of rivetted construction, and certainly by the 1930s a small number were built welded, (though usually actually from iron).

Most of the last ones built in the 1950s & 1960s were welded steel.

Welded construction resulted in a lighter boat.  You do not need extra weight of the butt straps - the plates that go over every join, nor of the rivets themselves.  Less weight in the hull means being able to carry more cargo for the same working draught - an obvious advantage over a traditional rivetted boat.

On the other hand some builders of working narrow boat hulls did for a while construct hulls purely for leisure use that were rivetted, simply because that is all they knew and were equipped for.  harris Brothers at Bumblehole was such an example - allegedly until closure their yard never had welding equipment of any type, though quite how they made items like steel rams heads, I'm not sure.

Given that there are probably no advantages in rivetting, it is perhaps odd that people spend large amounts of money to add fake rivets to welded boats purely as an adornment!

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6 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Given that there are probably no advantages in rivetting, it is perhaps odd that people spend large amounts of money to add fake rivets to welded boats purely as an adornment!

A bit of the same mentality as hanging furry dice from the rear view mirror of BMW's

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There may be an advantage to riveted construction in that there will be less stress left in the hull over welded.

Its noticeable that JCB autoclave all their machine chassis after completion to stress relieve the welding to avoid localised cracking. 

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On Owl there were real rivets (hundreds of 'em) on the engine room but they were invisible behind the wooden framing and the rivets on the hull were under so many layers of bitumen that they also could scarcely be seen?

Ars est celare artem.

Edited by koukouvagia
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I remember them getting a bit of publicity when they launched the firm - but I am not sure if they ever actually produced a complete boat.

Do you mean literally or financially burned his hands?

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Just now, Athy said:

I remember them getting a bit of publicity when they launched the firm - but I am not sure if they ever actually produced a complete boat.

Do you mean literally or financially burned his hands?

Literally burnt his hands.

I was chatting to Toby Ombler at the Crick Boat Show some years ago, shortly after his accident. He did tell me what happened but I cannot remember.

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4 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

At last! A use for the rear view mirror for BMW drivers!

Next thing you’ll be telling me is they’re going to be fitted with functioning indicators...

  • Haha 1
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12 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

So I assume BBS has never buikt a rivetted hull from new, David?

So when something like the lengthening of Sextans has been done, do you know the mix of welding, rivetting involved in that work?

I assume appropriate knees have to be formed from a suitable material??

No, though I think there have been enquiries. The time involved and therefore cost puts people off strangely enough. Things like plate punches could speed things up but realistically how many would you build to justify tooling up to do it.

Simon would be the person to answer the question about the mix on Sextans. There was certainly some riveting.

 

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3 minutes ago, davidg said:

Simon would be the person to answer the question about the mix on Sextans. There was certainly some riveting.

I have taken the liberty of creating another thread that uses some of the images on Brinklow's Facebook page.

Looks like most of the work on the sides was rivetted to me.

Looks a splendid job, anyway!
 

 

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On ‎28‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 23:13, Bramangie said:

I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Dave Harris ??? He’s recently completed a stunning 57’ boat for me along his very traditional lines. This will be Dave’s 49th build and sadly maybe his last. He is now fitting out Boats and taking things a bit easier as retirement nears . A true craftsman. 

 

F5165614-6321-4DC4-B7DE-CD9E76DCF1BB.jpeg

We have hull 26 built in 1994 so in the last 24 years he has built 23 boats which equates at one a year approx

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Just seen this post and will mention Paul Widdowson who built my 58 foot shell on the same estate as XR&D, He worked for Ray Denton for years before he retired and set up on his own, very nice welding with straight lines and nice scroll work as standard, also very reasonable price and supplied on time (8 weeks).

 

Neil

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If anyone is interested in riveted boat construction there is a facinating museum of shipbuilding in the remains of a  boat building yard near Ghent. It has all the machinery still in place and plates already punched. Worth a visit but I think only open on Sunday. It is Scheepswerven Baasrode on the Schelt(tidal) between Antwerp and Ghent but you can moor on a large pontoon there.

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On 28/04/2018 at 17:38, X Alan W said:

No idea if he"s still working or buildingBut Malcom Pearson turned out some quality shells

Malcolm is retired and recently bought one of the first boats he built. Think he built around 30 boats in total. He's a lovely chap and a real engineer! nb Kyle has been up for sale for a while with Great Heywood.

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I’d like to add Norton Canes. Graham Edgson has retired but daughter Sarah is now running Hudson’s yard at Glascote and has the staff and patterns, along with expertise, to build more shells with NC pedigree.

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