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If money were no object

Daftmare

By Daftmare
in General Boating

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Daftmare Proficient

Daftmare

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I suppose by starting this topic, I am trying to gauge if members of the forum have a view on which boatbuilder they would choose, if they were able to buy a new boat, and why.

 

Also what particular "extras" would be essential, in their opinion.

 

 

Jo.

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

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Posted (edited)

I'd have DB Marine or Delta Marine build me a 60' x 12' Dutch style barge with all the extras.

 

http://www.db-marine.co.uk/display.php?entry=35

 

http://www.delta-marineservices.co.uk/luxemotor.htm

 

Edit: Or I might get it built in Holland - I think they do new build Tjalks too. http://www.euroshipservices.nl/english/

Edited by blackrose
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sociable_hermit Experienced

sociable_hermit

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I've always liked the look of Stowe Hill narrowboats, but they tend to use pale woods for the interiors. If they could custom-make a 'cosy' interior with loads of storage space ('cos I'd prefer that to open plan), made from the right materials, that would do me just fine. Given the unlimited funds I'm sure they'd sort something out! If not, I suppose I could persuade Reeves to make a hull in the same style, seeing as they supply Stowe Hill anyway - and then find someone else to fit it out. A semi-trad of about 53' would be about right. 36-40 hp lump of some form, preferably something relatively slow-revving. Bedroom at the front, then bathroom, kitchen, then the living room at the back. That's assuming I'd be continuously cruising, and if I had unlimited funds then I certainly would be!

 

Not a grandiose plan, but I'm easily pleased. I'd give my present boat a birthday and give her to someone who'd look after her, too!

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I've always liked the look of Stowe Hill narrowboats..........

Am I alone then in thinking the front end of them, with that strange "pinched" look is most peculiar?

 

Frankly seeing the attempts by many builders to add some kind of reverse curve to the bow, I'll settle for my budget end shell, where the plates are just curved around to form the bow, with no attempt at "Josher copy", or whatever.

 

If money were no object, I'd not have something new built at all. I'd buy something old, with real lines, and pay somebody to put it back in good order for me.

 

Mind you, I'd then be lumbered with the £50 extra licence fee for being over 2.1 metres - but you did say money was no object. :lol:

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duztee Contributor

duztee

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Mel Davis would get my vote.

He has come up with some novel engineering solutions to some odd requests!

don't know what that says about his customers, but he certainly appears to try to give the customer what they want, which is a big factor in choosing your builder, is it not?

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sociable_hermit Experienced

sociable_hermit

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If funds were truly unlimited I'd buy a canal-side property, construct a boat-house / dry dock off the cut and a large heated garage a little further away from the water (and preferably uphill a bit!) , into which I would place several nice cars. Inbetween the two I'd have a workshop, a large model railway room, a micro-brewery and a shed for the 10 1/4" gauge railway which would run around the grounds! And THEN I'd buy a boat :lol:

 

I'm not great with mechanical stuff but presuming I had the time and the money I'd like to learn the skills. And if I were still rubbish someone else could use all of my kit for me!

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Teadaemon Proficient

Teadaemon

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If money were no object, and it had to be a newbuild, then I'd have Luke Powell build me a Pilot Cutter.

 

Essential extras? Money's no object here so I'd have all of the nav trinkets and a nice comfy bed.

 

If anyone's after a reproduction Pilot Cutter, I'd strongly suggest talking to John Raymond-Barker at RB Boatbuilding (based at the Underfall Yard in Bristol). I spent yesterday morning climbing over and looking around the hull of Morwenna, a 31 foot, larch on sawn oak frames, pilot cutter currently under construction (fully planked, caulked (with oakum and red lead putty), and primered; ballast (internal, concrete), engine, and deck beams in place, bulwarks and a couple of tongue and groove bulkheads being installed around the 10 or so of us being given a guided tour). :lol:

 

She's beautiful, and John is exceptionally knowledgeable and personable.

 

To answer the OP's question, then if it had to be a new build, I'd get to work designing my ultimate River Cruiser Class yacht, to sail on the Norfolk Broads (which will be my home waters from the middle of December :lol:). She'd be strip-planked with an outer mahogany veneer, with a fin keel, balanced rudder, and slightly fuller lines aft, and finer lines forward than is traditional (heading more towards a hull form that will plane off the wind in a decent blow). Wooden cabin (with two single bunks in the fore cabin, heads, hanging locker, and hatch in the middle, and a pull-out double bed and some storage in the rear cabin) with the traditional raising roof and full awning (with sewn-in solar panels). A capacious cockpit with skillfully concealed fridge and Origo cooker, and a comfortable seating position for a helmsman with an ample posterior. Mast in the traditional tabernacle, gaff rigged with an integral topsail and a self-acting jib, no bowsprit (they make mooring up a right pain in the backside, IMHO). Engine would be an electric motor in an external pod with a three-bladed feathering prop, with batteries as internal ballast (but not as some have done, doing double duty as mast counterweights), and a decent quant pole would be carried for emergency and racing use.

 

As it is, cost is an object, as is SWMBO's recent commandment: "you're not allowed to buy a boat for at least a year, but [here is her fatal mistake] you are allowed to build one". So, I'm currently trying to figure out what to build and how. Home waters are the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, and I don't want to get wet. So far, I'm thinking either a rowing dory (Phil Bolger's Gloucester Light Dory), or one of two sailing dinghies (Bolger's 12'6" Cartopper, or John Welsford's 13'2" Houdini). I might do the rowing boat and then a sailing dinghy, or if I get a sudden flush of money (highly unlikely), I might consider a 16' pocket cruiser of some sort.

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Liam Veteran II

LiamDonate to Canal World

Posted
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I'd have me one of those Small Northwich replicas Brinklow have on their website.

 

I have no idea about who I'd get to fit it out though, but it definately wouldn't be the bloke who did Dover, or Levithian or whatever it was!

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fuzzyduck Experienced

fuzzyduck

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Narrowboat: wouldn't buy one

Widebeam: wouldn't buy one

 

I'd buy something by Wallypower (maybe they'd do me a streach version of the 118) with a nice little tender by Turbine Marine

 

As for extras I'd go for a couple of models and the odd pornstar.

Edited by fuzzyduck
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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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Posted (edited)
Narrowboat: wouldn't buy one

Widebeam: wouldn't buy one

 

I'd buy something by Wallypower (maybe they'd do me a streach version of the 118) with a nice little tender by Turbine Marine

 

As for extras I'd go for a couple of models and the odd pornstar.

 

If money were not object (which it is, usually a paper object sometimes a metal one):

 

Narrow boat would be by Norton Canes as they still do proper boats rather than imitation imitations.

 

For a real proper sport cruiser type splitter it'd have to be a Sunseeker Predator but possible issues around increased diesel costs :lol:

 

Or for a real boat I wouldn't actually want to have to worry about a nice oak on oak Danish MFV would possibly be quite useable.

Edited by magnetman
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