CALM WATERS NARROWBOATS LTD

[tortuga guy]

HELLO ALL BOATERS.

 HAS ANYONE HEARD OF CALM WATERS NARROWBOATS ?. ALL I COULD FIND OUT IS THAT THE COMPANY DISSOLVED AROUND THE YEAR 2000. I AM HAVING 46FT CRUISER NARROWBOAT SURVEYED AND THE PRESENT  OWNER AND I CAN AND COULD NOT FIND ANY MORE DETAILS OR HISTORY, A NY SCRAP OF INFO WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED, THANK YOU ALL.

[Taslim]

Are you sure you are not looking for Still Waters Narrowboats? A search on this forum will turn a thread up about them.

[Rob-M]

Never heard of them but half a dozen boats listed on canal plan boat listing as being built by Calm Waters.

[tortuga guy]

1 hour ago, Taslim said:

Are you sure you are not looking for Still Waters Narrowboats? A search on this forum will turn a thread up about them.

thanks for the reply but , no its definitely  calm waters 

31 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Never heard of them but half a dozen boats listed on canal plan boat listing as being built by Calm Waters.

thanks for your reply Rob, great idea , forgot all about the good old boat index , thanks checking that next, may give me few leads, still suprise there isn't more on the internet, 

cheers mate

[linnit]

When Hallmark dissolved Calmwater was a spin off company..ex workers started up with Calmwater and another company i cant remember name but it also disolved when it was selling timeshares down south somewhere

[Athy]

That's good info, thanks. Hallmark had an unworkable combination of supercheap prices and expensive full-page adverts in the boatimags. They were very basic, though I don't think there was anything actually wrong with them. Inevitably, they went bust after a few years. I don't know if Calmwater continued the entry-model policy.

Edit: I have found an old thread in which a long-standing and respected forum member described Hallmark boats as "the cheapest rubbish you could buy".

[Alan de Enfield]

34 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's good info, thanks. Hallmark had an unworkable combination of supercheap prices and expensive full-page adverts in the boatimags. They were very basic, though I don't think there was anything actually wrong with them. Inevitably, they went bust after a few years. I don't know if Calmwater continued the entry-model policy.

Edit: I have found an old thread in which a long-standing and respected forum member described Hallmark boats as "the cheapest rubbish you could buy".

We had a Hallmark 'Millenium' which we bought in 2001, it was a 1999 boat which had had a 'rear end sinking' due to blocked drain holes.

A bit of work and a repaint and it was as good as new - it had been totally unused - the cooker, pots and pans etc were still wrapped in clingfilmy stuff.

Agree it was 'cheaply' made but it certainly was not 'rubbish'.

 

I saw it up for sale again a couple of years ago (after another 'freshen-up') - brochure attached.

 

 

Summer Hill For Sale Brochure.pdf

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Agree it was 'cheaply' made but it certainly was not 'rubbish'.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm pleased to hear your story.

The quotation did not originate from me!

[tortuga guy]

10 hours ago, linnit said:

When Hallmark dissolved Calmwater was a spin off company..ex workers started up with Calmwater and another company i cant remember name but it also disolved when it was selling timeshares down south somewhere

thank you Linnit, i must admit that when i saw it ,it did not have that hallmark look about it, for a start the gas locker is at the bow , where as Hallmark cruiser sterns as with liverpool boats tend to be at the stern, also the well deck is of a decent size , again unlike the tiny well decks i have seen on hallmarks and liverpool boats for that matter, so, although i'm pretty sure you are right i am hoping that they may have upped their game with Calm waters. thanks for the helpful info.

10 hours ago, linnit said:

When Hallmark dissolved Calmwater was a spin off company..ex workers started up with Calmwater and another company i cant remember name but it also disolved when it was selling timeshares down south somewhere

 

[tortuga guy]

4 hours ago, Athy said:

That's good info, thanks. Hallmark had an unworkable combination of supercheap prices and expensive full-page adverts in the boatimags. They were very basic, though I don't think there was anything actually wrong with them. Inevitably, they went bust after a few years. I don't know if Calmwater continued the entry-model policy.

Edit: I have found an old thread in which a long-standing and respected forum member described Hallmark boats as "the cheapest rubbish you could buy".

Thank you Athy, he was describing Hallmark and not calm waters though so hoping calm waters were a bit better, its a 10/6/4 , long well deck, gas locker at the bow, does not have that hallmark/ liverpool boats look about it at all. anyway it will all be revealed on wednesday when it is taken out for a full survey, it's the second boat i have had surveyed and it's not cheap as you know, thanks for your input

 

Edited August 2, 2017 by tortuga guy

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, tortuga guy said:

Thank you Athy, he was describing Hallmark and not calm waters though so hoping calm waters were a bit better, its a 10/6/4 , long well deck, gas locker at the bow, does not have that hallmark/ liverpool boats look about it at all. anyway it will all be revealed on wednesday when it is taken out for a full survey, it's the second boat i have had surveyed and it's not cheap as you know, thanks for your input.

Thank you Alan

Yes, I hope so, fingers crossed!

[tortuga guy]

6 minutes ago, Athy said:

Yes, I hope so, fingers crossed!

indeed !

[tortuga guy]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

We had a Hallmark 'Millenium' which we bought in 2001, it was a 1999 boat which had had a 'rear end sinking' due to blocked drain holes.

A bit of work and a repaint and it was as good as new - it had been totally unused - the cooker, pots and pans etc were still wrapped in clingfilmy stuff.

Agree it was 'cheaply' made but it certainly was not 'rubbish'.

 

I saw it up for sale again a couple of years ago (after another 'freshen-up') - brochure attached.

 

 

Summer Hill For Sale Brochure.pdf

Thank you 

 

[linnit]

54 minutes ago, tortuga guy said:

thank you Linnit, i must admit that when i saw it ,it did not have that hallmark look about it, for a start the gas locker is at the bow , where as Hallmark cruiser sterns as with liverpool boats tend to be at the stern, also the well deck is of a decent size , again unlike the tiny well decks i have seen on hallmarks and liverpool boats for that matter, so, although i'm pretty sure you are right i am hoping that they may have upped their game with Calm waters. thanks for the helpful info.

 

Calmwater had two well respected welders and a fabricator joined them from a well regarded Stoke on Trent firm. Their shells were solid enough. Initially they only produced shells but then they attempted to get into the fitout action at the time which proved to be their downfall

[tortuga guy]

Thank you Linnit,  that's good news at least it may be a solid boat and of good steel one hopes, must admit the fit out was a little standard but it good shape, may I ask you where you got your info from. Thanks 

[linnit]

1 minute ago, tortuga guy said:

Thank you Linnit,  that's good news at least it may be a solid boat and of good steel one hopes, must admit the fit out was a little standard but it good shape, may I ask you where you got your info from. Thanks 

1st hand as I used to live 3miles from their workshop

[tortuga guy]

Where was that if you don't mind me asking? 

[linnit]

1 minute ago, tortuga guy said:

Where was that if you don't mind me asking? 

Their workshop was in Greenfield .North Wales

[tortuga guy]

Ah yes that all checks out as a friend told me that he seemed to remember them being based somewhere south of the river fee but in Wales , that's great thanks very much mate.

Edited August 2, 2017 by tortuga guy
spelling mistake

[tortuga guy]

Thank you all very much , a bit of history at last, you've all been brilliant and it will help a lot come the survey and iy will please the present owner (not for long i hope) he wants £24000 for it and if it is all good i'll make him a serious offer , the owner is an engineer and has kept the engine and bay in real good condition, i will let you all know what happens anyhow , happy cruising all !.