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Good boat builders


laura hinks

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Hi everyone. Im looking at a few boats at the moment with an intention to buy.

There are a couple of boats that look good but ive researched and cant find any information on whether the boat builders are exeprienced and any good at all. 

Does anyone know anything about Arkwright fabrications?

If so could you advise me if they are good at making boats or not?

Also ken martin?

Chappell and wright?

Many thanks in advance

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40 minutes ago, Athy said:

Welcome to CWDF, Laura.

I think that your first one is Arcrite, a known n ame though I don't know much about them. Others on this forum surely will.

There are 12 Arkwright boats registered on the boat index,so probably correct spelling(None of them are named G G G Granville though)

11 Ken Martin.

2 Chappell & Wright

Edited by rusty69
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1 hour ago, Athy said:

Welcome to CWDF, Laura.

I think that your first one is Arcrite, a known n ame though I don't know much about them. Others on this forum surely will.

Nope, it's Arkwright.

 

EDIT: Scrub that - There was an Arcrite - I'm now thinking there may have been both, and not necessarily the same firm.

Edited by alan_fincher
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1 hour ago, laura hinks said:

Hi everyone. Im looking at a few boats at the moment with an intention to buy.

There are a couple of boats that look good but ive researched and cant find any information on whether the boat builders are exeprienced and any good at all. 

Does anyone know anything about Arkwright fabrications?

If so could you advise me if they are good at making boats or not?

Also ken martin?

Chappell and wright?

Many thanks in advance


At least some of these are ex builders, of course, but without research I don't know what dates they operated between

Chappell & Wright were well regarded, I think.  A former mod on here had one called "Squeers", although it now seems to be renamed "Lyra".

Arkwright from my persective perhaps a bit more basic.  (Perhaps it's just the name tat's making me think that - I may be mixing them up with someone else).
EDIT:  Arcrite Fabrications (note spelling) seem from old magazine adds throughout the to be another name assosciated with Fernie Fabrications.  Fernies were "Harborough Lookalikes" and have not, I think survived well.  However some adds refer to "Fernie Style" - Does that make Arcrite a copy of a opy of a style?

Always worth doing a forum search.  I had not heard of Ken Martin, but threads like this already exist.  Lookng at the boat liting I assume he is a considerably more recent builder than the two listed above, all of who's builds will I think be much older.

Edited by alan_fincher
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1 hour ago, laura hinks said:

Hi everyone. Im looking at a few boats at the moment with an intention to buy.

There are a couple of boats that look good but ive researched and cant find any information on whether the boat builders are exeprienced and any good at all. 

Does anyone know anything about Arkwright fabrications?

If so could you advise me if they are good at making boats or not?

Also ken martin?

Chappell and wright?

Many thanks in advance

I've never heard of Arkwright and I suspect it's a mistake made by someone who isn't familiar with the company Arcrite Fabrications of Corby.  

Bear in mind that the info on the boat listing is provided by owners/previous owners, most of them will have spelled the name "Arkwright" because that's how it sounds and Open All Hours was a very popular show.

They are no longer in the business of boat building but were middle market builders in the 1980's/90's and a fair few hire boats were based on Arcrite shells.  My boat is an Arcrite shell from 1988 made for an owner fit out.  The company was formed by two ex-Harborough Marine employees, but unlike the "window smasher" Harboroughs, Arcrite boats are not so distinctive, above the water.  Down below it's a different story as the hulls were very "fine" with a sort of double chine arrangement and long swims.   

Generally though, with an older boat it doesn't matter that much who built it, much more important how it's been maintained.

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

I've never heard of Arkwright and I suspect it's a mistake made by someone who isn't familiar with the company Arcrite Fabrications of Corby.  

Bear in mind that the info on the boat listing is provided by owners/previous owners, most of them will have spelled the name "Arkwright" because that's how it sounds and Open All Hours was a very popular show.

They are no longer in the business of boat building but were middle market builders in the 1980's/90's and a fair few hire boats were based on Arcrite shells.  My boat is an Arcrite shell from 1988 made for an owner fit out.  The company was formed by two ex-Harborough Marine employees, but unlike the "window smasher" Harboroughs, Arcrite boats are not so distinctive, above the water.  Down below it's a different story as the hulls were very "fine" with a sort of double chine arrangement and long swims.   

Generally though, with an older boat it doesn't matter that much who built it, much more important how it's been maintained.

 

 

Thank you youve been very helpful. 

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