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Dobson Boats?


Chas78

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Dobson and Son were owners of a yard at Shardlow Derby. They built wooden cruisers and fitted out narrow boats based on steel shells built by others.The had a reputation for quality work and were one of the original suppliers to early pleasure cruiser owners and operated the first chandlery stores I remember visiting.

Im sure that someone will provide you with much more information about the company, they have a long history

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3 minutes ago, Mike Jordan said:

Dobson and Son were owners of a yard at Shardlow Derby. They built wooden cruisers and fitted out narrow boats based on steel shells built by others.The had a reputation for quality work and were one of the original suppliers to early pleasure cruiser owners and operated the first chandlery stores I remember visiting.

Im sure that someone will provide you with much more information about the company, they have a long history

Yes I thought so I looked at one near on thirty years ago now whilst looking for my first boat and the name ringed a bell.

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9 hours ago, Mike Jordan said:

Dobson and Son were owners of a yard at Shardlow Derby. They built wooden cruisers and fitted out narrow boats based on steel shells built by others.The had a reputation for quality work and were one of the original suppliers to early pleasure cruiser owners and operated the first chandlery stores I remember visiting.

Im sure that someone will provide you with much more information about the company, they have a long history

Totally correct Mike, They were building wooden cruisers in the early 60's and are still very active fitting out shells, i moored at dobsons in shardlow way back in the late 70's when i got my very first boat a plywood Dolphin cruiser made by a company called brooklands aviation from used plywood packing cases!

Hancock and Lane were building narrowboats in Daventry until the early 1980's I.I.R.C.

Rick

 

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14 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Wernt they built at Shardlow?

I think so but can't find any info on them?

Thank you all for the information very much appreciated the thing is the boat i have bought has a plaque saying Dobson but index number shows built by Hancock and Lane?

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12 minutes ago, Chas78 said:

i have bought has a plaque saying Dobson but index number shows built by Hancock and Lane?

The boat index list is only as good as the information provided, it is not an 'official' list, just someones best efforts at producing a useful resource.

Like Wikipedia, the information is subject to change/correction when the actual 'facts' come out.

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Hancock and Lane were formerly agricultural engineers working in Daventry, they made complete boats and a huge number of shells for other builders. Their quality was very high in my opinion. Dobsons gained good publicity when they fitted out a shell built by Trent Welding of Burton on Trent, The boat owner was John Gagg who was a very regular contributor to Waterways Worlld. The travels of "Nike Four" featured monthly I think.

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In the late 60s I spent a day visiting the workshops of Hancock and Lane and Springer Engineering, the plan was to buy a shell to fit out.

It was a day of contrasts! I'm not surprised that a shell from Hancock and Lane has lasted well, I think it was in their premises that I saw a huge shot blasting setup used to prepare shells for painting. Towards the end of their time as shell builders they also sold pre profiled kits of steel parts for home builders.

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In the early 60's Dobson's buiilt Classical high quality wooden, narrow beam centre/rear cockpit cruisers  similar to the Taylor boats built at/in Chester later they produced a same style of boat but with GRP hull wooden cabin/s  followed by all GRP boats of the same style at around that time they started fitting out steel hulled NB's on bought in shells the Company was a Father/son set up & the son Clive? was & possibly still is a respected marine architect/surveyor They had moorings & chandeliery  & did repairs & servicing to I understand a high quality although my only experience is purchase of bits in the shop

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All very interesting thanks again i have found out that these boats had a steel thickness of 6/6/6mm is this good or bad as the hull survey as of 2013 shows a lowest reading of 4.5mm on base plate the boat was built in 1980 so has lost only 1.5mm in nearly 37 years .

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16 hours ago, dccruiser said:

Totally correct Mike, They were building wooden cruisers in the early 60's and are still very active fitting out shells, i moored at dobsons in shardlow way back in the late 70's when i got my very first boat a plywood Dolphin cruiser made by a company called brooklands aviation from used plywood packing cases!

Hancock and Lane were building narrowboats in Daventry until the early 1980's I.I.R.C.

Rick

 

Hi,

We started out with one of these in 1975, a Dolphin 16 - dreadful design, leaked when first launched until the wood swelled.................did not put us off though. 

 

M

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3 hours ago, LEO said:

Hi,

We started out with one of these in 1975, a Dolphin 16 - dreadful design, leaked when first launched until the wood swelled.................did not put us off though. 

 

M

Mine was a Dolphin 21 fitted with a 25hp evinrude speedtwin  .... i used to often "cill it" to carry out running repairs as it would spring leaks! ... Used to actually sleep with one arm dangling towards the floor , so if your hand got wet you knew it was time to start baling! 

Rick

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