The "Amphibian" River/Canal Cruiser
Greg Chapman
boat?
Look at http://www.quay-point.co.uk.
I can see the attraction, to some, of the Broads-style "Caribbean"
cruiser design in a steel-built narrowbeam format, although I've always
thought an aft steering position virtually essential in the confines of
a narrow canal.
However, I wonder/worry about:
The lack of internal steering position which, while justifiable for
canal use, where you may need to be outdoors regardless of the weather
to negotiate locks, does have a distinct disadvantage for river work.
The fact there's no pictures of a real boat anywhere, just drawings of
full colour people in shorts and t-shirts aboard, while those in grey in
the background look as if they are dressed for February snow storms.
The site, and adverts, talk of double glazed windows and roof-lights.
That smacks of plastic caravan-type units! I doubt they'd stand much of
the rough and tumble of boating, although I do realise yachts do use
plastic glazing, but boy, don't they get scratched and go milky after a
few seasons.
No mention of insulation to the shell, either, so I'm not convinced
about that. I'm not sure about headroom either. I don't think that
71.5" airdraft and 12-14" draft leaves enough room for someone who looks
for 6'4" (because he wants a couple of inches to spare) in a narrowboat.
Then there's the two-stroke outboards to power the thing - even the
forty footer! I thought pre-mixed 2-stroke petrol engines had gone to
that great environmental graveyard in the sky? Do diesel outboards
exist - and at what price differential?
I can't overlook the 4/4/3mm construction! Were Springers ever as thin
as that? So the web site does claim a two coat epoxy protection for the
hull and superstructure, but won't that rub off as fast as any blacking
in the real-world of contact-sport boating?
Finally, there's the fact that the builder/seller doesn't give any kind
of address just a phone number and the URL above. So where is 01286
based?
Mind you they are cheap, at 19,495UKP fully fitted, inc VAT for a 40ft
boat (with a cabin length equivalent of a 50ft narrowboat - according to
the advert)! However, I guess they'll depreciate faster than a
conventional narrowboat, especially given the very traditional nature of
the boating public?
Your thoughts?
--
Greg
http://www.waterwaysguides.co.uk
for updates to Nicholson, Imray and (at last) Pearson Guides - and lots
more!
Steve Heaven
<gr...@waterwaysguides.co.uk> wrote:
>Has anyone else been intrigued by the adverts for a "rather different"
>boat?
>The fact there's no pictures of a real boat anywhere, just drawings of
>full colour people in shorts and t-shirts aboard.
Yes, I wondered about that. Haven't they even got a single one of
these things they can take a photograph of.
Or do they think that if you saw a photo that would put you off
buying?
Steve
Giles Morris
> Your thoughts?
Looks rather like an update on the old Dolphin 16 from the 1960s. The happy
couple in the illustration seem to have plenty of room -- but if it's narrow
beam then they're midgets.
Giles Morris
Mike Reynolds
"Greg Chapman" <gr...@waterwaysguides.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ah1cb9$200$1...@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Has anyone else been intrigued by the adverts for a "rather different"
> boat?
>
> Look at http://www.quay-point.co.uk.
>
> Finally, there's the fact that the builder/seller doesn't give any kind
> of address just a phone number and the URL above. So where is 01286
> based?
>
I find this website very useful for matching dialling codes to places.
http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/utils/std-search.html
According to this site 01286 is Caernarfon. Not on any navigable river or
canal as far as I know. The Menai Straits, especially at the Caernarfon end
is definitely sea!
--
Mike Reynolds
White Elephant (which will be mobile when I get a new outboard!)
Ste
"Greg Chapman" <gr...@waterwaysguides.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ah1cb9$200$1...@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
> boat?
>
> Look at http://www.quay-point.co.uk.
This looks like a venture ran by people who don't know the first thing about
boating.
Use outboard power fair enough, but 2 strokes??!! the Mariner 'Bigfoot' or
Yamaha 'Highthrust' 4 strokes would be the ones to go for. If they can't
even pick a suitable powerplant I don't hold much hope for the rest of it!
These things (if any actually get built) are gonna be the Delorian of the
boating world!
Ste
still naff though!
Greg Chapman
"Mike Reynolds" <mike.r...@antlimited.com> wrote in message
news:phXY8.3522$DX3.1...@newsfep1-win.server.ntli.net...
>
> I find this website very useful for matching dialling codes to places.
>
> http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/utils/std-search.html
I'll check it out! Thanks for the tip.
> --
> Mike Reynolds
> White Elephant (which will be mobile when I get a new outboard!)
Is that Jean Gawlinski's old boat. I recall that was for sale with a
vandal damaged o/bd?
Greg
Greg Chapman
"Giles Morris" <Giles....@usa.net> wrote in message
news:ah1f68$pglh0$1...@ID-18277.news.dfncis.de...
> Looks rather like an update on the old Dolphin 16 from the 1960s. The
happy
> couple in the illustration seem to have plenty of room -- but if it's
narrow
> beam then they're midgets.
I did wonder about the midgets! Can you point me in the direction of
any Dolphin 16 pictures? I assume we're talking ply in that case?
Greg
Greg Chapman
"Ste" <s...@12345.com> wrote in message
news:ah1l2e$g87$1...@knossos.btinternet.com...
>
> This looks like a venture ran by people who don't know the first thing
about
> boating.
I did say they wouldn't appeal to a traditional boater! :-)
> Use outboard power fair enough, but 2 strokes??!! the Mariner
'Bigfoot' or
> Yamaha 'Highthrust' 4 strokes would be the ones to go for. If they
can't
> even pick a suitable powerplant I don't hold much hope for the rest of
it!
My only experience of two stroke engines is with a strimmer and my old
Vespa scooter. In both cases the engine went on for years with
virtually zero maintenance, so I've nothing against 2-strokes as such,
especially in low hp applications.
I know we are talking much higher powers here, but why are you so
against them? My only objection is the problem with obtaining fuel with
a petrol based engine.
> These things (if any actually get built) are gonna be the Delorian of
the
> boating world!
I do suspect that you're right on that - but they do look intriguing for
the right waterway (Think of all those zero depth tributaries that Neil
could reach if he gave up the Bear Nest!) and occasional use.
Greg
Mike Reynolds
>
<SNIP>>
> Is that Jean Gawlinski's old boat. I recall that was for sale with a
> vandal damaged o/bd?
>
> Greg
>
>
Yes it is Jean's old boat. I have had to wait for a moorhen to finish
raising her chicks in a nest right next to the o/b before I could even start
thinking about replacing it! Now I've blown the head gasket on my car and
half my outboard replacement budget has gone on car repairs! Should
hopefully get something sorted soon though.
If anyone on this ng has a second hand engine of about 10hp going cheap
please let me know.
Giles Morris
> I did wonder about the midgets! Can you point me in the direction of
> any Dolphin 16 pictures? I assume we're talking ply in that case?
I wish I could. I remember them as elegant little boats, the smallest of a
range built by an aviation company (Fairey?). By modern standards they must
have been terribly cramped. Hard chine, plywood, forward cockpit, very low
cabin with an overhead hatch. I thought they were wonderful, but then again
I thought anything that floated was wonderful.
Giles Morris
Tom
<Giles....@usa.net> writes
mounted in a fully rotating bracket she pottered up and down the River
Weaver from our mooring at Acton Bridge, and ventured up the Anderton
Lift on many occasions. In those halcyon days if you moored on the river
you had only to buy one lift pass and that served for as many trips as
you cared to make that year. Daughter (then aged 5) slept across the
front seats under a canopy. Oddly, the layout was very alike that of the
Romahome motor caravan we're trying to buy at the moment.
Remember, the smaller the boat the bigger the grin!
--
Tom
Brian Dominic
dose of key-bashing and wrote:
>If anyone on this ng has a second hand engine of about 10hp going cheap
>please let me know.
I would suspect it would be better going "putter, putter, putter"!
Brian L Dominic
NB Rumpus
Web Sites:
NB Rumpus: http://www.nb-rumpus.com
Golden Valley Light Railway: http://website.lineone.net/~gvlr/index.htm
Friends of the Cromford Canal: www.cromfordcanal.org.uk
Chris Garner
If they were built by Fairey Marine, they would have been hot moulded ply
(round bilge).
Chris
chuckb...@gmail.com
R C Nesbit
> > Has anyone else been intrigued by the adverts for a "rather different"
> > boat?
> >
> > Look at http://www.quay-point.co.uk.
Why are you reposting a 14 year old post, including a dead URL?
And no added comment?
--
Rob
Hekla græna þröngt báturinn
Steve
> Chuckb...@gmail.com spoke:
>> On Tuesday, July 16, 2002 at 3:56:43 PM UTC+1, Greg Chapman wrote:
>>> Has anyone else been intrigued by the adverts for a "rather different"
>>> boat?
>>>
>>> Look at http://www.quay-point.co.uk.
>
> Erm.....
> Why are you reposting a 14 year old post, including a dead URL?
>
> And no added comment?
>
never reply to you.