Jump to content

Dan

Full Members
  • Posts

    1,271
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by Dan

  1. If you are still looking for info.... I think she is 68ft, and was advertised as such at least and I think she was built a few years later, maybe 1984-ish She was built for Dartline's fleet at Bunbury and then around 1992 they advertised a handful as Dee Valley Narrowboats under Hoseason's (whereas the Dartline fleet was Blakes) and so the cabin sides were painted from Dartline's white into a red-ish colour (normally only seen on their Traditional style classes). Realistically this was just marketing and the fleet was ran with them all integrated with one another. When the Dee Valley fleet/approach was dropped the colours weren't changed back. In 1997 Dartline was bought by Anglo Welsh. Anglo Welsh were going to float the company and they wanted/needed as many boats as possible. For 1998 the boats were rebranded into Anglo Welsh's colours and name and the boats were renamed and she became Nantwich. Three photo's... First one from January 1996 as Warwick, at Bunbury Second from February 1999 as Nantwich with Anglo Welsh (Town class) at Bunbury Third from August 2002 in Anglo Welsh's short lived new colour scheme and probably around the time, or close to her last season and moored near Ellesmere Dan
  2. I think they originally had free-standing furniture but the saloon was refitted to fixed furniture Dan
  3. I think this is the new mould that Vogue marine were building at Brundall It's hard to imagine that illustration is going to be an exact translation so a bit of a guess whether it will be a monster or half decent! Dan
  4. I never knew they'd tried a hinged top with them.... I remember them with the red stripe but always had the pram top type hood when I'd seen them in this incarnation Dan
  5. Cheers Simon Really enjoyed it... as soon as the Thames Logo & Fanfare appeared I knew it was going to be good! :) Some great shots of some of the yards at Wroxham and of the hireboats of their time Dan
  6. As an add on, and for the boat geeks... The others from Scotland were Bounty 27 Aft Cockpits "Lomond Crusader" class became Water Gem's Seamaster 30 "Lomond Panache" became Swiftway Ideal 40 "Lomond Fern" became Premier Gem Ideal 40 "Lomond Heather" became Modern Gem Aquafibre 42 Centre Cockpit "Lomond Jupiter" became Voyager There was a lot of fleets closing or swapping boats boats about and it used to be exciting to see the changes for next year Dan
  7. Here are the two former classes that were called Swiftway The first from the 1981 and second from the 2000 brochure The Seamaster 30' style Swiftway's which came to the Broads in 1990 were originally from Scotland, as mentioned... here is a photo of two of them at their base at Inverbeg, on Loch Lomond. I think there was about 6 of them. The fixed hardtop was removed when they hit the Broads Dan
  8. I see Tideway is also on Hoseasons now... looks decent value and a bow thruster too! https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/horning-pleasurecraft-ltd-rhmb/tideway-bh2685
  9. Or have a few people left or not been replaced, as there is a bit of a leaning to run things a bit tight at the moment across many businesses On the Richardsons craft for example a high number of boats no longer available still appear on Hoseasons such as Sapphire (last year 2019), Amber Gem, Fairway, Serene Gem etc etc still appear, though if you go into availability they are all blanked out/not available. It makes the website less useful/credible for finding a holiday without potentially wasting a lot of time and with missing layout plans etc in recent times it all makes me not too convinced that they really care about doing a great job Dan
  10. Yes, I think it must be very much around then You will have to have a nosey at the photo Clive has on the wall in reception at Horning ;) Dan
  11. I trust that Clive is in a tier 4 highly restricted region and I am therefore perfectly safe??! ;)
  12. Never mind messing about with all that firewood Clive.... surely a fully restored/original bathtub is what is needed ;) Dan
  13. I think Hoseasons have just got in a bit of a muddle in creating the listing, because S888 (previously Absolute Freedom) is also joining the fleet as another 6 berth but Swiftway is the ex Pevensey Castle that originally ran from Castle Craft at St Olaves... Dan
  14. No, as Simon says in his post Horning Pleasurecraft will be owned/run by Clive still but it has become a seperate entity to Richardson's Leisure and is no longer in their ownership Dan
  15. No I think they have just used Far Horizon as a generic photo for Swiftway I don't think Far Horizon is going anywhere, and is a bit under-priced to my mind. I think that's why it is almost fully booked... I can see 4 days available 26/7, 16/8 and lots of space in October so I think it is the original two classes of Sunway & Far Horizon with a couple of additional boats showing up soon Dan
  16. Hoseasons also show "Swiftway"... which sounds like a Bounty 40' with the sideways rear cabins, but currently looks like Far Horizon! ;) Dan
  17. Hopefully Hoseasons not adding layout plans to newly added craft is just a short term problem? Whilst you don't need it for a caravan or cottage & can choose/live with a description such as two bathrooms & two bedrooms, boats are a bit different, but I worry that they increasingly may not appreciate it, or decide against it anyway!? Dan
  18. Might they want to put some money back in the tin after a bit of a key structure change/ or are the older ones losing favour with the top floor as time passes/ or *insert random reason here* ? Dan
  19. It's a great article He was undoubtedly a great and remarkable guy & if you thought Hoseasons you thought James Hoseason... I've never heard a bad word against him, a rarety these days for the top post in a big organisation these days? Someone so involved So permanent Good judgement Treating everyone well Building good relationships Improving Caring I just don't think you get it with venture capitalists, very corporate structures with a new top person every 3-5 years... My favourite big businesses are always privately owned Dan
  20. Top Gem 1 looks to have been modified a sliding door on the helmside and the original on the other, Top Gem 2 definately has a sliding door on the helmside but unsure on the other side.... but they stand out in line with your James Hoseason photo in that the doors are not as tall/have fibreglass under them before meeting the gunwhale which the others didn't have....
  21. Great photo's, thanks for sharing. Miss Selina taken in 2001 at Thames Ditton looks very similar just over 20 years later (though some seem to have the forward rail hump and others not) , but I wonder where she now is another 20 years on!? Dan
  22. It was. However I think the one in the photo i one of the Grebe's is probably Grebe 2 as the front (side) window doesn't quite look the same on Top Gem 1 to me. Here is number 2 (ex 'Grebe 2). It seems a real shame that there are no photo's of the two Turkish Desire's in the database....
  23. Interesting stuff indeed! I have been trying to remember them all in my head and the 4 Guardsmen built for the Thames with the other 4 could be all the ones with tinted glass, but there could have been a few more as with classes it was hard to know hw many each fleet had in all and on the Thames especially they swapped fleets a lot. The first we hired had been built by Cheesman Rollo and had a very faded red stripe (as you mentioned) and the words "Conqueror 40" (the Chessman Rollo/Eurocruisers name where "Ideal 40" appeared on the others. One of the 6 berths with tinted glass is now moored a couple of miles from home..... Dan
  24. Lucky that someone thought differently and kept it as it has created interest and conversation a few times on here for those interested in this boat launch/the history of this design and the people involved in how it came about Dan
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

For details of our Guidelines, please take a look at the Terms of Use here.