Nauticus Canal Cruisers

Great to see a very useful website for ‘Nauticus boats. We have yet another Nauticus 27 for your list. Our boat is ‘Aphrodite’ (BW 64869) which we have owned since May 1^st 1992. The Malcolm Thomas build number is 186, and the date below the stairs pencilled on the cockpit deck beam is January 1974. We have been based at Sawley Marina since 1993, where there are at least another 12 Nauticus 27’s, including those on the Derby Motor Boat Club moorings. During our 16 years with ‘Aphrodite’ we have enjoyed cruising approximately 450 – 500 miles per annum, and used her for an average of 25 days per year. Her previous name was ‘Shuddabin’ and she was based at Great Haywood. The previous owner had the boat for 10 years, the boat being only 8 years old when he purchased it. The boat needed a lot of TLC when we bought her, the first item being a new stainless steel petrol tank which I fitted before leaving Great Haywood! The engine is an 1100cc Petrol Ford Watermota Sea Wolf, which is the original fitment, but I rebuilt 2 years ago due to excessive piston blow-by. I also rebuilt the Enfield outdrive about 2 years after purchase of the boat. There is a hot water calorifier fed from the engine cooling system which is very efficient, but no shower (where was the shower fitted?) We have completely re-upholstered the boat over the years, and we are just about to fit our second new cockpit canopy. We also have a new 12volt Fridge and Gas cooker, which I suppose means that we have replaced just about everything over the years. Anyway, for the sixteenth anniversary of our buying ‘Aphrodite’ the propeller decided to loose part of a blade and we limped back from Leicester. The problem that I have always had is the same as Tony Coles (River Lady), as the engine would run out of torque at 2,000rpm, particularly on the tidal Trent, and as I am replacing the propeller I would like to find the correct size and pitch to match the engine. I suspect that the propeller fitted is not the original and appears to be 12.5” diameter, although it could be 13” allowing for wear, and there is no stamping on it to determine pitch or diameter, apart from ‘AUSTRA’ and the reference number D90A on the spinner face. We would very much appreciate anyone’s advice on this, as we are about to go to Bob Knowles in Leicester and buy a new prop. We look forward to hearing from you.

from Dolphin...

Cannot find any references numbers for Dolphin, but I have all the reference books from its “birth”. Dolphin is in reasonable condition for its age and we’re in the process of creating a floating love nest; if the children allow us and if it doesn’t contravene the waterways byelaws. Costs a lot of money, doesn’t it? I’ll start at the back of the boat. The engine, gearbox and Enfield Z drive are original (Service Manual for the Z drive is issued December 1975). (NOTE: near neighbour at Adlington has chucked out a Watermota engine which is deceased and is about to flog the Z drive if anyone is interested). The engine is the 1100 cc petrol engine. I have learned the gearbox was rebuilt last year after the previous owner failed to turn the boat round and in his drunken haze, reversed full throttle into a canal bank and turned the gearbox into a random pile of separate gears in a box. I am assured that there was no other damage! A service of the engine revealed the cast iron exhaust “T” at the rear of the engine was so badly corroded that it was spraying water onto the block and coil. The water was collecting in the tray at the bottom of the engine and the damage on my two short journeys was fortunately minimal. I have a new piece of cast iron and am plucking up the courage to refit it. That cost £60 plus postage (ouch). It has two 100ah leisure batteries which are quite new and have charged up fully. The alternator charges these up, and I’m going to see if it’s worth getting one of those charges that works off daylight. I think the alternator should be sufficient as it is, backed up by the occasional boost form a mains charger. What used to be in the compartment to the left of the engine? Big Hole with no use! There is a Steel box with a good lid in the “co pilot’s” position, which is good for sitting on. Inside is space for two gas bottles. One for use inside the boat and the other would be for the hot air heating which sits underneath. I am told that this was disconnected as it costs a fortune to run. Any thoughts on this anyone? It is a Remotron ducted warm air heating for mobile environments and the manual is hand dated 22-5-1979. The drivers’ seat came from Noah but is serviceable and should be fine. The canopy needs a bit of attention to the seams, but that can wait until it’s dry. It will be dry one day, won’t it? I’m slowly replacing all the elastic toggles but haven’t worked out the best way to do this. Would an elastic rope along the length be a good replacement? The inside of the bottom had some useless junk in it, including some very nice slats of wood held together by cloth. It could be the remains of an attempt to create a second double bed out of the two single ones. There is also a long piece of metal that looks like a carriage spring and a short piece of aluminium that looks like a cosh. Metal tank on the left and plastic water tanks on the right. Damn, which way is starboard and which is port! We move into the cabin. All the drawers and cupboards were emptied. New portaloo was purchased. It has a separate wardrobe but no fold down sink. I would seriously consider removing the partition between the loo and wardrobe and fitting a shower in the future. The kitchen range is all right. The cooker is a B600 “Popular” De luxe Calor Gas unit. The oven is a bonus we shall use for warming up pies at the least. (I am indeed a Wigan Pie Eater. Two pies and no cake for lunch). The original Paloma Heater (model PH-5-3F) was frost damaged. I soldered a split closed on one pipe, turned on the electric water pump and created a fountain from the top. I think the heat exchanger is split in a thousand places, and so I’ve admitted defeat and thrown it away. I’m going to buy a new replacement and am looking at a Morco or a Rinnai heater which look like direct modern replacements. I’ll keep the defunct unit for a while in case anyone needs spares. There’s some water penetration on the RHS beneath the table. I’ve replaced the rope holding thing and sealed the bolts on the walkway, but I don’t think that’s the source. It may be condensation from the windows. The runners and seals on the side windows need replacing as well as they are all badly corroded. The two mushroom vents have been replaced by me as one had been replaced with a carrier bag. Then there’s the biggy. We wanted to replace the cushions. I expected £500, but we have just committed to £900. It will be nice and for that price, it better had be! It needs a new separating curtain as we intend to keep the double bed down all the time and we might as well replace the other curtains at the same time. Not sure what to put on the floor which I have stripped down to the fibreglass. Possibly some “Karndean” style wood effect plastic? Again, suggestions would be welcome. We have a Cocker Spaniel dust and muck magnet that will be living on board. The bow has a hole cut in it as described elsewhere. There is lots of scrap metal in it as ballast and after driving it for three hours, I think it may need some more to pull the bow down a bit. Either that or eat more pies and sit on the bow all the time. We bought a frost protecting small heater and a dehumidifier to maintain the condition of the boat over the damp winter months and before we get to the damp summer months. It empties down the sink and seems to be a good purchase. Oh, and there’s a weather station to keep an eye on the inside and outside temperature and humidity levels. Yes, I know it’s another toy. That’s about it really. I’m looking forward to getting it out in the next few months and learning how to avoid fishermen and traverse locks. I’ve tried to find a date for the boat, but the best I can do is that it is prior to May 1979 and the boat safety certificate states it was made in 1974. There is no evidence to support this date, but that is all I have to go on at the moment. The Watermota service manual is dated December 1973 (printed on “polyart”… oil and grease can be wiped or washed off and it is impervious to water and damp. Why don’t they make boats out of polyart then?). Any questions? Feel free!

All the best

John and Audrey Harrison

from Serenade...

Thought I would let you know that I have recentley purchased a NAUTICIS 27 called SERENADE.

She was a Section 9 possession by British Waterways having been abandoned in the Midlands somewhere, and judging by an old newspaper found in the bilge has not been touched for 2½ years, but was in surprisingly good condition when my son and I finally managed to open the cabin door, very damp having leaked through perished window seals at the front of the cabin, and being completely closed up!!

The door plate identifies her as having been built by MALCOLM THOMAS PLASTICS with a SERIAL No 155.

I have now moved her to South Ferriby on the River Ancholme where she is ashore for the winter only I hope!!

Engine is, I presume, the original Ford Watermota, with outdrive.

Slowly getting her dried out and keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to put her back in the water in Spring!!

Regards

Michael F Tily

from Nautianne...

Nautianne is my 2nd 27' Nauticus, I only sold the first one I had because I was sent to the Gulf whilst in the forces.

I bought her in May 2006 for an absolute bargain price as she was a non runner. There was an electrical fault on the engine (Ford Watermota petrol) - as soon as the ignition key was turned on, the wiring was smoking... not good near petrol!! In fact, the local marina had refused to work on her through fear of an explosion.

Having messed about with cars and boats for over 20 years, and having a good knowledge of these engines, I disconnected all the wiring and started again ... within 2 hours it was running as sweet as a nut! We took it for a short cruise to test it and it cut out ... the starter pinion was worn and the bendix wasn't operation correct to mesh it. The previous owner had recently paid the boatyard £300 to remove, rewind and refit the starter ... on refitting they had used a shouldered bolt so the starter was never tight enough!

I went to my local motor factors and bought a new one for £15 trade and promptly fitted it. I also fully serviced the engine and as luck would have it got a brand new old stock carb for £10 from the web. The engine runs like new, but the stern drive has recently failed so she will be out of the water soon for repair or replacement. Fortunately I have 2 spare stern drives I have recently rebuilt, one being an Enfield, the other a Sonic , Sonic having taken over Transa which is the current drive.

The interior is currently as original, but as soon as the weather turns I am rewiring / replumbing (I have a neat little calorifier to go below the gas locker). I am also fitting an Eberspacher / inverter / battery management and 4 stage charger and a 1.7kw inverter. All picked up from everyones favourite auction site! So as work progresses I will add more pics, should anyone require any advice or assistance don't be afraid to get in touch, I have over 20 years experience of all aspects of boat maintenance and fitting.

Cheers

Rick

from Kelly...

My name is Paul Kelly and I own a Nauticus 27 no 100 ( plate on cabin door ) called 'Kelly' - the existing name when I bought her early this year.

Kelly is fitted with a BMC 1500 diesel and a transadrive. The original water heater has been removed. My first job was to re-condition the gearbox as the dog and the forward and reverse gears were very badly worn causing it to jump out of gear frequently. The parts were expensive but it has run well all summer.

Kelly is coming out of the water this winter so that the split tube that accepts the handle that winds the leg up out of the water can be repaired. Also I hope to install a new water heater. A shower would be nice but I am unsure how this could be done - I note that the original advertising blurb on your site refers to a shower being fitted as standard.

Where Kelly is moored near Coventry there are two more Nauticus 27's close by. I will approach their owners for permission to send you their details.

Good luck with your website.

Regards,

Paul Kelly

from Alicia...

Fantastic website ! When we bought Alicia in 2005 from Ken Yates at Billing, Northampton there was very little info available on the Nauticus 27so we embarked on the process of bringing her up to date without the benefit of help and advice from other owners.

Fortunately Alicia had been well cared for and has a very original interior, the fridge and water heater having been removed of course. We bought a small low energy fridge, which is now installed under the sink, and supplied by a leisure battery charged via a split charge relay. This system was not original fitting on our boat so it could be an early model - still can't find the build number or date under the step! The other main job for 2006, other than the inevitable Boat Safety Inspection, was to fit a small calorifier next to the Watermota engine for the supply of free hot water. This works very well indeed with the water hot enough for washing up within 15-20 minutes of starting up.

This season has seen a full engine service, new canopy for the cockpit and attention to the rubbing strips for the winter. Next year a shower perhaps, although I am unsure where these were originally fitted in the Nauticus. Could you add us to your owners list please - we are moored at Oundle on the River Nene together with several other Nauticus 27s. I will encourage the owners to contact you if I ever see them!

Keith and Linda Parrott

from Lucy Em...

I have just come across your Nauticus website and thought you might be interested in more information on Lucy Em (listed by you as Lucy M). I bought her in 2004 in partnership with my father. The pre-purchase boat survey carried out by Ralph Davison identified serious weakening in the GRP in the transom around the Z-drive. This was probably the result of the use by a previous owner of a car universal joint to link the engine to the Z-drive rather that a rubber coupling to take some of the shock when the drive was engaged. She was trailered up to Newark where the transom was replaced along with replacement of the drive coupling. She still had the original Ford Watermota petrol engine at the time but this failed last year (loss of teeth on the starter ring, blown head gasket etc) so we have now had this replaced this with a new Yanmar 17bhp diesel by John Else. During this work, John noted that he had never seen a Nauticus with a bulkhead between the engine compartment and the battery well as is the case for Lucy Em. This created a problem for him during installation because it limited the size of engine that could be fitted. He also replaced the instrument panel with modern instruments and noted that one of the old instruments had a date stamp of 1968, suggesting that at least the panel was very early and probably that Lucy Em is a very early
example of a Nauticus. Hope this information is of interest to you.
David Parkinson

from Just Crusin ...

I have owned 'Just Crusin' since 1977 it was originally named 'Aristocrat' but the name did not suit us as we are very down to earth. The boat is moored on the River Nene at Woodford Mill. Very much original it has received stainless steel grab rails new rubbing rails and a 14" prop . Please warn owners not to run an earth lead from the petrol tank to the water intake, I did this as I was told by my boat inspector to pass the Boat test and less than 12 months passed when I had to remove the outdrive as the gear linkage had siezed up caused by the electrolytic action, A heavy bill some £800 to strip and rebuild the outdrive.

'Franella', is at present moored at Fettler's Wharf Marina, Rufford on the Lancaster Canal. It had the name, 'Franella' when I first bought it in 1986 at Preston Brook on the Bridgewater Canal. I always thought the name was made up of partners, Francis & Helen, though that's pure speculation. But I've never had any good reason to change it. The information I have of my, Nauticus 27, is screwed to the very top of the cabin door on the outside ..... The aluminium 40mm x 70mm label reads in a red filled stamp:- Manufactured by Malcolm Thomas Plastics Ltd. 26 Abbey Manufacturing Estate Mount Pleasant Alperton Middx. Telephone Wembley 8571 – 4. The Serial No: 134 (this is stamped by individual dies in a small blank oblong
made for the purpose at the bottom of this aluminium label). Other than this I have found, up to now, no other marks that could be taken for anything more about its original manufacture.

John E Allen.

CAMBRIAN is moored at the end of my garden. Build no: Not known. I have looked but not found any reference. Build date: Not known. Purchased: August 1984, second hand from Swallow Cruisers at Hockley Heath on the Northern Stratford Canal. Previous name not known/remembered & not on bill of sale or the boat. Price: £6500.00 History: The previous owner refitted the boat following a gas explosion that had lifted the roof. A new roof was obtained from Malcolm Plastics. The refitter was a carpenter. The interior has been completely refitted. However, the design is the same as other Nauticus. Principal cruising range: Inland canals with some river work. Cambrian has done the Leeds Liverpool in the north and the Thames in the south with much in between. It has even crossed the Wash (Sutton Bridge on the Nene to Boston). Modifications: The boat is largely unchanged.

Major items unchanged:

Gas devices (fridge; Paloma water heater; 2-ring cooker).
Interior design
Lee Enfield Z-drive

The following have changed:

Replacement of the petrol Watermota with a Peugeot diesel (about 2.2 litre). I always found the petrol engine underpowered. Maybe it had the wrong propeller.
Gas cylinders in a suitable fibreglass box.
3 batteries in polypropylene box.
Stainless steel diesel tank.
2 large fibreglass water tanks.
Improved rubbing strakes.
Removable windscreen. I always remove the windscreen when cruising. Rain or shine.
Extended keel to protect the out-drive.
Additional lights in the front cabin which can be worked whilst lying in bed.
Wiring in the control panel by the steering wheel has been improved and more switches and dials added.
The original cooling water filter attached to the Kingston cock has been replaced by a Vetus filter.
A light has been fitted in the engine compartment to illuminate the connection for the out-drive crank. This facilitates lifting the propeller to remove debris. In the Midlands canals this is essential.
Light in the cockpit.
One-way flow valve on the diesel overflow from the injectors for the Boat Safety Scheme. Rigid overflow pipes were not fitted despite these being originally required by the scheme. This requirement has now lapsed.
Additional cleats to facilitate tying up.
Shower in the loo compartment. The Porta-Potty can be pushed back under the fridge housing.
Ventilation to suit the boat safety scheme.

Problems:

The blue of the upperworks has faded. I can see no way of repairing this.
The white hull is dirty, commensurate with its use on the canals. The hull has been painted white but this is unsuccessful. The paint comes off when I give it a high pressure clean.
Maintenance and repair of the out-drive has been the biggest problem.

Chris Boxall

I was surprised and delighted to find a site dedicated to the Nauticus! We were the very proud owner of "Talana" N7652 a 27ft version produced around about 1980, it was fitted with a BMC diesel and therefore we were able to keep the original gas fridge and water heater (which was in the shower room). During the time we owned her we fitted aluminium rubbing strips around the woodwork as it was going to be used extensively along the canal system and we also fitted Mikuni diesel warm air heating which was superb. The boat was purchased from Ken Yates at Billing Aquadrome immediately upon viewing! We had eight years of pleasure from this excellent craft from 1997 to 2005 and certainly had our "money's worth". Sadly my Wife and I separated a couple of years ago and we reluctantly sold it on. Since then I have seen the boat, now without her name, many times at it's current berth in Ellesmere. We met many friendly people during our times on the water both at Billing on the Nene and on the Llangollen canal. Please print my e-mail address if you post this e-mail and I would be happy to chat with fellow Nauticus enthusiasts and the current owner of Talana. Hopefully one day I will own another!
Neil Gunnell - neilg40@gmail.com

We have recently purchased ‘Lazy Days’, a Nauticus 27 foot as our first boat. Built by Malcolm Thomas Plastics Limited in 1972, with the build number 53. She is fitted with a Ford Watermota and appears to have a lot of the original fittings aboard, including a tipping sink in the bathroom? She is currently moored at Farndon Marina on the River Trent (where there is at least one other Nauticus) but as we live in Hemel Hempstead, we will be moving her to Gayton Marina on the Northampton Arm of the Grand Union (where there is also another 27 footer)

I enjoyed reading your website about Nauticus canal cruisers but you didn’t mention the “economy model”… the 22 which was outboard powered. What a shame that they didn’t produce a 35 foot-ish centre cockpit version… it would have been like a GRP “Taylor” (see http://nwm.org.uk/Amaryllis.html for what a “Taylor” looks like).

I asked John about the original Morco heater fitted above the sink with reference to boat safety as many of these heaters have had to be ripped out and this is his reply....

I'm not sure Boat Safety actually prevents these heaters, even in petrol boats. The boat was tested and passed a couple of years ago. I asked the very knowledgeable chap at Jones's Boatyard when we bought the boat and I'm pretty sure he said it's OK as long as everything is properly installed and pipes, connections etc are in good order and meet current standards.

Also I've had a look at the Boat Safety scheme online and it seems there's a specific exclusion covering instant gas water heaters. It says:

No distinction seems to be made for petrol engines. The exemption doesn't cover other gas appliances that tend to be installed at lower level, eg gas fridges, which is understandable.

It may be that in the early days - when the scheme was just coming in, standards were far lower and boats were regularly blowing up, heaters were being ripped out as a reaction. In the light of further experience, it looks as if it may have been recognised that properly installed and maintained gas water heaters are less of a problem - but too late for most of the Nauticus water heaters. I could be completely wrong, but that's my best guess.

In any event we take a cautious line. We only turn the gas on at the cylinder when we actually need it and we had an engine extractor fitted on the advice of the surveyor. And of course we make sure everything is completely OFF whenever we fill up, and for a good while afterwards. Following your safety update on the website I was also pleased to see that the gas cylinder compartment is a sealed metal box.

We bought St Emilion from Jones’s Boatyard, St Ives (Cambridgeshire) last year, after a season with a little day boat made us realise we could really use some more space. After hunting around we found St Emilion, who fitted the bill perfectly. We own her in partnership with Sue’s mother Patricia and she’s moored at Tiptree Marina on the River Cam between Cambridge and Ely.

The interior has been nicely refurbished by the previous owner (new carpets, curtains, seat covers and refitted galley), although much remains that is original – particularly the varnished wood surfaces, the Watermota petrol engine, the wardrobe and even the Murco boiler. The toilet compartment has a tiny fold down sink with hot and cold water.

Externally the upper hull has been overpainted in white. The engine runs well (touch wood) and the exterior is pretty good, although there’s some rubbing to the strakes and a tiny bit of flaking to the overpainting, which we’ll sort out when we get round to it.

Try as we might we can’t find any trace of a build number. We do know that for a short time she went by the name of “Booze Rouge" and prior to that she was “Nature Girl”. If anyone knew her in previous incarnations we’d love to hear from you.

All in all we’ve been absolutely delighted with her – a much better way to pass summer weekends than attending to the chores at home!

Great to find a Nauticus site.
I have known off our boat now called Watsmoor for about 9 years but have owned it since 2001 and it is now moored on the River Wey at Thames Lock. It's previous name was Sermione and was moored at Windsor Marina.
It was built in 1971 in Wembley and it's build number was 81. It also has an all white gel coat.
I have changed the original petrol engine to a Kubota 3 cylinder 27 HP diesel engine and added a 25 litre calorifier which fits nicely beneath the gas locker. (This tip from the owner of Shropshire Lass who I met at Goring about 3 years ago).
I have also fitted 2 by 100 litre flexible water tanks under the front berths to feed the calorifier and shower. This has made a great improvement on handling.

Regards - Phil and Angie Watson

I think the website is brilliant. I am so pleased that someone has got round to setting up a site dedicated to the Nauticus. I bought mine in Feb 2004. It’s named Absconder and is located at Blackleach Marina, Catforth near Preston in Lancashire. She is moored three boats from Chris Wintle and Olicana. We seem to have a collection of Nauticus 27 footers at Blackleach and the adjoining Stone Bridge Wharf which is surprising as there are only about 40 boats in all. The others are So-So-Appy, Bluemoon, Bandit, Bobcat. Absconder is fairly original and is fitted with Ford WaterMota Sea Wolf Mk2 1100cc Petrol Engine. It is also fitted with an Enfield Z Drive for which I attach a pdf copy of the manual. I hope this adds to your collection. The boat number is no 67412, the original Nauticus build number is 96 and dated April 1972 identified under the floor hatch in the cockpit. I have had a couple of scary moments with petrol fuel leaks. On one occasion whist all the family where on board the engine appeared to cut out. I assumed there was an air blockage and tried to restart her to no avail. When I looked under the rear seat at the engine, I immediately noticed the carburetor had completely fallen off and the bilge was 1 inch deep in petrol!! The carburetor had been modified to an SU by the previous owner for fuel economy. Whilst he had done a pretty good job, whoever had welded the new manifold together hadn’t welded it thoroughly. The engine vibration had caused the weld to fail. It has now been braized back more thoroughly. I have recently fitted a Eberspacher heater which is godsend in the winter months. It runs off its own small diesel tank. I managed to fit a 24V heater even though the boat is a 12V system and it runs very effectively. I did this by using 2 off 12v to 24V car laptop voltage converters. At first when I tried to run the system with 1 converter there wasn’t enough power to heat the glow plug. By adding the extra converter in parallel the system runs fine. The converters are easily available on Ebay or online for less than £25 each. It was very sad to see Graham Taylor’s email regarding his boat Julie. I recognised his boat from the original article in Motor Boat Monthly. I have copied the article and can send it for your reference, just let me know its about a 10meg file size. This article is available from publisher using their archive service. You mention you have a copy of the WaterMota Mk2 Sea Wolf Engine, I would be most grateful if you could forward a copy. I would gladly contribute towards costs. Could you also forward a copy of the BMC 1.5 Diesel manual is I am seriously considering changing to the diesel format. Thanks once again for putting the effort into setting up a great site.

Firstly, your site is fantastic. Secondly, my husband and I owned a Nauticus 27 for 3 years. She needed quite a bit of work on her when we bought her but by 2002 she looked fantastic. She was a beautiful boat and we loved her like one of the family. Unfortunately on July the 13th that was to be "Julie's" last journey. We had a fire under her wheelhouse and we were too late to catch it. We just had to stand and watch our beautiful boat go up in smoke. Anyway we don't own a boat anymore and have never been back to the marina or area since that day. We still find it too painfull (one day maybe!). Anyway back to Nauticus's. We made friends with Alex and Jake Cavanagh from Motor Boats monthly and they did a fantastic article on the Nauticus which featured our boat and another Nauticus. I have a copy of the magazine but as you will appreciate it is extremely precious as it is all we have left of our lovely Julie. You are extremely welcome to borrow it and copy whatever you like from the article but obviously I would like it back. You may have already seen the article but if you haven't please let me know. Hope this is helpful to your wonderful site.Thanks and keep up the great work.

We've just become the proud owners of Waltzing Matilda at the Bridgehouse Marina, Garstang. It's in need of a lot of tlc but we're on the case and enjoying it. Just wondering if anyone has any tips on refits, suppliers etc...

Many thanks
Lorraine Jones

Great to find a Nauticus site.

Our boat is Elizabeth, 27’ white & blue, BW 67225. From the hard-to-read plate on the cabin door the build number is 117, we think.

I attach some photos of unusual views of Elizabeth during her last liftout.

We have owned her since October 2004 and she has spent most of her life, and is still, at the Nantwich & Border Counties Yacht Club on the Shropshire Union. Prior to purchasing Elizabeth we were, for four years, part owners of a new 52ft narrowboat, but we became disenchanted with the way some of our fellow owners treated the boat and decided to pull out and buy our own. This is moving the opposite way to most people but we have not regretted the move, the main things we miss are the central heating and showers , but we can now cruise whenever we wish and relaxing in the cockpit is much, much more comfortable than on a semi-trad narrowboat.

The main modification has been the installation of a new Vetus 3 cylinder 25hp diesel just before we bought her, now showing 290 hours run. The only problem with this unit over the original petrol engine is a bit more noise and vibration. Also tick-over (800rpm) speed though the water is a little fast compared to the typical narrowboat. On the plus side it is very powerful and reliable and quite economical taking just 25 litres to fill up after 30 hours cruising. The 4mph speed limit is reached at 1200-1300 rpm using canal mile-posts as a guide.

The interior layout is original apart from the soft furnishings and the wardrobe being incorporated into the toilet compartment (how people managed before this is hard to imagine). The water is electrically pumped now and there is an electric cool box, where the original fridge was, powered from a separate leisure battery located under the port boarding step. We also have a small 600 watt inverter to run TV, vacuum cleaner etc.

The Z drive has given some problems. One month ago we lost all gears when entering a lock (quickly turned off engine and grabbed the lock ladder as the drive had failed in forward gear.) The problem was that the internal gear selector rod had broken at the first bend where it passes around the prop shaft. New design parts obtained very quickly from Chertesy Marine and now gear selection is very slick and positive.

Overall we are very happy with Elizabeth , externally she is showing signs of a long hard life on the cut but we will try to restore some of her former glory when she is lifted out at the end the season.

PS there is another Nauticus 27 at the NBCYC called Lady Christina I will let her owners know about your website and they can contact you directly.

from Golden Hawk ...

Hi there,
Our Boat is Golden Hawk, owned by Martyn & Denny Stenton. 27ft Nauticus, boat no. 222, built by Malcolm Thomas Plastics in 1975., moored at Derby Motor Boat Club, Sawley Cut, Sawley, Nottinghamshire. It is an original gelcoat all white boat (I have been informed that only 6 of the all white 27's were made). The build has slight differences to the 2 colour boats. I have had the boat since late 2004 and since then I have fitted all new window rubbers, and interior side wall far eastern ply finishings, together with carpets, curtains, upholstery. She was originally fitted with a Ford Watermotor Diesel, which had seen better days, and that was removed soon after purchase and I fitted a new Isuzu 33 diesel. The Enfield Outdrive o/hauled, new water pipes throughout, new diesel tank and numerous other refurbs. The last couple of jobs were a Cobra VHF and a Fish Finder, the latter not fitted for looking at the fish on the screen, but for the contour of the river/canal bed, and the depth of water (good bit of kit) the transducer fitted inside the cabin, shooting through the hull. I think that's it for now, otherwise this short paragraph will expand to a book. It has been fantastic to find your web site and know that everyone on the site has a common interest - NAUTICUS. I have some original docs. about Nauticus 27, and I shall forward them.

Hi Mick and all other Nauticus owners
Just thought you may like the picture of Riverdance, our 27ft Nauticus. The first one is getting ready to sail, the second is en-route to Boroughbridge a couple of weeks ago. She is moored in Ripon, North Yorkshire. see GALLERY
You may notice that the vent is covered in black plastic, this is because the wood surround is rotten and needs replacing. Apparently this is a common fault. I an replacing with hardwood surrounds.
She is equipped with a 35HP BMC Diesel engine and the usual "Z" drive and has been modified from the original in as much that she has a calorifier for hot water which supplies the galley and Bathroom (sink and shower), other than that, she is pretty much original and in fine fettle.
What we have noticed is that the calorifier does take some time to heat the water to a reasonable temperature, usually about an hour at highish revs to warm it to approx. 80deg. Usually, if we have been out and about, the water is fine for a couple of days, subject to usage of course.
The water is fed from a plastic water container and the system is pressurised via an electric pump into a plastic air receiver (we think).
If anyone needs any info on the engine and water system, please let us know, we'd be only too pleased to help.

from Miss My Way ...

I first found my Nauticus 27 in dry dock on beer kegs and logs behind Stone boat builders Staffordshire, she looked rather poorly and worse for wear. I enquired at the boat shop to see if she was for sale, to my amazement the price tag was £1000. She was left there by a young man who had no time for her i.e. new house and family, the boat was left to him by his grandad I was told. So day one was here, I climbed the broken wooden step ladders someone kindly left, I lifted the what was once the canopy and crawled in. She looked liked a bomb had gone off inside her. After a good rummage round, my wife and son (who lost six weeks school hols) started to clear the mess and she didn't look too bad after 30 bin liners. All new paint was applied outside and my wife got the nice job of antifouling the keel (ha ha). New glass was fitted, grab rails sanded and stained. Now came the fun bit - the outdrive leg was knackerd so I fitted a new dog and gears and prop and replaced it back on the boat and connected the drive couplings to the 1.5 BMC diesel engine somebody had thrown in. The launch went well for about 200 yards - crunch, bang, wallop, the flexi drive was shattered! After months of fixing engine mounts and new flexi couplings - we tried again. Fine you might think, the engine cut out, so bleed bleed bleed bleed for what seemed like weeks... A pin hole was to blame in the feed from the fuel tank to the lift pump, which I found using rubber priming ball to build pressure up in the fuel line. After almost 2 years of hard work she is now on the water. Also fitted is a shower in what was once the wardrobe, and a nice bellypot stove - but lost one seat at the table to accommodate the stove. Numbers I have found under the step are in pencil 174 NOV 73 GKS

Thank you very much .... at last a Nauticus web site which I cam across by chance! My friend and I have owned a 22ft Nauticus for 3 years. I originally owned a Norman 20 and my work colleague, Jacqui, generally came out cruising with me, mainly for day trips. A friend in the North Cheshire Cruising Club telephoned me to let me know that the Nauticus was for sale and we decided to but her between us, although with some misgivings about buying a boat as two individuals. anyway, our Nauticus is called "Free Spirit" Index No. 63912 and I see she is the first 22ft boat to be mentioned on the website. She is moored on the Macclesfield Canal and I have seen another 4 Nauticus cruisers on the canal, all 27ft. She is fitted with a Yamaha outboard. She had 2 maroon seats at the stern, which I think were original. I presume she was built for use with an outboard. There is a toilet compartment with a wardrobe opposite. The 22ft craft has a table for 4 in front of the toilet compartment. This can be converted to a bed, and there are 2 bunks either side at the bow. We also have a sink and small cooker opposite the table. We have had new upholstery, carpets, curtains and also carpeted the hull which was originally covered in crumbling blue nylon type fabric. The interior and exterior wood is all original as is the blue and white exterior, with the exception of the deck which someone has painted in matching blue deck paint. We would welcome any information about replacing the rubber around the windows as this is in poor condition and causes black "runs" to occur. We are also keen to renew the rubbing strakes but have no idea how to go about this. Once again, thanks for the web site.

I have been looking at your web site for quite a while and was hoping to have my Nauticus 27 noted when and if I got one yes it's noted!, and now I can as I have just (today) purchased a Nauticus 27 after looking for one for 6 months. To my surprise it came with its original certificate of British Registry. The details are as follows: The Official number is 339927 and was named "TA-A-MO" until 2004, now is the "Lady Delia" and soon to be "So-So-Appy", and was classed as a "Motor Yacht Single Screw". The engine is a Ford and was made by the Ford Motor Co. Ltd in Newton Abbot, South Devon in 1970. It was registered in Liverpool on 12th August 1970, and built by Malcolm Thomas Plastics Ltd, 36 Abbey Manufacturing Estate, Alperton, Middlesex. The British tonnage certificate cost £15 13s 0d on the 25th June 1970 and was surveyed by a Mr D.P. Branigan. The boat seemed to be first sold by Ladyline Cruisers Ltd of (possibly) Liverpool, according to the receipt.

I came across your site by chance and was interested to hear what others think of Nauticus cruisers. My wife and I have had Suzie II for 6 years now and intend keeping it. The boat originally had the 1100cc petrol engine but last year she was fitted with a new Thornycroft diesel. Apart from the new carpets and upholstery she is as original, I think. We are currently on the Lancaster canal, moored at Moons Bridge Marina, so if anyone else is on that stretch of water, give us a wave.

We have just come back from a great day on the Lancaster Canal, and I did remember to look underneath for a plaque. It is stamped Triton Boats 14-7-78 No. 123. I hope this is of some use to you YES! it's now in list of chronological boats on HISTORY page. I took a few pics of the Thornycroft diesel engine fitted at the back end of last year see GALLERY.

from Polly C ...
Just found your site and am interested in following your progress.
We are recent owners of a 27ft Nauticus, now named as 'Polly C'.
The vessel lies at Bridge House Marina in Garstang, Lancs on the Lancaster Canal.

At the moment, we are in the process of reversing some dubious refitting of the craft, to a style that more suits our needs (although it won't be original).

from Dulcinea ...
I have a Nauticus 27 on the Thames, at Reading (Thames and Kennet Marina), I
have had her for about three years and found her at Windsor Raceourse Yacht
Basin.
I have historyback to 1997 where she was at Taplow Maidenhead.

Her name is Dulcinea though prior to '97 she was Dixie and believed to be on
the Grand Union at Hemel Hempstead.

Her manufacture was by Malcolm Thomas Plastics Ltd, 26 Abbey Manufacturing
Estate Mount Pleasant, Alperton Middlesex. and has a small plaque on the
door which might even have a serial number but it is very feint, keep
thinking of doing a "brass Rubbing".

At the stern we have Red Vinyl Bench Seat which I think is original, two
grey pilot chairs one the port Helmsman location on a fitted locker and the
Starboard Navigators side is on a locker for an Electric Cool Box (Not
Fridge).
On entering the Cabin the Galley is to Port and the "small" Shower and
Thetford Porta Potti to starboard, sacrificeing the Hanging wardrobe.

The Port side Table has gone and been replaced with a permanent Bunk/seating
area, with cupboard below, though the starboard Table looks original.
Fitout is Red Upholstery which I have seen on Photographs of other Nautici,
so this may have been an original option, though I would be suprised if it
was "original". The walls etc are wood, and not a "melamine" wood effect
which I have seen on another Nauticus.

There is evidence of the Old Galley Foot Pump, but now there is a Calorifier
and Sureflow pumping system.

The Watermota Engine was changed to Perkins Diesel in 2000, though it still
has an Enfield Sterndrive, with the largest Adder Rudder and Trim plate I
have seen

One owner I was talking to believed that the fit outs were done by a number
of companies, though it must have been under some form of licence as they
had the reference of "The Rolls Royce of the Canals", and this would be hard
to achieve if shells were sold for all and sundry to fit out as required.

There are a number of examples on the Thames, and I have even seen a 22 Foot
with Outboard. You will see a couple of Nauticus references on "The Radcot
Cruising Club" Bulletin Board:-
http://www.radcotcruiserclub.org.uk/

from Misty Dawn ...
My boat is "Misty Dawn" 27ft owned by Ben and Gaynor Davies
and is moored at Chirk Marina in N Wales on the Llangollen canal.
Interested in the plans as I am about to redesign the interior, thinking of a diesel engine but difficuld to get a good one for under £1000, so stay with petrol, at least with a ford engine it is simple, thinking of putting electronic ignition to assist with starting.
Any other info you have only to pleased to share. This is my first cruiser boat having sold my narrowboat earlier in the year. I hve included a photo will send some better ones in the summer after I have worked on the boat use as you wish

from Wyvern ...
At last !! a possible website for Nauticus owners. I had a Nauticus (27ft) from 1989 to 1997 following 2 earlier cruisers, when I retired ( early)I bought a narrowboat, but the calling was too strong so I went back to a Nauticus(Wyvern) 2 years ago.I'm currently moored on the River Weaver at Acton Bridge, Cheshire. Please feel free to add me and my details to your boat list, maybe one day we can get up a Nauticus boat rally or something like.

from Watersprite ...
We Have just purchased a 27ft Nauticus with an 1100cc ford watermota petrol inboard called "watersprite" she will be moored at East Midland Boat Services at Kegworth, once we have cleaned her i will send pics! She needs a bit of tidying but generaly pretty good!
I Have a question? How many Hours per gallon do you get?
Any help or advice would be gratefully recieved! There a new column for you! "Advice Line" Many Thanks, Kevin and Nicky.

Sent you a couple of pictures of our new baby! just a little teaser though does your carb look like ours? we are experiencing probs off choke! i can see the fuel pipe going into the left attatchment what goes or should into the right one? any help would be great (or is this one for an engineer!!!!!)

from River Lady ...
At last a web site for these super boats, I have been looking all over to try and find some information on them having just bought one, look forward to seeing the site up and running.

Ref’ the decks on the 27 as they are originally blue and blue always fades and on my boat they are quite pale, have you any ideas how the blue can be restored, I have last season treated the blue with car bumper black silicon and it bought it up very nice and has lasted a year but it is not ideal because it makes it very slippy, not a good idea on a boat deck.
The last thing I want to do is paint it.

Letter from Olicana ... interesting reading! If you want to contact Chris Wintle then please email me.

As promised on the telephone, all about "Olicana". I purchased Olicana in 2003 as a result of a desire to get away from the hustle and bustle of the roads. My intention, at the time, was to buy a Viking or similar of around 23ft and narrow beam. Pat (my wife) and I looked at one or two but I was not overly impressed by the layout and, in particular, the headroom. Then we found Olicana. WOW! she had been reupholstered throughout and was in lovely condition and the price was right. I thought 27ft might be a bit large but, to hell with it, I was in love.

Our first trip was from the marina where she was for sale to our home mooring and once I got used to the rather vague handling everything went well. Other trips followed, still on the Lancaster, no locks, but I had two problems, one was the desire of Olicana to wander, the other was the fuel consumption, about 1.5 hrs to the gallon.

The wandering was cured by chance. We took my son and his family for a short cruise and whilst on the move my son asked if he and our oldest grandson could ride on the foredeck. The result of this request was dramatic, Olicana became docile. When we got home I asked my son for the combined weight of him and his son, this worked out at around 2.5 cwt. I purchased a quantity of window sash counter weights from a salvage yard and put them in the bow compartment. this involved cutting a small hatch under the triangular bow cushion. I now had a boat that went in a straight line and was less affected by the wind.

The next task was to tackle the economy. As we had every intention of venturing onto the main system, I decide that the answer would be a diesel engine. A local marine engineer had a rebuilt BMC 1500 available so we decided to fit it. Then the trouble started. When I purchased Olicana she had a full 4 years BSSC, so, other than a hull survey I had not had her checked. As soon as Gary (the engineer) started work he found a lot of potentially fatal faults. With my concurrence he informed BW BSS and they sent their inspector to look at the boat. The result was a resounding fail with 28 faults. It turned out that the inspector who had issued the BSS prior to my purchase was skimping inspections to make money, but after many letters and threats of court action he paid for all the repairs. He was then struck off by BSS.

The need for a refit to meet BSS standards meant that modifications and additions could be made. A new 20 gallon fuel tank was fitted and a new steel gas locker was made. As the bottom of the gas locker was below the level of the drain hull fitting it would have to be raised to allow for a correct fall. I decided to locate it on the cockpit floor on the starboard side, in front of the seat. This made the gas bottles more accessible and provided an access step. Forward of this I built a cupboard with a Gas/12v fridge in it and the crew seat on top. On the port side I built another locker and cupboard. The locker holds 3 batteries (one start, two domestic) and provides the port side access step. The cupboard houses a 1kw inverter plus useful storage. It also supports the helmsman's seat. both seats hinge forward leaving the tops of the cupboards as work surfaces if required. The plastimo heater in the cabin was removed and the pipework rerouted to feed the fridge.

Very little modification was needed to fit the engine although some 3 inches had to be cut from the wooden bearers to allow for the greater engine height. The engine is mounted on anti vibration mountings to reduce hull resonance. The cooling system has also been changed. I have removed the gauze filter from the sea cock and fitted a Vetus in line filter. Engine cooling is via a Bowman heat exchanger and therefore the engine retains it's thermostat. This makes it possible to use the car heater tappings to run a 9 gallon calorifier housed at the fore end of the cockpit centre hatch. In series with the calorifier I have fitted a car heater matrix, with fan, which provides extra cooling and also cockpit heating. Cabin heating is now by Eberspacher Compact and this is located in the port compartment under the rear seat. Air is piped to a standard Caravan outlet located in the bottom step. As this would normally be blocked with the door closed I have cut a vent through the door and added a brass trim. Air intake for the heater is via a grill in the vertical bulkhead under the cockpit seat. To improve access to the engine and rear storage compartment I have divided the rear seat base and cushion into 3.

After some experimenting with propellers I have now settled on a 14 x 12 which seems to give a good all round performance. I have also had to increase the bow ballast to take account of added stern weight. Ballast is now about 4.5 cwt but handling is superb.