Cheap River Launch

[Lakesailor]

It was for sale last year. I seem to remember it needed some woodwork. Still, can't be bad at that price. (It needs a motor because they ran it as a solar-powered boat, presumably keeping that gear) No connection.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lakeland-...380?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item232bd1c614

 

[epervier]

They really know how to market the thing,

"Traditional Lakeland Launch Capacity 50. Currently on Catagory C waters. Price quoted is without an engine. A diesel can easily be fitted and we can recommend one that will fit"

No length, no beam no draught,no age, not a lot of information really.

 

[Lakesailor]

To be fair he gives an e-mail to contact with queries. You are hardly likely to Buy-It-Now without knowing a lot more about it.
For instance, moving it will cost a couple of quid.

 

[ProDave]

Why would you want to move it?

At that price it looks like it will make a nice floating cottage just where it is.

 

[Lakesailor]

Ha ha. You should do stand-up for a living.
This is a National Park, don't forget.

 

[ProDave]

Ha ha. You should do stand-up for a living.
This is a National Park, don't forget.

So?

as long as you can find a mooring for it they can't dictate what you use it for surely?

Or are moorings on Coniston like Hen's teeth?

 

[Greenheart]

How successful was the electric set-up? Nice idea, if it worked. Although, handy to be on a lake where loss of power won't leave you more than a 1/4 mile swim to shore.

Given her apparent proportions, "some woodwork needed" could start to sound expensive. Very pretty though.

 

[Seajet]

Dan,

there's a solar powered tour boat in Chichester Harbour, successful as far as I know; I wonder why the electrics were removed from this one.

I can imagine all sorts of certification snags though, and from my little experience on the Lakes it can get surprisingly rough ( with noticably less buoyancy than salt water too ),so the low freeboard and top hamper might be a consideration ?

Still, she's lasted this long and deserves a good home.

I wonder if steam power is viable ?!

 

[Greenheart]

I wonder if steam power is viable ?!

Or a bank of cyclists? Teams of well-toned fell-road riders could apply themselves to twenty "exercise bikes", linked to propellors by chains & cogs...

...wouldn't even need a rudder. Half the riders drive the starboard prop, the rest drive the other. And a whip-waving steersman stands at the back, yelling for equilibrium.

 

[Seajet]

Or a bank of cyclists? Teams of well-toned fell-road riders could apply themselves to twenty "exercise bikes", linked to propellors by chains & cogs...

...wouldn't even need a rudder. Half the riders drive the starboard prop, the rest drive the other. And a whip-waving steersman stands at the back, yelling for equilibrium.

I like it; " that'll be a tenner for the trip Sir, now here are your bike clips " !

 

[Lakesailor]

So?

as long as you can find a mooring for it they can't dictate what you use it for surely?

Or are moorings on Coniston like Hen's teeth?

You can't moor a boat longer than 25ft on Coniston. There is only one small, private, wet dock on the lake that is available for rental berths. It has no facilities at all. Moorings are administered by South Lakes District Council.

The electric propulsion also had a diesel engine which I think ran a generator. They still have another launch they use on the lake and a smaller one that replaced this one. http://www.conistonlaunch.co.uk/http://www.conistonlaunch.co.uk/

 

[Greenheart]

I like it; " that'll be a tenner for the trip Sir, now here are your bike clips " !

Perhaps they should pay £50 deposit, and earn it back gradually according to how many kilowatt-hours they put in?