The Grand Designs houseboat

MoodySabre

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Anybody remember seeing that disaster on the Medway?

I just looked out of the window and there it is /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif moored in the Ray off Chalkwell. I suppose this means that it is going to be towed into Old Leigh and join the other strange collection of floating things down near Leigh Station /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Evadne

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It's awhile since I've been to Leigh, my Dad used to live there. Is that strange scandinavian gunboat still included amongst the "collection of floating things"?
 

smth448

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Hope nothing fell off it as it went past my mooring!

Glad to see the back of the hideous thing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

MoodySabre

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No gunboats in Leigh - we have traffic wardens instead!

Essex Yacht Club have a fibreglass minesweeper as a clubhouse and spent a fortune making it look really excellent instead. Still got a gun on the foredeck.

I'll post a pic but a) just noticed camera battery flat and b) it's too far away at the moment.
 

MoodySabre

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At a distance it hasn't changed much from this
medway_26_lg.jpg
 

Evadne

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I'm pleased to hear they made a good job of it. Last time I saw it was just after they'd moved it there; it looked fun for the kids to run around on deck pretending to shoot things, but not what you'd call "scenic". Definitely not as pretty as the "Bembridge" was (at least I think that's what the previous clubhouse was called).
 

MoodySabre

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http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8824552.House_boat_washed_onto_Westcliff_beach/

It was very still and calm last night, and it had very big chains on it!

Oh yes - just looked out of window and it's not on its mooring - perhaps they didn't get it off the beach on 1124 HW. I assumed that the mooring belongs to Leigh Marina but its not been towed there. Best they could do is anchor it in deep water and let the RAF practice on it!

Talking to someone who has been on it - they say it has been trashed inside. Pile of poo that nobody knows what to do with.
 

irs101

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I haven't been on it, but I've been past it plenty of times. It is indeed a mess. Every window smashed and doors hanging off their hinges.

Boats were tied up to it several times last summer, and I heard that there'd been a fire on it.

I gather it has made it into Leigh. Mike's Boatyard normally deal with recoveries, so it could be moored up there.

Funnily enough I noticed that the RNLI hovercraft was out last night about 1845. Don't know if that was anything to do with it.

I hope it didn't hit anything on its way through.
 

PaulJS

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I also remember watching this episode, and while I normally enjoy it, and admire the tenacity and audacity of the builders, this particular build left me feeling as though I was gawping at a car wreck.
The builder was stubborn when he should have been listening and acceding to advice, his build was always going to be an eyesore even if well done, and I was left with severe misgivings about the end result. Seems that I was right, I just hope that he and his family profited from their mistakes and are ok now.
 

Bobobolinsky

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He could have saved himself some heartache by just putting in transverse beams and plonking two shipping containers on the deck and cladding the lot with celotex and plastic.
I just felt so sorry for them, it must have been a steep learning curve, money spent and now derelict.
 

sighmoon

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