BOAT TEST Secondchance...wine rack, while in the centre there is a slimline Hoover washing machine,...

They say you don’t reallyappreciate what you’ve got untilit’s gone, and that was certainlytrue for Doug Williams and

James Bowsher. They had a boat whichthey had bought second-hand and spenttwo years living aboard while cruisingthe system. Then, two years ago, theymoved back to land and sold the boat.

But we all know that once you’vecaught the canal bug, it’s virtuallyimpossible to get rid of. So perhaps it

wasn’t surprising that they found theymissed life afloat so much that it wasn’tlong before a new boat was on theagenda. Choosing who would build itwasn’t difficult: they liked their previousboat so much they back went to thesame firm.

What they’ve ended up with is a boatwhich in some ways is very similar tothe previous one, but it incorporatessome of the lessons you only learn byhaving had a boat before.

30 September 2011 Canal Boat

BOAT TEST MGM Boats 58ft

WORDS ADAM PORTER PICTURES ANDY R ANNABLE

What would you change if you had a boatyou liked but were having another built? Thatwas the question the owners of Chance faced

Second chance

030-CB-09-BOAT TEST-N-s-M-A:Layout 1 22/07/2011 13:27 Page 30

MGM Boats 58ft BOAT TEST

Canal Boat September 2011 31


The shell was built by Ken Martin at hisworkshop in Uttoxeter, to a design by MGM’shull expert, Mark Fenton. The quality of thesteelwork is excellent, with smooth sides andcrisp edges. A look down the handrails, forexample, shows that they’re dead straight.

The bow is a josher-inspired shape which isvery pretty thanks to its curves: subtle ratherthan overly pinched. At the other end the rear isan unusual shape -- much squarer than the morecommon elliptical stern, but with roundedcorners. A friend of Doug and James describedthe boat as ‘a floating J-Lo’ because of its amplerear end!

The stern was designed by Mark to provide as

EXTERIORChance is eye-catching from every angle. It’s a58ft boat with an unusual cruiser stern, butperhaps the most startling feature is the colour,a shade of turquoise blue that’s the same as thatused on the couple’s previous boat. “We knew itlooked good,” says James, "and we weren’tbrave enough to choose something else!”

There’s a cream coach-line and sign-writing,but no other colours -- not even tunnel bands.If you like the colour and want to use it on yourown boat you will be out of luck, though: Jamessays it’s a special mix made to a secret recipe.The sign-writing, by Kevin Regan, is also non-traditional, using an attractive flowing italic font.

much deck space as possible for socialising --there’s room for a folding table and chairs, for alfresco dining. It’s a shape that wouldn’t suit atrad stern, but looks just right on this boat. It’s asuccessful combination of practicality and goodlooks. The rear deck is enhanced, too, by aguardrail with a broad wooden top, loopingside fenders, and a canvas windbreak (whichdoubles as a dog guard), sign-written in thesame style.

This is a shell that has been properly andthoughtfully designed, rather than justhappening. The cabin sides have a slightly morepronounced tumblehome than the norm -- anextra two degrees slope. Mark says this makes it



Turquoise paintwork looksright and is a unique shade

Unusual rear deck providesas much space as possible

030-CB-09-BOAT TEST-N-s-M-A:Layout 1 22/07/2011 13:29 2

to create panels -- a look that’s very much anMGM trademark. All the doors throughout theboat are made from solid wood, and with a largenumber of cupboards there are dozens of them.There is a variety of flooring materials: oak inthe cabin, Karndean for the bathroom and galley,and carpet in the saloon. As with the outsidethere’s extensive use of chrome throughout theboat, and all the door furniture, bolts andindividually switched LED lights gleam.

SALOON AND DINETTEWe’ll start at the front of the boat, where a pairof glazed doors lead down into the saloon,which has an airy, modern feel thanks to the


just a strip of chrome. The clean lines of theWorcester windows have been chosen tocomplement the contemporary look.

LAYOUT AND FIT-OUTWhile the owners of many cruiser-sterned boatsfavour a reverse layout, Doug and James havestuck with the traditional layout they werefamiliar with. So there’s a saloon at the front, withan L-shaped dinette. The galley comes next,followed by a through bathroom. The cabin is atthe rear, with steps up to the large back deck.

The fit-out uses American light ash. The cabinsides and ceilings are in faced ply, but textureand interest has been added by using mouldings


easier to walk along the gunwales. The lines ofthe boat are also improved by having lesscamber on the roof and a very slight tapering ofthe cabin at the forward end.

The shell has lovely detailing everywhere,with scrolls on the handrails, and a boatman’sbeam across the roof. A specially commissionedfeature was a small porthole in the rear door, soDoug and James can see who is moored behindthem, without being too obvious!

The mushroom vents, fairleads and other trimare chrome, to give the boat a modern look, andat the bow there’s a pair of chrome headlights.The back deck is lit by a very neat light thatdoesn’t look like a light at all: it appears to be

Fretwork panelshide radiators well

Light, bright interior, but mindthose muddy boots!


Doug Williams and JamesBowsher stopped work (theydon’t like the word ‘retired’ –they’re much too young!) fouryears ago, to spend time livingafloat. James had been amechanical engineer for theMoD, while Doug was a financial adviser.

They had intended to have a boat built but fell inlove with one of the used boats they looked at andbought that instead. That was Spirit, the MGM boat

which suited their needs sowell it inspired their new boat.

“We made the decision tochange our lives,” says Doug.“So we sold the house andcruised the system. When wemoved back to land, we really

missed the canal life.” James adds: “We believe intaking an opportunity when we see it. The troublewas that Opportunity was too long to fit betweenthe portholes, so we’ve called this boat Chance!”

THE OWNERS


ash fit-out. The steps from the well deck havechunky lift-up treads to provide storage. Eitherside there are low level cabinets and high levelglass-fronted cupboards. The taller unit on oneside continues along the boat, breaks for theMorso Squirrel stove with its circular slatehearth and then carries on.

While all the woodwork in the boat is to agenerally high standard, the quality of the fixedfurniture is exceptional. All the units are well puttogether with lovely chunky tops and solid doors.The uprights have chamfered corners whichgive a real feel of quality and attention to detail.

Loose furniture consists of a pair of whiteleather captain’s chairs, and similar leather hasalso been used on the L-shaped dinette. Thishas a choice of large or small tables on Desmolegs (there are covers for the slots to stop anyonetripping up) and it can also be converted into abed for guests.

The radiators are hidden behind fretworkcovers. The Roman blinds are held in place whenclosed by magnets, while the side hatches oneach side have glazed inner doors. Curtainswould have got in the way at the front doors, sothe windows have wooden bungs.

GALLEYThe curved galley has become another MGMtrademark. On one side of the boat there’s ashallow U-shaped run of units, with a sweepingcurve. It contains a 240v Indesit fridge andThetford oven and grill (with a Country Leisurefour-burner hob above), as well as plenty ofstorage. This shape gives two dead corners.One is accessed from one of the cupboards,while the other provides a hideaway accessiblefrom behind the dinette cushions.

The worktop, made from Avonite, containstwo circular sinks, so one can be used forwashing up and the other for draining thedishes. It means that nothing will ever fall offthe draining board. Both the sinks havecovers for additional workspace. This side alsohas plentiful high-level storage, with LEDlighting underneath.

On the opposite side, there’s a semi-circularunit that provides useful extra worktop space.There are cupboards at either end plus a built-inwine rack, while in the centre there is a slimlineHoover washing machine, hidden behind doors.It fits because it’s only 40cm deep rather thanthe more usual 60cm, yet it still takes a 6kg load.This is a real find that could be very useful forboaters -- a proper-sized washing machine thatcan fit under a shallow worktop.

Unusually, the cabin sides are coveredentirely by tiles.


Two sinks is agood idea andeach has a cover

Cureves add elegance to thegalley – look at all those tiles


SHOWER ROOMAn extra-wide door leads from the galley intothe shower room, providing a feeling of extraspace. Immediately ahead is a corner unit withan Avonite worktop and a simple white basinwith a cupboard underneath. There’s a smallmirror-fronted cabinet above and a large mirrorwith a curved corner alongside.

The loo is a macerator type by Jabsco, with aremote holding tank under the bed.

On the other side of the room is a quadrantshower. Between it and the cabin side there areuseful shelves for towels, and an exceptionallydeep cupboard that also houses the showerpump. There’s also a stylish heated towel rail.

Large tiles cover the walls from floor to ceiling,with an attractive border at gunwale height.

CABINThe main feature of the cabin is the 4ft in-linebed. Underneath is the loo holding tank, which



Well designed showerroom has a greatfeeling of space

extends slightly off centre, although not enoughto make the boat list as it fills. There’s also adouble drawer under the foot of the bed.

Other storage includes a run of high-levelcupboards and a mirror-fronted wardrobe. Tomake it easier to move around the bed, thebottom of the three steps up to the rear deckslides away when not needed. The top twosteps contain much of the electrical equipment,such as the inverter and TravelPower generator,while other cupboards house things such as theheating header tank.

The stylish look of the room is complementedby another radiator cover made from fretwork.

Just inside the rear door is a gleaming bell,engraved with Chance, so the helmsman can callthe crew for help (or coffee).

TECHNICALChance is powered by the ubiquitous Beta 43,teamed with a PMR150 gearbox, chosen

because of reliability, the availability of spares,and the fact that all boatyards know how towork on them. It’s fitted with a hospital silencer,to reduce the noise. There’s also a 55kgf Vetuselectric bow thruster.

Electrical power comes from four 110Ahdomestic batteries, plus a starter battery andanother at the bow for the bow thruster. A 240vsupply is provided by a 1.8kW Sterling inverterfor everyday use, and there’s also a DometicTravelPower, an engine-driven generator, forwhen extra power is needed.

Heating is from a Mikuni diesel-fired boiler,that can also provide hot water. The calorifier,which is in the engine bay, also has animmersion heater and a valve so the outputtemperature can be regulated.

The installation looks very neat and tidy and,being a cruiser stern, everything is exceptionallyaccessible because all the deckboards can belifted. They come off in manageable sections, so


towards the top end of the market, but stillfifteen or twenty thousand short of what somebuilders would charge. But it’s full of qualityfeatures, such as the carefully made hardwooddoors and the exceptional furniture.

The important thing for Doug and James isthat they’re back afloat, with a boat they areclearly delighted with. And when you’ve beenmissing something, there’s nothing quite assatisfying as getting it back.


Verdict: ‘An eye-catching, well thought-out boat with a high quality fit-out’

LENGTH: 58ftBEAM: 6ft 10inSHELL: Ken MartinSTYLE: Cruiser

FIT-OUT: American light ashENGINE: Beta marine 43

Tel: 01452 723betamarine.co.uk

BOW THRUSTER: Vetusvetus.com

INVERTER: Sterlingsterling-power.com

MGM BOATSMill Lane Boatyard

Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8AFTel: 0116 264 0009

[email protected], mgmboats.co.uk

BUYING ANEW BOAT?...

ORDERYOURS ON0118 977 1677

Then get a copy of our bumper bookCanal Boats on Test – just £6.95

CB


The instrument panel is inside the rear door,so not visible at a glance.

The colour of the boat certainly attractsattention: we had several complimentarycomments from other boaters during our tripup the Soar.

CONCLUSIONIf Doug and James’s previous boat was evenhalf as good as this one, it’s not surprisingthey returned to MGM for its replacement.This is a high quality boat with pretty linesand an excellent fit-out. MGM have developeda style all of their own, with the panelled cabinsides and curved galleys, which looks stylishand works well.

If you wanted a boat like this, it would cost£112,000. It’s a figure that places the boat

TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONSChance 58ft £112,000

you can get to as much or little as necessary.What’s more, they lock down to prevent thefts.

ON THE WATERCruising on Chance is a real pleasure. There’san enormous amount of space for company onthe rear deck, and the broad rail providessomewhere to perch.

At the helm, the boat responds very well tothe tiller, thanks to the 13ft long swims. If youneed a bit of help, the bow thruster gives plentyof oomph. Unlike some cruiser sterns, theMorse control isn’t too low, and the bowthruster controls are also easily accessible.

Mark Fenton and Martin Parsons have beenrunning MGM Boats for nine years, althoughthey both have years of experience of theboat building industry before that. Mark issomething of an expert on the design ofboat shells and works closely with KenMartin at Uttoxeter, who builds most ofMGM’s shells.

They usually fit out just three or fourboats a year so that they can concentrate on qualityworkmanship. Chance is the firm’s 32nd boat.

The company is based at a small yard on anisland in the River Soar at Thurmaston nearLeicester, which has a covered wet dock and aslipway. As well as boat-building, they do repairs,

blacking, andpaintwork. The island is also surrounded bymoorings, many of which are residential. The firmemploys just two other members of staff. “We tryto do everything ourselves,” says Martin. “That way,we know exactly what’s gone into every boat."

MGM BOATSCruiser stern means plenty of accessto Beta 43 and PRM150 combination


BOAT TEST Secondchance...wine rack, while in the centre there is a slimline Hoover washing machine,...

Documents

Transcript of BOAT TEST Secondchance...wine rack, while in the centre there is a slimline Hoover washing machine,...