Dawncraft Dandy 19 Foot Canal & River Cruiser

Dawncraft Dandy 19 foot canal & river GRP cruiser ‘Swordfish’ has the Registration Number 504092. It had a Boat Safety Certificate which expired in 2013, the Canal & River Trust Licence & insurance has also expired. From a leaflet I have, the Dawncraft Dandy has a length of 5.79 m, draft - 0.25 m, maximum beam - 2.08 m, max cabin height - 1.73 m, overall height above the water line - 1.54 m, trailing weight - 499 Kg, berths - 4, construction - GRP, hull form - trimaran running into catamaran, integral buoyancy – yes, type of engine - outboard, recommended engine hp – up to 55 hp I bought this about 12 years ago from a marina on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire & got it out of the water & trailered it back to Wales, tidied it up and checked it over ready for sustained canal use. I had just completed an Inland Waterways Helmsman’s Course as I wanted to try canal boating. I was advised after passing the course to hire a narrow boat for a week before buying my own boat, to see if I liked it.

But for less than the cost of a week on a hired narrow boat I could buy this cruiser, so that is what I did ! I put it on the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal (which is about 27 miles away from its current location), where I had a year or two of having a lovely time on weekends and days off etc. Floating about between hostelries & going up and down this beautiful 37 mile long waterway a few times. I was hooked ! So in 2010 I bought my own 45 foot narrow boat, which I still have & the Dawncraft Dandy was put on its trailer and taken back to my yard in Llandrindod Wells, where it has remained ever since.

I am now selling the yard, so this now has to go fairly soon. I have some seat cushions stored in the garage, it has curtains. With the addition of a Porta Potty toilet and a small cooker & other bits and pieces you can use it like a caravan. It has 12 volt lighting as well as connections for a 240 volt hook up with 3 pin sockets; which will all need checking over before use of course. There is a sink with a 12 volt pump & space for the toilet behind a curtain !

It now needs a good pressure wash off and a general clean & tidy up., but is structurally sound. The trailer is a purpose built boat one, galvanised, well up to the job and the tyres are in good condition & holding air. It is ready to hitch & go after strapping and attaching a trailer board. It is quite heavy, probably about 800 Kg in total, so it will need a substantial tow car, or a 4×4, to tow it away. It has great potential to make into a super little boat again.

It is a perfect way to try out canal boating without spending a fortune. A weekend or two of work could have it ready for the water and of course with the trailer you can launch it using a slipway (saving the cost of a crane). It will need some form of engine, the standard controls are still attached for fitting steering, throttle & forward / back gear controls. I had a 1984 9.9 HP Suzuki two stroke outboard on it, which worked perfectly well on the canal and the river. This engine was recently stolen by some local ‘low life’ so is unavailable sadly !

The winning bidder will need to bring 2 lorry straps, a number plate, a trailer lighting board & probably an extension lead for that & some cable ties to secure the lead along the length of the boat. It needs to be collected from central Llandrindod Wells, LD1 postcode. Please note, I live in Shropshire and would need some notice should anyone want to view this. The last picture is what it looked like after I restored it & is included to show what it could look like again, with a bit of work. I am starting the listing at what the trailer is worth on its own as it needs to go fairly soon.

Bidders with less than 20 good feedbacks please contact me with your full details before bidding. I require a £50 non refundable deposit by PayPal within 24 hours of the auction end and then the remainder in cash on collection, within a few weeks ideally.