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Re: REMINDER FOR USED PIPER HUNTERS!

Hi, Dot,
You may remember us. We used to own Dragonfly, an ex Trimram boat built by David and fitted out by Twinram. We may be looking for another small Piper boat and I have found one on eBay. However I have my doubts that it is a Piper boat. The owners say it was supplied by you as a hull only boat in approx 1974. It was fitted with a wooden top and a Lister SR2 engine. It is 33ft long and called Epsilon. I have quizzed the current owners about its authenticity and they have said they have been in touch with the original owners who have confirmed that the hull was built by you. Ring any bells?
Regards,
Nick Hardey.

Re: REMINDER FOR USED PIPER HUNTERS!

Hi Nick

Good to hear from you. After a lot of hunting down I think we have what you're looking for.

I've had a look on eBay and the boat certainly looks as though it could be on one of our shells. Whoever put the cabin on has made a good job of copying our style.

These are the details from the boat register.

Epsilon Built by David Piper Boat Builders - Length : 9.08 metres ( 29 feet 9 inches ) - Beam : 2.04 metres ( 6 feet 8 inches ) - Draft : 0.01 metres ( 0 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 999 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 68952 as a Powered Motor Boat. ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 )



We built two 31ft boats in 1971, these were built at Norbury and launched at Gnosall. The first boat was for Phil and Joan Matthews from Nottingham. Theirs was called Dawn Piper and was supplied as a waterproof shell, with windows doors and engine (a single cylinder Sabb). The second boat was for a friend of theirs who ran the moorings at Mountsorrel but I think it was a bare shell and had a cabin but no engine. The Sabb single was the choice at the time.Even then it was rare to do a hull only.. He intended to start a small hire fleet but I don't think it got off the ground.

At the same time we built a 30ft hull only for a couple from Yorkshire which we've lost trace of, so thats a possibility.

Hull thickness at that time was 3/16th!

What does the survey say - I know it's not bang up to date but it would give you an idea.

Hope this helps,

Dot