Adam Porter

Button End on test

2010-01-11T16:00:00.005Z

The February edition of Canal Boat has been in the shops a week, but we had no post for several days last week because of the snow, so I've only just got my copy. It contains my test of Button End, a Goldsbrough boat. The test was done just a couple of days before we set off on our three week trip last September, and we had weather we can now only dream of: sunshine and warmth.

Button End is based on a previous Goldsbrough boat, Footsie 100. Imagine my surprise when just a couple of days into our September trip, we passed Footsie 100 moored just south of Stoke. I managed to grab a quick picture, which also makes an appearance in the magazine.

Moor and Peace on Test

2009-12-09T14:03:00.003Z

The January edition of Canal Boat is out, with a traditionally snowy picture on the cover. Inside is my review of a ten-berth OwnerShips boat, built as a bespoke boat for a large family. Not long after the pictures were taken, we all had to resort to our waterproofs as a torrential shower came over.

Tickety Boo on Test

2009-11-11T22:47:00.001Z

The December issue of Canal Boat is out, and includes my review of Tickety Boo, a narrowbeam Dutch barge by Wharf House in Braunston. I was surprised how much I liked this boat, and and the piece says, I can't remember being on a boat which attracted so many positive comments from other boaters and from the towpath. It certainly makes an impression.

Breaking the Ice on Test

2009-10-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

The November issue of Canal Boat is out, and includes my boat test of Breaking the Ice, and lovely little tug by Daddy's Boat Co. This was done on a nice sunny day on the Staffs and Worcs canal, and our short trip included a lock and a tunnel.

The Silver Kroner on test

2009-08-08T18:31:00.000+01:00

The September issue of Canal Boat is out, and contains my test of The Silver Kroner, a remarkable boat from Navigation Narrowboats with a huge glass sliding roof.

Canal Boats On Test

2009-05-29T14:13:00.001+01:00

Canal Boat has produced an A5 book of boat tests, which was on sale at Crick and seemed to be doing quite well. It contains 24 tests published over the past few years, and seven of them are mine.

Crick Boat Show

2009-05-25T01:07:00.001+01:00

We've had two fantastic sunny days at the Crick Boat Show. It seemed quite busy with visitors, but there were fewer new boats on show than in previous years, and the land based area was also a bit smaller. Several of the boats I've tested over the past year were on show, including Caxton from Barnowl and Fizzical Attraction by Crown Narrowboats. It was also good to see this year's offerings from some of the other builders I've got to know, including Fernwood, Cauldon, and Reading. I also spoke to a few other builders about doing tests on their boats over the coming months.

Fizzical Attraction on test

2009-03-14T23:33:00.000Z

Among the huge pile of post on the doormat when we got home last night was this month's Canal Boat, including my test of the Crown boat, Fizzical Attraction. On the day we did the test, Macclesfield was alone in virtually the whole country in having an overcast, showery day. So although we took the boat for a short cruise, the weather wasn't good enough for exterior photos. David, the photographer, had to go back and get the running shots a few weeks later (fortunately he lives a lot closer to Macclesfield than I do). That explains why I don't appear in any of the photos.

Caxton on test

2009-02-11T00:35:00.000Z

The March Canal Boat is out, and includes my review of Caxton. On this occasion, I knew more or less what to expect from the boat, having followed the build via Lesley's blog. As you can see from the photos, it was a very cold day when we did the test, although the warm welcome from Lesley and Joe made up for it!

Fenchurch on test

2009-01-09T00:32:00.000Z

The February Canal Boat is out, and includes my test of the Norton Canes boat, Fenchurch. It's a great boat with a classic Gardner engine, and traditional controls. I have to confess that the finished article turned out a bit long, and my efforts to shorten it failed somewhat. So I'm pleased that the editor has given the test eight pages, rather than the usual seven.

Amber Boats on test

2008-12-09T00:31:00.000Z

There's a nice Christmassy feel to the front cover of the January issue of Canal Boat, which is out today. Inside is my review of Paris, the Amber Boat which won an award at the IWA. At £74,000, it's by far the cheapest boat I've tested for CB, and I was surprised by how good it was. It's not an aficionado's boat, but for anyone who just wants to get afloat cheaply it's worth a look.

Fiddlesticks Free on test

2008-11-12T00:31:00.000Z

The December issue of Canal Boat is out, and contains my review of Fiddlesticks Free, by Cauldon Boat Builders based in Stoke on Trent. This was a quality boat, full of good ideas. And it was a lovely sunny day, in spite of a downpour just before we started.

Malanne and Marmaduke

2008-10-08T00:29:00.000+01:00

A bumper issue of Canal Boat for me this month, with my boat test of the Reading Marine built Malanne, and a story about John and Cathy on Marmaduke. This was actually written months ago, but was updated with the latest news just before publication.

Whitefield part 2

2008-09-12T00:29:00.000+01:00

My second article about Whitefield is in the new issue of Canal Boat. This one concentrates on some of the challenges faced during the build.

Whitefield on test

2008-08-13T00:26:00.000+01:00

September's Canal Boat magazine contains my review of Whitefield, the extraordinary Fernwood boat.

4Evermoore on test

2008-07-08T12:38:00.000+01:00

The arrival of the new issue of Canal Boat was met with more than the usual excitement here. It contains my first fully-fledged magazine article, a boat test of 4Evermoore, one of the public's favourite boats from the Crick Show. It looks great, thanks to the excellent photographs by David Oakes, taken at the Tixall Wide.