News.
Boat builder fulfils dream
IT was a narrow squeeze along the streets as the latest creation of a Seend boat-building firm made its way out of the workshop.
The 50ft by 12ft boat, which took seven months to build, was on its way to Chichester from the farmland that provides the unlikely home of family-run firm M&P Steelcraft.
Owner Paul Wells, who started the business four years ago with his wife Michelle, said: "It is nice when we finish a project like this. You get a lot of satisfaction from starting a boat from scratch and following it through.
"People don't expect a boat-building firm in the middle of farming land."
The couple started the firm after Mr Wells was made redundant from his job with a company based in Devizes.
The firm began just making narrow boats but business has proved so successful it has branched out into making wide beam boats and barges as well.
The boats made by M&P are between 30ft and 70ft and range from shells built from the company's own basic specifications to unique custom-made vessels.
The firm will also fit the engine, windows, doors, vents and line the vessel and lay floors to customers' requirements.
Mr Wells said: "A lot of the time we are creating their home or even their dream."
Inquiries come from as far afield as Holland and Canada and many Londoners have expressed an interest in making a boat their home in the face of soaring house prices in the capital.
Mr Wells now has work which will last until March next year but he has no plans to expand further.
He said: "We want to provide good quality boats and keep our customers happy.
"We have built up a good reputation and we want to keep it small and on a one to one basis with customers."
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TRANSFORMING a VW camper van into a narrowboat was the bizarre challenge issued to a boat-building firm by popular TV show Top Gear.
The efforts of M&P Steelcraft Ltd, based at Hilperton, will be featured on the BBC2 show later this month. The family firm was approached by the show and agreed to take on the mammoth task of making the camper van into a vehicle that could be taken onto the water.
Managing director Paul Wells said: "We only had a short time to do it and it was hard work. We were quite glad to see the back of it by then. "But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we can look back now and have a chuckle. We did enjoy it and it was nice to be asked by the BBC. They could easily have gone to a much, much bigger boat builder but they chose to ask us."
The firm was approached by the BBC at the beginning of March and invited up to London for a meeting with Top Gear's producers and presenter James May. On March 13, the camper van was delivered to the firm at Hilperton Marsh Farm. In the diary he kept of the experience, Mr Wells said: "At approximately 8pm we had our first glimpse of the ebay-purchased horror.
"With lights blaring and engine knocking it stumbled towards our yard. Oh my God' was the first initial thought that entered everyone's mind and the Top Gear driver looked as if he had run the gauntlet with death itself."
Two days later the film crew arrived at the yard along with presenter Richard Hammond to record their progress with the project. The team had to fit a bow and stern to the van, removing exhaust and breather systems to above water level and moving the lights so the vehicle would still be roadworthy.
After overcoming various obstacles including the wrong parts being delivered and a resultant search of the scrapyards of Wiltshire for a new engine. Finally the van/narrowboat was loaded on a transported and taken to North Staffordshire to be filmed taking its maiden voyage on the picturesque waters of Lake Rudyard.
The finished result and whether or not it proved lake worthy' will be shown during the Top Gear series. The show is on every Sunday at 8pm.
Show now due to be aired on 21st May 2006
IT was a narrow squeeze along the streets as the latest creation of a Hilperton boat-building firm made its way out of the workshop.
The 50ft by 12ft boat, which took seven months to build, was on its way to Chichester from the farmland that provides the unlikely home of family-run firm M&P Steelcraft.
Owner Paul Wells, who started the business four years ago with his wife Michelle, said: "It is nice when we finish a project like this. You get a lot of satisfaction from starting a boat from scratch and following it through.
"People don't expect a boat-building firm in the middle of farming land."
The couple started the firm after Mr Wells was made redundant from his job with a company based in Devizes.
The firm began just making narrow boats but business has proved so successful it has branched out into making wide beam boats and barges as well.
The boats made by M&P are between 30ft and 70ft and range from shells built from the company's own basic specifications to unique custom-made vessels.
The firm will also fit the engine, windows, doors, vents and line the vessel and lay floors to customers' requirements.
Mr Wells said: "A lot of the time we are creating their home or even their dream."
Inquiries come from as far afield as Holland and Canada and many Londoners have expressed an interest in making a boat their home in the face of soaring house prices in the capital.
Mr Wells now has work which will last until March next year but he has no plans to expand further.
He said: "We want to provide good quality boats and keep our customers happy.
"We have built up a good reputation and we want to keep it small and on a one to one basis with customers."
M&P Steelcraft Ltd.
Inland Waterways Craft - Amphibious Vehicles
18th April 2006
March 2006 saw Paul Wells and the crew of M&P Steelcraft Ltd take on a whole new challenge, This time it was water craft with a difference. Approached by the UKs leading motoring television program M&P Steelcraft Ltd took up the challenge and set too......................
5th May 2006
Top Gear Project (Damper van)
06/03/06
The 6th of march M&P Steelcraft Ltd was approached by BBC Top gear and offered a challenge unlike no other, we were asked if we like to undertake the task of converting a Volks Wagon Camper van in to an amphibious vehicle that also resembled a narrowboat which is our company specialises in.
09/03/06
The 9th of March took Paul & Michelle Wells (managing directors) and Mike Shortman (foreman) to London and over to BBC Headquarters at White City for an informal meeting with assistant top gear producers and James May of BBC Top Gear, here we had the low down on what there plans were! Very amusing!!
13/03/06
The 13th of March we waited anxiously for delivery of the VW Camper, then at approximately 8.00pm we had are first glimpse of the Ebay purchased horror! With lights blaring engine knocking it stumbled towards are yard! OH MY GOD! Were the fist initial thoughts that entered every ones minds, and the TOP Gear Driver looked as if he had run the gauntlet with DEATH its self.
The Camper the Morning After.
14/03/06
The 14th March 2006 and we had finally realized the task which was to be under taken,
I arrived at work as normal only to find our lads gazing at the object that mysteriously arrived over night! After fully explaining the task we had to under take and time scale that was involved I found my self with a lot of eager chaps wanting to get on with it.
15/03/06
The 15th March 2006 brought us filming day so we had instructed every one the night before to brush up and clean pants please! Aftershave was flowing out of every mans overalls, and the two Michelle’s had turn the office in to a poodle parlor, with faces pressed against the windows they eagerly awaited for the arrival of Richard Hammond.
The first to arrive was the camera crew in there blacked out VW Van, as the doors opened and crew poured out (it was like watching a scene from the “A Team”), and headed straight for the Van and with screens of black smoke and wining starter motor the Van lurched in to life (its alive! every one shouted), the producer then announced that he wanted to undertake filming closer to the canal side so off they trundled.
At approximately 11.00am we heard a shrill of excitement “HE IS HERE! HE IS HERE!” echoed out of the office, and with that Richard Hammond appeared in our chandlery door way, we then proceeded to the van where by now the “A Team” had arrived back from there latest mission.
Richard Hammond, Paul Wells and BBC Producer Gary
with the damper van.
Filming Starts
Paul and mike talking boat talk whilst Richard devours one of the two Michelle’s statically placed cherry bake wells.
Richard Hammond and Paul Wells M.D
Paul asking “is it my line now?”
Richard receiving microphones
“I think this is going to be a late one!”
“Getting ready for shoot”
“Tea Time”
The M&P
Steelcraft Ltd Team.
Bottom left:
Michelle Bramley (PA/Secretary), Michelle
Wells (M.D ,Accountancy), Mike Shortman (Works Foreman)
Top Left:
Paul Wells (M.D Designer/Welder Fabricator), Michael King Taylor (Electrical/Mechanical Apprentice)
16/03/06
The 16th March 2006 Brought our first full day of work on the van, firstly the interior was stripped and welded, whilst Paul and Mike stared work on the bow of the damper van.
After forming the bow we then filled it with expanding foam and primed ready for topcoat painting.
17-20/03/06
We then progressed to the rear of the damper van and proceeded to form the stern area of the van, this was a little more complicated as we had to move exhaust systems and breather systems to be above water level, light units had be to relocated as the vehicle had to still be road worthy.
21-24/03/06
After gallons of filler and tedious hours of rubbing down we finally started work on the body paint.
24-27/03/06
With the majority of the works done on the out side and the two Michelle’s Started work on the inside.
28/03/06
Disaster strikes!!!
We had noticed over the past few days that a small amount of water was leaking from somewhere on the van and put it down to loose jubilee clips on the water hoses, now with a closer examination by our mechanic he advised us that the head gasket had gone! After speaking to the BBC we were told that it had to be put right as the date for the shoot was drawing ever closer (29th March van needed to be on set in north staffs 6.00am), With a big gulp of air we proceeded to order the gasket and ready the engine for the replacement part, finally after two delivery’s of the wrong shape and size gaskets we received the correct one.
3.00pm 28/03/06 the gasket had been installed the rest of the engine components were back in there rightful place, we then proceeded to try and start the old girl, again and again we tried with out prevail, and finally resulted to towing her around and around the yard and feeling like an Indian chief at the battle of little big horn, finally with out success we stopped, our mechanic examined the engine again and found that the fuel pump its self had given up on us.
29/03/06
4.00pm and we had been joined by the assistant producer from BBC Top Gear how informed us that parts were being dispatched from all corners of the UK as we “speak”.
Not being a defeatist type of person we tried some of our local scrap yards and as if by magic a VW Passatt engine still warm had just arrived in, without hast we sped to the yard and consumed the engine at a princely sum of £95.00 job lot.
Arriving back at the yard our mechanic set to removing and replacing the old pump and then set about playing Indians again round and round the yard we went! First lap then second lap and then “POP” “POP” AND FINALLY “VVVRROOOM” with cry’s of joy and a very pleased BBC assistant Producer the old girl leaped in to life once again, The final parts were added to her and we finally loaded her on to the transporters at 11.55pm.
30/03/06
Thursday the 30/03/06
took Paul & Mike on the journey from Wiltshire to North Staffordshire and to
the picturesque water sides of Rudyard lake, on arrival at approximately 5.00pm
we were faced with the first few casualty from that days filming in and around
Stoke, the rudder had been fitted on whilst the vehicle was driven on the roads
and ended up with tiller broken off, the second was a completely naff battery
after continues starting and stopping
We set to repairing the tiller
and re-charging the battery for the next morning’s water shoots. returning our
tools to the van and pausing for a few seconds to admire the repairs we finally
got into the hotel, washed, shaved and completed all the other necessary things,
we then made our way down to the hotels restaurant where we enjoyed a very fine
carvery in the company of Mr. Clarkson and our Mr. Hammond and a lot of BBC Crew,
tummy’s well and truly filled we retired to the bar for a well deserved drink
(of course the BBC where paying).
Completely satisfied we made
way for the land of node.
31/03/06
Friday morning brought us
more repairs with the visit of vandals thought-out the night, Wing mirrors had
been ripped from the vehicles and tyres were absolutely flat,
Again we found ourselves with tools in hand, works completed the camera crews started fitting cameras all over the van, at this point we decided that we had better start the engine and make warm ready for shooting, but the battery had really given up, luckily a local chap had piped up that he owned a transport company not to far from us, he asked if we would like to try a 12v heavy duty lorry battery, we said yes please!!, 10mins or so later his man appeared not only with the battery but also a can of easy start! Mike removed the air filter and made the engine ready for easy start, I installed the heavy duty battery and returned back to the drivers seat, mike gave the signal to start cranking, over and over the old girl turned, the scent of easy start began to waft towards me and then suddenly “KERRR BOOOM”!! POP POP AND “VROOOMM”with sighs of relief she started.
Will they produce a damper van 2??
You will have to watch the program on the 21st May 2006 to see what happens next!!
For More Information Contact:
M&P Steelcraft Ltd.
Unit 10, Broad Lane Farm, Seend, Nr Melksham, Wiltshire. SN12 7RJ UK
Tel: 0044(0)1380 828448
Internet:
enquiries@mp-steelcraft.co.uk