A while ago I was contacted by Malcolm and Susan who were contemplating having a boat built by Kendall's
This is their story.

“ Quetzal.”

Chapter 1. (Lets have a narrow boat!)

My name is Malcolm Neale, I am a retired , living in Somerset, with my wife, Susan, who is the head of a local Special School.

 The following is the story of how we decided to, ”take to the cut” and buy a narrow boat.

 In August, 2006, following another of our annual, tiring, long- haul holidays, we decided look at the possibility of a quieter life with a narrowboat, something I had thought about for some time.

 I began searching through the boating magazines to research what was available, and what we were looking for, with a great deal of back-ground work into canals; canalboats and licensing being done for us by Susan’s cousin, Marjorie.

 After looking at numerous web-sites, we eventually came upon the Kendall narrowboat site and saw what we wanted. We were greatly helped by the fascinating picture–story which Pete had produced whilst his boat “Meg”, was being built.

Following correspondence with Pete, and a visit to Fred James’ boat, (the second boat to be built by Mark Kendall), we decided what we wanted.

 In January this year we secured a build spot with Mark, to build us a 50ft. cruiser stern boat, with a similar lay-out to Fred’s boat, but with some extras which Pete had opted for when “Meg” was being built, plus a few ideas of our own.

Chapter 2. (Its being built! )

In early March this year, I visited Mark in Liverpool, finalised the contract, and paid the steel deposit, with an agreed completion date of late August/early September.

Some little time later I was contacted by Mark, who asked if we would be willing to swap build slots with another of his customers, bringing our boat forward to June/July, to which we agreed.

During the second week in April, together with my youngest son, I undertook a RYA Inland waterways helmsman’s course for two days on the Shropshire Union canal, which demonstrated how little we knew. However we both successfully completed the course and now feel much more confident.

On the 20^th April I again visited Mark, and paid the 1^st main stage payment as the hull was virtually complete.

Mark drove me to the premises of STS, the hull makers, in Bootle, to see the hull. Quite fortuitously, they were just about to bend the tiller into shape and I was able to stand in the stern and have it “made to measure”!

Next visit in about a month’s time, Susan will have to accompany me to choose the colours for the seating, curtains etc.

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