History
Originally built for their own use by David Piper, Gradely as she was then known was boat 254, designed to be a little different from what had become the 'standard' traditional boat. She was built as a boat on which to try out some design ideas.
At 62ft long she is a scaled down version of a traditional working motor boat.
From the outside she has a boatman's cabin and engine room, and was sheeted for'd of this through to the for'd cabin, found on some working boat.
Seen here in her original livery, with a white tarp-set, and David at the stern.
With the family growing up and new ideas to try David & Dot decided to part with Gradley and she was sold to a Mr Andreskevcious who renamed her Benedikta, after his grandmother.
Several years later and a new owner, the name changed again to Navigator II.
So far as we know she then cruised the system for a while, until being brought south by a couple hoping to use her as a live-aboard. When this was found not to be practical due to a lack of residential moorings, and an one of the couple becoming slightly incapacitated through ill health, she appeared for sale in 2004.
We are now in the process of renovating Navigator II and generally enjoying cruising the local canals.
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