Portland Basin - The Truth

[MartinClark]

At Gaggle's suggestion, I went round to Portland Basin this morning to take some photographs to show what it is really like, since there seems to have been so much disagreement here.

 

I hope these photos clarify things and help those readers who are not local and who have no idea what is being argued about.

 

I have to say that there were no people congregating around the boats - I was disappointed not to see anyone there at all from the WCBS except for one unperturbed cat. It seems Chris Leah was manning the market stall today.

 

Untidy eyesore or heritage in need of constant care? I leave that for you to judge, reader.

 

Overall view.

 

Forget-me-not and Southam.

 

Hazel (in front) and two other wooden boats, whose names I don't know.

 

 

The water tap that passing boaters are allowed to use, tucked away near the bins.

 

"Huge sign" warning people not to climb on the boats.

 

View from the towpath.

[Neildudman]

Difficult to judge.....if its work in progress I cant see anywork or progress!.

 

Looks pretty ugly to me......

[MartinClark]

The water tap that passing boaters are allowed to use, tucked away near the bins.

 

The sign on the wall by the tap reads:

"Portland Basin Museum - Laying hose across wharf can be a trip hazard!!! Could you please make sure this activity is supervised when the Museum is open Thank you"

 

Just in case anyone is interested!

[grahoom]

Difficult to judge.....if its work in progress I cant see anywork or progress!.

 

Looks pretty ugly to me......

 

 

wow it's amazing how people see things differently.

 

doesn't look ugly to me, looks like some old boats. and looks pretty tidy....

 

as for not seeing any work, did you expect some people to be posing with hammers and saws?

[Ike]

The boat behind Hazel is Queen and the one behind her is Elton.

 

Chris is indeed on the market today, Lilith and a couple of volunteers are up at the boat yard in Stalybridge and I'm (supposedly) working.

[GSer]

There dosn't appear to be to much work going on, but they (the boats) need to be somewere, so why not there? Seems harmless enough to me

 

Paul

[Jim]

Difficult to judge.....if its work in progress I cant see anywork or progress!.

 

Looks pretty ugly to me......

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What my eyes see is a small part of canal history that someone is at least attemptiing to look after.

Jim

[alan_fincher]

What I don't understand, is what the detractors think should happen instead.

 

The National Waterways Museum, despite huge grant aid, appears to have demonstrated itself largely incapable of looking after a collection of mostly steel and iron boats, let alone wooden ones. Clearly they would not make good custodians of these boats.

 

As we have already seen on the forum, there have been people prepared to donate wooden boats to a good home, but most people rightly know that these are projects that tend to defeat even the most determined and skilled of individuals.

 

So what do the people who don't like these boats at this location think should happen instead?

 

Do we just break up or burn those in need of the greatest amount of TLC, because we believe they are beyond redemption?

 

This is not a motley collection of boats of minimal historic importance. Even to my inexperienced eye, reading through the boat histories, it is obvious that a case should be made for trying to save them all. OK, there maybe "just a couple of old big Rickys" in there, for example, but in truth how many have already been lost, and just how few now survive.

 

I don't imagine any of those who have said what an awful place this is are prepared to actually try and get involved in saving the boats themselves. They should not therefore criticise others attempts to do so, even if they believe those attempts to be inept.

 

I've never been to this place, but, from the look of your photos, Martin, I'd very much like to.

 

Regards,

 

Alan

[carlt]

Looks pretty ugly to me......

Yes they could have disguised that Coke machine a bit better.

 

Lovely boats, nice surroundings and I'm sure, if they squeezed up a bit, they could fit Usk in...

[Denis R]

I'm having difficulty understanding what the fuss is about - it looks pretty tidy to me all things considered.

[tidal]

Well I know what I see, the same as I saw when I last visited.

Some beautiful and historic boats being preserved until they can be restored.

 

No, they aren't shiny or polished.........but they sure as hell are pretty.

 

God knows what some of you would have thought the old Scottish fish dock where me and a bunch of other hairy-assed beer-swigging scruffy-looking undesirables restored two old fishing boats back to the glory of their sailing days.

 

That was a LOT less scenic and tidy.

 

I wonder how many of the detractors on here have spent a few winters taking turns to live aboard a leaky smelly chunk of mouldering wooden beauty simply because you WON'T let another one die and be broken up?

 

When you can or you have, THEN you can justly criticise

 

Otherwise you are just another armchair "expert"........probably on a shiny newbuild

[Debby]

Lovely boats, nice surroundings and I'm sure, if they squeezed up a bit, they could fit Usk in...

 

That would be wonderful!

 

Good to see the photos - I was beginning to wonder if my (admittedly failing due to old age) memory had let me down, or that I hadn't actually gone to Portland Basin at all!

[Chertsey]

Beautiful

[madrilin]

The boat behind Hazel is Queen and the one behind her is Elton.

 

Chris is indeed on the market today, Lilith and a couple of volunteers are up at the boat yard in Stalybridge and I'm (supposedly) working.

 

Three more volunteers are in the shop making money. And I'm doing the accounts.

 

Our development worker/fundraiser is working on a proposal today - for the re-build of Hazel.

 

There is maintenance work going on at the basin on a regular basis (not every day) but you can't re-build a boat there. So we're building a boatyard in Stalybridge! Lilith is there at the moment - the forecabin has been replaced and a new roof is going on the back cabin.

 

I went down to the basin earlier and noticed a few random bits in one of the boats including a supermarket trolley. I understand that Ike pulled this out of the canal - it was just under the bridge and could have knackererd a passing boat. This will be returned to the supermarket soon and the scrap wood (also pulled out of the cut and left on the towpath) will eventually be used as firewood. Waste not, want not.

Edited September 2, 2008 by madrilin

[Machpoint005]

The photos clearly show how the buildings have been prettied up in the last few years. If you have an old warehouse, best to use it for something - even if it's flats and offices!

 

The boats look fine to me - not neglected, just in need of cash and TLC!

 

 

(But then I haven't got a shiny boat)

[mayalld]

The photos clearly show how the buildings have been prettied up in the last few years. If you have an old warehouse, best to use it for something - even if it's flats and offices!

 

And a really rather good (and free) museum.

[Chris J W]

That would be wonderful!

 

Good to see the photos - I was beginning to wonder if my (admittedly failing due to old age) memory had let me down, or that I hadn't actually gone to Portland Basin at all!

 

I wasn't going *THAT* fast as we went through!

 

I went to the museum a few days ago and the boats look fine to me. Yes, they are works in progress, but they are certainly obviously looked after.

[John Orentas]

To whom it may concern:-

 

As the more appropriate thread has been closed I will make my positively final comment on this one, I have looked at all my posts on this topic, seven in all, in not one of them was the word 'Drunk' or 'Drunks' used by myself..

 

Had you had asked me two days ago what a 'WCBS' is, was or are, I wouldn't have been able to tell you, I have never before heard of the organisation so needless to say those initials do not appear in any of those seven posts either.

 

It is a pity that I was constantly attacked for inaccuracy throughout all those other for the most part ill informed posts and I am equally sorry that I did not have sight of Smelly's no doubt articulate and incisive post, but probably I will get by without it.

[Machpoint005]

And a really rather good (and free) museum.

Are there moorings specifically for the museum, Dave? Not been down the bottom of the PFC for a while, thinking of venturing down the Marple 16 again in a few weeks.

[mayalld]

Are there moorings specifically for the museum, Dave? Not been down the bottom of the PFC for a while, thinking of venturing down the Marple 16 again in a few weeks.

 

No.

 

I would suggest mooring between PB marina and the rail bridge.

 

That way you will be able to keep an eye on the boat from the museum

[Debby]

I wasn't going *THAT* fast as we went through!

 

I went to the museum a few days ago and the boats look fine to me. Yes, they are works in progress, but they are certainly obviously looked after.

 

You went through at a very sensible speed, as we were passing moored boats.......

 

That gave us ample time to look at the boats and the Basin, which was why the previous thread confused me. We saw no mess round the boats, no 'unattractive' people round the boats. An interesting area, which we intend to return to - as long as we don't have to do those locks again!

[Machpoint005]

No.

 

I would suggest mooring between PB marina and the rail bridge.

 

That way you will be able to keep an eye on the boat from the museum

 

Thanks for the info.

 

 

 

An interesting area, which we intend to return to - as long as we don't have to do those locks again!

 

'Those locks'? The Marple flight? My son's favourite - a set of real man's locks!

[Debby]

'Those locks'? The Marple flight? My son's favourite - a set of real man's locks!

 

No, I enjoyed the Marple flight! I was referring to the first 4 on the Huddersfield.......please remember this was only our second day out on a boat........they were not nice locks! We weren't expecting a Krypton Factor challenge at the end of a long day.

Edited September 2, 2008 by DaveandDebby

[Dr Bradley]

Having no strong interest in these old boats, more a general interest in most things historical, the photos show an intertesting site and I look forward to a visit in the very near future. (I was hoping Dave and Debbie would help me up the Huddersfield ) As to drunks, that cannot be caused by the boats nor their community of restorers. It does seem, from posts by members of that community a fair bit of work is going on for a volunteer organisation and I wish them the best in their efforts.

[Debby]

Having no strong interest in these old boats, more a general interest in most things historical, the photos show an intertesting site and I look forward to a visit in the very near future. (I was hoping Dave and Debbie would help me up the Huddersfield ) As to drunks, that cannot be caused by the boats nor their community of restorers. It does seem, from posts by members of that community a fair bit of work is going on for a volunteer organisation and I wish them the best in their efforts.

 

We volunteered to help you with Bosley......you didn't mention the Huddersfield....... MartinClark is the expert there!