Iceboats

[scrumpylurcher]

There was an interesting boat moored at Braunston on Monday. I had very little time to talk to the owners as they were just leaving, but I would be interested in any further info. They say it was a wooden hulled icebreaker, they have rebuilt the hull in steel. Its BW no. shows it with its current name of Image but I can find no other reference to an Iceboat with that name. They think it was always powered and had some sort of cabin. It certainly seems to have the hull shape of an iceboat, it rolls if you so much as move.

[Natalie Graham]

Its BW no. shows it with its current name of Image but I can find no other reference to an Iceboat with that name.

 

What name?

 

 

 

[Josher]

Can't help with any information - but it does have similar lines to this one I spotted for sale on Appollo Duck here. Are they the same type?

 

[alan_fincher]

According to Jim Shead, it's "Image", which is what seemsd to be painted on it....

 

IMAGE Built by OTHER - Length 10.06 metres (33 feet ) - Beam 2.13 metres (7 feet ) - Draft 0.61 metres (2 feet ) Metal hull, power of 15. Registered with British Waterways number 64773 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 11-Apr-2010.

[Natalie Graham]

According to Jim Shead, it's "Image", which is what seemsd to be painted on it....

 

 

 

Ah thanks, I should have known as the pictures say "Click image to enlarge".

 

 

[alan_fincher]

Can't help with any information - but it does have similar lines to this one I spotted for sale on Appollo Duck here. Are they the same type?

 

I don't think so.

 

Homer looks rather like someone's idea of an unusual modern build boat, but I'm struggling to believe it has much basis in an older boat

 

It does leave me thinking one thing though.....

 

Namely WHY ?

[ditchcrawler]

There was an interesting boat moored at Braunston on Monday. I had very little time to talk to the owners as they were just leaving, but I would be interested in any further info. They say it was a wooden hulled icebreaker, they have rebuilt the hull in steel. Its BW no. shows it with its current name of Image but I can find no other reference to an Iceboat with that name. They think it was always powered and had some sort of cabin. It certainly seems to have the hull shape of an iceboat, it rolls if you so much as move.

 

Moors at Napton top lock in the Engine Arm, i think it was originally a mahogany timber hull, I did chat to the owner when it first moved to Napton

[Derek R.]

There was an interesting boat moored at Braunston on Monday. I had very little time to talk to the owners as they were just leaving, but I would be interested in any further info. They say it was a wooden hulled icebreaker, they have rebuilt the hull in steel. Its BW no. shows it with its current name of Image but I can find no other reference to an Iceboat with that name. They think it was always powered and had some sort of cabin. It certainly seems to have the hull shape of an iceboat, it rolls if you so much as move.

 

Now there's a story here, perhaps someone can enlighten me.

 

Back in 1983 we saw this at the top of Hatton (I've been searching for this for days!):

 

 

Take a good look, because whilst the cabin design looks identical, clearly the hull shape is quite different - particularly the length and rake of the fore end deck and stem. It is hard to believe two boats of the same name and of very similar design are in fact so very different in hull shape. The 'Braunston' IMAGE seems far more likely to have a credible Ice Boat hull, though were there any such motorised? Whereas the 'Hatton' IMAGE smacks of being purpose built cruiser. The foredeck looks far shorter, and the stern also, along with curved cutaways at the back.

 

The 'Hatton' IMAGE is for me the far prettier, and with a BWB colour scheme makes me wonder if it was not a plaything of an executive member.

 

Derek

[chris_r]

Perhaps the Braunston Image is taken with a wide angle lens whilst the Hatton Image is taken with a standard lens. Same boat but an optical illusion ??

[carlt]

There's another thread, a couple of years old, with more details, about the re-hulled boat but searching seems to be producing no results.

[Derek R.]

Perhaps the Braunston Image is taken with a wide angle lens whilst the Hatton Image is taken with a standard lens. Same boat but an optical illusion ??

 

It may be so Chris, my camera on that occasion was the OM10 with 80-150mm zoom. If I count the number of uprights for the rooftop handrail there are seven on both. This would lead me to think the 'Hatton' IMAGE has had the curved panel side extension cut off in the vertical, giving a more open rear end. It also appeared absolutely spotless with anti-fouling reaching just above waterline. It would indeed be interesting to discover if there was a hull change of sorts.

[carlt]

It may be so Chris, my camera on that occasion was the OM10 with 80-150mm zoom. If I count the number of uprights for the rooftop handrail there are seven on both. This would lead me to think the 'Hatton' IMAGE has had the curved panel side extension cut off in the vertical, giving a more open rear end. It also appeared absolutely spotless with anti-fouling reaching just above waterline. It would indeed be interesting to discover if there was a hull change of sorts.

In the last thread (which I can't locate) I recall someone saying that the wooden hull had deteriorated but the owner could not give up on the boat.

 

Rather than get the wooden hull restored he had a steel 'replica' built.

 

This may well explain the differences (and similarities) of the two photos.

[scrumpylurcher]

The owners did sugest that it had originally been a timber hull that they, because of the maintenance time and cost had decided to recreate in steel. They inferred that they had follo]wed the original lines as far as possible even though this meant that the boat seems slightly unstable. The pictures do not h=make it very clear, but the rear of the cabins look to be totally different on the 2 images. It might be an impression rather than fact but I did get an impression that it was narrower than a normal NB.

[Paul H]

The owners did sugest that it had originally been a timber hull that they, because of the maintenance time and cost had decided to recreate in steel. They inferred that they had follo]wed the original lines as far as possible even though this meant that the boat seems slightly unstable. The pictures do not h=make it very clear, but the rear of the cabins look to be totally different on the 2 images. It might be an impression rather than fact but I did get an impression that it was narrower than a normal NB.

 

I am told the replica hull was designed by the Friends of Raymond.

 

Paul

[Jason Wilson and Family]

The 'Braunston' IMAGE seems far more likely to have a credible Ice Boat hull, though were there any such motorised? Whereas the 'Hatton' IMAGE smacks of being purpose built cruiser.

 

So, I'm confused. When I read 'Ice Boat', I think ice-breaker. But I don't understand how there could be an unpowered ice-breaker which seems to be what you suggest?

 

What were these 'Ice Boats'? If not ice-breaking what role did the hull shape play?

[Natalie Graham]

They were ice-breakers. Pulled by team of horses while a gang of men rocked them from side to side with the help of a bar down the centre of the boat. Hence their propensity to rock when you step on board.

 

Either that or they were small refrigerated boats that followed the "Gin Palaces" around, usually in the company of a tonic water tanker.

 

(Why do typos only appear just as you press "submit"?)

Edited November 6, 2010 by Natalie Graham

[Paul H]

So, I'm confused. When I read 'Ice Boat', I think ice-breaker. But I don't understand how there could be an unpowered ice-breaker which seems to be what you suggest?

 

What were these 'Ice Boats'? If not ice-breaking what role did the hull shape play?

 

An ice boat was the more common name on the cut for an icebreaker. The vast majority of iceboats were horse drawn initially because in the early days everything was horsedrawn and latterly because with 20 horses pulling from the towpath you could get far more traction than with an engine.

 

Some brief info

 

Paul

(but I don't think Image was ever an iceboat)

Edited November 6, 2010 by Paul H

[carlt]

So, I'm confused. When I read 'Ice Boat', I think ice-breaker. But I don't understand how there could be an unpowered ice-breaker which seems to be what you suggest?

 

What were these 'Ice Boats'? If not ice-breaking what role did the hull shape play?

I started off typing a long description but found this instead.

Clicky

 

Here's a nice image of a motorised one in action:

On this website: www.blisworth.org.uk

Edited November 6, 2010 by carlt

[Jason Wilson and Family]

I started off typing a long description but found this instead.

Clicky

 

Here's a nice image of a motorised one in action:

On this website: www.blisworth.org.uk

 

Well that looks exciting. Not to get too far off topic, but what did the rocking back and forth do for them?

 

Nm, found this http://www.abc.se/~pa/mar/iceboat/niffany5.htm

 

I suppose it makes sense as a narrowboat wouldn't be as heavy as a bigger ice breaker and wouldn't just plunge through and wedge the ice out under its weight.

Edited November 6, 2010 by Jason Wilson and Family

[Natalie Graham]

Here though http://www.leics.gov..._icebreaker.htm we have a view which says that the waves caused by the rocking were what broke up the ice.

[paulcatchpole]

Well that looks exciting. Not to get too far off topic, but what did the rocking back and forth do for them?

stern

 

We spent a week ice-breaking a couple of years ago, with our thin 70s hull, from Bham down to Lapworth.

 

Spent the entire time rocking from side to side, intentionally, on the bends, to create space to the sides of the boat in which the stern could move into, to allow us to turn.

 

PC

 

Mind you, found ourselves gently rocking in the pub too, but maybe that's normal...

[alan_fincher]

This is an early 1970s shot of the former GUCCCo "Town" class working boat, "Renton", which had been shortened and converted to an icebreaker many years earlier. (War time possibly, but may have that wrong?).

 

By then it was in use as a BW maintenance tug, but still retained the ice-breker blade at the front, and the metal frame that supported the bar that workers held on to to rock the boat.

 

Lovely little boat!

 

[scrumpylurcher]

I had always been told that the intention particularly with the early horse drawn boats was to get the bow of the boat up onto the ice. the weight and movement of the rocking would then break through the ice

[Derek R.]

This is an early 1970s shot of the former GUCCCo "Town" class working boat, "Renton", which had been shortened and converted to an icebreaker many years earlier. (War time possibly, but may have that wrong?).

 

By then it was in use as a BW maintenance tug, but still retained the ice-breker blade at the front, and the metal frame that supported the bar that workers held on to to rock the boat.

 

Lovely little boat!

 

Yes, December 1942, five got shortened, the four Middle Northwich's and Renton.

 

Derek

 

Just to add, TYCHO had long bolts through the hull sides aft of the engine 'ole and just above water line. To these were fixed large baulks of timber on the outside. This increased the overall width, and when rocked would break a wider passage for boats to steer in.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Derek R.

[Josher]

Search is on for Leicestershire's favourite museum object!

 

8 November 2010 Search is on for Leicestershire's favourite museum object! In Loughborough

 

Members of the public are being asked to enter an online competition and vote for their favourite museum object in Leicestershire. The search for the best object follows the success of Leicestershire Revealed, an online collection of the top 100 items displayed in the County’s museums. The objects relate to domestic life, the County’s industry, natural life, transport and travel, sports, games and more. They range in age from 6,000 years old to objects from the present day. Each item tells a unique story that will give a taste of what can be seen in the County’s museums.

 

Members of the public have the chance to rate and comment on the objects and choose their favourite online at the following website www.leics.gov.uk/revealed here The closing date for entries is 30th November and the winning artefact will be announced in early December. One lucky entrant will be picked at random and will win a free pass to visit Leicestershire’s award winning museums.

 

Museums in Leicestershire care for over a million objects and they enable us to tell the story of the people who have made the County their home. Star objects included within the online collection tell particular stories and form part of Leicestershire’s history, such as:

* A programme from Leicester City’s first FA cup final in 1949 against Wolverhampton Wanderers. (This can be seen by appointment at the Leicester City Football Club)

* A bottle of Champagne, signed by Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, and the Power Jets team after the first successful jet engine test flight on 15th May 1941. (On display at Lutterworth Museum)

* A first century gold coin made by the Corieltavi local tribe. One of over 5,000 coins found at a Late Iron Age shrine near Hallaton in Leicestershire. (On display at Harborough Museum)

* An Action Man toy of the 1960s designed and made in Coalville by the Palitoy company. (On display at Snibston)

* A medal from the Whitwick Colliery disaster in 1898. Thirty-five miners died in an underground fire in no. 5 pit of the colliery. This medal was presented to William Lawson to acknowledge his bravery in attempting to rescue victims of the disaster. (On display at Whitwick Historical Group)

* The Leicestershire-made ‘ventilated’ corset that was a practical under-garment made for western women to wear in hot countries. It provides a fascinating glimpse of life in parts of the British Empire in the 1890s. (On display at Snibston)

 

David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities, said:"Leicestershire is steeped in history and this is reflected in the fantastic array of objects included in the online collection. This competition provides the opportunity for people to vote for their favourite item that perhaps is significant to them, or is just something that they find fascinating. Whatever the reason, vote for your favourite object and be in with a chance of winning a prize."

 

There are over 50 museums in Leicestershire and many of them have free admission and offer a great day out. All of them can be found in the Leicestershire & Rutland Museums Guide which can be downloaded at: www.leics.gov.uk/museumsguide. For more information please contact Robin Clarke, Community Museums Officer on: 0116 305 4140 or 07825 062002

 

Ice Breaker Date:1890's

Object Details:This boat was used on the local canals to break ice in winter. It is made of riveted iron and was referred to as ‘a modern lightweight ice breaker.’ It was built in the late 1800s. Earlier ice boats were made of wood with iron plates nail on the outside.

 

 

It would be pulled along the canal by up to 20 horses, whilst a crew of up to 10 rocked the boat.

It was the wave caused by the rocking that did most of the work. Every 10 minutes or so the man in charge of the horses blew a whistle, signalling a rest for the horses. They kept the canal open every winter as long as the ice did not exceed an inch in thickness. This was a dangerous job, the boat could tip over and the crew could be trapped. If the ice got too thick they had to stop trying to break it, but the canal was the only transport that could carry goods in bulk in the winter. The Boat was rescued and restored by the Old Union Canals Society.

Object Location:Foxton Canal Museum On display outdoors close to Foxton Locks Yes! Themes:Transport | Working Life

Find Out More: * Foxton Canal Museum Acknowledgements:Old Union Canals Society

 

Well, It now has one vote at least! Vote here