Wooden boat Umbriel

[Ros P]

Have just heard that Umbriel, sunk on the puddlebanks at Braunston, will be broken up shortly. Pete Boyce cannot take on another restoration but could offer space at his yard if anyone else is interested. He has the details and contact information, please get in touch with him asap if you're interested.

[carlt]

Hi Ros

Thanks for the information, sad though it is.

 

I have tried to raise interest but I'm pretty much out of the loop, these days.

 

It is a shame because her obvious visible problems conceal the strong boat, underneath.

[greywolf]

Could it be raised ? The other attempts failed according to my reading of the forum,and will it have to be lifted moved and licensed asap or can any of that wait a week or so.

 

You said on one occasion that it was a rare boat with a triple keel which presumably makes it stronger and worth saving for it's rarity value.

Edited September 13, 2011 by greywolf

[carlt]

Could it be raised ? The other attempts failed according to my reading of the forum,and will it have to be lifted moved and licensed asap or can any of that wait a week or so.

 

Anything can be raised, if it is mostly intact.

 

If Pete can give it space then BW would probably let it be moved the mile to his yard, unlicensed.

 

If anyone is interested then I would be happy to assist in refloating it.

 

I suspect BW will be sending in the dredger, though, if they have to move it.

[Laurence Hogg]

She was a lovely boat, straight as a die when I had her. This picture shows her on the arm at Batsons stop Tipton. The lady is my ex Gill and she has our dog "Deltic" with her on the counter.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[Paul H]

She was a lovely boat, straight as a die when I had her. This picture shows her on the arm at Batsons stop Tipton. The lady is my ex Gill and she has our dog "Deltic" with her on the counter.

 

 

Go on Laurence - you know you want to.

 

Paul

[Laurence Hogg]

Go on Laurence - you know you want to.

 

Paul

If I were younger and fitter I would probably take a risk. However the last time I saw it afloat it appeared to have been rather neglected and I suspect you would need really deep pockets to take on the job. Its a real shame as we have less and less of the wooden boats surviving every year, and now there are some types which are completely gone. Great Pity for "Umbriel" as I have just found a movie clip of it working when new in the two tone blue scheme.

We were restoring the boat at Keelkast narrowboats in Wolverhampton when things marriage style capsized. The boat was stripped out ready to refit and only a Doric stove was inside, my interest in carying on with the boat went and it was sold to some people at Trevor on the Llangollen.

[ditchcrawler]

If I were younger and fitter I would probably take a risk. However the last time I saw it afloat it appeared to have been rather neglected and I suspect you would need really deep pockets to take on the job. Its a real shame as we have less and less of the wooden boats surviving every year, and now there are some types which are completely gone. Great Pity for "Umbriel" as I have just found a movie clip of it working when new in the two tone blue scheme.

We were restoring the boat at Keelkast narrowboats in Wolverhampton when things marriage style capsized. The boat was stripped out ready to refit and only a Doric stove was inside, my interest in carying on with the boat went and it was sold to some people at Trevor on the Llangollen.

 

Well if its going to cost half a million to restore a wooden shed what would it cost to do a wooden boat http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/sep/13/roald-dahl-fund-hut

[carlt]

Well if its going to cost half a million to restore a wooden shed what would it cost to do a wooden boat http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/sep/13/roald-dahl-fund-hut

but when Sophie Dahl tells me that she needs some dosh, to restore her Dad's shed I wonder what the hell rich people do with their dosh.

 

I think the only outcome will be to dilute any contributions to Roald Dahl's worthwhile charity, supporting children with blood related illnesses and brain injury.

 

Edited to add: But to get back on topic Hardy was rebuilt for £27k and she was worse off than Umbriel.

 

Triple that if you pay someone to do it.

Edited September 13, 2011 by carlt

[ditchcrawler]

but when Sophie Dahl tells me that she needs some dosh, to restore her Dad's shed I wonder what the hell rich people do with their dosh.

 

I think the only outcome will be to dilute any contributions to Roald Dahl's worthwhile charity, supporting children with blood related illnesses and brain injury.

 

Edited to add: But to get back on topic Hardy was rebuilt for £27k and she was worse off than Umbriel.

 

Triple that if you pay someone to do it.

Did you ever find out why with all the effort they failed to lift her last year?

[Speedwheel]

Edited to add: But to get back on topic Hardy was rebuilt for £27k and she was worse off than Umbriel.

 

Triple that if you pay someone to do it.

 

I would love to have the time, money, skill to do something like this, but unfortunately I have non of them.

 

I called in to see Ade a couple of weeks to have a look at how Walton is coming on. It is just such a beautiful piece of work and I as so envious of what he has done. Looking into the bow is like looking at a piece of art or sculpture - it's just stunning. He was looking at how the upstand/frame for the decklid whould have been. He was saying that he had assumed it was a wooden upstand but I said that the one I had from you from Usk was metal. I don't suppose you (or someone else) would know? If it was metal then I will give him the one from Usk.

 

Thanks

 

Mark

[carlt]

He was saying that he had assumed it was a wooden upstand but I said that the one I had from you from Usk was metal. I don't suppose you (or someone else) would know? If it was metal then I will give him the one from Usk.

I suspect that Usk's was put on when Ken Keay converted it into a community boat or, perhaps, when Malcom Webster re-bottomed her. Andy matthews (ammodels) may know more as he knew Usk when she was a community boat but he has not been posting for ages and his website has been dormant for a while.

 

The hinges are from a wooden hatch, probably the originals, but the hatch and the upstands are not original. Someone who is more knowledgeable about BCN boats may know more about the hatch because it is quite distinctive...Laurence, perhaps?

 

Lucy's upstand was wooden but I cant, off the top of my head, think of an Uxbridge boat that has an original front deck though I don't see why they shouldn't be wooden too..

[Laurence Hogg]

I suspect that Usk's was put on when Ken Keay converted it into a community boat or, perhaps, when Malcom Webster re-bottomed her. Andy matthews (ammodels) may know more as he knew Usk when she was a community boat but he has not been posting for ages and his website has been dormant for a while.

 

The hinges are from a wooden hatch, probably the originals, but the hatch and the upstands are not original. Someone who is more knowledgeable about BCN boats may know more about the hatch because it is quite distinctive...Laurence, perhaps?

 

Lucy's upstand was wooden but I cant, off the top of my head, think of an Uxbridge boat that has an original front deck though I don't see why they shouldn't be wooden too..

 

I think your assumption that Keays did it may well be right. Cannot think of another Uxbridge boat I have seen having a metal one, Keays used to recycle anything they could so its a good chance it came from there. Usk was latterly maintained at Wolverhampton by Jordan & Till who had the little yard by the top lock so it may have come from there.

Good to hear "Walton" is being restored, will she be "Walton" or "Raven"?

[Speedwheel]

Thanks Carl and Laurence.

 

I believe she will be called Walton. Next time I call in I will try and take some pics. She will hopefully be launched soon.

[alan_fincher]

Anything can be raised, if it is mostly intact.

 

If Pete can give it space then BW would probably let it be moved the mile to his yard, unlicensed.

 

If anyone is interested then I would be happy to assist in refloating it.

 

I suspect BW will be sending in the dredger, though, if they have to move it.

 

It is a great shame.

 

I am, though, actually quite surprised how long it has remained where it is without BW having taken action.

 

Of course, the full extent of where it is actually lying can obviously be worked out, but with so much active traffic on that section, I'd be rather surprised if the odd boat has not smacked into some of theunderwater bits of it, particularly where lines of boats are passing each other in opposite directions.

 

My gut feel, sadly, is that if it has not already been rescued that that is a pretty unlikely prospect now.

[Chris Pink]

Trouble is Alan, nobody's interested beyond paying lip service, I know from experience that finding anyone with the enthusiasm, the time, the money and the skills just ain't going to happen and then what do you have? Another boat in a canal awash with boats.

 

There's a fair few boats not as challenging as Umbriel struggling for restoration.

 

It wouldn't be beyond the wit of BW to deal with it in a way that left the options open, after all they have the resources and plenty of places it could be left until someone does come along.

 

Unfortunately, being a corrupt organisation run by fuckwits who don't give a toss about the heritage beyond the photo opportunities for their latest self-serving scheme, it ain't going to happen.

[carlt]

I am, though, actually quite surprised how long it has remained where it is without BW having taken action.

Me too, especially considering the relative speed that they disposed of Usk, safely moored in a lay-by.

 

I think you may be right about Umbriel being damaged, being in the main channel but, if anyone can present BW with a plan for the boat's future, get the pumps together (Mine have gone but I still have contacts) I'll happily have a go.

[carlt]

It wouldn't be beyond the wit of BW to deal with it in a way that left the options open, after all they have the resources and plenty of places it could be left until someone does come along.

 

Unfortunately, being a corrupt organisation run by fuckwits who don't give a toss about the heritage beyond the photo opportunities for their latest self-serving scheme, it ain't going to happen.

To be fair Chris, Lichfield was available, on the hard, for some time, after BW removed her, but nobody was interested (She may still be there).

 

They gave loads of time for Thelma to be saved and only removed her when I refloated her and told them she was beyond repair.

 

They waited for a year, before removing Usk (though the manner in which they removed her was disgraceful) and, if she'd come out in one piece, I'd probably have rented the yard space for her rebuild, rather than her destruction.

 

They rarely help, though they have offered, on occasion, but they are usually pretty good about not hindering.

[Speedwheel]

And another one looking for a home. This time Jester.

[greywolf]

The model of this boat is very good.

Edited September 17, 2011 by greywolf

[Evo]

Has Umbriel gone yet.?

Edited November 23, 2011 by Evo

[alias]

Has Umbriel gone yet.?

 

It was still there last weekend.

[carlt]

Yes it is ironic that a boat can be left sunken and abandoned, in the centre channel, for 2 years yet Usk, safely sunk in a lay-by, got moved within a few months.

 

Perhaps Graham Phillips, from the "Eco" boat, hasn't pursued a vitriolic campaign to get it removed, like he did with Usk.

 

BW priorities are to appease the concerns of the likes of Phillips, rather than do what is best for the waterways.

 

Edited to remove expletives.

Edited November 23, 2011 by carlt

[dmw_boatboy]

Any more new on umbriel?

 

keep trying to get down there to have a look but spare time is hard to get at the moment.

[ditchcrawler]

 

BW priorities are to appease the concerns of the likes of Phillips, rather than do what is best for the waterways.

 

I think this line may be slightly off the mark, I don't know about the rest.

Edit for spilling

Edited February 13, 2012 by ditchcrawler