[More Old 1970s Photographs]

I have an entry dated 30 September 1973 listing 'interesting' boats at Berkhamsted as:-

 

SWEET WILLIAM (possibly fore end half of a Small Woolwich ?)

KERBAU (fore end of an iron B.C.N. - I'm sure you know this boat !)

BEN HOPE (house boat - still lettered Vokins & Co. Ltd., Blackwall)

FLEET (as previously mentioned)

TUBA (as previously mentioned)

BEN KLIBRECH (as previously mentioned - I spelt the name wrong !)

1511 (double ended wooden B.C.N. - Birmingham Salvage Dept. No. 26 - lettered 'MOTTEK')

AYR (Large Woolwich butty as B.W.B. maintenance boat at Castle Mill)

 

FLEET and TUBA were operated by Horsebarge Hotels Ltd. (proprietors M.C. Baldey and E.J. Bristow, Towpath, Berkhamsted, Herts.). FLEET was acquired in July 1969 and converted later that year having originally been built by A.J. Harmsworth & Sons boatyard at Ash Vale on the Basingstoke Canal in 1935 as ARIEL I. TUBA was also built by A.J. Harmsworth & Sons, Ash Vale as GWENDOLINE in 1921 and was already established as a house boat at Berkhamsted by mid 1965.

 

I hope this brings back a few memories. I obviously have more on wide boats than I thought !

Just trying to get to grips with this forum as new: Ben Hope is mentioned several times here - I have lived on her since 1998 - she is a comfy houseboat with most mod cons now and is moored at Hoo in Kent.

 

sue

 

 

[Is this the smallest Narrowboat?]

Not sure about Ben Klibrech's length, but it was tight, I recall.

 

Pete Harrison has previously said.....

 

 

but that gives a difference of nearly 6 feet between longest and shortest, and he didn't I think give the actual figure for each boat.

 

What I do recall is that BW maximum craft dimensions specify 76 feet as the absolute maximum that can pass up and through Berkhamsted, so 78 feet would seem to be pushing it.

 

But what I don't know is whether the length quoted on gauge sheets has the rudder pointing backwards, or folded round out of the way. The rudder on these things were truly massive, and certainly Ben Klibrech had to have it tied right round at each lock. The measured length would be many feet longer with the rudder pointing back from what it would be folded.

 

[Picture: copyright Mike Fincher]

I have found this thread on the Internet and decided to join the forum - its great to see that my Vokins barge is mentioned - I have lived aboard Ben Hope since 1998 - she was converted to a houseboat many years ago and we love our life aboard. I do know the history of her - there were apparently 24 Bens built for Vokins and one of them is a sort of landing stage off Gravesend which we were delighted to go on after a barge race on the Thames - I thought the shape was familiar lol - I can't recall its name but will have to now trawl back through the pics I took at the time.

 

We are moored down at Hoo in Kent on the River Medway.

 

sue