expatboatee

Thanks all! It's certainly possible/likely. The only reference I've found to a butty "Orange" was in Millners letters as a butty to General, coincidentally alongside Earl: I beg to report that the “Orange” loaded with 27½ tons of castings and grease from Leicester and Market Harborough, Captain H Draycott Jnr and butty boat to the steamer GENERAL, Captain Neal, was sunk opposite Messrs Phipps’ ironstone landing at the north end of Blisworth Tunnel at 4am on Thursday February 2nd.1911

It could be later, I don't have an exact date, but I think it's quite early. Germany was pre-1900 which is why I thouth that might be it. It looks like the butty will remain a mystery for now.

I can't really see amything that matches the butty except perhaps Gertie - on the right the letters look like G and E, but on the left it looks like an S. Anyway, thanks for your help! Can't be Gertie, she was built 1928. Germany perhaps?

Duke was a steamer, the only other short name possible is Earl.

It's certainly got to be a short name by the looks of it, so that could be it! Thanks

Hi everyone It's been a long time since I've been here! I've had this postcard for ages and been trying to get clues as to the boats names. The motor boat looks like it's steam, so that should narrow it down. I've been trying to make the writing into FMC but it doesn't really seem to fit, and it doesn't look like there's anything on the cloths. The butty name is so nearly readable but not quite. The photo was at Berkhamsted, turn of the century. Any clues? The image is a crop from the (96Mb) postcard (edit, scan) so there doesn't seem to be much chance of getting the resolution any better.

Thanks all I think we'll probably go the Dutch barge route eventually, maybe a sailaway or a half finished project. Wide beam boats seem to make the best use of space, but I do like the wide gunwales at my age, and hubby would like indoor driving in bad weather! It's not something that's going to happen overnight as we'll have to sell a house or two first, and that could take forever, so plenty of time to look around at types. Anyone want a French house that's the furthest away from a canal that you could possibly get? That was really bad planning on my part - a house on a canal would be perfect now.

Thanks for all the useful links and tips

Thanks for all the info, I probably will join the DBA.

Hmm, I did read that someone was recently 'turfed out' from Decize for being over length . Even with a 11m hire boat we found the pontoons at Beffes a bit short. It seems that hire boats are the plat du jour! Hmm, been there and it looks good, but the membership fee is a bit steep for no guarantees of useful information. Not that I'm a cheapskate, but every penny counts! OK, I'm a cheapskate! If you're up that way, Briare looks like somewhere I would really like to stay, long term. The lovely capitain is fantastically helpful and a pretty little town to boot. Thanks for all your answers

Thanks, but why below 15m?

So, the story is that I've been a canal anorak since the 60's, but last week took hubby on a canal (lateral a la loire) in France for a week, and he is bitten almost as much as me, so, being all set to sell up and do it, the question is, given that we live in France, how does one go about getting a permis? I had a quick look at the French vnf website but it's hard work (we're thinking up to 20m). I'm sure there are many here that are liveaboard in France (well several anyway). At coming up 68 (hubby) is it a ridiculous idea? (we're already in the French health system, so that's a start) Wide beam UK boat or dutch barge (dutch barges are more expensive and we'll have limited funds)? Any boatbuilders in France that build sensible boats? I see Piper do but they're a bit pricey too. New hull and superstucture or fitted out and not knowing what's going on beneath the floor? Any redirection to appropriate blogs/websites gratefully received. Any information about anything relative also gratefully received!

Thanks for the confirmation : )

And while I'm at it, not exactly historical though 25 years old, but does anyone know which lock on the Erewash this is? I thought it might be Potter's lock, but I can't find any images that look similar and street view doesn't go there.

Well, here are some appalling photos, but the only ones I can find, of the K&A before restoration - 1972 when I had a hideously waste of space Praktica with an even worse lens. The only one that I recognise is the Dundas Arms of course. If you did the Devizes-Westminster canoe race in 1969, I may have crimped the anti-cheat wristband onto your wrist!