David Mutch

Thanks. Looks like the winter stoppages won't be finally announced until August, although there will be a further round of consultation starting at the end of June, so I guess I'll just have to keep fingers crossed until then🤞

Thanks all. That's really helpful 🙂

Thanks. Ice and stoppages I can handle, but have been stranded for months by floods before now, so it's good to know that's one problem I probably won't have to deal with!

Thanks. That's reassuring to hear. Having spent a fair bit of time on the east end of the K&A in past years, I get nervous when I see a canal with a river that runs in and out of it like that! 🙂

Hi folks. Thinking of heading down the Grand Union to London and beyond to the Lee Navigation for the first time, but it will likely be towards the end of the summer into the winter. The Pearson's guide shows the river flowing in and out of the GU periodically below Berkhamsted, so before making my way down there I was hoping to find out whether I'm likely to be able to make it through/back during the winter months, or whether I'm likely to get stopped by strong streams/flooding. Reading around leads me to believe that the Lee, should I get able to get there, won't be a problem as the levels are tightly managed (although confirmation of that would be most welcome) and the fact I can't find anything much about winter conditions on the GU makes me optimistic that it's ok, but some local intel would be much appreciated 🙂

For the curious. Colecraft have had a look and say that she's not one of theirs. So the mystery deepens!

Thanks. To clarify, paperwork states built by Rugby Boat Builders 🙂

This seems like a very good idea to me! Thanks. Had a look at your blog and she certainly bears at least a passing resemblance to Water Snail. I think a quick call with Colecraft is my next move now 🙂

That is certainly a feature of ours!

I think this is probably about as close to that angle as I have.

Thanks. I suspect the name of our boat has been changed at least once. People often remark on the shape of our hull, but we certainly have a steel cabin 🙂

We had no inkling that she might have been a Colecraft until a number of people suggested it to us. All we knew was that she was registered as built by 'Rugby Boat Builders ', but as far as we can tell this is not in fact a boat builder, but a boat fitter (and, it's been suggested to us by someone in the know about historic boats in that area of the world, a hire boat company). We're really interested to know who/what 'Rugby Boat Builders' are/were and then hopefully to find out a bit more about who built our hull 🙂 I don't think the CRT licence says anything about the builder. That is the builder listed on Canalplan, but also on paperwork we have for the boat going back to not long after she was built. Could be wrong, but I've not seen anything to the contrary 🙂 Thanks! That's very interesting. I can certainly see a family resemblance with Jabez Bunting (or at least I fancy I can). The front door to the side in particular. Speedwell, not so much 🙂

Thanks. We are, but as I say, the only one we've seen exactly the same the owner just said it was 'Stephen Goldsborough', and it seems likely they were no more a boat builder than were Rugby Boat Builders! But as you say, sooner or later we'll find another 🙂

Yes, the upsweep at the front is very distinctive. The most similar boats we're seeing a lot at the moment of are Liverpool Boats, but that may just be a function of where we are in the world at present! The very narrow rear deck seems unlike most boats we see around too.

The problem seems to be that we've met roughly equal numbers of folk who swear blind she is and who swear blind she isn't a Colecraft. It may be that she was built to a special design, as you say. We don't really mind who built her, but we'd like to know. Saying that, though, nobody has ever suggested anything other than Colecraft; just that she isn't a Colecraft! 🙂