noddyboater

The kelvin is still in Tebay, which was indeed K. Whittles boat for a few years. Tebay isn’t for sale though, Ironsides is, which never had a Kelvin. Ironsides does however have the arse end of the original Tebay as it’s bow.

29” should do nicely, you’ll be surprised at your slow progress compared to Python. It’s the bow being down that makes the difference, especially through Wiseton!

Any idea when your new vessel will be up there? I’m heading back myself but waiting for you to plough a furrow from Stockwith to Clayworth.

But what about when you politely point out the error of their way and get nothing but abuse? The rudest tw#t I’ve met so far was in the middle of the short pontoon at Torksey. I’d just had a bugger of a trip from Stockwith as there was so much fresh on I didn’t get any tide at all. Boats doubled up on the long pontoon, but just the one on the other side, about 50’, in the middle. I passed him to turn, then bumped up against his stern and got off my bow to have a chat. I knocked on his door and politely asked him to move either way to make room, but got back “I’m not moving anywhere, you shouldn’t be cruising in the dark, go and moor somewhere else!” With that he slammed the door and went back to the tv. My patience was running out fast now but I tried politely again, to get the same response. He actually suggested I went over and moored 3 abreast on the other side. I’d had enough now so started to untie his bow rope and do the job myself. His response was “to get off my boat you young Barstard or I’m phoning the Police!” Priceless.

Or better still ring Cromwell as they are often the only keepers working who can actually read a tide table and give decent advice!

Unless you intend breaking your journey the following day at Torksey, I’d head straight there from Keadby. You’ll be at Stockwith early anyway, so it’s either round up and power in or drop on the wall top side of the lock at wait for high water. (a more relaxing method!) Your run up to Cromwell in one go from Stockwith will be a slog without a big tide, you’ll probably end up against it for a couple of hours. Anyway the Swan at Torksey do cracking pies and have at least one beer on.

Well I’m never one to wimp out on a long day boating... But the Nene to Langley Mill?! Bloomin ‘ell.

Yes thanks, I do have qualifications. I’ll try to put my point in basic black and white terms, that most people should grasp. How many people have heard of an older boat, built by an enthusiast who knows his stuff fail due to faulty weld or poor construction? None I’ve heard of. And how many boats built by coded welders are cluttering up our canals that steer like lame pigs and look like shite? Lots.

Certainly a boaters point of view, but I wouldn’t class myself as a novice. I think you’re missing my point entirely to be honest, but as a fabricator I’d also expect that. I’ll compare it with my trade, fixing cars. I mainly work on cars from an Italian manufacturer, often owned by enthusiasts. They entrust me with their pride and joy but I can honestly say I’ve never been asked to show what qualifications I have to do so. If I applied for a job changing wiper blades at the local Ford dealer I’m sure that’s the first thing I’d be asked for, but funnily enough I won’t be.

Thanks, you’ve just highlighted my point far better than I did. The first thing a true boatbuilder is isn’t a coded welder, it’s a boat enthusiast. You can’t build a decent boat until you’ve had time and experience actually using one. That’s why the current elite of builders have spent time boating, living with and restoring, real boats. Yes, any fabrication company can build an excellent shell from plan, but the point is a good builder doesn’t need the plan in the first place. Take a boat from an old school builder for a run down the canal, or better still river. Now do the same with a lovely shiny, straight as a die, crisp folds and buffed welds, built by XR&JW etc etc and you’ll quickly realise the difference. There’s always going to be customers for mass produced new shells, but as really good builders dwindle the market for high quality older stuff will always be there.

You’d hope that in years to come boats like this will be appreciated for what they are, and always find a buyer. There’s so much dross around now that hardly resemble a reasonably shaped boat that stuff like this will stand out from the crowd as a “proper” boat, albeit with square windows. I think older well maintained craft with a good pedigree will actually go up in value, as mine has already.

New (or unused) 3LW’s were actually turning up and being fitted to new builds as late as 2000, so it might not be a rebuild. Some of the last were brought back from America still crated from new.

I wouldn’t be worried about the engine needing an overhaul, many Gardners have done far more hours with nothing but regular (or not!) oil changes. And yes, it will easily handle any river conditions. The baseplate thickness may put some people off but it’s all relative, my 1989 boat has lost less than 1mm from the baseplate which has never been painted. The rest of the hull should be fine as it’s been epoxied so you’d expect blasted first. Polystyrene sheet insulation was pretty normal at that period, as long as cables are run in conduit it’s ok, although there’s more chance of condensation drips etc around nooks and crannies. It’s top money for a boat of that age, but there’s plenty of more modern stuff that’s far worse. It’s a good builder- a proper boat buider, not a fabricator, with a quality fitout and sought after engine.

Yes it was a good few years back. That was the good old days when the lock keeper used to meet you on a knackered old scooter, take the locks off and leave you to get on with it. I remember coming back up on summer evenings well after their day had finished, you just had to close everything up behind you.

I met a couple on a visiting boat once who were 64’ long and had come up the locks without problems. To get around the lockies reluctance to try anything that length they simply said they were 60’ and went for it. Pleasant as they are, the keepers have definitely turned into jobsworths over the last 10 years. When I moored in the basin you could “rent” a key for the paddle gear at Tinsley and let yourself down, a massive help in summer when their starting time of 9am means half a lost day. I used to do Sheffield to Thorne or even Keadby in a long day, not possible if you’re hanging around the top lock mid morning while they finish a cup of tea.