dave moore

Heavy arsed buggers, Joshers.....🤔

Hi A friend of mine has a Fuller boat with a top plank and cratch/ cloth arrangements. PM me and I’ll forward his details. Dave

I saw this abomination in the flesh yesterday when showing friends around the area. It made my boil bleed. If this is the future for the central Birmingham system, then I’ll cherish even more the memories I have of Gas Street before redevelopment, though I must admit to an awareness of the vitality of the refubishment, at least in good weather. By contrast, the older boats tied on the bar had a rightness that I found comforting, some the same ones as I recall half a century before. I wonder what plans are in place to service these floating skips should they establish themselves? Bah!! Dave

The minimal cost and effort would repay many times in peace of mind. One chap I knew at Norton Canes used to apply 5 coats of varnish to the back of the lining timbers, seven to the facings. OTT I know, but his surviving work is still stunning. Just saying..

Old red oxide was a commonly used finish on working boats for areas that received hard use and were non decorative, such as the hold, decks and cabin top. Later years have seen those owning traditionally styled boats wanting the same colours but with a longer lasting finish. Craftmaster Raddle Red was formulated as a matt colour with the waterproofing qualities of gloss to meet those needs....I’ve spread plenty of it on cabin tops over the years. Good stuff, and reasonably non slip without a sand additive

It is indeed, Malcolm used the stern of Uranus, modified, to create the bow of Hineroa. It, too, was reskinned by Graham Edgson at Norton Canes. The owner hails from New Zealand and is still boating all those years later. Currently moored at Glascote, I think, where Graham’s daughter Sarah now runs the yard. Both boats carry my lettering, both done long ago.....

I’ve known the seller since the early 70s. Health issues drive a reluctant sale. Malcolm Braine did the original conversion to a motor from John Knill’s butty Uranus. The wooden top was Re-skinned in steel in the early 90s at Norton Canes and has been lovingly maintained since. I mentioned the likely sale a month or so ago on here, which created a furore of disinterest. Hopefully someone will look to acquire a piece of Waterways history and love her as the current owners do. I’ve seen so many sales from old stalwarts over the last year or so, including our own Resolute. As the seller said, recently..... ” Old age....it never comes alone......it always brings a friend...... Dave

If the internal panels were painted by Jim, this would have been Jim McCormack of Stourbridge, a boat signwriter, now retired, who followed his father Phil into the trade. Both lettered boats for the Allens yard at Oldbury in years gone by.

Hi Alan It was indeed Peter, I recall going with him from Gas St to Hatton and back one weekend in the late 60s to collect another Leigh tug from the BW yard and dropping it off at Allen’s yard for repair. That was Christopher James, I think. He’s still around and pops in to Cooper’s regularly. Yes the fore end wasn’t a cheap job! Although Matthew runs things now, Denis is there almost every day, even on the tools at times. Here are a pair of tillers he made for Tom Chaplin’s new boat

Leigh’s are still around in the West Midlands, now operating under the Leigh Environmental banner. When they ran boats, much of the trade was coal from the Cannock coalfields to various factories and power stations in Birmingham and the Black Country. A friend of mine bought James Loader from them in the mid 60s when they discontinued canal haulage. He put it in to a green, maroon and yellow livery at the time, a very smart looking tug. The working livery was grey with white framing, I think.

Try Sarah Edgson ay Norton Canes Boatbuilders, Glascote. She keeps a good range of parts for cabin stoves. 01827 311317. Dave

All of the good ones!

None of the builders I work with would be willing to go down your preferred road, having already established a reputation for their product. Serious deviation involves a lot of work, both time and labour expensive. I’ve seldom seen one offs that l liked, though I confess to being somewhat right of Ghengis Kahn in things traditional. As others have said, your budget seems somewhat optimistic. Good luck.

Just to bring the thread on to the intended purpose......Sarah at Glascote does not have any spare shafts or stern tubes, I spoke earlier this week.

Try Sarah Edgson at Glascote Basin, she usually has them in stock. Google Norton Canes Boatbuilders for numbers.