dave moore

As someone who has spent much of his adult life applying traditional decoration, lettering and other similar designs to canal boats I found the video a little disappointing with a few factual errors. I’ve been fortunate to apply my craft to those artefacts normally found on working boats, water cans, handbowls , internal decoration and the like and I’ve never ventured in to the souvenir side of the business at all. There is much speculation on the origins of the art form but I believe that the origins lie with popular decoration found in the Victorian period and before. Roses have always been, and still are, a decorative element on some items. Canal landscapes sometimes have a look of those quickly painted on white faced long case clock dials, alongside the reverse paintings on glass from the period. For further reading, “ Flowers Afloat” and “ Narrowboat Painting” by historian and artist Tony Lewery have much to commend them and are thoroughly researched. Despite this, no hard conclusions are forthcoming, little painting survives from the heyday of carrying days before the Great War. Sadly, as time passes, there seems little interest in preserving these traditions by many modern boaters and not all of the souvenir work for sale commemorates the work of the old time dockyard painters. I won’t go on……..

In my experience, the bow fender was hung from above. The weak link is designed to release it should it be caught when ascending or descending locks. Using fixings below to hold the fender in place are a recipe for disaster in the event of a hang up and I think that this has been responsible for fatalities in the past. On Resolute, my old boat, the bow fender was hundred from 2 d shaped shackles mounted on triangular plates just forward of the cants. Shackles secured the chains to the D hooks and rubber hose was pulled over the chains to minimise chafing to paintwork, a weak partly cut through link added as a safety factor. Some hulls have fender anchorages in decidedly unsafe places, in my opinion….fabricators rather than boatbuilders. Dave

Hi Jon. Please pass on my thanks. I’ve not seen him for many years. I’ll speak with the owner soon and pass on collected thoughts.

Hi Chris If only there was a landscape on the base....here is a photo which helps not at all.

I’ve shared the pictures with other painters and old timers, hoping to discover more. So far, no one has been able to cast light on whose hand it might be. Tony Lewery described it as “ Polesworthy”, not unlike the work of the Atkins brothers who painted there, an opinion shared by Mary who has owned Swan since the early 80s. Thanks to all who added suggestions and info.

Thanks Athy i should have said that the lettering on the bottom band reads ” Charles Scragg. April 11th 1933. “

A customer came to see me earlier, bringing a new handbowl which he would like me to decorate. He also brought a very old one which had belonged to his grandfather who had been a boater until the mid 50s, working the Swan for Cowburn and Cowpar. From time to time I’m asked to help with identification of old painted ware but this one has me stumped. Any suggestions gratefully received!

Back in the 60s, Ted Spencer worked as a boatman for Birmingham and Midlanc Canal Carrying, I knew him vaguely when I was in Gas St. He built the shells and, I think, did the fitting out too. I suspect that the styling was based on the working craft he was familiar with, perhaps Allen inspired.

Looking at the photo of the boat in the cradle, there seems to be insufficient tumble home and narrow gunwales. I wouldn’t fancy walking along them! I suspect that the op may not care much for some of the comments but they do come from knowledgeable boaters.

I agree entirely with Matty regarding the shell. To my eyes, it’s an ugly bugger!

I’ve just remembered the maker’s name, Cook or perhaps Cooke. As an indication of their worth, some boaters had them chromium plated, a process they called “ silver dipping” according to my late good friend Jim Marshall. On the BCN, another prized maker was Harry Neal who made in a similar style. One of his formed the pattern for the cast windlasses produced by BW in the 70s. I’ve had my original since the 60s but was unaware of the provenance until boatman Horace Foster identified it in the twenty teens.

Mike, the “ Wellock” windlass referred to were made at Wheelock on the Trent and Mersey. Beautifully proportioned, forged jobs and highly prized among working boaters, as they are today by those of us who care about these things. Mine was made originally with a slightly smaller head than usual these days, they fitted the paddle spindles of that cut in working days. A clay pipe motif was stamped in to the windlass shank as a trade mark. In these days of welded plates and aluminium casts they stand proud. I have to confess to enlarging the eye of mine with a file so it fits the modern spindle.

The vehicle has been removed and the lock now open again.

I’ve just walked the length of the canal in question. The layby is empty, Andrew’s boat gone. Who is responsible and where the boat is now, I’ve no idea. Perhaps recent rain raised the level sufficiently to float it off. Dave

I completely agree with the advice given above but if you are determined to push ahead then Terebine Driers, available from decorators’ merchants may help to shorten the drying time.

I used to fill the injector pump on our J3 with engine oil, a dipstick helped to ascertain the correct level.

I suggest that you approach Wrights of Lymm. I’d get 2 brushes, a size 5 and a 3. Their 1315 series is a long sable chisel, their 1310 series is a slightly shorter version. I prefer the longer version but that’s just me!

If you’ve an idea of the size of letters you want to paint, I can suggest appropriate brush sizes.

I’ve spent much of my life around letters as a signwriter. Casual, brush scripts look deceptively simple but require dextrous brush manipulation to execute properly. Formal letters are easier for beginners. I favour long haired chisel ended sable brushes, available from specialist suppliers such as Wrights or Handover or Craftmaster. They are not cheap, neither is the synthetic enamel paint used. I admire the willingness to practise but it’s a long road to a decent casual script. Many years ago I taught signwriting at a local college, many of the students were anxious to try these fonts, quickly discovering their difficulty. Good luck, happy to advise further. Dave

I saw this in the back cabin of an Allen boat a few weeks ago. In that case, flatting, re-undercoating and graining is the only solution. I suspect damp is responsible, I know that the boat was left for long periods closed up. I would have thought that good, oil based varnish would have kept moisture out, unless it was already present in the undercoat, somehow. Sorry I can’t offer anything more helpful. Dave

Just a thought, too…..external scumble requires several coats of varnish once dry and it doesn’t hurt to add additional coats every 12 to 18 months or so. Also, touch in any scratches promptly, especially around the gunwale area where feet move. I’ve seen many cases of flaking and peeling varnish where this has been allowed to happen!

Depends what you mean. I carried 2, an 8’ long ash cabin shaft fitted with a boat hook and a 16’ long shaft with no hook, again ash, both used to help manouvering, mooring etc. Most Chandlers will stock the shorter, Brinklow Boat Services usually have the longer option.

Do you mean the box mast found on working boats? I’m not sure what a mast head, on its own, is. And yes, I’m normally in a situation where I can do a bit somewhere then move on to something else.