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DandV

By DandV
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

Any more details of the small cruiser? We had a similar for a while.

It was a plywood former British Waterways "Water Baby" hire cruiser.

About as rudimentary as a hire boat could ever be, (for examplethere was a galvanised bucket in an outside locker which was the toilet facilities).

I believe they operated up to about 40 from bases around the country, but due to the easily damaged plywood hull, I would be quite surprised if any have survived.  It's not impossible though, I guess.

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Jen-in-Wellies Veteran II

Jen-in-WelliesDonate to Canal World

Posted
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11 hours ago, PeterScott said:

This afternoon 2022

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Ladybower reservoir.  Compare  4Feb1996   24Jan2009  9Feb2014  11Jun2021  19Nov2021  21Nov2021  1Jan2022   30Jan2022  14Apr2022

Some one left the paddles open overnight. 😱

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Mike Todd Veteran

Mike ToddDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

It was a plywood former British Waterways "Water Baby" hire cruiser.

About as rudimentary as a hire boat could ever be, (for examplethere was a galvanised bucket in an outside locker which was the toilet facilities).

I believe they operated up to about 40 from bases around the country, but due to the easily damaged plywood hull, I would be quite surprised if any have survived.  It's not impossible though, I guess.

Ours was called Fiona and we had her for around three and a bit  years in the late Sixties. We moored at Bishop Meadow Lock near Loughborough in the days when Jack Monk still rented the cottage. He taught me a thing or two about canals and boats!

 

We made considerable use of her and went everywhere, including down the Trent to Keadby and across the Leeds and Liverpool! (Only Pennine crossing open at that time). Fiona was as primitive as you describe but then so were almost all boats on the canal (the first hire boat we took in 1967 had a sea pump through toilet!). We added a cabin on the back and moved the outboard from a hole in the stern to a transom mount. None of this was done with really sufficient skill (or money) and it was all quite a challenge but we enjoyed it (mostly!) We certainly still have plenty of tales to tell about those days.

 

Alas, after my time at Loughborough University came to an end (with a PhD!) we moved up to Tyneside and it was not practical to keep the boat. It needed some work to sell it, even with all the provisos you describe. So, with help from my brother, we put it on a trailer at Selby and took it up to the north. The plan was to park it on our drive/garden and work on it over the winter.

 

We had not really thought about how to get it off the trailer. Firstly, the entrance gap was just too tight and one gate pillar had to be demolished (later re-built). Then came the question of how to get the trailer out from under the boat. We spotted that the jockey wheel made an excellent lever and so we were able to tip it so that the stern was high and put some planks under the gunnels. Then with the jockey wheel we raised the bow end and propped that as well, leaving the boat temporarily suspended mid air whilst we pulled  out the trailer. Quickly we put bricks, including the re-purposed pillar, so that it was safe to work on. All this just a few months after our first child was born!

 

I did what I could but it was a really cold winter. Come the spring the boat was again put on a trailer and re-launched back at Selby (at the time the nearest place on the connected network) We then had a long cruise, with the babe - parked in a push chair on the tow path as needed - ending up at Braunston where it was to be sold at auction. Needless to say we did not get all of our money back, but at least it had a little more life left!

 

Some of our memories of those days really do make us shiver in today's H&S context . . . 

 

Although we had numerous hire boat holidays later, it was not until 2008 that we were able to buy another boat.

Edited by Mike Todd
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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.......... and moved the outboard from a hole in the stern to a transom mount.

 

Yes, we did exactly the same.

 

Having an outboard that could not be tilted to gain access to the prop was not a great idea.

We initially had a Seagull outboard, which proved to be a total disaster, quite unsuitable for the task  We upgraded to a 6HP Evinrude, which made the boat fully usable, and gave a surprising turn of speed.

 

I often wonder if any of the 40 or so have survived, but as I said, it seems unlikely.

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