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The Aster was launched in 1951, possibly the last timber-built freighter in France. At 30.42 metres she was of the type known as a batarde, being shorter than the standard 38.5 metre peniche, and as such was capable of navigating the sub-standard section of the Canal du Nivernais. When the regional authority took over the running of that section in the late 1970s she was consverted to passenger-carrying and ran for many years before falling foul of up-dated regulations requiring intermediate bulkheads, stability testing, etc. She is now preserved on the Saone at St Jean de Losne.

 

When the Aster was motorised the traditional rounded stern was by no means suitable for a straightforward propellor arrangement. Instead s shaft was positioned below the rudder with a propellor at the after end. The boat's bow rudder was also extensively deployed (in a fashion beyond my own understanding!)

 

A similar dilemma arose in the late 1920s with the Ponctuel, now our own hotel-barge Luciole. Originally drawn by mules, she had the same bluff stern, but being of steel, rather than timber a tunnel arrangement could be contrived, as in Picture Three. It still works well.

 

 

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Edited by John Liley
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Bit more on the Aster. It was acquired by the Museum of St Jean de Losne mainly by Charles of H2O and taken there by volunteers. After it arrived it had a sort of poly tunnel built over it and over the last few years many hundreds of hours have been spent by volunteers on the restoration. In 2019 it was slipped to inspect and paint the hull and now after the easing of the pandemic rules work is again taking place. The photo that shows the propeller arrangement also show a rather crude water strainer and return for the engine.

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20 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

On this day in 2008.

 

Womack Staithe - Norfolk Broads

 

 

 

How pleasing that it's named n honour of a soul singer, following in the tradition of Pickett's lock and Redding swing bridge.

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13 minutes ago, Athy said:

How pleasing that it's named n honour of a soul singer, following in the tradition of Pickett's lock and Redding swing bridge.

 

All Summer crafts were 'xxxxxxxx Girl' from memory. But now no more, they retired and sold the boats.

 

Glitter girl was another of our hires when there was just the two of us (plus dog). We had the 'tribe' with us on Grande Girl.

 

 

 

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Edited by The Happy Nomad
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On this day in 2011

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Stourport River Severn. A long way from Scotland: "Victualling Inshore Craft : While the puffer was a Scottish design, the Clyde shipyards were fully occupied with building and repairing ships for the Merchant and the Royal Navys, so the VICs were built at river and canal yards in England" (Wiki). Geograph info here and Puffer data here and here

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22 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

On this day in 2011

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Stourport River Severn. A long way from Scotland: "Victualling Inshore Craft : While the puffer was a Scottish design, the Clyde shipyards were fully occupied with building and repairing ships for the Merchant and the Royal Navys, so the VICs were built at river and canal yards in England" (Wiki). Geograph info here and Puffer data here and here

Vic 99 was built in 1945 by Harkers of Knottingley. Sold in the 1960's for breaking but saved and converted to a floating restaurant.

 

Howard

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Think I've posted this before nut this is a Berrichon with a similar arrangement to 'Aster' but even more complicated if possible. Asking a lot of a universal joint I reckon. Interesting pics of 'Aster', she has vertical planking below the waterline, much the same as the shearing on a wooden narrowboat but on the outside and not the inside. There used to be a wooden narrowboat, 'Empire' at Thrupp on the Oxford canal and sadly I have no pics but that also had 'shearing' on the outside but nailed on at 45 degrees. probably a last resort repair.1144220584_2013-08-0510_26_25.jpg.3ce245dfac745335909d63522bfee684.jpg

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2 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

Looks a bit different from VIC 32.

  Aha, an excuse for VIC32 pictures:

On 28/06/2020 at 16:08, Iain_S said:

bigger-boats1.JPG.189455378337cfd9aa5f7e6366c1ead5.JPGMay 2004

Crinan Basin

 

On 28/06/2020 at 17:47, PeterScott said:

P3069195s.jpg.d3c10338fc4c19e2529799be2936a175.jpgFrom 6 March 2020

The accursed Virus hadn't quite caught up with us that week. Presumably VIC32 hasn't done any puffering this season. Website says "All of our cruises up to June 21 have had to be cancelled or postponed until 2021.   We sincerely hope to resume our cruising schedule on June 21 [2020]"

also from 6 Mar2020  in Crinan Basin. Puffer cruises are resuming in 2021

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On this day in 1985

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As You Do

 

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Of and from

Runcorn-Widnes Bridge

MSC and River Mersey

 

 

Compare

27Aug1998

28Jun2017   

6Sep2020

 

and on this day 2020

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Edited by PeterScott
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On this day in 1985

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Runcorn. Basins by the Ship Canal have been filled in to make way for an area of dereliction

 

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And on this day in 2020

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Bridgewater House, once the headquarters of this part of the Bridgewater Canal, still here, and surrounded by housing, schools etc.

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Saw this lovely preserved cobble in Redcar this day last year. There are lots of old tractors, mostly Fordson,which they use to launch and recover the fishing boats off the beach. The building across the road houses the oldest persevered lifeboat in the world the Zetland built 1802 but unfortunately the place was closed due to the Chinese bug.

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Edited by Dav and Pen
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On 06/09/2021 at 17:17, Bee said:

Think I've posted this before nut this is a Berrichon with a similar arrangement to 'Aster' but even more complicated if possible. Asking a lot of a universal joint I reckon. Interesting pics of 'Aster', she has vertical planking below the waterline, much the same as the shearing on a wooden narrowboat but on the outside and not the inside. There used to be a wooden narrowboat, 'Empire' at Thrupp on the Oxford canal and sadly I have no pics but that also had 'shearing' on the outside but nailed on at 45 degrees. probably a last resort repair.1144220584_2013-08-0510_26_25.jpg.3ce245dfac745335909d63522bfee684.jpg

The Yorkist boats which worked on the Humber also had doubling on the outside for protection, as in this circa 1975 photo of the bow of one of them. For the Aster, see http://www.musee-saintjeandelosne.com/projetaster.htm, and for the Blueberry http://projetbabel.org/fluvial/index.htm as it was owned by Charles Berg, who researched and compiled the site.

1975c Yorkist boat 183.jpg

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On this day in 2012

On 08/09/2020 at 16:49, PeterScott said:

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On [8Sep] in 2012

The Liverpool Link

 

 

 

 

 

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Liverpool Docks   Compare  23Feb1995  2Aug2005   3Aug2005  4Aug2005  7Sep2012  (#2)   1969/2012  +next

 

Edited by PeterScott
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