Brummagem Brumtugs

[Ray T]

Saisons Fleet:

35 minutes ago, Athy said:

I must have got the story wrong. The chap and his wife at Whilton Chandlery when Asti first arrived were an older couple and most respectable. I think they retired not long afterwards. Maybe they were just agents for Asti (which was joined after a while by another, longer boat - Merlot?) rather than the owners.

 

Asti 

Minervois

Merlot

Anjou

Bordeaux (60ft Doug Moore)

 

Apart from being my favourite "tipple" I always like the lines of Merlot.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Ray T
Found picture of Asti in thread.

[Athy]

Gosh, they had quite a few!

[rovingrom]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

 

Richard Saillet featured in a number of threads on the forum a few years ago, culminating in this one:

David, thanks for the heads-up, I wasn't aware of any of that.  It doesn't really affect our potted history of Brum Tug ASTI but it's useful to be aware of.

[matty40s]

Unfortunately, Anjou is now in a very poor state, almost sinking and covered in bags of assorted rubbish and other detritus. Owner has been evicted from LTM and currently filling local towpath with more rubbish.

[David Mack]

 

3 hours ago, Ray T said:

Saisons Fleet:

 

Asti 

Minervois

Merlot

Anjou

Bordeaux (60ft Doug Moore)

 

Didn't they have one which was half a working boat? Can't remember its name now.

[matty40s]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

 

Didn't they have one which was half a working boat? Can't remember its name now.

No, that was the Armada boat(now based at Falls Bridge Wharf?? North of Rugby) called Hector.

They did have a mooring next to the canoe club in Hillmorton behind the (now) Waterside carvery, but havnt been there for a couple of years now.

[ditchcrawler]

7 hours ago, Ray T said:

Saisons Fleet:

 

Asti 

Minervois

Merlot

Anjou

Bordeaux (60ft Doug Moore)

 

Apart from being my favourite "tipple" I always like the lines of Merlot.

One of them had an offset engine in an engine room

[Rose Narrowboats]

Saisons was around long before they appeared at Whilton. They ran a couple out of the arm at Hillmorton around 92/93 when I worked there and I think it was just Mr Saillet then - I don't remember anyone else not maintaining them. He also had a post office at (I think) East Haddon.

 

Saisons did have a converted ex-working boat in the fleet at one point (late 90s?) called Blue Nun. It was the back of a little woolwich butty going forwards with the conversion (motor back end, back cabin, engine room "under cloth" style steel cabin done by Keith Ball. It had a 2-pot Ruston in I think, but I can't for life of me remember the original name of the butty at the moment.

 

Back to Brumtugs, the one that always seems to get overlooked is our trusty little dayboat Rosette.

 

Rosette was originally fitted with a Lister LPWS2 and conventional shaft arrangement, as was Asti I believe. It certainly had that layout about a decade ago when it broke down round here.

 

Andy Rothen also has one converted to a work boat, but I don't which one it was originally.

[Captain Pegg]

1 minute ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

Saisons was around long before they appeared at Whilton. They ran a couple out of the arm at Hillmorton around 92/93 when I worked there and I think it was just Mr Saillet then - I don't remember anyone else not maintaining them. He also had a post office at (I think) East Haddon.

 

Saisons did have a converted ex-working boat in the fleet at one point (late 90s?) called Blue Nun. It was the back of a little woolwich butty going forwards with the conversion (motor back end, back cabin, engine room "under cloth" style steel cabin done by Keith Ball. It had a 2-pot Ruston in I think, but I can't for life of me remember the original name of the butty at the moment.

 

Back to Brumtugs, the one that always seems to get overlooked is our trusty little dayboat Rosette.

 

Rosette was originally fitted with a Lister LPWS2 and conventional shaft arrangement, as was Asti I believe. It certainly had that layout about a decade ago when it broke down round here.

 

Andy Rothen also has one converted to a work boat, but I don't which one it was originally.

Cetus?

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

 

Saisons did have a converted ex-working boat in the fleet at one point (late 90s?) called Blue Nun.

That's the one I was thinking of!

[Rose Narrowboats]

9 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Cetus?

Yes!

[rovingrom]

On 19/04/2021 at 22:41, Rose Narrowboats said:

Saisons was around long before they appeared at Whilton. They ran a couple out of the arm at Hillmorton around 92/93 when I worked there and I think it was just Mr Saillet then - I don't remember anyone else not maintaining them. He also had a post office at (I think) East Haddon.

 

Saisons did have a converted ex-working boat in the fleet at one point (late 90s?) called Blue Nun. It was the back of a little woolwich butty going forwards with the conversion (motor back end, back cabin, engine room "under cloth" style steel cabin done by Keith Ball. It had a 2-pot Ruston in I think, but I can't for life of me remember the original name of the butty at the moment.

 

Back to Brumtugs, the one that always seems to get overlooked is our trusty little dayboat Rosette.

 

Rosette was originally fitted with a Lister LPWS2 and conventional shaft arrangement, as was Asti I believe. It certainly had that layout about a decade ago when it broke down round here.

 

Andy Rothen also has one converted to a work boat, but I don't which one it was originally.

 

Do you have a photo of ROSETTE we could see please?  I'm the founder of the Facebook "BrumTug" group and am compiling a register and fleet list of the original Brum Tugs.  I still have a few to find and locate, and your ROSETTE is a new one to me.  If no photo, I'll have to pay you a visit (I'm not far away).

I was talking to Andy Rothen late last year on this subject and specifically asked if he knew of any Brum Tugs, which he said he did not.  One of those we are still trying to find was a 33ft 6in tug originally called MYOPIA and later re-named PEACE that became a workboat on the BCN, had a crane or Hyab fitted, and was apparently sunk accidentally on the BCN on several occasions.  Its original owner is very keen to find out more and I wonder whether this is the one that Andy Rothen had/has, perhaps without realising its origins?!

 

Edit: I should have added that Brum tug No.6, originally MYOPIA and later renamed PEACE, was last seen on the BCN extended to 50ft and named IVY WILLS.  According to CanalPlanAC it is/was still carrying its original BWB/CRT licence number 76086.

Edited May 29, 2021 by rovingrom
Missed a bit of essential info!

[Up-Side-Down]

On 19/04/2021 at 12:33, rovingrom said:

Hi Martin,
I've only just seen your post from 03 April - welcome to Canal World and the wonderful world of Brum Tugs!  It's really helpful to know you are the new owner of IBIS and to know she's on the River Wey.  There should be a couple of other Brum Tugs on the Wey and we at the BrumTug Group on Facebook would be immensely grateful to hear if you find them.  As far as I know they are:
1. TROS YR AFON: Originally BEAVER (1) and later ASTI. 71376 and possibly still in original 32ft form with long covered hold.
2. NUTHATCH: Originally BEAVER (2) 47299 but extended to 41ft and relicensed as 45879. Possibly still has long covered hold.

 

We have very few photos of IBIS - apart from a recent photo and another posted on the Duck by the previous owner (Sean?), we have only the 2 below.  The photo showing IBIS in black (courtesy Joy Arnold) was a very low res pic (12.7 KB) from the time before the cabin was extended.  You can see that the name panel from the original all-black colour scheme has been retained, with the pale grey/green painted around it!  In the Farmers Bridge photo, IBIS can just be seen behind Brum Tug No.2 EPOREDIA.  This is an early photo and even then it seems that IBIS was painted black or battleship grey.

 

If you are a Facebook user, please come and find us at "BrumTug" - you will be made most welcome!

Colin

I've just met the original owner of Ibis who commissioned her and then cruised her for some 20 years. He's keen to tie up with her and her new owner at some point and would be happy to be put in touch. He is not currently a member of this forum. Of interest might be the fact that he was the first author and researcher of the Nicholson Guides and beavered away between 1969 and 1974 boating the entire waterway system putting together the guides we rely on so much today. BTW Ibis did not figure in in this massive undertaking. She came on the scene later!

[Stilllearning]

3 minutes ago, Up-Side-Down said:

I've just met the original owner of Ibis who commissioned her and then cruised her for some 20 years. He's keen to tie up with her and her new owner at some point and would be happy to be put in touch. He is not currently a member of this forum. Of interest might be the fact that he was the first author and researcher of the Nicholson Guides and beavered away between 1969 and 1974 boating the entire waterway system putting together the guides we rely on so much today. BTW Ibis did not figure in in this massive undertaking. She came on the scene later!

How interesting, he’s my cousin, and I boated first on Ibis!

[rovingrom]

On 04/09/2021 at 10:40, Up-Side-Down said:

I've just met the original owner of Ibis who commissioned her and then cruised her for some 20 years. He's keen to tie up with her and her new owner at some point and would be happy to be put in touch. ........

 

The new owner (as of late 2020) is Martin Etheridge who is a member of this forum but who has not (yet) contacted the BrumTug Group on F.Book that I run.  You should try to contact him through Canal world therefore!

 

[Up-Side-Down]

1 hour ago, rovingrom said:

 

The new owner (as of late 2020) is Martin Etheridge who is a member of this forum but who has not (yet) contacted the BrumTug Group on F.Book that I run.  You should try to contact him through Canal world therefore!

 

I have PM-ed him but without success!