curious if anyone can give me any more information on my project for the past 3 years

[baileymay43]

Evening all, I've been trying to find information and history on my lovely barge that I've been working on for the past 3 years. I've inevitably had lots of towpath opinions however these vary quite dramatically. Im curious to see if theres anyone on here that has any solid knowledge of approximate build years, area and purpose of build, any solid information at all really. Please only chip in if you're absolutely sure, everyone i meet seems to guess and sends me down the wrong path!

[Derek R.]

All I will say is they look like mud hoppers. What are the dimensions?

[Athy]

Perhaps the boat's name 'Baileymay 43' is a clue.

Perhaps you are having a little joke with us.

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, Athy said:

 

Perhaps you are having a little joke with us.

 

Be kind, Mike. 

 

I like what he's done with the interior, it's spacious and airy with plenty of natural light ...

[Athy]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Be kind, Mike. 

 

I like what he's done with the interior, it's spacious and airy with plenty of natural light ...

 

[David Mack]

It's alright. "Today is going to be a Good Day".

[mark99]

It's a skip but uglier. I like the humour tho!

Edited October 11, 2020 by mark99

[Quattrodave]

Less holes than most of the skips I've used recently...

[roland elsdon]

Looks like a mud hopper to me. Built at Brentford or Goole  I believe. Assume it’s 70/14 so probably Brentford.

 

[roland elsdon]

EC Jones Brentford 1960s I suspect

[magnetman]

Did EC Jones have riveting equipment? 

 

I usually associate them with welding. Bantam push tugs and their narrow boats were welded. 

 

I reckon that particular boat could be Thames conservancy but no particular reason to think so. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by magnetman

[roland elsdon]

Yes I saw a couple of areas  of riveting. 
I imagine they would have riveting equipment given they were a fairly big establishment.

It was a  guess no more. It would help if we knew the size.

Certainly when we were in London in the early 80s there were lots of hoppers and barges of that type at Brentford. Mostly derelict but some in use.

[magnetman]

I was interested by the flat ends. 

 

A bit like the river Wey barges but not the same. 

 

I was not around on the cut until the mid nineties due to age issues so I am always happy to be corrected on these things.

 

I think Tam Murrell @Tam & Di  may have some knowledge here.

 

ETA the light blue paint on the bollards is an indicator me thinks. 

 

I reckon Thames conservancy used light blue and bw used dark blue. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by magnetman

[roland elsdon]

Bw and British waterways blues were quite light especially as they faded.

our boat and particularly bits of the engine have remnants of waterways blue in places it’s kind of that colour.

course it could be a conservancy boat that bw acquired and hence hurled blue pain at. 

[Tacet]

It looks to be intended for shifting using a push tug, so possibly a work-boat rather than towed as part of a train as was the case on the Lea up to the 1970s.  But aren't mud hoppers mostly double-skinned? 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Tacet
Typo mentioned by Bizzard

[Tam & Di]

Some points I notice immediately are that although it seems to have watertight sections fore and aft it is not hoppered - the sides are vulnerable to any grab. It has very odd collection of bollards either end. It has a transom stern (assuming that the far end is rather more rounded) and no apparent rudder or provision for a tiller. It is a mixture of welded and rivetted construction as mentioned, and has a slight angled chine.

It has possibly been lengthened or shortened at some point - something slightly strange happens where the chequer plate side decks meet the stern section - there's a butt joint in the coaming too.

It seems to be somewhere that maintenance craft are laid up, but it would give a clue to know where it is and the size.

I'm not sure that Today is going to be a Good Day, but I can only hope.

I'll give it some thought.

 

Tam

 

p.s. my typing overlapped with Tacet's points, which are similar to what I noted.

Edited October 11, 2020 by Tam & Di

[bizzard]

6 minutes ago, Tacet said:

It looks to be intended for shifting using a push tug, so possibly a wok-boat rather than towed as part of a train as was the case on the Lea up to the 1970s.  But aren't mud hoppers mostly double-skinned? 

But surely a wok boat would be round in shape

Edited October 11, 2020 by bizzard

[Tacet]

4 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

Some points I notice immediately are that although it seems to have watertight sections fore and aft it is not hoppered - the sides are vulnerable to any grab. It has very odd collection of bollards either end. It has a transom stern (assuming that the far end is rather more rounded) and no apparent rudder or provision for a tiller.

When towed by a tug in a long train, the barges with tillers had one steerer per vessel, as you might expect.  But, less expectedly all the steerers could be in the wheelhouse of the tug playing cards.  The tail of the train swung wildly - almost bank-to-bank which made it very exciting when you met one.  Even the skippper of the tug looked alarmed and he had a lot less to fear than you.

[Tam & Di]

12 hours ago, Athy said:

Perhaps the boat's name 'Baileymay 43' is a clue.

Perhaps you are having a little joke with us.

If it is 43' long that must be for some particular reason; it's a strange length but nothing comes immediately to mind, and the rather cruder boat alongside looks to be even shorter.

 

Tam

[baileymay43]

here's a little more information 

dimensions are 48 x 10.5. there is grab damage to the load area. 

[baileymay43]

both ends of the boat are identical. never been extended. never been powered or used with a tiller. its all riveted with some overplating in places mainly due to grab damage. baseplate is still a strong 8mm again all riveted. sides are 3mm im assuming due to the difficulty of rolling the hard iron. 

[Tam & Di]

And it comes from where? What region? What water authority? I assume you've asked of GORB. (x x River Board?) and researched the Registered Number 165183.

 

Gissus a clue.

 

Tam

[archie57]

Great Ouse?

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, baileymay43 said:

 

 

Great Ouse River Board?

Existed from 1952 to 1965.

Edited October 12, 2020 by David Mack

[Tam & Di]

I'd bet that is correct. It gives a good clue to the date it was built too. GORB records doubtless still exist somewhere with whichever authority took over their responsibiities.

 

Job done I reckon.

 

Tam