Jump to content

TugBoat 28FT By 8ft BetaLister 52Hp Turbo No Reserve


Mike Adams

Featured Posts

5 hours ago, Athy said:

I rather think that the chap whose soon had Erik Bloodaxe used to post on here. I saw Erik moored a couple of years ago, perhaps at Claydon on the Oxford.

 

Yes Erik Bloodaxe is an achingly handsome boat, and has been moored on one of the farm plots at Claydon for the past three or four years. Still there a couple of weeks ago when I went past. Definitely one of my "lottery boats"*.

 

* When I win the lottery, I'd offer the owner the whole lot in an attempt to persuade them to sell.**

 

** depending on what engine lies within. I have no idea but hopefully something divinely obscure like a Baudouin, or a Kromhaut semi-diesel. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seem to remember that it was built by the owner's father who is (obviously) a boatbuilder. I really can't recall whether it was onhere or in face-t-face conversation, but he did refer to it as "My son's boat". I'm not sure that it has a vintage lump though.

   That big bearded bloke who used to write for The Grubby Mag (Canal & Riverboat) and who built coracles had a boat with an old Baudouin. When the engine playfully discarded half of one of its major components (crankshaft?) he had great difficulty finding a replacement part - I'm not sure if he ever did.

 

EDIT: I have found a mention of the boat in an old (2015) thread, in which I either remembered or speculated that it was built by the owner of JD Boats for his son. There was a link to its sales advert but it no longer works. JD still exist, they're in Shardlow, but I'm not sure if they're actual builders or just fitter-outers.

Edited by Athy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jim and David Mathias, of course. Thanks. I may be wrong, and I never looked closely at her, but I thought Dave had told me Eric B was most of a Station boat or summat. I seem to remember she had an Armstrong "Tater Roaster" in her, but again, passage of time etc. I may also be wrong and, if I am, forgive me but I think Jim died some time ago. I hope I'm wrong about that.

Any talk of Baudouin and I have to mention another Station boat that I had, which Martin Fuller rebuilt for me as a motor and which I called Amsterdam. She had (has?) a two cylinder Baudouin in her which Chris Lloyd refurbished. Lovely old thing that came out of the judge's barge, "Golden Thistle". Very distinctive sound. I sold her to someone who, tired of people asking what was in her, ran with the engine hole doors shut and always replied, "A sixteen cylinder two stroke radial Giacometti-the only one ever built". Anyone know where Amsterdam is now? She was one of very few of the multitude of boats I've owned that I sorta wished I'd kept.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
2 hours ago, Steve56 said:

If anyone is interested I'll tell you about the engine as I owned the boat many years ago and fitted the engine. The engine is a Lister LPWS4 Which came from Lister as an ex development engine. I carried out a total engine rebuild. As a marine engineer I was carrying out a lot of service work for Beta Marine and knew the owners of the company very well from my Lister days. They allowed me to take it into the Beta works and give it a coat of paint and I did like the red paint that Beta used. While in the works one of the employees thought it would be a good joke to stick a Beta Marine badge on it. I didn't mind at all but it seems to have caused a lot of confusion ever since. So I can confirm that it is a Lister Marine engine and not really anything to do with Beta.

So did Lister do a turbo version of the LPWS4 or was the Turbo and 52hp thing just an advertising error? 

 

I had an LPW2 in a boat once and I'm sure it was no more than 20hp. More like 18 if I remember right. So 52hp out of a 4 does sound like it might have had some sort of help. 

 

Intrigued of Tunbridge Wells. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

So did Lister do a turbo version of the LPWS4 or was the Turbo and 52hp thing just an advertising error? 

 

I had an LPW2 in a boat once and I'm sure it was no more than 20hp. More like 18 if I remember right. So 52hp out of a 4 does sound like it might have had some sort of help. 

 

Intrigued of Tunbridge Wells. 

 

Yes Lister made the LPWT4 engine which was rated at around 52 hp. The  naturally aspirated Alpha engines were rated at 10hp per cylinder at 3000 rpm. The marine versions had heavier governor weights fitted which made for a much more stable tickover and also slow speed running. But obviously you lost a bit on the top end as if I remember correctly they would only rev to around 2600 rpm. That is why the build number is an important part of the engine number as it tells you what would have been originally fitted.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.