Weed cutting boats on the BCN

[Heartland]

I came across a reference to a weed cutting boat on the BCN in early British Waterways days, which was powered and evidently could pull a butty. Are there any records of such a craft, I wonder, and also what happened to it.

[Heartland]

This image is reproduced from the RCHS Collection and shows a weed cutting boat on the BCN at Roughills Stop. How long it operated and in fact how it operated is a matter for discussion

 

[BuckbyLocks]

This kind of weedcutter was very common on the canals when we started boating in the late 60s. Never saw one in action, but I believe they had a petrol engine driving paddle wheels and a linkage to the blade which was like a larger version of the Allen Scythe. There was one on display in the old Top Lock at Stoke Bruerne for some time and I am sure I remember one either at Bradley or the BCLM.

[Rose Narrowboats]

There was also one on diplay at Gloucester for a while.

 

There were definitely quite a few built, and as BuckbyLocks says they used a "fingerbar" cutter similar to contemporary hay mowers.

 

Are there any more images of the joey in that set please? I think it's the ex-spoon dredger Malcolm Braine subsequently purchased and restored which is now in my care.

[BuckbyLocks]

1 hour ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

There was also one on display at Gloucester for a while.

I suspect it was the same one as the boss of Stoke Bruerne became the first boss at Gloucester. There was quite a transfer of objects following that move.

 

 

 

[Derek R.]

It's a BSA! Possibly a C15, more likely a Bantam.

 

The cutter looks like the paddle wheel(s) are steerable (a bit?) by the 'steering' wheel, paddle and cutting blades out of sight driven by the engine behind the prongs (seen lifted). Much of that is a bit of a guess. I do remember seeing one tied up somewhere, might have been on the Oxford, early eighties.