Make of narrowboat and engine

[GAK]

Hi all I was wondering if someone could please tell me the make of this narrowboat and what engine was originally installed if that’s possible many thanks 

[MtB]

Looks like one of them Calcutt 'Navy" boats to me maybe, not that I can see much of it! 

 

Any chance of a pic of it from a distance and NOT inside a shed?

[magnetman]

Name would be interesting. 

 

I wonder if it's called Hemlock or similar. 

 

Did think Swan line but I believe the calcutt is more likely. 

 

Probably an air cooled Lister SR or LR engine originally. Or a BMC 1.5D. 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by magnetman

[David Mack]

And a decent picture of the bows please.

From the general style, as far as I can judge, I'm guessing this dates from the 1980s.

From the stern it might possibly be one of the hire boat fleet of Swan Line at Fradley.

Does it have large air vent openings through the hull in the engine bay (possibly now blocked up)? If so it most likely had a Lister SR3 engine. I see it has a skin cooling tank fitted now, for a water cooled engine, but that could have been added later.

3 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Name would be interesting. 

BW/CRT registration number would also give previous name history which might help.

Edited June 14, 2022 by David Mack

[magnetman]

The swan line boats from images I can find had cleats not dollies at the back. 

 

And Calcutt boats don't have the inward slope at the stern. 

 

Looks like a new steel top so perhaps boat was originally GRP/wood cabin? 

 

Windows are wrong for a swan line boat. 

 

 

[David Mack]

I was assuming the steel cabin is later. Boats of that vintage mostly had wooden or grp cabins.

[mrsmelly]

Looks like a Falkener to me? Stern is very Falkener like. Obviously had new cabin on.

[magnetman]

11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I was assuming the steel cabin is later. Boats of that vintage mostly had wooden or grp cabins.

Swan line were steel cabins though I think. 

 

My first narrow boat was a 1970s Hancock and Lane "Marlin" which was all steel from new. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by magnetman

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Swan line were steel cabins though I think. 

 

My first narrow boat was a 1970s Hancock and Lane "Marlin" which was all steel from new. 

Swan line were not all steel cabins. My first boat was a Swanline, it started life out with fibreglass top.

[David Mack]

3 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Swan line were not all steel cabins. My first boat was a Swanline, it started life out with fibreglass top.

I suspect older ones were grp cabinned, but later boats may well have been all steel.

[BEngo]

I  don't think it is a Swan line- they had/have a graceful sheer to the gunwale.  The pictured boat has a straight gunwale.

 Looks more herbacious Calcutt  to me.  Wild Time  MCMLXX11 anyone?

N

[GAK]

Thank you all so much for you help. The boat has been under that “shed” for a few years now. I think the previous owner cut the top off from the gunnel and has extended it upwards for more head space on my understanding. I was only there for 5min as the yard where is being kept was closing for the night.. so didn’t take a lot of photos.. I’ve been told that the hull is sound !! 

[GAK]

54 minutes ago, MtB said:

Looks like one of them Calcutt 'Navy" boats to me maybe, not that I can see much of it! 

 

Any chance of a pic of it from a distance and NOT inside a shed?

Sorry no distance photos as been covered on all sides in the “shed” many thanks 

[harrybsmith]

Looks like it's got skin tanks in the engine bay so probably a BMC 1.5 or something terrible like a Lombardini 

[GAK]

10 minutes ago, harrybsmith said:

Looks like it's got skin tanks in the engine bay so probably a BMC 1.5 or something terrible like a Lombardini 

Thank you so much.. Is it possible to place a BMC 1.5 it to this engine bay with out any major complications🙂

[alan_fincher]

The final picture shows a cooling pipe with a boot on the end that would either have mated with a Bowman or a Polar header tank on the engine.

 

Looks to me a very strong chance that it would have had a BMC B series engine, (either 1500 or 1800).

 

That would match nicely with it being a Calcutt boat, as Calcutt overhauled and marinised that engine.

 

So my current vote, until better pictures are available is Calcutt.

 

I'm not sure but from memory I think they were built for them - possibly even by Colecraft??

 

 

[GAK]

Perfect thanks so much..are BMC engines reliable. Looking on Apolloduck for engines.

[Tony Brooks]

24 minutes ago, GAK said:

Perfect thanks so much..are BMC engines reliable. Looking on Apolloduck for engines.

 

Yes, but they are getting rather long in the tooth now, especially the 1.5, so you need to take care that you don't buy a worn out pile of junk.

[ditchcrawler]

You don't often hear of someone taking a good one out to fit something else

[Tracy D'arth]

It will be cheaper and more reliable, I bet, to fit a new Canaline engine, they will drop on the existing bearers if it was a 1.5D BMC originally.

[GAK]

Thanks so much for everyone’s help. I’m now sure it’s a calcutt as now looked at photos of the calcutt sterns and look very similar to this boat with the steel boxes either side. 😀

[Tracy D'arth]

Calcutt bought shells in from Southam I believe

[Tony Brooks]

23 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Calcutt bought shells in from Southam I believe

 

Yes, and I believe built to their own design.

 

I have never seen the roof backwards extension to form a cubbyhole for the cooling header tank on the stern port side on anything but a Calcutt boat.

[magnetman]

1 hour ago, GAK said:

Thanks so much for everyone’s help. I’m now sure it’s a calcutt as now looked at photos of the calcutt sterns and look very similar to this boat with the steel boxes either side. 😀

Ita similar buy yours has dollies (bollard type mooring attachments) rather than the T shaped cleats on the Calcutt boats. 

 

Could just be a variation or another boat builder. Interesting about the cabin being raised for headroom. Quite a big job but understandable if one is too tall. You would expect tall people to avoid boats without headroom but I know from experience this does not always happen!

[GAK]

11 hours ago, magnetman said:

Ita similar buy yours has dollies (bollard type mooring attachments) rather than the T shaped cleats on the Calcutt boats. 

 

Could just be a variation or another boat builder. Interesting about the cabin being raised for headroom. Quite a big job but understandable if one is too tall. You would expect tall people to avoid boats without headroom but I know from experience this does not always happen!

Well spotted on the dollies.. very observant of you.. thanks for the info you have all been very friendly. The boat has been on a TRUCK yard under “cover” for the last few years now and the person who owed it before has left it there and moved abroad (apparently he was 6ft tall, hence the raising of the roof)Our plan is to survey her and finish off the welding and any problems that the survey brings up(or not hopefully!!) as the hull looks sound(and have been told it’s sound). From there on in it will be a labour of love for three months or so derusting vactaning red oxide painting bitumening celotexing lining framing plumbing and any other ing you can think of. Once again thank you all for you help any other advice or help wouldn’t go  amiss. I’ve got a funny feeling I’ll be a regular to canalworld.net many thanks people and to canalworld.net 🙂