Boat Index/directory

[Captain Pegg]

38 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Disused railway bridge (deck removed) out of Braun St On on way to Napton. It used to have Pink Floyd written on it in really big lettering.

 

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.2845253,-1.2327219,3a,75y,197.11h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMO-dRnPFHfd1U8H3ZvCX9SovNecTpHB3vb3UYL!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMO-dRnPFHfd1U8H3ZvCX9SovNecTpHB3vb3UYL%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya356.56616-ro-0-fo100!7i5376!8i2688

 

I see the streetview camera shows a bit of it still there.

(towpathview)

 

It still does carry the PINK FLOYD legend but it's quite faded and obscured by vegetation these days.

 

I passed two boats called Comfortably Numb within about ten minutes of each other one day last week. "Nice original name" I didn't say to myself.

 

I once moved a bright pink thing that although was offcially called 'The Mouse' was signwritten "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and with a diamond logo on the side.

 

In terms of the "it's not my boat" stakes that was a close run thing with being spotted emerging from Braunston tunnel on a widebeam.

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Did you make that up?

Yes🤥

[magnetman]

I don't like Pink Floyd at all.

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

It still does carry the PINK FLOYD legend but it's quite faded and obscured by vegetation these days.

 

I passed two boats called Comfortably Numb within about ten minutes of each other one day last week. "Nice original name" I didn't say to myself.

 

I once moved a bright pink thing that although was offcially called 'The Mouse' was signwritten "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and with a diamond logo on the side.

 

In terms of the "it's not my boat" stakes that was a close run thing with being been spotted emerging from Braunston tunnel on a widebeam.

 

I reckon interstellar overdrive would make a good boat name.

 

or Careful with that axe eugene.

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

I don't like Pink Floyd at all.

What colour Floyd do you prefer?

Edited April 28, 2023 by rusty69

[magnetman]

Battleship grey but usually I avoid floyd.

Back on topic are there any narrow boat bows which are unique and never done before or since?
 

 

Some fabricators are happy to follow the customer's design language so there must be a few pretty dodgy ones about which somehow ended up getting made despite obviously being a bad idea.

 

 

[rusty69]

Charlie Fox pointy end was quite distinctive.

[magnetman]

The stern on those was a bit disappointing. Rather tinny hardware. Tiller looks too thin.

They were often incredibly cleverly named like this one

 

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, magnetman said:

The stern on those was a bit disappointing. Rather tinny hardware. Tiller looks too thin.

They were often incredibly cleverly named like this one

 

History, young man:

 

https://www.foxboats.co.uk/about-us/history/

[magnetman]

 

I believe my rather pleasant home made residential boat was built by the original owner in one of the sheds at Fox's yard. All steel obviously.

 

Not sure if it is true but it was in that area anyway and looks like it needed some boatyard equipment to get it done rather than just doing in the garden.

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by magnetman

[Captain Pegg]

19 hours ago, Neil TNC said:

Stern end of a later R&D, early XR&D, most of these features applicable to trad or semi trad. Fender stool (optional). scalloped, recessed fuel filler. Rear nav lamp bracket (optional). Square upper rudder bearing. Crappy triangular fabricated hinges. Swan neck with tight angle upper bend. Hinged deck access to weed hatch with bottom shut for rear doors. T stud conversion to rear dollies non standard. Flap in cants with fuel cut off below. Fabricated engine compartment vents. Standard R&D style weed hatch. Earnest was the first R&D semi trad with double skinned rear cockpit, that became standard.

 

I moved an XR&D boat last week. It seemed to be a robust and quite heavy shell. From the engine behaviour and the amount of water shifted and muck kicked up off the bottom I also think it had a 3:1 reduction gearbox and a large prop. A bit different from the norm. Of course those were perhaps just features specified for that particular boat and it did seem to be a set up for someone that intended to do plenty of river cruising.

 

I moved a similarly set-up Colecraft boat once that had been built for river work and it didn't want to go slowly at all on the canal (when it wasn't bouncing off the bottom).

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[magnetman]

 

 

When we were in March in the late 90s my mother caught a window on a harborough marine bow and smashed it. I replaced it later while moored at the March town moorings. Someone told me at the time that March had the largest number of sex shops per head of population but I don't know if it was true.

 

 

[rusty69]

I'm surprised harborough marine bows are so delicate.

Edited April 28, 2023 by rusty69

[magnetman]

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

I'm surprised harborough marine bows are so delicate.

 

It was a hell of a job welding it back on. I ruined a good pair of Rayban Aviators. The old ones work nicely for flame welding. No electric you see.

 

 

Those old ones with the spring bit at the end which goes over the ears.  Brentford.

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

I'm surprised harborough marine bows are so delicate.

 

 

 

[David Mack]

8 hours ago, magnetman said:

Back on topic are there any narrow boat bows which are unique and never done before or since?

In the 80s Fenny Marine built a few with canoe shaped bows.

 

Picture from this thread:

 

[magnetman]

Thats interesting. I thought those upturned bows were from Colecraft. I seem to recall a term "mini maxi" or something. 

 

Quite nice in their own way. 

 

 

[Neil TNC]

9 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

I moved an XR&D boat last week. It seemed to be a robust and quite heavy shell. From the engine behaviour and the amount of water shifted and muck kicked up off the bottom I also think it had a 3:1 reduction gearbox and a large prop. A bit different from the norm. Of course those were perhaps just features specified for that particular boat and it did seem to be a set up for someone that intended to do plenty of river cruising.

 

I moved a similarly set-up Colecraft boat once that had been built for river work and it didn't want to go slowly at all on the canal (when it wasn't bouncing off the bottom).

 

 

 

The newer XR&D shells bear little resemblance to the old R&D style, they have changed the proportions of the front deck and well deck to fit with their much better and massive bow shape, some what difference to the rather blunt bow of my old tub. When we contemplated Earnest II with an XR&D shell at 59ft we were left with rather less cabin length. Lee, who built Earnest was quite happy to do what ever we wanted, in the end, at our age it did not stack up, so we pulled the plug on another boat.

[Silent Flight]

What is this little cruiser with a sloping transom ?

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Owls Den said:

What is this little cruiser with a sloping transom ?

 

Very unusual. 😂

[dmr]

That design of stern is usually seen on the replica inspection launches but does occassionally get used on standard narrowboats.

 

An inspection launch was a sort of posh narrowboat with lots of big windows built to allow the canal owners and other posh folk to "inspect" their canal (investment) in comfort.

 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Owls Den said:

What is this little cruiser with a sloping transom ?

According to Canalplan:

---

Pheasey Built by Maesbury - Length : 11.3 metres ( 37 feet 1 inch ) - Beam : 2.08 metres ( 6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft : 0.01 metres ( 0 feet ). Metal hull N/A power of 35 HP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 514494 as a Powered Motor Boat.  ( Last updated on Wednesday 22nd May 2013 )

 

There are 36 boats listed as built by Maesbury / Maesbury Marine / Maesbury Marine Services.

According to the thread below they ceased trading in 2010.

 

[cuthound]

Here is the Lady Hatherton, an inspection launch built in 1898 and used by the directors of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

 

https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/2115/lady-hatherton-1898

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by cuthound

[Silent Flight]

32 minutes ago, dmr said:

That design of stern is usually seen on the replica inspection launches but does occassionally get used on standard narrowboats.

 

An inspection launch was a sort of posh narrowboat with lots of big windows built to allow the canal owners and other posh folk to "inspect" their canal (investment) in comfort.

 

Bit like this… I posted on another thread gongoozling at Braunston. I didn’t know that’s why they are called inspection launches however! V. Interesting 

[David Mack]

19 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Here is the Lady Hatherton, an inspection launch built in 1898 and used by the directors of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

 

https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/2115/lady-hatherton-1898

 

First built in 1898. Motorised by David Hutchings in the 1960s, and now on its third hull (first two wooden, third steel).

[cuthound]

8 minutes ago, David Mack said:

First built in 1898. Motorised by David Hutchings in the 1960s, and now on its third hull (first two wooden, third steel).

 

Indeed, and all described in the History section of the link in my post above.