Those sunken dayboats along the Walsall Canal...

[davidwheeler]

Now before I go I wanted to ask about this, because it has been on my mind for some time. 

In the beginning of the 2000s we visited the Town Arm at Walsall quite a lot. Sometimes for boaters rallies but also for the Gallery.

I have a clearish memory of joining a quizz in the Boatman's Mission where one of the questions was 'can you name the sunken boats' which as I recall it lined the non-towpath side of the canal there or thereabouts. They were completely sunk - just the gun'n'ls above the water. In my younger days this was a common site but not by 1999/2000. Most had been cleared away. These were not abandoned or derelict pleaseurecraft. They were redundant working boats.

So have I got this right? If so can anyone name these boats?

[springy]

I can't remember when, but there were (and I think still are, though only visible in winter when there is less vegetation) several sunken day boats on the offside in the stretch between Birchills Junction and Pratts Bridge - the location IIRC of Ken Keay's yard. No idea which ones.

 

springy

[davidwheeler]

Thank you. That does sound about the right place. 

If I am correct in my recollection, and I may be, somebody thought it sufficiently important to include the naming of these boats as a quizz question. Not much point, I would have thought, if nobody knew the answer. A pity if it has been lost.

[stagedamager]

1 hour ago, springy said:

I can't remember when, but there were (and I think still are, though only visible in winter when there is less vegetation) several sunken day boats on the offside in the stretch between Birchills Junction and Pratts Bridge - the location IIRC of Ken Keay's yard. No idea which ones.

 

springy

I have a feeling there are several craft around the Pratt's bridge area which weren't day boat, off the top of my head there's a Knobstick motor, Silver Jubilee maybe? and also the tug Dart. I also believe there are the remains of an Anderton horse boat, Somewhere on here the late Laurence Hogg detailed them, i'll see if i can find the post.

 

 

Found it.....

Kind regards

 

Dan

Edited February 15 by stagedamager
found it.......

[davidwheeler]

Well there we are. There is the answer. Thank you. To come to think of it, it may well have been at Laurence Hogg's Walsall Boaters Gathering that we had the quiz. Great event, that.

[Heartland]

Laurence did quote some identities for those at Keays Yard and on the town arm so I wonder if anybody did record them.

 

[Heartland]

There was a sunken boat near the end of the Town Arm and what appears to have been an iron boat raised out of the canal at the end.