Help to identify old narrowboat

[Rankingjonno]

Hi all,

 

I'm hoping to draw on the significant knowledge and experience of forum members to help identify my new (to me!) boat. She was bought "as seen" with no paperwork or info about year, manufacturer etc. The only clue was that she came with a Lister SR2 from 1974 which still runs perfectly. The bow is full of corrosion because (according to a surveyor) it has been used to carry coal. She has a passing resemblance to some very early Springers but has a flat bottom. 

 

Any clues would be much appreciated!

[Tracy D'arth]

Its nothing like a Springer, wrong bow, stern corners welded far too tidy.

The big rear dollies remind me of something.

Window breaker bow but I think not a Harborough.

Square stern, rings bells.

[PeterF]

Presumably you have the CRT license / index number, pop it into this web page and it may have some details if you are lucky. i tried searching just on the name but there are 50 Badgers recorded. If you do find anything, come back and let us know what you find.

 

https://canalplan.uk/boats/boats.php

[Rankingjonno]

1 minute ago, PeterF said:

Presumably you have the CRT license / index number, pop it into this web page and it may have some details if you are lucky. i tried searching just on the name but there are 50 Badgers recorded. If you do find anything, come back and let us know what you find.

 

https://canalplan.uk/boats/boats.php

Thanks very much for this Peter - unfortunately we don't have any prior index number as the boat was unlicensed on a private marina for years before sale (according to the seller). I have trawled through the Badgers on canal plan but there's not a wealth of information on there! I should add she is 41ft long. I'll keep searching and will update the forum!

[robtheplod]

Love the bow shape!!

[Tracy D'arth]

I don't rate the minimalist bath on the roof, or is it a Cressy water tank?

Edited April 16 by Tracy D'arth

[Rankingjonno]

4 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

I don't rate the minimalist bath on the roof, or is it a Cressy water tank?

It's a massive fibreglass water tank that I'm not sure I would bathe in. I think it came with the boat (fits perfectly in the bow) so maybe could provide a clue? I'm hoping to reuse it but not sure if there's a powerful enough water filter!

[spud]

built by mindon marine - is the crt number 63838

[RS2021]

Reminds me a lot of the older boats Rose Narrowboats used to operate.

[spud]

1 minute ago, RS2021 said:

Reminds me a lot of the older boats Rose Narrowboats used to operate.

looks like rose narrowboats hire boat 'sunray II' to me, crt 63838

[Rankingjonno]

Amazing! I don't know the previous CRT number for sure, but the name and length match with that number on canalplan! Thank you very much for your sleuthing

[alan_fincher]

Yes, I'm sure spud has it.  I was also coming up with Mindon Marine.

[Tracy D'arth]

58 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Yes, I'm sure spud has it.  I was also coming up with Mindon Marine.

Excellent, I knew that the stern was familiar.  24 years ago I welded all the interior stern panels around one of these. I was told by the owner that 41 feet was a popular size for Minden Marine as it fitted in the workshop!

[MtB]

Great-looking boat!

 

(Needs a bow fender, by the way.)

[Rankingjonno]

57 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Excellent, I knew that the stern was familiar.  24 years ago I welded all the interior stern panels around one of these. I was told by the owner that 41 feet was a popular size for Minden Marine as it fitted in the workshop!

Fancy doing it again? 😉 Ours are a wreck...

 

Thank you all for your expertise - the intelligence of this hive mind is incredible!

[philjw]

Doesnt have the right angled upstands to the hand rails. These are a great bit of design that stops you bashing your fingers when moving down the handrail, especially when cleaning the boat. Agree that the fore end looks to be Minden.

[John Brightley]

Yes, definitely a Mindon Marine (this is the correct spelling), and is still painted in the Rose Narrowboats colours. Mindon were very good quality boats when new. @Rose Narrowboats may be able to help further.

[agg221]

If you can confirm the registration number you may be able to reinstate it. Oates had not been on CRT (or BW) waters for a long time but there was no issue re-licensing on the original number.

 

No particular advantage but it keeps things tidy.

 

Alec

[jacko264]

The expertise  and information are endless on this forum 

[Mike Todd]

On 16/04/2024 at 18:05, Tracy D'arth said:

Excellent, I knew that the stern was familiar.  24 years ago I welded all the interior stern panels around one of these. I was told by the owner that 41 feet was a popular size for Minden Marine as it fitted in the workshop!

Reminds me of a story that I was told many many years ago. There was a belief that there was a certain maximum size for ship's propellers and various theories based on, mostly, pseudo hydro dynamics. Turned out to be the width between the factory gateposts of the only UK manufacturer!

[RS2021]

There's a story about the size of the Space Shuttles boosters being based on the size of a Roman horse's back end...

 

Google it if you haven't read it.

[MtB]

3 hours ago, RS2021 said:

There's a story about the size of the Space Shuttles boosters being based on the size of a Roman horse's back end...

 

Google it if you haven't read it.

 

A couple of weeks or so late for that, surely? 

 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

On 16/04/2024 at 19:04, Rankingjonno said:

Fancy doing it again? 😉 Ours are a wreck...

 

Thank you all for your expertise - the intelligence of this hive mind is incredible!

I am a bit passed lying on the back deck grinding and welding those panels under the stern gunwales! They are fiddly to get at.

And why the standard railway gauge is 4' 8 5/8".

It was the width of the wheel ruts from the horse drawn carts. 

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

And why the standard railway gauge is 4' 8 5/8".

It was the width of the wheel ruts from the horse drawn carts. 

 

 

That sounds a bit like an urban myth to me.

 

Did they really make the width of all horse-drawn carts the same? And why 4ft 8 5/8in in particular? And even if they did, why would they make the railway lines match? All a bit of a puzzle really. 

 

Besides, standard railway gauge was 4ft 8 1/2in when I was a kid...

 

 

[IanM]

Seems that no one really knows the origin of 4' 8 1/2"

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard-gauge_railway