Masts on narrow boats

[Greenpen]

Someone posted this photograph on a Facebook page about old Oxford asking where it might be.   It was taken by an Oxford resident but date and location are unknown. 
 

What interested me was that both the motor and butty appear to have proper sailing masts with sails attached.  I have never seen this before and I am interested in where they may have operated.  
 

[Pluto]

I would have thought that they were shafts holding up the radio aerial, so 1940s, give or take.

[Ray T]

Chesterfield canal trust?

 

Dawn Rose

 

Automatically imbedded link.

 

 

 

Edited March 10 by Ray T

[John Brightley]

4 hours ago, Pluto said:

I would have thought that they were shafts holding up the radio aerial, so 1940s, give or take.

I think you're correct. I'm sure that I've seen another photo somewhere showing a set up like this where it was confirmed that it was a radio aerial, but I can't remember what book it was in. Maybe it was in Waterways World years ago.

To me it doesn't look anything like a mast and sail, in such a set up there would normally be a horizontal beam as well. And the left hand boat is a motor, so even less need for a sail.

[Greenpen]

Interesting.   Why would a narrow boat be carrying an aerial?   Have we uncovered a secret long hidden by the authorities?

 

I know nothing of narrow boat sails but on a sea going craft, a small one, a sail that might just look like a decorative feature will actually give noticeable propulsion to a motor vessel if the wind direction is right.  
 

To me there does seem to be a sail scrunched around the butty mast at the base of the tall mast.   And the diagonal structure on the motor looks like a jib.  

 

But I maybe seeing what I want to.   A pair of boats with full topsails beating up Hatton Locks !!

 

 

[roland elsdon]

The Rolls Royces of narrowboats had electric starting electric lights and obviously could have a valve radio. (Back in the 1930s.)

By the time we got one it was hand start , wind up freedom radio and a singular electric light. We then upgraded to clockwork start as modernisation when Mrs S couldnt start the mighty Lister when it was cold. Had the radio until recently.

So shafts to hold arial wire as it was probably a  just bit of electric string.

Course could have been a crystal radio

 

 

[John Brightley]

13 hours ago, Greenpen said:

Interesting.   Why would a narrow boat be carrying an aerial?   Have we uncovered a secret long hidden by the authorities?

 

I know nothing of narrow boat sails but on a sea going craft, a small one, a sail that might just look like a decorative feature will actually give noticeable propulsion to a motor vessel if the wind direction is right.  
 

To me there does seem to be a sail scrunched around the butty mast at the base of the tall mast.   And the diagonal structure on the motor looks like a jib.  

 

But I maybe seeing what I want to.   A pair of boats with full topsails beating up Hatton Locks !!

 

 

There are certainly some photos around of narrow boats under sail on rivers such as the Thames or the Trent, but they were relatively rare and I believe that the practice largely died out when motors came along. Of course sailing on most canals wouldn't be possible because of the frequent bridges.

[Greenpen]

Ah, now I’ve got to find those photos😃.  
 

The original posting of this photo was by Helen Moran on the Oxford Memories page of Facebook.   The comments there on the location seem to disregard the masts on canals problem!    

[roland elsdon]

The late Jim mcdonalds Elizabeth used to have a mast as I recall but it was up on the fens.

About the most unconventional narrowboat ever. Had a yacht rig.

 

went better with the Gardner he proudly installed at cassio.

google is your fiend

[John Brightley]

https://narrowboatmagazine.com/converted/106272/canal_boats_under_sail

By Christopher M Jones, 2022.

[Greenpen]

Wow, thanks 👍😃

[davidwheeler]

Um, it may not be very interesting, but we sailed our narrowboat once. It was in the late 1950s. We were on our way up to Gloucester on the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal, when we either sucked up something nasty into the engine, or got one of the Cone impellers jambed, but either way we were stuck. Right across the canal. There was a breeze down the cut as there often was. This was gently pushing us broadside into danger because we knew there was barge traffic due from Gloucester. We had tried rowing the bows round but that didn't work. We then mounted the sliding gunter rig from our sailing dinghy on the coachhouse roof and that gave us way and steerage, so that we got the boat under control and round. Just as well because shortly after, a Regent tankbarge appeared, bearing down on us. The captain told us he had been warned to look out for us. We never learned how he knew, but he did. He gave us a tow back to the Stroudwater. Quite an alarming adventure, that, but then every voyage  on our boat was an adventure. So, Mr Greenpen, you have the right of it - with a bit of wind in the right direction even the smallest sail can help you out of a mess.