I Frances

[Pete of Ebor]

A few years back, I heard about a boat called I Frances. She was built by a naval architect in Newfounland with the intention of sailing (yes, sailing using sails..) across the Atlantic, through Ireland by canal, across the Irish Sea, through Britain by canal then on to Europe, the final destination being Russia, I think.. She was designed to fit the smallest bottleneck on route, which happened to be our narrow canals, so she was designed to be an ocean-going narrowboat. She arrived in the UK several years ago (Pennine Waterways, June 2004) and I beleive myself and a friend met up with the designer one day when we had been Morris dancing at Bishopthorpe, near York. Just wondered if anyone had heard any more from them, or their whereabouts...

[AMModels]

2002

 

Cant find anything else about them at all, someone has surely seen them since you did?

[John Orentas]

The last story I heard about the boat it was in Ireland having been in Manchester for while a couple of years ago..

 

Personally I was always very sceptical about that transatlantic voyage thing, I wrote to the editor of Waterways World at the time that if the boat ever crosses the Atlantic it will be on the deck of a ship and I haven't changed my mind.. The story had all the trappings for someone writing a 'ripping yarn'.. A novel as opposed to an historical account.

[Catrin]

There was a thread about this some time back:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...amp;hl=atlantic

 

Regards

Catrin

[I Frances]

A few years back, I heard about a boat called I Frances. She was built by a naval architect in Newfounland with the intention of sailing (yes, sailing using sails..) across the Atlantic, through Ireland by canal, across the Irish Sea, through Britain by canal then on to Europe, the final destination being Russia, I think.. She was designed to fit the smallest bottleneck on route, which happened to be our narrow canals, so she was designed to be an ocean-going narrowboat. She arrived in the UK several years ago (Pennine Waterways, June 2004) and I beleive myself and a friend met up with the designer one day when we had been Morris dancing at Bishopthorpe, near York. Just wondered if anyone had heard any more from them, or their whereabouts...

 

I remember the Morris Dancing at Bishopthorp. I am alive but not so well. The I Frances has been in layup in Northwhich, not far from the lift lock, for several years now. My health is failing and I may not get to use her again.

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Bryan and welcome aboard

 

Sorry to here that you are not in the best of health, but as you have joined this site, I am sure you are already aware that the tales and rumours about your epic Atlantic journey are the source of great discussion. Not quite up there with the Moon landings and Kennedy asassination, but still a great conspiracy theory subject amongst some members of the narrowboating world. It is something that has inspired many and provoked derision from others.

 

We would love to hear your response to the critics and have the story of your boat and its amazing journey, straight from your own keyboard.

 

Roger

[WJM]

"designed to fit the smallest bottleneck on route, which happened to be our narrow canals"

 

The Irish canal locks are broad but only 60' long so that will be the pinch-point in the other direction.

[Crispijn van Sas]

Hi there! Has anyone on this forum ever had contact in person with the Bryan Crutcher or any of the other crew members of the I Frances narrowboat? I read the last reaction of Bryan here was 10 years ago. Ive read that the other members that crossed the Atlantic were  Eric Playjar-Brown, Helena Allaway, Jay Warren, Anna Bereuter and her kid Theo Bereuter. Would love to get in touch with one of the members as I am doing an extensive research on the transatlantic crossing.

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by Crispijn van Sas

[ditchcrawler]

22 hours ago, Crispijn van Sas said:

Hi there! Has anyone on this forum ever had contact in person with the Bryan Crutcher or any of the other crew members of the I Frances narrowboat? I read the last reaction of Bryan here was 10 years ago. Ive read that the other members that crossed the Atlantic were  Eric Playjar-Brown, Helena Allaway, Jay Warren, Anna Bereuter and her kid Theo Bereuter. Would love to get in touch with one of the members as I am doing an extensive research on the transatlantic crossing.

 

Its up for sale at the moment 

[Paul H]

Interesting that the sales details:

https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/I-Frances-Brochure-2.pdf
only talk of having crossed the English Channel with no mention of the Atlantic!
 

Price looks a tad optimistic if the boat requires a complete rebuild.

 

Paul

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, Paul H said:

Interesting that the sales details:

https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/I-Frances-Brochure-2.pdf
only talk of having crossed the English Channel with no mention of the Atlantic!
 

Price looks a tad optimistic if the boat requires a complete rebuild.

 

Paul

 

Especially as the aluminium over plywood cabin has been shown to be troublesome once they get on a bit.  I also note there is no mention of steel thickness. 

 

I could not see the step for the mast they used in the Atlantic crossing.

[magnetman]

As mentioned by a previous poster it could have crossed the atlantic on a ship. I'm pretty sure it is possible to do this.

 

So if they claimed it went from Newfoundland to Shannon they may in fact not be lying. They could have just failed to mention that the bottom was above the waterline. 

 

The distance between Newfoundland and Shannon, Ireland, varies slightly depending on the specific locations within Newfoundland, but the general straight-line (air) distance is approximately 1,948 miles. 

 

So where would one keep enough fuel on such a vessel? 

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

As mentioned by a previous poster it could have crossed the atlantic on a ship. I'm pretty sure it is possible to do this.

 

I read something of an account of the voyage and it stuck in my mind that they sent a long time going backwards because they used a sail. I doubt they could have carried enough fuel to motor all the way, and I suspect water would also be a problem. The builder's intent was to cross the Atlantic, through Brian and then on through Europe, but it seems he holed up for a while somewhere in Ireland, then got to the UK, but that was the end of the epic journey.

[Tim Lewis]

Appears to be up for sale!

 

https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/shop/i-frances/

3 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

Appears to be up for sale!

 

https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/shop/i-frances/

sold even:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1SzXUsks6V/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

 

 

[Phoenix_V]

https://www.eurmacs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ifrances.pdf

 

This article mentions the crew members some must surely be alive?

 

presumably not much on the internet as voyage was 25 years ago, Mr Crutcher has posted in this thread that he was in poor health 15 years ago and I heard the boat was sold a few years ago.

[magnetman]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I read something of an account of the voyage and it stuck in my mind that they sent a long time going backwards because they used a sail. I doubt they could have carried enough fuel to motor all the way, and I suspect water would also be a problem. The builder's intent was to cross the Atlantic, through Brian and then on through Europe, but it seems he holed up for a while somewhere in Ireland, then got to the UK, but that was the end of the epic journey.

 

How would one fix a rag and stick to such a vessel with a plywood/aluminium cabin on a steel hull? Its going to come off. 

 

I reckon its made up. 

 

It also makes no sense to have it narrow beam. If you managed to get across the atlantic surely you would go south and up the Severn then onto the wide beam K&A and down the Thames then across to Yerp. 

 

One explanation for it being narrow could be that this minimises the cost of transporting it on a ship. It is apparently 6ft5. 

 

Is this perhaps a standard of some sort for container ships. 

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

Here's the original article from the IWA of Ireland in 2002. 

 

Retrieved via the Wayback Machine at archive.org

 

ifrances.pdf

 

Add a bit so it can be found again in future:

 

The story of I Frances the narrowboat that sailed across the Atlantic from Canada to Ireland

 

Edited July 21, 2025 by TheBiscuits
Add a bit

[NB Saturn]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

How would one fix a rag and stick to such a vessel with a plywood/aluminium cabin on a steel hull? Its going to come off. 

 

Thats one problem with this that I  can see a solution to - mast step on roof, compression post inside between roof and baseplate, shrouds/forestay/backstay and you’re sorted.

 

Now as to the keel…….

[billh]

I reported on a visit to I, Francis on this very forum years ago. The boat was in Castlefield Manchester. I think it was Bryan I chatted with, I had no reason to question anything he said. Inside the boat was how I imagine a submarine, strong bulkheads with only small passage through. The engine was a small Sabb ,Yanmar or similar, just a few horsepower .  He was aiming for the Huddersfield Narrow , I very much doubted he would get far up  there and  I don't know what happened after that.

[magnetman]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

Here's the original article from the IWA of Ireland in 2002. 

 

Retrieved via the Wayback Machine at archive.org

 

ifrances.pdf 321.62 kB · 6 downloads

 

Add a bit so it can be found again in future:

 

The story of I Frances the narrowboat that sailed across the Atlantic from Canada to Ireland

 

 

This part was a bit odd

 

"There were constant changes between the main square sail, the triangular mainsail and a small jib. There were calms. Visibility was poor. And, towards the end of the voyage, there was a  frustrating period of several days when the wind blew constantly from the east and only the current slowed the boat's return to Newfoundland."

 

 

To me it reads like the vessel made its way to see then went back then was later shipped across to Ireland. 

 

Some poetic licence in this story me thinks. 

 

Edited July 21, 2025 by magnetman

[Crispijn van Sas]

... I didnt want to bring it out before it was officialy finished but I turned every coin and today I managed to finalize the aquisition of the boat:)! I'm planning to continue it's journey and cross the channel with it to the Netherlands after an extensive tour trough the british channels... but the condition right now is not good and it needs repairs.

I started a fundraiser, where daytrips can be booked! Any small contribution is more than helpful to make this dream come true: https://whydonate.com/nl/fundraising/crossing-the-channel-with-narrowboat-i-frances

[Crispijn van Sas]

it's still not totally clear to me how long Bryan Cutcher had the boat, and if he was living on the boat or not @billh from your story it may well have been in use by him a few years ago... do yoou remember when that was?

 

I will soon come over to Bristol to decide what needs to be done to make this ship live on and was thinking that nowadays it might be more suited to be converted to an electric boat however the first priority would be to get it painted again, to check the engine and the rudder. 

 

Iv'e also heard that inside the ship there is a lot of documentation about it's history... so as soon as I know more I keep everyone updated.

[magnetman]

Good lLuck with the Boat. 

 

I think the keel is going to be a problem on English canals. 

 

You could moor somewhere overnight and if the level drops by a few inches and there is not much clearance below it could drop into the mud/clay canal bed and be all but impossible to move. 

 

I had a narrow with a dropped skeg and from time to time it ended up stuck to the side in the morning. Levels do vary. 

 

I think the Boat might be a bit too shallow without the keel but I would rather take it off. However this would of course make it less usable in a seaway. 

 

 

[Crispijn van Sas]

10 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Good lLuck with the Boat. 

 

I think the keel is going to be a problem on English canals. 

 

You could moor somewhere overnight and if the level drops by a few inches and there is not much clearance below it could drop into the mud/clay canal bed and be all but impossible to move. 

 

I had a narrow with a dropped skeg and from time to time it ended up stuck to the side in the morning. Levels do vary. 

 

I think the Boat might be a bit too shallow without the keel but I would rather take it off. However this would of course make it less usable in a seaway. 

 

 

Thanks for the advice @magnetman I have heard the same from many people now. Do you think a rainy season in the fall will make it easier? Alternatively I could consider to get it along the south coast but that will also include the issues with the tides. 

[Tony Brooks]

The Wayback link gives the draft as 0.6m or 60mm / 2 ft, give or take. That suggests it is no more deep drafted than many modern cruising boats, so although the keel may make steering difficult/impossible in low water conditions it should be not much more problematical than for 3 ft draft boat.