Where's my old boat?

[heckmotor]

I got to thinking, while posting on another topic, that it would be nice to know where our old 1913 Josher was now, and who had her.

 

We bought Lark from Peter Topping, before he sold his Cowroast and Fenny marinas. He'd had her radically altered at Norton Canes, with a full-length steel conversion, reduced draft, steel baseplate and (shudder!) a new counter. Power was from a poorly installed and troublesome Gardner 2L2. Not all Gardners are the Holy Grail, because a lot can happen to them after leaving Patricroft.

 

We loved our boat, and travelled most of the accessible system before selling her to novelist Jasper Fforde in order to buy a Dutch barge ...and then discovered that we were priced out of a market that everyone else had discovered at the same time. Just getting back to the water with a tatty old noddy boat appropriately named Fubar by its previous owner, but what of Lark? Has anyone seen her? She was back on the market a few years ago, through the excellent Virginia Currer's brokerage, but haven't seen hide nor hair!

[carlt]

According to Jim Shead she's still out there:

 

"LARK Built by JOSHER/MORTON/CLAYTON - Length 21.49 metres (70 feet 6 inches ) - Beam 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) Metal hull power of 20. Registered with British Waterways number 54988 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 19-Apr-08."

[Timleech]

According to Jim Shead she's still out there:

 

"LARK Built by JOSHER/MORTON/CLAYTON - Length 21.49 metres (70 feet 6 inches ) - Beam 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) Metal hull power of 20. Registered with British Waterways number 54988 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 19-Apr-08."

 

It was kept ISTR in the Boothstown area of the Bridgewater fairly recently, I think I saw it in Anderton marina a few weeks ago.

 

Tim

[Liam]

Been on the Bridgewater for about 9 years and I do not remember seeing it out and about, or us passing it for that matter.

 

Tim, as much as I doubt it, are you sure you're not getting mixed up with Elk who is regularly around these parts?

[heckmotor]

Ha! Thanks Timleech! My wife still blames me for selling her (the boat, that is) among other things, and I must say there's still a bit of a hole in our life. Had some adventures in Lark, over five or six years, and it would be nice to have sight of her and to know what her subsequent career has been.

[Timleech]

Been on the Bridgewater for about 9 years and I do not remember seeing it out and about, or us passing it for that matter.

 

Tim, as much as I doubt it, are you sure you're not getting mixed up with Elk who is regularly around these parts?

 

 

Absolutely not, chalk and cheese

 

Tim

[heckmotor]

Unless altered recently, Lark has its full length cabin in early FMC black & white, with replica signwriting by Ron Hough.

[AMModels]

lark

 

recent pic

[Liam]

Absolutely not, chalk and cheese

 

Tim

Haha, yer not kiddin!

 

Looks like a nice boat... which, looks to me, like it's moored at Dutton opposite Tim's yard on the T&M. Personal favourite bit of cut that, up to Middlewich.

[Timleech]

Haha, yer not kiddin!

 

Looks like a nice boat... which, looks to me, like it's moored at Dutton opposite Tim's yard on the T&M. Personal favourite bit of cut that, up to Middlewich.

 

I remember now it was tied on the towpath here for quite a while, long enough to get BWs attention, tended to disappear for a little while & then reappear.

Prior to that the owner had asked me about a permanent mooring, I'd told him there was probably one coming up in a few months but I never saw him again.

 

Tim

[heckmotor]

Thanks for those thoughts, everyone ...haven't been able to catch up for the last few days. Andy's pic is interesting. Lark looks virtually as she did when we had her, with the exception of a shoreline power socket and well-polished mushrooms, but the photo is dated 30 August 2005, so a lot could have happened since then, I guess.