The Black Prince Owners Club...

[BlueStringPudding]

THE BLACK PRINCE OWNERS CLUB

 

 

Okay - so I know there's a few of you out there: fellow owners of ex-hire Black Prince narrowboats. I thought I'd start a thread where we could confess to owning one, talk about their little foibles, what we've done to them to improve them, and to discuss BP problems that one of us might have already solved on our own boat!

 

So let me start the confessional:

 

We own a 1997 65ft Black Prince narrowboat that used to be called "Lacewing" when she was a hireboat, but is now tragically called "Most Game". Her name will be changing again next month to "Mabel Stark".

She has a Kubota 3 cyclinder engine, the obligatory PRM gearbox and the biggest pootanks in the universe. We had one tank and loo removed to create a study room, though. She has a (not working) Eberspacher leading to four radiators, a twin coil calorifier and we have had a Boatman stove installed. She still has the original (faded) Black Prince colours and will get a repaint one day...

Previous owners have modified her with a wind turbine on the roof, extra speakers for the stereo (in the back cabin) and an alternator controller.

We've done lots of other work on her in the year that we've owned her and there's plenty more to come.

 

Here's a piccy:

 

 

Something that amused me a couple of weeks ago when we were on our hols was a passing ex-Black Prince boat owner shouting over to us: "It doesn't matter how much stuff you put on your roof, it still looks like a Black Prince!" We saw about four other ex hire BP boats that week - usually we see none. Many of them were the newer ones with the rounded-cornered windows, ours has the older (leaking) black framed windows.

 

Okay - who's next? (BP owners only please)

[John Orentas]

Hi Bluey.

 

Do you happen to have a member by the name of Vincent.

[BlueStringPudding]

Eh? Are you a Black Prince owner....? I don't think so!

[fuzzyduck]

Eh? Are you a Black Prince owner....? I don't think so!

 

Now you're for it John!

 

This is a local thread for local people, nothing for you here.

 

/me runs

[BlueStringPudding]

Now you're for it John!

 

This is a local thread for local people, nothing for you here.

 

/me runs

 

If he was an owner of a Black Prince he's have far more open views on water in the cabin bilge!

 

And you're right, Fuz, this is a local thread for local people. "We didn't burn him!"

 

 

Back to Black Princes please (and I don't want to start a discussion on medieval royalty, thank you very much, Jerry)

 

Edward the Black Prince (1330 - 1376)

 

Although Edward never became king - he died before his father, Edward III - he is remembered as a great medieval military hero, with notable victories against the French in the Hundred Years War.

 

Edward was born on 15 June 1330 at Woodstock in Oxfordshire, the eldest son of Edward III. He was created prince of Wales in 1343. He showed military brilliance at an early age, playing a key role in the defeat of the French army at the Battle of Crecy when he was only 16. In 1355, he was appointed his father's lieutenant in Gascony and the following year led another significant victory against the French at Poitiers, taking the French king prisoner.

 

In 1362, Edward married Joan of Kent and was created prince of Aquitaine and Gascony by his father. Edward and his wife went to live in his new French domains. In 1367, Edward led an expedition to Spain, to restore the deposed King Pedro of Castile, and proved himself again with victory at the Battle of Najera in northern Castile. Edward returned to Aquitaine, where he made himself unpopular with the nobility by levying taxes to pay for his Spanish expedition. They rose in revolt against him and in 1370 Edward besieged the city of Limoges. When it fell 3,000 of its inhabitants were massacred. A year later, Edward returned to England.

 

Edward died aged 45 on 8 June 1376, probably from an illness contracted in Spain, and was buried in great splendour in Canterbury Cathedral. His young son Richard succeeded his grandfather Edward III a year later.

 

During his lifetime he was known as Edward of Woodstock; the title of Black Prince developed after his death and may refer to black armour that he wore.

 

Right Bucko - our threads crossed there and you snuck that in there.

 

Shush you lot.

 

Where's gz8pd and my fellow BP owners whern I need them?

[BlueStringPudding]

Thank goodness Stonehenge is here

[StoneHenge]

You are making a mockery of the lush blank prince range!

 

Mine is a 2001 black prince built by G&J Reeves. It was orignally called 'Pippa' until the previous owners brought it and changed it to 'The Pearl' after the film 'Pirates of the cariibean'.

 

We got it in 2006 (July 28th to be exact) and apart from the repainted sides (to make it all blue with the new name on it), the fit out inside was exactly the same. It had a saloon, u shaped galley, cabin one, a shower room, pantry, cabin two which was either two singles or a double set up, wardrob, toilet, cabin 3 with wardrobe, two fixed singles.

 

It has a Isuzu engine which is the boats second engine, and it is also on its second gear box too. Someone really thrashed it!

 

We then completely ripped out the saloon and galley as it had this awful fixed table in the middle you had about a foot to shuffle past, so we had to spend the first few days doing the shuffle penguin dance to get in and out of the bow.

 

We put in a proper sofa bed, a multi fuel stove, totally anialated the galley and replaced it from u shape to either side, got rid of one of the moveable singles in the second cabin, and took out part of the fixed double in the first cabin to make it into a dinette convertible into a double bed.

 

We have replaced all the carpet on the floor with wooden flooring, but we still have the cheesy red carpet under the gunnels which is staying for now as it keeps the boat warm and we can't be arsed to replace it yet!

 

We changed the name to 'Sploosh' when we took it out for blacking because it is the name of our favourite song of our faviourite band (Ozric tentacles) and because it has a watery sound, and got that painted on at the same time of the blacking.

 

I actually felt we came by this boat and it was destiny and luck. It all more or less works, the inverter is good, we have decent batteries now we brought new ones, and the eberspacher sometimes works too. It has the advantage of two huge poo tanks and a huge water tank which means we can go without filling up and pumping out for ages if we need to.

 

It does list badly when we pump out then fill up with water as we have shifted the weight since taking out kitchens and beds etc, but we can live with that!

 

I like the distinctive pointy end which always gives away a BP owner, and have seen loads (including BSP's) lately.

 

And just to top off my cake, one of the new black prince boats doing the rounds at the moment is called 'Angela'.

 

Ahh bless!

[StoneHenge]

Oh the shame of me!

 

I must admit that mercedes is pretty sexy, but still, you can't beat a good Black Prince ex hire boat.

 

And they just happen to really nice folk to deal with too!

 

So are you letting carl join the club BSP? I mean he has produced some overwhelming evidence, even if most of them can't float

[alan_fincher]

Tis true, he has completely filled this thread, and not one other picture of a proper black prince boat!

 

I shall have to dig my archive out now!

But BSP has already posted a picture of a Black Prince boat.

 

Other than a possible change of colour, or a variable amount of stuff piled on the roof, would a picture of any other BP boat look significantly different.

[BlueStringPudding]

Tis true, he has completely filled this thread, and not one other picture of a proper black prince boat!

I shall have to dig my archive out now!

 

Please do dig.

 

But BSP has already posted a picture of a Black Prince boat.

 

Other than a possible change of colour, or a variable amount of stuff piled on the roof, would a picture of any other BP boat look significantly different.

 

Boats have interiors too. So yes.

 

For example a galley wall like this:

 

 

now looks like this:

 

 

And a bedroom cabin that was the mirror image of this one (complete with pootank under the bed):

 

 

is now a study:

 

 

So let's share how we've improved our boats too.

Edited July 10, 2008 by BlueStringPudding

[larkshall]

Heres a proper Black prince boat for sale....

 

 

http://www.boatshop24.co.uk/QWxsMDI4fmFsbG...PRINCE_23_.html

[alan_fincher]

So let's share how we've improved our boats too.

 

Now that's different, but in many ways it doesn't much matter what the origins of the boat are.

 

I've often thought it would be good to have one place for people posting improving boats, rather than those having them built from scratch, or fitting out a new shell.

 

Yes, I know one could start a "build blog", but that doesn't sound quite the right place.

 

Nor would I want to start a personalised blog just for my own boat, because I neither have the time, and I do wonder how often they get read anyway.

 

But if when someone has had a successful refitting of part of their boat, it would be nice to see at least that posted, to give inspiration to others, as well as ideas.

 

Yours is looking good, by the way, but can you please remove the picture of all those crowded bookshelves before my wife gets ideas!

 

[fuzzyduck]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR_standard_class_9F_92203 Edited July 10, 2008 by fuzzyduck

[carlt]

Note Kev's complete collection of leather-bound Razzle magazines, occupying the top two shelves. A rare sight indeed!

 

[StoneHenge]

OK, here are how my galley, saloon and the main cabin would have looked (I borrowed these from the BP site as they almost identical to how mine looked apart from slight colour variation in seating material), and then the photos of how it looks now.

 

Before:

 

 

 

 

After:

 

 

 

 

Tra la!

[RLWP]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BR_standard_class_9F_92203

 

Objection! That never had Black Prince on it when it was with it's original owners, Black Prince was added later. That makes it completely different to the hire boats which started out with Black Prince...

 

Richad

 

Coat and grease top hat please...

[bristol & argo]

But BSP has already posted a picture of a Black Prince boat.

 

Other than a possible change of colour, or a variable amount of stuff piled on the roof, would a picture of any other BP boat look significantly different.

 

Mine does - but then they only converted her, the first incarnation of Black Prince that is.

 

The other similarities are uncanny, large water tank, two pooh tanks etc etc, and we still have the Ellis gas boiler.

 

Simon.

[g8zpd]

Hi,

 

We bought the boat from BP in 2000. Its a 62ft duchess class built by John Pinder. it was named Bristol and still is. The colour has changed a liitle though. Its now pale blue which makes it much cooler in summer. The leaking black windows are now royal blue and do not leak anymore.

 

original spec was:-

 

Kubota 1703D with PRM gearbox. 1 start, 2 domestic and 1 eberspacher battery.

 

Upgrades so far:-

 

same engine and gearbox, improved air filter and exhaust arrangement to make it quieter.

Bosch kc90 with alternator controller.

1 start and 6 domestics, 240v hook up and 1500w inverter/charger, the domestic back also runs the eberspacher.

Split charge relays removed from stupid place (miles from the batteries) and a large relay inserted in correct place.

Rev counter and engine temperature guage added.

Eberspacher diagnostic kit and service manual obtained (very useful).

Toilet enhanced with manual macerator and water buttons (the automatic ones still work for guests).

 

I've fitted thicker cables all the way down the boat to reduce voltage drop, which has had the side effect of making the eberspacher and toilet macerator much more reliable.

 

As you can probably tell, I got fed up with flat batteries and hours to charge them each day.

 

Little armchairs replaced with two wide IKEA chairs that convert into a double bed. We can now sleep six.

 

Roof vents replaced with brass mushroom vents, they look much better and don't leak.

 

We've replaced:-

water pump, fridge, cooker and TV.

 

I did have a little accident in May that made everyone else on the boat laugh. I was coming into the marina from Oxford. I was at full lock on the tiller, and, nearly full revs to make the turn. The wooden end of the tiller broke, and, I accelerated rapidly to the left (me not the boat). I just managed to stop myself from going over the railings into the cut. Still made it into the marina without touching the sides. I'm claiming skill, everyone else says luck!. Fitting a new tiller is a nightmare!

 

 

We're based at Wigrams turn, and, plan to cruise stratford, avon, Severn and into merry hill this summer, stopping there for the week before the bank holiday. I would prefer not to stop but work beckons, and I can walk to work from there. All this is weather permitting. So if anyones in the area or sees a very blue boat go by wave and say hello. The children don't bite often!

 

If I could figure out how to insert a picture from my PC I would!

 

Paul.

[StoneHenge]

I put my piccies in photobuckt, then copy the direct link, then in here when posting click on 'Insret picture', then paste the link in and it will put them in for me.

[g8zpd]

I put my piccies in photobuckt, then copy the direct link, then in here when posting click on 'Insret picture', then paste the link in and it will put them in for me.

 

Ok, lets try...

 

 

This was during the repaint. Under the M42. Note the glass of wine by SWMBO.

 

 

I'm supervising

[StoneHenge]

Nice colours! Looks like you were working really hard there Paul

[stewey]

Ok, lets try...

 

 

This was during the repaint. Under the M42. Note the glass of wine by SWMBO.

 

 

I'm supervising

A person after my own heart!! :

 

I look foward to more piccies in the future

 

Stewey

[g8zpd]

Nice colours! Looks like you were working really hard there Paul

 

here's proof I did work.

 

[StoneHenge]

OK, I believe you now. You did a good job. Got any spare time? I have two more top coats to put on mine yet?

[Dan]

Hello Everyone

 

I USED to own an Ex black Prince narrowboat - does that count?!

 

Mine was a slightly older vintage though... from 1981, built as a 5 berth Bomber Class - a rear cabin with a single and a set of bunks, and I refitted her to have a fixed double instead.

 

She was from the time they were built with laminated marine ply fitouts of high quality - the interior would/will definately outlast the exterior! They also looked like Anglo Welsh boats in shape - 'Harborough Style', something that seems to have been forgotten with time as they are almost always advertised for sale as built by Anglo Welsh or Harborough Marine. Mine wasn't, though some of the fleet was inherited through other fleets or bought from Anglo Welsh, so many on the fleet were I guess.

 

With so many ex Black Prince craft about, especially since they introduced their policy of not keeping them more than 4 years I did wonder/hope someone may start an owners forum/website?

 

Here's a picture of my old boat just before I sold her in 2004. There is much more information on the 'my boat' page of my website at dhorner.horning.org.uk including pictures of the refit etc

 

All the best

 

Dan