Richard Hurley

[Geoffrey Hammond]

Last week, whilst on the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury, I saw a narrowboat which I thought looked utterly superb. It was a modern tug and somehow it was elegant and strong at the same time. Its name was Levick.

 

I spoke briefly with the owners and they told me it had been built by Richard Hurley and that it was twenty years old - though it looked new.

 

We chatted a little longer and I learned that Mr Hurley, as a result of illness, no longer built boats.

 

I wonder if anyone can help me further.

 

Did Richard Hurley build many boats?

 

Where did he build?

 

Is he still alive?

 

Is he well enough to write to?

 

Does any one know the owners of Levick - I should like to ask them a few more questions.

 

Many thanks,

 

Geoffrey Hammond

[carlt]

Others will know better than me but wasn't he an Oldbury Builder, possibly Oldbury Boat Services??

 

Any BCN experts out there?

[charles123]

Levick was built by Oldbury boat services by Richard Hurley and Rob Starkey, it had a modified Leonard Leigh colour scheme signwritten by Doug Moore when first built in mid 1996 and fitted with a Lister FRM3 engine

 

54 ft in length very nice Josher bow, named for Surgeon Commander Levick who was a member of Scotts Antartic Survey of 1910

 

Charles

[sarahavfc]

Richard is now based at Stourbridge Dry dock, along with Andy Downing (electrician). I believe Richard is now making Chimneys, among other things.

[dave moore]

Hi all

This is Dave (not Doug) Moore who did the original signwriting on Levick. I've not seen Richard for a while and I know his health hasn't been what it could be for a long time, which indeed was the reason for his getting out of boat building. I first got to know Richard at Hawne Basin, Halesowen, when I went to write one of his new builds for a guy called Geoff Loader. The boat was used for a while as a support/canteen boat to Rosie and Jim's "Ragdoll" (which I've also been involved with - don't tell anyone!!). IFIRC Richard trained as a cabinet maker and went on to work steel with similar precision.

Levick was built at Oldbury on the Old MainLine at what used to be Oldbury Boat Services, run by Richard and his partner, Rob Starkey, in the 90s. I was a regular visitor and was most impressed by the sheer quality of the build...the swim plates had a double curve in both planes and the bow was a most well proportioned scaled down FMC. I recall dropping in late one afternoon to find an exhausted Richard at the bows, putting the final touches to a piece of double curved steel to fit between the base plate (horizontal, not pulled up...alll proper) and the bottom plank.

 

"You look knackered" I remarked, by way of opening gambit.

" I am" he replied. "I've been working on this bit all day and I feel as if I've knocked it into shape with my bloody head!!!"

It is indeed a shame that he's no longer able to build...Levick swam superbly on trials;IMHO he was up there with the creme de la creme. My good friend Graham Edgson from Norton Canes, one of our better shell builders, also has high regard for Richard's work. As his daughter Sarah said in a recent post, Richard should soon be making proper, chunky working boat style chimneys...heavy duty beasts with solid brass fittings, aluminium D section top rim etc....a million miles from the stuff for sale in most chandlers. If you are interested, I'm happy to pass on details if you pm me.

Cheers

Dave

[Albion]

Geoff Hammond wrote:

 

Last week, whilst on the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury, I saw a narrowboat which I thought looked utterly superb. It was a modern tug and somehow it was elegant and strong at the same time. Its name was Levick.

 

I spoke briefly with the owners and they told me it had been built by Richard Hurley and that it was twenty years old - though it looked new.

 

snipped

 

Does any one know the owners of Levick - I should like to ask them a few more questions.

 

 

If that is the Levick that I think it is, two tone grey with tug deck and the name written in very large letters in white, bought not so long ago from Warwickshire Fly Boats, then I do know the owners, Mike and Angela. Contact me off-list and I'll phone them for you to check that they're agreeable, although I'm sure they will be.

Roger