Missing Boat

[Liam]

Hi again,

 

I have just been forwarded the following email which may be of interest to you....

 

--

 

Dear Chris,

 

Further to our telephone conversation a few minutes ago, we are instructed by the Insolvency Service on a bankruptcy case where a canal “Butty” boat has gone missing – last seen at The beginning of March 2009 at Brickyard Road Marina , Aldridge, Walsall .

 

The boat is named “METEOR” and is 72ft “Butty” boatt, with signage on the rear cabin “Boating For All”. It was built in August 1935 by Harland & Wolff. The boat has a black roof,

12 brass portholes and is predominately red and green with a black hull. The hull is made of riveted iron plate and she has a bluff bow with a plumb straight stem and a pointed stern.

 

The Police have been notified and a Reward is being offered. Contact BUTTERS JOHN BEE 01782 267752.

 

Any help you can provide Chris would be appreciated, Many thanks Myra Vernon pp. Butters john bee

 

 

----------------------

Chris Daniels

Assistant Editor/News Editor

Waterways World

151 Station Street

Burton-on-Trent

DE14 1BG

01283 742953

chris.daniels{at}wwonline.co.uk

 

 

[Hairy-Neil]

That will take some disguising. There were only 40 built in the first place and many have been chopped and motorised, and all have very distinct individual cabins etc. I'll bet it's found before Que Sera Sera.....

[Dutch]

That will take some disguising. There were only 40 built in the first place and many have been chopped and motorised, and all have very distinct individual cabins etc. I'll bet it's found before Que Sera Sera.....

Lord Lucan and Shergah will be found before Que Sera Sera

[Proper Job]

Alien abduction

 

Its the only rational explanation

[Hairy-Neil]

Lord Lucan and Shergah will be found before Que Sera Sera

 

[alan_fincher]

The hull is made of riveted iron plate and she has a bluff bow with a plumb straight stem and a pointed stern.

Novel way to describe a butty, really! Are these really the most distinguishing features?

 

The boat has a black roof, 12 brass portholes and is predominately red and green with a black hull.

 

Is it "predominantly red or green ?". It looks "predominantly black" in the picture.

 

It might also have helped to say if it's motorised or not. Whether it needed a tow to make it's get-away is surely a bit significant.

 

Strange!

[journeyperson]

Lord Lucan and Shergah will be found before Que Sera Sera

 

If you see a horse-drawn liverpool boat with an elderly Toff at the tiller you have hit the jackpot.

[Roger t' Bodger]

If you see a horse-drawn liverpool boat with an elderly Toff at the tiller you have hit the jackpot.

 

 

:lol:

[churchward]

Novel way to describe a butty, really! Are these really the most distinguishing features?

 

 

 

Is it "predominantly red or green ?". It looks "predominantly black" in the picture.

 

It might also have helped to say if it's motorised or not. Whether it needed a tow to make it's get-away is surely a bit significant.

 

Strange!

Ah yes but the owners have yet to complete the 30 page questionaire (in triplicate) that will galvinise the forum into looking for the boat yet!

[carlt]

:lol:

Surely Lord Lucan would be at the tiller of a Star Class Ricky?

[alan_fincher]

Ah yes but the owners have yet to complete the 30 page questionaire (in triplicate) that will galvinise the forum into looking for the boat yet!

But, at risk of opening old wounds, other than the discrepancy about colour, they haven't fed us a load of information, and then contradicted it or withdrawn it, without further explanation. In the circumstances I still don't feel trying to extract clarifications from QSS's owners was the invasion of privacy that some seemed to view it as. (Not that anybody ever succeeded, did they - the answers to all the questions are still not forthcoming. )

 

If this one is genuine, this one can't be hard though. If that boat is still in the water, there are so few converted small Woolwich butties that hiding it from the eyes of the anoraks must be near impossible.

 

If it can only be moved by towing, (can it ?), then one passes few enough motor/butty combinations these days, it should be found very quickly, I'd have thought.

 

 

Surely Lord Lucan would be at the tiller of a Star Class Ricky?

I'm having a "slow" day today, so know I'm going to regret asking this, but......

 

 

 

 

 

Why ?

[churchward]

But, at risk of opening old wounds, other than the discrepancy about colour, they haven't fed us a load of information, and then contradicted it or withdrawn it, without further explanation. In the circumstances I still don't feel trying to extract clarifications from QSS's owners was the invasion of privacy that some seemed to view it as. (Not that anybody ever succeeded, did they - the answers to all the questions are still not forthcoming. )

 

If this one is genuine, this one can't be hard though. If that boat is still in the water, there are so few converted small Woolwich butties that hiding it from the eyes of the anoraks must be near impossible.

 

If it can only be moved by towing, (can it ?), then one passes few enough motor/butty combinations these days, it should be found very quickly, I'd have thought.

 

 

 

I'm having a "slow" day today, so know I'm going to regret asking this, but......

 

 

 

 

 

Why ?

 

Oh dear I was only joking!

[carlt]

I'm having a "slow" day today, so know I'm going to regret asking this, but......

 

Why ?

Lord Lucan (dad of the famous one) worked the Ricky motor Hesperus and was a leading light in the IWA, before Aickman kicked all the main people out and turned it into a mirror, to admire his ego in.

[alan_fincher]

Oh dear I was only joking!

:lol:

 

Back on topic, Meteor surely ought to be found in a matter of days, rather than weeks. Hard to imagine why not.

[Hairy-Neil]

I think this case is slightly different in that it appears to have been 'stolen' from the Official Reciever.

[alan_fincher]

Lord Lucan (dad of the famous one) worked the Ricky motor Hesperus and was a leading light in the IWA, before Aickman kicked all the main people out and turned it into a mirror, to admire his ego in.

I never knew that. Thanks.

[carlt]

I think this case is slightly different in that it appears to have been 'stolen' from the Official Reciever.

Yes there have been a few people, on here, with boats in-build, encouraged to "go and get their property back".

 

A bit more information would be helpful, before we get too keen.

 

I have a list of questions, for the Receiver......

[Hairy-Neil]

Lord Lucan (dad of the famous one) worked the Ricky motor Hesperus and was a leading light in the IWA, before Aickman kicked all the main people out and turned it into a mirror, to admire his ego in.

 

That is worked as in boated it around the canal system rather than worked it in the carrying sense as the boat had a full conversion. The passage of NB 'Hesperus' through the Kennet & Avon in the 1950s was one of if not the last passage of the entire canal before closure.

[RLWP]

Jim Shead has Meteor as:

 

METEOR Built by HARLAND & WOLFF - Length 21.49 metres (70 feet 6 inches ) - Beam 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) Metal hull . Registered with British Waterways number 75423 as a Unpowered. Last registration recorded on 19-Apr-08.

 

Still a butty last year then.

 

Richard

[carlt]

That is worked as in boated it around the canal system rather than worked it in the carrying sense as the boat had a full conversion. The passage of NB 'Hesperus' through the Kennet & Avon in the 1950s was one of if not the last passage of the entire canal before closure.

Yes, sorry, John Knill and Tom Foxon had the boat, in working trim.

[Hairy-Neil]

I never knew that. Thanks.

 

Several good books cover the early days of the IWA from various perspectives. Race Against Time, David Bolton; Rolt's Landscape With Canals; even if The River Runs Uphill by Aickman himself has a little selective memory syndrome involved.

[churchward]

:lol:

 

Back on topic, Meteor surely ought to be found in a matter of days, rather than weeks. Hard to imagine why not.

Snag is since this is a receiver saying it's missing the back story here could actually be quite complex so personaly I may be more releuctant to get involved.

[David Schweizer]

That is worked as in boated it around the canal system rather than worked it in the carrying sense as the boat had a full conversion. The passage of NB 'Hesperus' through the Kennet & Avon in the 1950s was one of if not the last passage of the entire canal before closure.

As far as I am aware the last boats to pass through the K&A were five or six Small Northich motors, amongst them Antlia, Clypeus, and Pisces. I have seen a copy of the original orders from the British Transport Commission(Waterways) authorising the canal to be opened for passage from the Thames and through to Gloucester. Interestingly the letter which is typed lists four or five boats, and then in handwriting someone has added "also Water Sprite (formerly Pisces) "

 

The letter is in the possession of the owner of Antlia, assuming she still has the same owner.

[Hairy-Neil]

Jim Shead has Meteor as:

- Beam 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches )

 

More like 7 feet 1inches.

 

A previous owner of Meteor got it well and truly stuck in Hurleston locks a few years back. Wedged firmly in mid air I understand....

 

Talking of star class Woolwich butties and Hurleston locks, I heard that hotel boat 'Taurus', formerly GUCCCo 'Crater' and butty to Snipe was to be winched through Hurleston late last week. Has anyone seen if they are successfully onto the Llangollen?

 

 

The letter is in the possession of the owner of Antlia, assuming she still has the same owner.

 

Terry is still owner of Antlia, the one that reunited the two halves, 'Tardebigge' and 'Water Vixen' into one boat again, with help from Steve Priest. Well at least he was at Easter.

[journeyperson]

Talking of star class Woolwich butties and Hurleston locks, I heard that hotel boat 'Taurus', formerly GUCCCo 'Crater' and butty to Snipe was to be winched through Hurleston late last week. Has anyone seen if they are successfully onto the Llangollen?

 

I went past on Friday morning and there was a lot of activity around the bottom lock, high vis vests and an air of something out of the ordinary, but I couldn't see what.