Unusual boat

[Guest]

Posted a pic in the "Boats" gallery, of a boat named Sharpness. To me it looked a very strange build and I wondered if anyone knew anything about it. Not saying I think it's ugly - on the contrary it has a peculiar attractiveness, it's just very different and interesting. The hull looks as though it might once have been a tug, so I thought it might have an interesting history.

Edited August 18, 2005 by Guest

[John Orentas]

It looks strangely familiar to me, I think I may have seen it before but can't think where. Going by the shape of the bows and the very fine rounded hull shape it could have been an icebreaker /tug. As it was on the Trent & Mersey it is obviously a narrowboat.

 

P.S. The Severn and Sharpness tugs looked very similar and that would account for the name, but I was sure they were broad beam. There is one at the Gloucester Museum.

Edited August 18, 2005 by John Orentas

[Yamanx]

Needs a conning tower

[stuart]

 

That is a very strange looking boat! Must be unique.

[dor]

Niiiice rivets.

[bottle]

This boat has been on "Waterworld" she is a 'tug' I cannot remember where she was used, a tunnel somewhere.

She is also unusual in that she has a keel and is round bottomed was also used as an ice breaker.

 

From memory the owner said she "rolled a bit".

[denboy]

cant tell you a lot about this one ecxept i know it was sunk for years cant remember were i dont know if its the same owners now but when ifirst bought a boat from redhill marina on the soar it was being restored i believe its got a gardner engine fitted the last time i seen it was at loughborough boat gathering a couple of months ago

[denboy]

just checked it was built in 1908 by issacs in stroud was used as tug then ice breaker fro a while check out national historic ships register nhsc.org.uk me thinks

[allybsc]

just checked it was built in 1908 by issacs in stroud was used as tug then ice breaker fro a while check out national historic ships register nhsc.org.uk me thinks

 

Hi y'all,

I know this topic was ages ago, but I was quite suprised to see it on our moorings in Silsden, not seen any bodies on it so far tho' what a lovely thing it is.

Regards,

Ally p.

[Hairy-Neil]

Its a sister ship to the Boat Museum's "Worcester" and BW's heritage boat group Friends of the Working Boats have/had a further example in the "Birmingham". It was built by Issac J Abdela & Mitchell, Brimscombe on the Stroudwater Canal in 1908.

 

The Tug Birmingham was built of iron, is 45 feet long with a beam of just under 7 feet and a draught of 4 feet and was built in 1912. It was one of a series of similar tugs built for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal for pulling unpowered boats through tunnels. I believe 2 of the boats were built with bows suitable for icebreaking.

 

I've an idea there was a fourth one built too.

[DHutch]

Yeah, we see sharpness every few years or so in and around this area. Nice boat, got some photos somewhere.

 

[edit]

Here we go, best i can find, just outside andertonlift.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Richard Fairhurst]

Lovely boat. Owned by Colin Paillin of the IWA Leicestershire branch, I think. Way back when I used to work at Canal Boat we ran an article by Colin about the restoration of the boat.

[Hairy-Neil]

Lovely boat. Owned by Colin Paillin of the IWA Leicestershire branch, I think. Way back when I used to work at Canal Boat we ran an article by Colin about the restoration of the boat.

 

That's the man. Previously had a similar new build narrow beam tug "Frederic 2" by Roger Fuller/Five Towns Boatbuilders, and before that a historic wide beam river/estuary tug. All had Gardners fitted if I recall correctly.

[smokey]

That's the man. Previously had a similar new build narrow beam tug "Frederic 2" by Roger Fuller/Five Towns Boatbuilders, and before that a historic wide beam river/estuary tug. All had Gardners fitted if I recall correctly.

 

Hi As a new menber of canal world, can I say how very interesting I find the replies, as the owner of the Sharpness then please lets get it right,

 

She was built in 1908 at Brimscome Port being the only one to be built there, as Worcester and Birmingham were built by the same firm but at chester on the R Dee.Yes she is uqiue and very much cared for, having put in 4 years of hard work on the hull replting and refit, does give us a great sense of pride,

 

Her cabin has been exterened forward some 12" and towards the stern over what was the tug deck, the cabin has aslso been heightern with the curvered top to give more head room, yes we can stand up as she draws 3 ft and is very cosy.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions.

[Hairy-Neil]

 

Please feel free to ask any questions.

 

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

 

Was there a fourth boat in the series?

 

Which of the boats were built with bows suitable for icebreaking?

[Yoda]

How many rivits has it got?

[Hairy-Neil]

How many rivits has it got?

 

[smokey]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

 

Was there a fourth boat in the series?

 

Which of the boats were built with bows suitable for icebreaking?

Hi

 

There were only the three built, Sharpness be in the only one with the raked bow.

 

Colin

 

How many rivits has it got?

TOO MANY

[Paul H]

Hi

 

There were only the three built, Sharpness be in the only one with the raked bow.

 

Colin

TOO MANY

 

I think Hairy-Neil may be thinking of White Heather which was built for Marylebone Council to work on the Regents Canal rubbish contracts with Tyburn (ex-Birmingham). It is along similar if a little-cruder lines and built much later in 1932. Now based on the Basingstoke Canal, I think it ventured out to the IWA National at Beale Park this summer.

 

White Heather

 

 

Paul H

[DHutch]

How many rivits has it got?

You could count them...

[carlt]

Hello.

Resurrecting an old thread but I thought you might be interested in this old pic of Sharpness before she got her shiny cabin and busy at work, breaking ice.

 

 

Sorry about the wavy lines, they weren't there before I resized it.