Items kept on board working boats

[pete harrison]

Me too.

Here's the gauging sheet for Owl. Can anyone explain what the figures in the Differences column mean?

I've seen films where gauging takes place. Am I right in thinking that measurements of dryside were taken at several points along the length of the boat and an average was taken, presumably to take account of when the stem was higher out of the water than the stern?

 

 

When a boat was gauged it was measured at two points on each side of the boat, a motor was often in front of the engine room bulkhead and at the mast beam. Once these measurements are taken they are divided by four to give the "Dry Inches" entered onto the table.

 

Although the tonnage is shown in one ton increments the weights were actually placed in the boat in four ton increments, this also being divided by four to give the single ton measurements. Because a boats profile changes as it drops in the water it will 'sink' a differing amount for each weight, or batch of weights added. This is the figure in the "Differences" column, and as you can see is repeated in batches of four showing the points where the real measurements were taken.

Edited August 29, 2010 by pete harrison

[LEO]

Well, I've seen "straps" in the list.

 

I can't see a few feet of rope making a difference to how the boat gauges!

 

If we are counting sanitary arrangements, shouldn't it say how full the bucket/dunnay/or dunnage was when the boat was gauged ? Surely a few logs can weigh as much as a strap ?

 

Alan,

 

I refuse to be drawn on this one, except to say this could be confusing regional dialects and spellings - ie. st.. being confused with cr.., also poor handwriting could have corrupted the spilling.

 

Mike

[BEngo]

 

 

I'll have to look at what gauging sheets I still have when we're back in the UK to remind myself about them - it is very strange for instance for "rudder" to be listed as a separate item, as something that would not necessarily be on all boats. I can understand "engine", as the sheets cater for butties as well.

 

 

I think the point here may be that these are BCN Gauging sheets and so were designed around all the boat types that were seen at that gauging station. Whilst a cabin boat like Owl or Hampton would always have its own mast and rudder/ellum that was not the case for a day-boat. There the mast, stove and ellum were part of the boatmans tools and changed with him from day boat to day boat. I guess that when a boat was to be gauged it would be the case that it would be taken to the gauging station and the boatman might then either take a gauged boat away or go somewhere nearby to pick up another boat, taking with him the mast and rudder etc., as well as the 'oss. The 'oss of course cost money so it needed to be at work, not hanging around waiting for a gauging.

 

N

[Tam & Di]

I think the point here may be that these are BCN Gauging sheets and so were designed around all the boat types that were seen at that gauging station. Whilst a cabin boat like Owl or Hampton would always have its own mast and rudder/ellum that was not the case for a day-boat. There the mast, stove and ellum were part of the boatmans tools and changed with him from day boat to day boat. I guess that when a boat was to be gauged it would be the case that it would be taken to the gauging station and the boatman might then either take a gauged boat away or go somewhere nearby to pick up another boat, taking with him the mast and rudder etc., as well as the 'oss. The 'oss of course cost money so it needed to be at work, not hanging around waiting for a gauging.

 

N

 

 

That makes sense if the rudder was not permanent. On the French Berrichons the "mules and animules" were stabled on board, but I've never seen a French gauging sheet to see if there was an entry for them!

 

Re Alan's "Rose Bray" point, we were told by a boatman how he used to have everyone off the boat when they were first gauged after a loading, but then left his boy on board subsequently so he could sell of the boy's weight in coal. I was always rather dubious - I doubt that the gauging lock-keepers were that naive, but I can imagine the boatman trying it.

[Chertsey]

Ahh, we call it "stillage, where I come from. Sticks to keep stuff off the ground (in the timber industry).

Ah, that's what we use to prop beer barrels up on, down here.

[carlt]

Ah, that's what we use to prop beer barrels up on, down here.

 

(Southist comment edited out...)

[Timleech]

Ah, that's what we use to prop beer barrels up on, down here.

 

When we bought the 'Beecliffe' (Humber Keel) it had a lot of barrel stillage pallets and separators in the hold, branded with the name of a Danish brewer (can't remember which), the conclusion being that her last cargo (for BWB) was imported lager.

 

Tim

[Chertsey]

(Southist comment edited out...)

Go on, I can take it...

[Pluto]

When BW was formed there were quite a few ex-army personnel in the offices. They appear to have itemised everything and produced books for recording the details. Charlie Atkins gave me one for Mendip - which had not been filled in - but it did list everything that was supposed to be supplied by the company. The book should be in the archive at Ellesmere Port. Here, at home, I have copies of paperwork giving items supplied to Canal Transport boats on the L&LC, including details of the various different ropes used, as well as cabin items. I can probably dig them out if anyone is interested in short boats.

[FadeToScarlet]

When BW was formed there were quite a few ex-army personnel in the offices. They appear to have itemised everything and produced books for recording the details. Charlie Atkins gave me one for Mendip - which had not been filled in - but it did list everything that was supposed to be supplied by the company. The book should be in the archive at Ellesmere Port. Here, at home, I have copies of paperwork giving items supplied to Canal Transport boats on the L&LC, including details of the various different ropes used, as well as cabin items. I can probably dig them out if anyone is interested in short boats.

 

Did they itemise it in military speak? As in, "Can, water, decorated, for the carriage of"?

[RLWP]

That makes sense if the rudder was not permanent. On the French Berrichons the "mules and animules" were stabled on board, but I've never seen a French gauging sheet to see if there was an entry for them!

 

Re Alan's "Rose Bray" point, we were told by a boatman how he used to have everyone off the boat when they were first gauged after a loading, but then left his boy on board subsequently so he could sell of the boy's weight in coal. I was always rather dubious - I doubt that the gauging lock-keepers were that naive, but I can imagine the boatman trying it.

 

You can see the socket on the tip of the stem/stern post of BCN dayboats that took the removable ruddeer. Stem/stern because it depended which end you put the rudder as to which was which.

 

The trick with the boy's weight in coal still persists at scrapyards. The trick is for the driver to get himself weighed with the full lorry load of scrap, but to be out of the cab when the empty lorry is checked.

 

Richard

 

Does Luctor et Emergo's boat have the socket I wonder

[Max Sinclair]

Dunnage is packing to make a cargo safe. Timber, Sacking etc. Why no mention of shaft,long, shaft ,short, and keb? What about fenders, tip cats etc, surely boatmen could not provide with their meagre pay.On the Droitwich Barges the crew received 'Llowance' to cover victuals.

[pete harrison]

You can see the socket on the tip of the stem/stern post of BCN dayboats that took the removable ruddeer. Stem/stern because it depended which end you put the rudder as to which was which.

 

The trick with the boy's weight in coal still persists at scrapyards. The trick is for the driver to get himself weighed with the full lorry load of scrap, but to be out of the cab when the empty lorry is checked.

 

Richard

 

Does Luctor et Emergo's boat have the socket I wonder

 

Not all B.C.N. day boats were 'double enders', i.e. the rudder could be hung on either end. The rudder of a B.C.N. day boat was hung in exactly the same way as a family type long distance horse boat or butty, except that the B.C.N. day boat rudder was usually of a slightly lighter construction making heaving it around a little easier. Many day boats in the B.C.N. gauge registers do not list a rudder with the "Articles on Board When Weighed". I think it quite likely that day boats were left for gauging on the B.C.N., especially at Tipton which had a small basin at its entrance. This would account for many boats missing items such as the rudder and mast when weighed.

 

Interestingly there are about 250 motor boats on the B.C.N. gauge registers and every single one lists a rudder amongst the "Articles on Board When Weighed". Only about 10% of these motors are horse boats with a motor conversion where the horse boat rudder is retained, leaving all of the others as conventional counter sterned motor boats where the rudder is 'fixed' into the stern end. I imagine that the B.C.N. Company outlined to their gauge station clerk's what should be included in the "Articles on Board When Weighed" hence "rudder" appearing on a motor boat's table.

 

I suspect the boatman's account about leaving a boy on board when gauging a boat is a tale. The vast majority of gauge tables I have seen deal with complete tons, and traffic paperwork usually deals with tons and hundredweights. Unless the boy was particularly rotund he would not make any noticeable difference.

[Max Sinclair]

KK,

 

'Dunnage' could refer to the WC arrangements - similar to an elsan, the word exported and corrupted when incorporated into 'Aussie' speak - 'Dunny' meaning WC/Lavatory.

 

Leo.

 

PS This post is getting to be as bad as 'Call my Bluff', a much missed TV prog.

Dunny was the word for Lavatory.