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NB Columba

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Its possibly one of the most famous boats on the cut having been owned by John Knill

The last owners prior to the present were Clive and Linda Knapp who did the conversion in late eighties used to be a very nice boat and was well used it was sold by them about 14 years ago.

There are a couple of people on here who can fill in re the present owners but Ill let them do that or not as the case may be.

Suffice to say it will sink before its sold again............

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Guest User Rising Star

Guest User

Posted
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Posted (edited)

You tease, you ! ... I'm even more intrigued now

 

Edited to add: now you've mentioned John Knill I've found this image .... hard to believe it's the same boat ....

 

1278483253-5576-0.jpg

 

Edited yet again to add: just found out that the butty Lucy was named after John Knill's wife

Edited by Graham!
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Stephen Sugg Proficient

Stephen Sugg

Posted
Posted

Such a shame. I know my dad was keen to get his hands in it but didn't come to anything.

where is it moored? I'd really like to see that boat. (I've read the Anderton for Orders and No1 books loads of times) It'd be nice to see one of the "stars".

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GUMPY Veteran II

GUMPYDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

You tease, you ! ... I'm even more intrigued now

 

Edited to add: now you've mentioned John Knill I've found this image .... hard to believe it's the same boat ....

 

1278483253-5576-0.jpg

 

Edited yet again to add: just found out that the butty Lucy was named after John Knill's wife

That's what it looked like when it used to moor here before the present owner bought it!

I suspect the one outside may be Dolphin they used to boat together most of the time.

 

Its moored on the offside just between Denham and Uxbridge locks.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

A great shame really, but not that unusual on the Grand Union, that seems to have it's share of ex working boats, laid up, and externally deteriorating, but where the owners are unable or unwilling to do anything with them, but don't seem interested in selling them on either.

 

I can think, for example, of a couple of motor / butty pairings of other ex GUCCCo boats, that it would be great to see something good happen to.

 

Quite a few more pictures of Columba on Matt parrott's excellent "Working Boats" site.....

 

Columba linky

 

Although the information that the current day pictures are at Rickmansworth is wrong. The boat is actually moored offside some distance above Uxbridge lock, IIRC.

  • Greenie 1
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Guest User Rising Star

Guest User

Posted
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Posted (edited)

I can't remember exactly but it is fairly close to this fine craft

 

That's Baldock .... although they've now emigrated IRCC .... to the wild lands just beyond Black Jacks (and no doubt clutching his recently acquired copy of "John Knill's Navy" close to his chest !)

 

 

Actually Lucy was named after John Knill's mother.

 

Ooops .... the joy of mis-information on the internet !

 

 

<snip> Quite a few more pictures of Columba on Matt parrott's excellent "Working Boats" site.....Columba linky

... I must have been looking with my eyes closed .... I'd looked on there (or at least I thought I had) but drew a blank .. thanks for the link.

Edited by Graham!
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Chris-B Experienced

Chris-B

Posted
Posted (edited)

COLUMBA

 

 

the current situation as far as I know and am willing to post

 

The boat was purchased by the current owners Gary and Mary Robertson -Long about 14 years ago , they then lived on it for a number of years at Hillingdon Canal Club moorings where although used was not really looked after that well

Sometime during that period they flatted down the outside ( approx 8 years ago) and applied the grey primer) and did no more to it

 

They then moved off the boat onto dry land and moved the boat to the Willowbank moorings (Private land at the bottom of Gary's Sisters house ) at Uxbridge where it has just sat ever since ( aprox 5 years ago)

As far as I am aware ( and this has been confirmed by BW in the past) the boat has not been licensed /BSS'ed/Insured since that time)

I know BW have put a section 8 on it once but nothing was ever done about it

 

The residents association of Willowbank I am also lead to believe are anything but happy about the situation either !

 

When Lise and I were in the process of purchasing Baldock I rang Gary and asked him about the possibility of purchasing Columba as it really is one of those boats I would really like to own/ restore but in no uncertain terms was told to **** off as it's not for sale to you or anybody else

 

Since the I have given two other people who were seriously interested in purchasing their phone number but they were told the same thing

 

I find it very sad that :

A couple who obviously enjoyed their boating have now let a historic boat and a major financial asset just sit there and rot away with as far as I can see no intention of doing anything to it

and they have not yet made any move to selling it to someone who is prepared to take on the work

 

As far as I am aware ( third party information so I cannot guarantee the validity) when she was last surveyed ( aprox 10 years ago) they were informed that some major metal work was required on the uxter plates/chine angles and rear bottom plates this has not been carried out

Since she has been on Willowbank there was a period when the front doors were left open and a cover over one of the missing pigeon boxes was missing letting in rain etc

 

I would expect the interior fit to be in a position of needing full removal and also wonder about the condition of the engine

 

Such a sad period of this boats history and one that I hope can be resolved one day

 

As much as I would like to own Columba we no longer have the assets to do so BUT it would be great if somebody could !

 

Chris Bennett

20-10-2010

 

edited to correct spelling and put in a missing word

 

 

 

Gary/Mary if you read this PLEASE do not let this historic craft just rot away..get off your asses and either restore and use or sell Columba so somebody else can

Edited by Baldock
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bargemast Influencer

bargemast

Posted
Posted

What a shame, to see such a once beautiful boat rotting away, with owners that don't seem to care about her at all.

 

I can't understand that if nobody is happy with the actual situation and the boat is not in good enough shape to have a navigation permit that BW allows her to stay where she is, without obliging the owners to do something about that issue.

 

It would be great if they would want to sell to someone with the time and funds necessary to restore her to her former glory.

 

Peter.

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  • 4 months later...
onionbargee Influencer

onionbargee

Posted
Posted

COLUMBA

 

 

the current situation as far as I know and am willing to post

 

The boat was purchased by the current owners Gary and Mary Robertson -Long about 14 years ago , they then lived on it for a number of years at Hillingdon Canal Club moorings where although used was not really looked after that well

Sometime during that period they flatted down the outside ( approx 8 years ago) and applied the grey primer) and did no more to it

 

They then moved off the boat onto dry land and moved the boat to the Willowbank moorings (Private land at the bottom of Gary's Sisters house ) at Uxbridge where it has just sat ever since ( aprox 5 years ago)

As far as I am aware ( and this has been confirmed by BW in the past) the boat has not been licensed /BSS'ed/Insured since that time)

I know BW have put a section 8 on it once but nothing was ever done about it

 

The residents association of Willowbank I am also lead to believe are anything but happy about the situation either !

 

When Lise and I were in the process of purchasing Baldock I rang Gary and asked him about the possibility of purchasing Columba as it really is one of those boats I would really like to own/ restore but in no uncertain terms was told to **** off as it's not for sale to you or anybody else

 

Since the I have given two other people who were seriously interested in purchasing their phone number but they were told the same thing

 

I find it very sad that :

A couple who obviously enjoyed their boating have now let a historic boat and a major financial asset just sit there and rot away with as far as I can see no intention of doing anything to it

and they have not yet made any move to selling it to someone who is prepared to take on the work

 

As far as I am aware ( third party information so I cannot guarantee the validity) when she was last surveyed ( aprox 10 years ago) they were informed that some major metal work was required on the uxter plates/chine angles and rear bottom plates this has not been carried out

Since she has been on Willowbank there was a period when the front doors were left open and a cover over one of the missing pigeon boxes was missing letting in rain etc

 

I would expect the interior fit to be in a position of needing full removal and also wonder about the condition of the engine

 

Such a sad period of this boats history and one that I hope can be resolved one day

 

As much as I would like to own Columba we no longer have the assets to do so BUT it would be great if somebody could !

 

Chris Bennett

20-10-2010

 

edited to correct spelling and put in a missing word

 

 

 

Gary/Mary if you read this PLEASE do not let this historic craft just rot away..get off your asses and either restore and use or sell Columba so somebody else can

None of your buisness, is it? Any one can do what they like with their boat.

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Chris-B Experienced

Chris-B

Posted
Posted

None of your buisness, is it? Any one can do what they like with their boat.

 

None of my business......!!!!

I can make any form of comment on this forum and elsewhere that I feel fit to

If I breach any guidelines of this forum I feel that one of the moderators/site owner will inform me

also If I have breached any uk laws regarding defamation/libel/slander etc then it is up to the owners to take me to task

 

As to your comment

Any one can do what they like with their boat.
that is assuming that the craft in question is legally allowed to be on the section of water it currently occupies

afaik Columba is neither Licensed, Insured or has a current BSS

 

Chris

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Neil TNC Rising Star

Neil TNC

Posted
Posted

Surely there should be something on the lines of a compulsary purchase order, similiar to those that occur when a listed building is falling into disrepair? It is heart breaking to see

 

BW are writing this into the new trust regulations as we speak! :lol:

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Derek R. Veteran

Derek R.

Posted
Posted

Very dodgy ground, in which individuals become judge and jury over someone elses personal situations they know possible nothing about and based upon what their 'opinion' of a boat's condition is. And what becomes of said vessel when BW take it - RENTON?

 

Rules and regulations seldom serve than to make more people criminals in the pursuit of more income. Often aided and abetted by the 'do-gooder' element of society. Live and let live unless it harmed me personally. If BW haven't the wherewithall to administer and recoup their lost licence income, I'd be damned if I'd do the job for them for nowt.

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

Posted
Posted

I'm sure any of the people on this forum could give BW a whole list of boats to get them started!

Many of them owned, neglected and abandoned by BW themselves.

 

BW failed miserably to preserve their own historic fleet. I wouldn't trust them with an inflatable beach dinghy.

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