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Boat at Mountsorrel


Richard T

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Does anyone know anything about this boat at Mountsorrel?

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It had been moored in this arm for many years but it had gone when we went upstream in early November. It looked like an old butty/dayboat which had been converted and was used as a live aboard.

Edited by Richard T
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As I am moored at Syston I go by regularly and have seen no signs of any movement in the last 2 years - apart from the increasing vegetation around it that is.

The arm was empty when we went by in November. Thanks to Pickles2 for the photographs.

There was mention of a small marina to be built in Mountsorrel in the local rag a couple of weeks ago - I suspect that it is around here.

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completely unrelated to your pictures , today I posted in history and heritage regarding a boat moored in mountsorrel in the 50's & 60's that I am trying to trace for the owners ( elderly ) daughter !

NB. Locksdriven owned by Charles & Rita Mason from Barrow Upon Soar . I would be gratefull for any informaton on this boat . According to the current Ms Mason the hull was made from an old torpedo boat.

 

thank you

Alex

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Does anyone know anything about this boat at Mountsorrel?

 

It had been moored in this arm for many years but it had gone when we went upstream in early November. It looked like an old butty/dayboat which had been converted and was used as a live aboard.

 

I have nothing to do with this boat but it is currently for sale on E Bay - item number 230582725554

 

"This is a 72 foot long ex working boat in need of MAJOR work.I would gess its about 80 years old as it is of rivetted constuction and originally was unmotorised. It now has a lister st3 engine with hydrolic gearbox wich has recently moved the boat on a 3 hour journey on the river and it performed very well with no problems.The cabin is of timber construction and needs replacing as it is beyond repair but the windows look reusable and there are more than you would need so you could pick the best.I haven't included any internal photos as it will need renewing when the cabin is replaced but there is a nearly new hob(untested),water heater(untested)small bath(well used)and central heating plumbed in but no fire!PLEASE NOTE this is a major project not for the faint hearted with a few weekends of spare time to tidy it up.It hasn't been out of the water for a good few years,has no safety cert'or licence but has no known leaks and with time and work would make an individual boat that would stand out from the hundreds of mass produced off the shelf narrowboats.It can be viewed on moorings near syston leic's. would prefer cash on collection."

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The strange thing is that in the e-Bay pictures it really doesn't look a lot like any type of 80 year old riveted boaat I can think of.

 

If it didn't have that description, it has more the look of someone's attempt at a DIY boat say 30 or so years ago.

 

I'm intrigued if any of the experts have any idea what it started life as.

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I assumed it was a homebrew made from the steel from the torpedo boat mentioned.

I thought that was something to do with an entirely different boat - the only connection being mountsorrel.

 

The claim in the e-Bay advertisement is that this boat, (very clearly the one from the weeds) is.....

 

"....a 72 foot long ex working boat in need of MAJOR work.I would gess its about 80 years old as it is of rivetted constuction and originally was unmotorised. It now has a lister st3 engine with hydrolic gearbox wich has recently moved the boat on a 3 hour journey on the river and it performed very well with no problems."

 

I can't imagine what it is, but what's pictured doesn't look like an 80 year old riveted ex-working boat of any type I'm familiar with....

Edited by alan_fincher
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Further query - where is the boat now? The photos in the e-bay ad have been taken at a small marina - is this Old Junction? Looking at Google it could be. Its not 3hours from 'Sorrel to there by boat unless you were taking it steady or you had to spend nearly an hour clearing the c...p out of Junction Lock to be able to use it. Also it must have taken some getting out of the arm given the silt in it.

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I thought that was something to do with an entirely different boat - the only connection being mountsorrel.

 

The claim in the e-Bay advertisement is that this boat, (very clearly the one from the weeds) is.....

 

"....a 72 foot long ex working boat in need of MAJOR work.I would gess its about 80 years old as it is of rivetted constuction and originally was unmotorised. It now has a lister st3 engine with hydrolic gearbox wich has recently moved the boat on a 3 hour journey on the river and it performed very well with no problems."

 

I can't imagine what it is, but what's pictured doesn't look like an 80 year old riveted ex-working boat of any type I'm familiar with....

 

I have not seen this boat close up but I am thinking either riveted iron B.C.N. day boat or riveted iron mud hopper. If it is a former B.C.N. boat then there is a possibility that it may retain one or both of its B.C.N. gauge plates.

 

This boat is also advertised for sale on the Apollo Duck website where it is named as SCORPIO, and currently at Syston.

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And it still looks like no working boat that I recognise.....

 

Come on someone - what do you think it started life as, (other than iron ore!....)

Edited by alan_fincher
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Doesn't post 20 count then Alan ?

Sorry Pete - Obviously missed that......

 

BCN origins would have been my thinking, possibly, but I really can't recall seeing anything very similar, unless quite a bit of modification has been done.

 

I'm sure there are many types of BCN boat that lack the typical large number of prominent joints, and guards that one gets used to, but with the poor detail in those photos, (and probably my crap eyesight!), it still looks to me more like a home brew boat that someone has done the minimum with to achieve a basic "narrow boat" shape.

 

But it says it's a riveted boat, so that seems unlikely. I suppose people like Harris Brothers were producing various weird and wonderful things in riveted style right into the 1960s, but this claims 80 years old.

 

Being a suspicious type of guy, I wonder whether the vendor has clear title to sell?

Well they have a proper web presence, and claim a 40 year trading history as a family business.

 

http://www.lrharris.co.uk/index.html

 

Probably best not to make suggestions like that on an open forum unless you have something to back up such a claim ?

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