And my new boat is....

[Tiggers]

[NBMike]

Congrats

[Tiggers]

And yes Mr Fincher, you were right! As were the couple of others who guessed, too many clues given me thinks...

[alan_fincher]

I knew I should have put in my bid of a guess!

 

I would actually have been right for once!

 

Congratulations indeed.

 

Have you managed to sell the other one yet ?

 

(I've been told firmly that two boats is the absolute maximum we can have, by the way!.....)

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

So is the picture under your ownership ?

 

You are going up the flight, so would presumably also have had to come down it ?

 

If it was yesterday, then that lock is where my car was parked for the say, whilst I brought "Sickle" home!

Edited October 5, 2011 by alan_fincher

[Speedwheel]

Congratulations. Lets have some more pics please.

[WJM]

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

[stagedamager]

Mmm coffee and popcorn, here we go!!

[Tiggers]

I had a very good offer on Dudley yesterday, which I have accepted, so fingers crossed this one goes through! The pic was taken yesterday, took her to Cosgrove and back with John (the previous owner). Will be hopefully picking her up in a couple of weeks once Dudley has gone (RATHER excited!)

 

Havent got any more pics yet, I will do soon

 

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

 

 

(Bite your tongue Dawn, bite your tongue....)

 

I believe that is a matter of opinion. There is more than enough room to live in inside the cabin, and I certainly wouldn't call a beautiful tug deck a 'waste of space'.

[Guest Quo Vadis]

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

You could fit a motorbike on it ...... or an Autogyro

Nice boat, congratulations.

[alan_fincher]

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

Perhaps becuase she wants something that really looks like a convincing working tug, rather than one of the boats now sold as "tug style", that generally have masses of cabin, but often an unconvincingly small tug deck. (Yes, to the purists, I do know a few "real" tugs had long cabins and short decks, but it was hardly the norm was it ?).

 

I don't know much at all about Canis Major, so would really love to hear Dawn tewll us as much of it's history as she knows it.

 

Whilst clearly not an original tug, (it is formed from the stern end of the butty "Canis"), it is in my view very convincingly like so many of the tugs that worked the BCN, many of them originating from former full length carrying boats.

 

My guess is that this one was a "late" conversion, done in fairly recent years - do you have a date, please, dawn ?

 

I guess the answer is that you whether get the "old boat" thing or you do not. Clearly dawn "gets it", and you don't.

 

There are bigger "wastes" of a boats length, of course......

 

[Chertsey]

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

Some people just have no sense of beauty.

[alan_fincher]

I had a very good offer on Dudley yesterday, which I have accepted, so fingers crossed this one goes through! The pic was taken yesterday, took her to Cosgrove and back with John (the previous owner). Will be hopefully picking her up in a couple of weeks once Dudley has gone (RATHER excited!)

That's a shame, as I was on that stretch myself yesterday, and would love to have seen it, (and met you, of course!).

 

We could have had a tug race, or perhaps even a "tug" of war!

 

I'm guessing you didn't get through the locks Southbound until after around 11:00, because that was the kind of time I was setting off from the bottom of the flight ?

 

Some people just have no sense of beauty.

But how much "wasted space" are you currently travelling around with ?

 

(For the sake of clarity, I don't mean PB!!!).

[sarahavfc]

I am curious to know something about your choice of boat. A narrowboat is a small enough space to live (or holiday) in. Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

 

Because it's a thing of beauty?

[carlt]

Why oh why would you waste so much of your boat's available space with a largely useless tug deck?

More room than an unconverted 72' ex-working boat and less boring than a clonecraft.

 

Matter of personal taste, perhaps?

[stagedamager]

Not only do they look great, but they are also highly practical, both on and below the deck.

Tiggers, how have they managed to make the rivets look so real??

congratulations, she is a beauty,i've always thought she stands out at Stoke Bruerne!!

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[Tiggers]

I have slowly been piecing together Canis Major's history.

 

I know a small amount about Canis, mainly that she was originally paired with Corolla, then went on to Stanton Ironworks where she worked alongside Vesta, and finally ended up working for Stewarts & Lloyds. She still has her wooden bottom (which will NOT be replaced with steel) and a wooden cabin.

 

She was originally converted by John Harmon in 1978 from the butty Canis. As Alan mentioned, the stern end is now the bow, but it was only the original bow that was removed which was in rather a poor state (she is now 55'). The work was completed by Ken Keays in Walsall. I believe the bow was made into another boat (Canis) which is in dire need of work)

 

John has had her ever since, and him and his wife used to use her fairly frequently. Unfortunately John's wife passed away a few years back, and since then, he has found it too painful to take her out. He was very keen to see her not only used again, but to go to someone who loves her as much as they did (I have spent a number of years stood on the tow path admiring her, always seemed like my perfect boat), but he did not want her to go to someone who would extend the cabin and ruin that gorgeous deck.

 

I am absolutely touched that he has the faith in me to look after her, which I can't wait to do. I genuinely cannot think of another boat I would rather take care of, to me, she is perfect in every way.

 

She may not be a 'proper' historic tug, but my word, Mr Keays knew what he was doing!

[Chertsey]

 

But how much "wasted space" are you currently travelling around with ?

 

 

Much more than that!

 

Don't think it makes it more beautiful though.

Edited October 5, 2011 by Chertsey

[Athy]

I'm a bit puzzled. I looked up 'Canis Major' on the internet and found that she was an ex-Stanton boat; but I also found a picture of her with a full-length cabin and a statement that she was 60 feet long - this was on a web site called The Long Red Boat or similar. The one which is in your photograph, as well as being much better looking, appears shorter. Are there two Canis majors?

[Tiggers]

That's a shame, as I was on that stretch myself yesterday, and would love to have seen it, (and met you, of course!).

 

We could have had a tug race, or perhaps even a "tug" of war!

 

I'm guessing you didn't get through the locks Southbound until after around 11:00, because that was the kind of time I was setting off from the bottom of the flight ?

 

 

 

I had to drive down from Great Haywood, so we didn't set off until 11.30, plus I was taking it rather slow, nerves got the better of me! I will certainly take you up on the challenge of a tug race though, the JP2 is rather tastey

[carlt]

She may not be a 'proper' historic tug, but my word, Mr Keays knew what he was doing!

There can't be many 'BCN tugs' that can claim greater authenticity than one that has come out of Keay's yard.

[Tiggers]

I'm a bit puzzled. I looked up 'Canis Major' on the internet and found that she was an ex-Stanton boat; but I also found a picture of her with a full-length cabin and a statement that she was 60 feet long - this was on a web site called The Long Red Boat or similar. The one which is in your photograph, as well as being much better looking, appears shorter. Are there two Canis majors?

 

A lot of websites list her as being roughly 60', where as she is actually 55'. I believe there is only 1 Canis Major, although I think the other part of the original boat, still called Canis, may have a full length cabin. Canis Major is still how she was done by Ken in the 70s.

[Athy]

Thanks for the elucidation.

[alan_fincher]

I have spent a number of years stood on the tow path admiring her, always seemed like my perfect boat.

Yes,

 

I must admit when we were "old boat searching", I compiled a list of boats around the system that, (from appearance alone), I would be happy to get my hands on, if offered for sale.

 

This one was well up the list!

 

Strangely it also played a large part in convincing me that another potential "project" we were toying with was really not going to work out. It was studying Canis Major that convinced me that the GUCCCo boats generally only make convincing tugs if a good length of deck is left on them.

 

Although perversely, I have a soft spot for "Algol" / "Stewarts & lloyds Tug No 2", which rather breaks the above rule, but somehow gets away with it, in my view......

 

Now picture....

 

 

In the 1970s it carried a shorter cabin, but still longer than many, and with a curious "near cruiser" stern!

 

 

I'm a bit puzzled. I looked up 'Canis Major' on the internet and found that she was an ex-Stanton boat; but I also found a picture of her with a full-length cabin and a statement that she was 60 feet long - this was on a web site called The Long Red Boat or similar. The one which is in your photograph, as well as being much better looking, appears shorter. Are there two Canis majors?

Not confusing it with someone who posts canal pictures on Flickr, calling them-self "Canis Major", but almost certainly unconnected to this boat, possibly ?

 

Canis Major Flickr Linky ?

[Tiggers]

Yes,

 

I must admit when we were "old boat searching", I compiled a list of boats around the system that, (from appearance alone), I would be happy to get my hands on, if offered for sale.

 

This one was well up the list!

 

Strangely it also played a large part in convincing me that another potential "project" we were toying with was really not going to work out. It was studying Canis Major that convinced me that the GUCCCo boats generally only make convincing tugs if a good length of deck is left on them.

 

Although perversely, I have a soft spot for "Algol" / "Stewarts & lloyds Tug No 2", which rather breaks the above rule, but somehow gets away with it, in my view......

 

Now picture....

 

 

In the 1970s it carried a shorter cabin, but still longer than many, and with a curious "near cruiser" stern!

 

 

Beautiful! I must admit, Canis Major has a very large stern, similar in size.

 

As you can probably tell, I have a thing for tugs. I bought Dudley as I thought she bore a striking resemblance to the James Loader (even the portholes are in the same place). Although Canis has always been in the number one spot, Vesta and Sickle would have to be joint second. Rather like the Roger Fuller tug Hector that is currently at Union Canal Carriers having work on the FR6 beast in her as well.

[system 4-50]

Some people just have no sense of beauty.

Neat. Tidy. Uncluttered. Evocative of nostalgia. Nice. Historically interesting perhaps. But beautiful?

 

If you go and look at early steam engines (not necessarily locomotives) they come as functional ie bits thrown on as found necessary, tidy - all bits planned to fit, elegant - maximum style, and beautiful - where even the non-initiated step back and go Wow!

 

This is nice but not Wow in my book.