Historic Boats for sale online

[Admiral]

Is this the boat that has the strange drive mechanism? I remember a few years back boating (and I thought it was this boat) and it had a belt drive system which seemed highly dubious in reverse. Nice bit of history though...

[alan_fincher]

Built by "Harrison Brothers" eh? (According to the advert.)

 

I've never heard of them. Do they mean Harris brothers perhaps?

 

Well there would need to have been multiple generations of Harris brothers if that's what they mean.

 

The ones still working in the 1960s could not have been around to build a boat in 1898!

[Derek R.]

Must be quite a wrench leaving what was home for 30 odd years. I remember meeting Keith & Christine at Worsley in '83, and they had an interesting menagerie! Full of character - unlike most modern builds, bland and too perfect.

[alan_fincher]

Is this the boat that has the strange drive mechanism? I remember a few years back boating (and I thought it was this boat) and it had a belt drive system which seemed highly dubious in reverse. Nice bit of history though...

 

As I'm seeing it, the HA2 is the wrong way round, with the flywheel towards the back of the boat.

 

The gearbox appears to be separated from it, but pointing the conventional way?

 

How the two are connected is not at all obvious (to me!).

 

 

I would be very wary of it, without a lot more investigation.

 

Otherwise I have always thought it an interesting boat.

 

As an aside, do those colours have any historical legitimacy for an S&L boat? Otherwise Ihave only ever really been familiar with thhe red and green style.

Edited May 1, 2015 by alan_fincher

[Timleech]

 

As I'm seeing it, the HA2 is the wrong way round, with the flywheel towards the back of the boat.

 

The gearbox appears to be separated from it, but pointing the conventional way?

 

How the two are connected is not at all obvious (to me!).

 

 

I would be very wary of it, without a lot more investigation.

 

Otherwise I have always thought it an interesting boat.

 

There's almost certainly a stub shaft bolted to the flywheel, mounted to the stub shaft will be a flange of some sort to take a conventional R&D drive plate, into which fits the input shaft of the PRM gearbox.

 

All quite straightforward if done properly, with everything well aligned and solidly mounted.

Personally I'd be happier with a much shorter stub shaft, so the the gearbox and flywheel are closer to one another.

 

Edit - it looks as though the long stub shaft has been there to allow belt drive to some other kit (mains alternator?), which has subsequently been removed. You can see the discarded pulley to the left of the pic., and an empty space on the right hand side of that big guard.

 

Tim

Edited May 1, 2015 by Timleech

[alan_fincher]

But, (for the uninitiated), why do this, please?

 

Why not have engine right way round and close coupled to gearbox, and if you want to drive other things do it off (what should be) the front?

[RLWP]

I'm amazed what you can do with half a joey boat

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

I'm amazed what you can do with half a joey boat

 

Richard

 

Surely virtually all of the original boat is retained in this full length boat

 

(Or at least bits that have not had to be replaced with age)

 

My knowledge isn't, however, good enough to know if it would have had a wooden bottom originally - that was certainly the case for an ex s&L tube boat I owned a long while ago.

[Timleech]

But, (for the uninitiated), why do this, please?

 

Why not have engine right way round and close coupled to gearbox, and if you want to drive other things do it off (what should be) the front?

 

If you start with an industrial engine with a pressed steel timing cover, it saves having to track down the proper marine bits. Less of a proper job, I agree.

 

Tim

Edited May 1, 2015 by Timleech

[alan_fincher]

I'm sure it can work fine, if well engineered as you say.

 

Just "feels", (and looks) wrong to my brain.

Edit: For yet more typos - really struggling with the eyes this morning

Edited May 1, 2015 by alan_fincher

[steamraiser2]

But, (for the uninitiated), why do this, please?

 

Why not have engine right way round and close coupled to gearbox, and if you want to drive other things do it off (what should be) the front?

 

Maybe it is a reverse rotation engine which had to be put in backwards to drive the existing gearbox and prop in the right direction? In any case there isn't an issue driving a gearbox from either end of the engine. Certainly there were quite a few Gardner L2s built with marine boxes on the "wrong " end.

[alan_fincher]

Presumably with an HA you need to be careful the arrangements stlll allow sufficient free flow of air to the fan on the flywheel?

[Timleech]

 

Maybe it is a reverse rotation engine which had to be put in backwards to drive the existing gearbox and prop in the right direction? In any case there isn't an issue driving a gearbox from either end of the engine. Certainly there were quite a few Gardner L2s built with marine boxes on the "wrong " end.

 

...but it's a PRM 160/260 or similar box, by the look of it, which can be run either way and with either hand of input.

 

 

Presumably with an HA you need to be careful the arrangements stlll allow sufficient free flow of air to the fan on the flywheel?

 

Yes you do.

 

Tim

[Admiral]

I think that there is a belt between the engine and the gearbox. I looked in the engine room at one time and it seemed the shaft from the engine was at a different height/angle to the gearbox shaft and they had been connected together by a belt thingy...

[Timleech]

I think that there is a belt between the engine and the gearbox. I looked in the engine room at one time and it seemed the shaft from the engine was at a different height/angle to the gearbox shaft and they had been connected together by a belt thingy...

 

Looking at the picture, it's impossible to say that the crankshaft and gearbox are in line, but to my eye they can be nowhere near far enough offset to include a belt drive.

What would be the point?

 

Edit to add - why have flexible drive plate and belt drive? The pulley on the gearbox would need another support bearing.

 

Tim

Edited May 1, 2015 by Timleech

[David Mack]

1937 wooden Broads cruiser on the GU at Milton Keynes

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Motor-boat-1937-Broads-Cruiser-river-boat-canal-boat-/251937160805?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aa89ffe65

[pete harrison]

 

As I'm seeing it, the HA2 is the wrong way round, with the flywheel towards the back of the boat.

 

The gearbox appears to be separated from it, but pointing the conventional way?

 

How the two are connected is not at all obvious (to me!).

.

For what its worth my records for GERALD's engine are - Lister HA2 19hp @ 1500 r.p.m. with triple belt drive to an offset Paragon gearbox (exEMPRESS)

Was Roger Fuller converting boats as long ago as 1972?

No. My understanding is that this conversion was carried out in 1976 by Martin and Roger Fuller.

[Timleech]

For what its worth my records for GERALD's engine are - Lister HA2 19hp @ 1500 r.p.m. with triple belt drive to an offset Paragon gearbox (exEMPRESS)

 

OK, that's what used to be in that space on the Starboard side, rather than a generator, now replaced (sensibly) with a PRM box driven directly.

 

My deduction, anyway.

 

Tim

[pete harrison]

 

OK, that's what used to be in that space on the Starboard side, rather than a generator, now replaced (sensibly) with a PRM box driven directly.

 

My deduction, anyway.

 

Tim

I stand corrected, especially as my reference is dated 03 March 2002 when I was aboard GERALD at Saul Junction.

[roland elsdon]

The goat boat as we have always called Gerald....

I do not need a town class converted butty to go with Fenny. They are not rare. It would be going back to 1996 . I live in Australia 6 months a year. Fenny being 55 foot would not tow well, I don't want to live on a butty again. Repeat as required until some lucky ( young person )buys Bodmin.

[FadeToScarlet]

1937 wooden Broads cruiser on the GU at Milton Keynes

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Motor-boat-1937-Broads-Cruiser-river-boat-canal-boat-/251937160805?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aa89ffe65

Now that is rather gorgeous.

[pete harrison]

I think this must be a world record asking price for large Woolwich motor:

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=413559

 

For those that do not know this is BOGNOR, and it has lost a few feet off its conversion since I last photographed it on 28 October 1991

[junior]

One (crap) photo on an advert for a £200k boat. Words fail me.

[pete harrison]

One (crap) photo on an advert for a £200k boat. Words fail me.

I imagine it is the mooring that is of value rather than the boat, assuming of course that it is transferable

 

Having said that the advert does claim this to be a 'very rare boat'. There were 48 large Woolwich motor boats built of which 48 are still extant, although there are a few missing their centre sections

[zenataomm]

So wrong in so many ways.