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Question for river Lee old hands

onionbargee

By onionbargee
in General Boating

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BargeeSpud Rising Star

BargeeSpud

Posted
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Andrina

 

BoatAndrina1.jpg

 

BoatAndrina2.jpg

 

That was May 2009, I think - I may have seen them since, (not sure), but not photographed them if I did.

Interesting pair. They have a slightly sinister apearance about them, in a nice way though.

 

The only things missing is a pair of 6" guns on the bows & a float plane on the roof!

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Leonie Community Regular

Leonie

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can anyone remember the name of the 2 narrowboats that were permenantly fixed together, i think they were moored up the River Lee, both battleship grey, with a huge radio ariel on top. And is the boat still around ?

 

My experience of those boats is in and around Perivale/Greenford. I agree they look sinister 'in a nice way' although I had a friend staying with me for a while who actually had a nightmare about them :-) She wasn't a fan.

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magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

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i've been from Limehouse to Uxbridge recently and not seen them. I know the boats the bloke told me he got a single license for them because it is a twin hull widebeam as the two hulls are permanently attached (or appear to be ;) and I remember he had wheels on the sides for islington and maida hill tunnels

 

I haven't seen his boat for ages probably about 10 years but i've not been north past Hackney Wick since 2009.

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monkeyhanger Rising Star

monkeyhanger

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It is moored in Wenlock Basin on the Regents Canal, I do not think it will be going anywhere again.

 

He's not in Wenlock Basin, but he's still around and still living on his boat(s). His health, unfortunately, is a bit up and down these days. He's a great guy, very knowledgeable and the most helpful person you could ever hope to meet.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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That's interesting! Would you pay one licence fee for that, or two, do you think?

It can be separated, I feel sure, (how else can you black down the middle), so it ought to be two boats.........

 

But perhaps he claims it can't be?....

 

YEP! - Seems to be registered as one wide beam

 

ANDRINA Built by WEST RIDING BOAT CO. - Length 17.98 metres (59 feet ) - Beam 4.11 metres (13 feet 6 inches ) - Draft 0.68 metres (2 feet 3 inches ) Metal hull, power of 30 BHP. Registered with British Waterways number 69047 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 11-Apr-2010.

 

not licensed since 2010 though, if Jim Shead list is to be believed.......

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  • 3 weeks later...
gerrygvs Gongoozler

gerrygvs

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can anyone remember the name of the 2 narrowboats that were permenantly fixed together, i think they were moored up the River Lee, both battleship grey, with a huge radio ariel on top. And is the boat still around ?

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gerrygvs Gongoozler

gerrygvs

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can anyone remember the name of the 2 narrowboats that were permenantly fixed together, i think they were moored up the River Lee, both battleship grey, with a huge radio ariel on top. And is the boat still around ?

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gerrygvs Gongoozler

gerrygvs

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The name of my boat is Andrina and have been the owner and boatdweller of one half since 1982 and the storage half, built as a copy, since 1992. Started at Wenlock Basin Regents Canal 1982-4, then towpathing until 2009, now due to ill health am a permanent resident at Kingsland Basin, Regents Canal. The boat is registered as a widebeam. When the second shell was dropped into the water alongside, I informed BW that the beam had changed from 6ft 10ins to 13ft 8ins. The high aerial was to get a decent tv and mobile phone signal - it is now redundant. Be happy to answer any questions.

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gerrygvs Gongoozler

gerrygvs

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Thanks for posting! If it's not too nosy, what made you choose to get a second NB and weld them rather than getting a ready made widebeam?

1990 was a nasty recession and boats not selling. My boat built as a centre cockpit wheel steering detachable wooden canopy river cruiser on a narrowboat hull, intended for the Severn and connecting canals. I bought cheap as it was a one off , but knew I would have difficulty selling. Was living on board,needed storage for my tools and materials for working on my boat on the towpath and could not afford to pay for hotel if sold before bought something liveable. Very few widebeam builders and prices high. Imports of european barges dried up . Grand Union barred for widebeam north of Berkhamstead, but ok for narrowboat pairs. Widebeam drydock facilities few and expensive. Wanted to be able to cruise narrow canals and Europe. Quote for stretching my 60ft hull to 70 ft about 5 grand gov. Quote for approximate copy shell £9000. Buy the second boat and bolt them together was the best solution for me, and I have never regretted doing so.The hulls can be separated for drydocking and road transport.Would have gone to Europe through the tunnel. I have never had to separate them to get past an obstacle. However, my advice now would be to think about where you want to do your boating. . If you are ok being restricted to the North or South widebeam systems, then go widebeam. My main advice for widebeam is watch the tunnel and bridge profiles. The published headroom for canal bridges is taken at the centre of the arch, and is much less over the width of a maximum beam boat. I have met several people who bought barges in Holland and Belgium that were within the GU lock dimensions, and had an airdraught of less than the published maximum, but could not get past the first arched canal bridge they came to. The bridge and tunnel profiles is the reason why I welded guide wheels on my roof at the front. The profile of my boat was that the roof could hit the brickwork before the gunwales hit the timber, and the screeching of tortured 200 year old bricks was awful.

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