Tugs

[mark99]

Nice fishtail

 

is there a better bike than a Vee Twin?

 

I think not.

Edited July 9, 2013 by mark99

[Chop!]

Nice fishtail

 

is there a better bike than a Vee Twin?

 

I think not.

And a flathead v-twin at that! Nice to meet a man with taste! ;o)

 

Hmmm, got enough bits for 2 engines, a v-twin B.S.A. narrowboat.................fishtail chimney...........Ooh Err just came over all unnecessary!

Edited July 9, 2013 by Chop!

[Doorman]

At first I misread that as saying that it's an old tug, now realise you probably meant old as in ex? Where is it now? It passed through here maybe 3 years ago after being bought by someone up Burscough way, IIRC was that your friends?

 

I did have a serious look at the original Frederick Whittingham some years ago with a view to purchase, but decided it needed too much work for the money. Pleased in the end that my silly offer wasn't accepted.

 

Tim

Hello Tim and apologies for this late reply due to the need for copious amounts of aftersun cream on my baldy head!

 

We last saw our friend whom was moored at Scarisbrick Marina on the L&L canal a couple of years ago before we moved down here to Audlem. Tony was in the throws of selling this unique craft at that time and I recall a comment here on the forum that it had in fact been bought by some lucky boater through Appollo Duck.

 

One of Roger Fuller's best examples of British craftsmanship stacked with many engineering features. The cabin, although quite small, was very homely and would suit a couple or a single handed boater. It certainly turned heads when we travelled with him to the Liverpool Link.

 

Not best suited for canal work with its Gardiner 6LX engine and four blade prop, but ideal for river work which I believe was what the boat was designed for having been bought from a boater based on the Trent. I would love to know where it is now and who bought it. Hopefully, the new owner will cherish and care for this classic piece of boat building skill.

 

Sadly, this photo doesn't do the boat justice.

 

 

Mike

Edited July 10, 2013 by Doorman

[Chertsey]

I'd like a tug-style boat one day too! I will be using some of my summer holidays to draw it! Someone mentioned that women don't like them, and I can confirm that a porthole-only arrangement is a major issue for Mrs W! My drawings will include light from the roof too!

 

(No thumping vintage engine for me though)

Some women, huh.

[Bee]

I think Branson boats do a tug style kit about 30` or so, also have a look at Euroships in Holland or spend a bit of time looking at `Sleepboot` on Botentekoop, all wide beam vessels but lots of interesting stuff, also on this site somewhere is `Bee` photographed by `Bargemast` on the Marne under the heading `a couple of interesting tugs`.

[LoneWolf]

Some women, huh.

 

hey hey Chertsey

 

 

My next boat will be a tug style. I'm not fussed about the yee olde engine though and i'm not sure about speed wheel controls. I'm thinking i may have to come round to them though

 

 

Tug styles dont seem to last long on the Duck, I reckon that Ebenezer linked to above will be under offer in a fortnight, or month max.

 

<phones estate agent>

[john6767]

 

hey hey Chertsey

 

 

My next boat will be a tug style. I'm not fussed about the yee olde engine though and i'm not sure about speed wheel controls. I'm thinking i may have to come round to them though

 

 

Tug styles dont seem to last long on the Duck, I reckon that Ebenezer linked to above will be under offer in a fortnight, or month max.

 

<phones estate agent>

I was going to ask if anyone know the story behind Ebenezer, I think it has been up for sale for at least a couple of years. We stopped opposite it at Norton Junction the summer before last, and it had a Tollhouse Boat Sales sign on it then.

[MtB]

I was going to ask if anyone know the story behind Ebenezer, I think it has been up for sale for at least a couple of years. We stopped opposite it at Norton Junction the summer before last, and it had a Tollhouse Boat Sales sign on it then.

Ah yes I KNEW it looked familiar. It was still at Norton Junction with the for sale sign on the other day.

 

Quite a handsome bote at fiest sight, unusually low in the water though. Might be deep draughted, or maybe low-gunwhale design of hull. A shade overpriced I'd say though, given the lines of the hull don't look *quite* right to my eye, if you're picky about that sort of thing! A little to much uplift on the stern and the prow a little too high as well. Altogether a slightly odd look but just my opinion.

 

30% of the value lies in that oversized Lister JS3M engine though, I'd say. Probably what puts a lot of people off too!

 

MtB

 

MtB

[LoneWolf]

I was going to ask if anyone know the story behind Ebenezer, I think it has been up for sale for at least a couple of years. We stopped opposite it at Norton Junction the summer before last, and it had a Tollhouse Boat Sales sign on it then.

 

that's interesting - it wasn't on the duck about a month ago or in Jan (unless i missed it when i looked at all the 50-60' portholed boats)

 

perhaps they need to reduce the price...

[MtB]

that's interesting - it wasn't on the duck about a month ago or in Jan (unless i missed it when i looked at all the 50-60' portholed boats)

 

perhaps they need to reduce the price...

It's in the separate 'tugs' section...

 

MtB

[LoneWolf]

It's in the separate 'tugs' section...

 

MtB

 

well durr! i check that section 1st

 

not a month ago it wasnt

[john6767]

Ah yes I KNEW it looked familiar. It was still at Norton Junction with the for sale sign on the other day.

 

Quite a handsome bote at fiest sight, unusually low in the water though. Might be deep draughted, or maybe low-gunwhale design of hull. A shade overpriced I'd say though, given the lines of the hull don't look *quite* right to my eye, if you're picky about that sort of thing! A little to much uplift on the stern and the prow a little too high as well. Altogether a slightly odd look but just my opinion.

 

30% of the value lies in that oversized Lister JS3M engine though, I'd say. Probably what puts a lot of people off too!

 

MtB

 

MtB

I quite like the look of it, and that engine looks great. The interior is a little dated, but for me the fact its a tug is a fixed bed is good (more wife friendly!), for others the lack of a BMC may be off putting. Shame its not 55ft with a bit more saloon space though. But not in the market just yet so its all irrelevant, but I am interested why it appears to have been for sale for sometime.

[Laurence Hogg]

I'd love to buy a tug! I like the look of them, I can sit and fish off the front deck and store my motorbike there. But not everyone fishes and/ or owns a motorbike.

 

But when I look at advertised tugs, they seem expensive, compared to 'normal' narrowboats of similar age/ length/ condition. A tug seems to be a narrowboat with less metal, less fitting out.

 

So, why are tugs more expensive? Is it because they are relatively rare and perhaps there are lots of irrational people like me around?

 

Any thoughts anyone?

 

There are few "proper" tugs out there, so few that they are rarer than some well known historic types. There are plenty of trad pretending to be tugs but incapable of acting as such if the need arose. Tugs were built with heavy ballast ahead of the engine room to acheive a low line but also to acheive the necessary directional stability when it comes to pulling the trailing boats/s round a bend or a junction. Its no use having massive amounts of HP on tap if t your boat is light and not stable. So you must decide whether its a pretend tug you want or the real thing.

 

The real thing will have a very powerful engine, vintage or modern, a large bladed prop and will need a deep draft (at least 2ft 9"), this combination will produce a working tug but may not be what the "other half" wants. Also most purpose built BCN tugs are not very pretty having come from yards where sleek lines and finesse were on the back burner. Other tugs are conversions of motor boats / steamers, shortened for the purpose but with added weight. Some were designed with both haulage and icebreaking in mind and can roll a bit.

 

But be even more careful, some "tugs" built on converted hulls are hailed as "BCN" tugs, yet they have never worked as such in their lives, simply being a lookalike built by a yard with historic connections or similar.

 

Then of course there were "Bantams" but thats another story.

 

The classic 50ft tug turned out by some well known builders may look purposeful with its long cabin and over accentuated bow lines, offer lots of space but does it really look like one of theose London area tugs, ie "Buffalo", "Antelope" etc? I doubt it as they were 8ft+ beam!

 

Its up to you, classic lines or a trad, but a real tug?? that needs thinking about.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Laurence Hogg

[Mike Tee]

This one looks interesting - http://www.wfbco.co.uk/narrowboats_for_sale/Firefly

[MtB]

This one looks interesting - http://www.wfbco.co.uk/narrowboats_for_sale/Firefly

Well that's rather delicious isn't it?!

 

Any idea what engine? WFB are being terribly coy about it. Posssibly the reason it is so cheap.

 

MtB

 

Edit to add, on the WFB front page it says it's a Kromhaut! Time to start looking for cash down the back of the sofa...

Edited July 10, 2013 by Mike the Boilerman

[alan_fincher]

To stop people trying to re-find the link......

 

Ebeneezer

 

From our looking at such things, a 50' tug with a trad engine in engine room where under deck space is not used as accommodation will probably be fairly short on living space.

I would have thought most people looking for a boat like this would want a traditional style back cabin, possibly?

 

Hard to see how the claimed 2' 3" draught is consistent with the hull so low in the water, or how it is going to be able to swing blades that are beast enough for that JS3M engine, unless the gearbox is perhaps 1:1?

 

Such things are personal, but the overly raked bow is simply not to my taste at all.

OK - I'll show my ignorance - should I have heard of Ted Spencer?

[madcat]

Ebenezer doesn't appeal to me, not the look the layout or the engine. I'm sure somebody will love it though. It would be dull if we all wanted the same sort of boat.

Who's Ted Spencer ?

[alan_fincher]

This one looks interesting - http://www.wfbco.co.uk/narrowboats_for_sale/Firefly

 

I've seen this boat.

 

Presumably despite advert not saying so the intention was a copy or near copy of a tug like Stewarts and Lloyds Bittell or Pacific.

 

The reality isn't really quite the same, though I can't say why.

 

It does sound quite cheap, and the suspicion might be that it it is internally only frugally fitted.

 

WFBC probably produce the scantest details of anybody.

[bargemast]

I think Branson boats do a tug style kit about 30` or so, also have a look at Euroships in Holland or spend a bit of time looking at `Sleepboot` on Botentekoop, all wide beam vessels but lots of interesting stuff, also on this site somewhere is `Bee` photographed by `Bargemast` on the Marne under the heading `a couple of interesting tugs`.

Hi Richard, I took the photo's of your lovely BEE on the Yonne and not on the Marne, not that your boat will look any different because of that, but only just to help your memory.

 

Peter.

Edited July 10, 2013 by bargemast

[alan_fincher]

Who's Ted Spencer ?

Jim Shead only lists one boat as "Ted Spencer"

 

PROVIDENCE Built by TED SPENCER - Length 15.24 metres (50 feet ) - Beam 2.08 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft 0.61 metres (2 feet ) Metal hull, power of 33 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 53377 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 22-May-2013.

 

but a further three, including this one, as "Spencer T"

 

OTTER Built by SPENCER T - Length 14.63 metres (48 feet ) - Beam 2.07 metres (6 feet 9 inches ) - Draft 0.01 metres ( ) Metal hull, power of 999 BHP. Registered with BW number 47121 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 11-Apr-2010.

TESSA Built by SPENCER T - Length 14.57 metres (47 feet 10 inches ) - Beam 2.06 metres (6 feet 9 inches ) - Draft 0.65 metres (2 feet 2 inches ) Metal hull, power of 30 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 48700 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 22-May-2013.

EBENEZER II Built by SPENCER T - Length 15.19 metres (49 feet 10 inches ) - Beam 2.08 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft 0.61 metres (2 feet ) Metal hull, power of 43 BHP. Registered with Canal & River Trust number 50803 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 22-May-2013.

 

The 50803 BW Index number for Ebenezer II is from 1991, so the boat must be at least 22 years old, I think.

 

 

[Timleech]

Ebenezer doesn't appeal to me, not the look the layout or the engine. I'm sure somebody will love it though. It would be dull if we all wanted the same sort of boat.

Who's Ted Spencer ?

 

Been on the canals for longer than I have, has built a trickle of boats over the years, no idea how many.

 

Some Joshers had a lot of lift on the bows, maybe not quite that much. I think it has class without too much pretension.

 

Tim

[alan_fincher]

 

that's interesting - it wasn't on the duck about a month ago or in Jan (unless i missed it when i looked at all the 50-60' portholed boats)

 

perhaps they need to reduce the price...

This advert has only been there two days, so there is no reason to assume it has been continually on there, I think.

 

Can't say I recognise it as one recently spotted, but it is not one that ticks any boxes for me, so I may have missed it.

[Athy]

Edit to add, on the WFB front page it says it's a Kromhaut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As in, Gardner built under licence?

[Laurence Hogg]

 

I've seen this boat.

 

Presumably despite advert not saying so the intention was a copy or near copy of a tug like Stewarts and Lloyds Bittell or Pacific.

 

The reality isn't really quite the same, though I can't say why.

 

It does sound quite cheap, and the suspicion might be that it it is internally only frugally fitted.

 

WFBC probably produce the scantest details of anybody.

 

The only thing in common with the S&L wartime tugs is the oblong opening deadlights which were fixed on the S&L boats from memory! The S&L tugs have many unique features, raised decks, large towing bollards, angle iron cant rails etc, all easily copied which are not present on this boat. Also the bow bears no resemblence to the Yarwoods one.

[Speedwheel]

As in, Gardner built under licence?

 

Hotbulb semi-diesel.