nb Russia

[alan_fincher]

So, were Yarwood's and the other boatbuilders of their era all impeccable craftsmen who were morally and financially spotless, or did such reprehensible episodes occur in the 1930s too?

The book about Walkers of Rickmansworth is a fascinating read, and tracks the full history of a family firm with many interests, mostly but not exclusively about timber, and building things from it.

 

Not originally founded, IIRC, as a boat building firm, it was obviously subsequently involved in building huge numbers of craft for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co in the 1930s, as well as boats for many other people.

 

As the demand for that decreased, it got involved in all kinds of other things based on wood construction, and although I'm relying on memory, roof trusses for house construction and also fencing spring to mind. But it had many other business interests in the Rickmansworth area.

 

I'm sure we are talking here about a company with good old fashioned values, and it seems the various "Mr Walkers" were regularly about the yard, were well respected by their employees, and pretty good at looking after them by the standards of the day, (although I'm sure things went on with large unguarded saws that would be completely unacceptable today!).

 

 

I'm not sure if there is a similar detailed history of Yarwoods? If there were, I would be very interested to hear of it.

 

 

I guess Harland and Wolff is rather different from the firms that had "and son" or "and sons" tacked to their treading name?

 

 

One thing though I think it is worth recognising, is that the wooden narrow boats, whoever built them, probably had a planned service life of no more than twenty years. They were in a way only considered a part repairable item, and it was assumed that after a relatively short while they might be replaced. This applies particularly to BCN day boats, that had a hard life, and didn't have a live aboard crew who were going to show much care in them as "their home".

 

I'm about to put on the market a 20 year old "Clonecraft", and I suspect it has retained a far greater percentage of its value than a 20 year old working boat being resold to another carrier in the days when such things occurred.

[ChimneyChain]

There's a good 17 page booklet called "WJ Yarwood & Sons Ltd Ship buiders of Northwich 1896-1966. Not much about canal boats as they did built so much other stuff. If your at ricky this year Alan you can have.

 

Darren

[alan_fincher]

If your at ricky this year Alan you can have.

 

Darren

 

We plan to be, (assuming not too many more medical emergencies!).

 

I would be very interested to see that - thanks!

[koukouvagia]

This raises a question about which I was wondering recently. Time and again in these pages we hear stories of modern boats which are poorly finished, don't swim well, are unsafe to use and are built by deplorable, shifty fly-boys who grab your money and disappear cackling over the horizon with it, leaving you broke and boatless, only to reappear under a different name six weeks later and do the same again.

 

So, were Yarwood's and the other boatbuilders of their era all impeccable craftsmen who were morally and financially spotless, or did such reprehensible episodes occur in the 1930s too?

 

One such early boatbuilder was Braithwaite and Kirk. Between 1911 and 1914 FMC commissioned 24 butties, may of which are still extant. They were highly regarded by the boatmen because they handled so well - they slip into locks beautifully.

Braithwaites made, inter alia, gas holders and water tanks (a bit like Springers!) as well as bridges.

 

An excellent history of the firm is here

[Athy]

Yes, but were they straightforward, reliable businessmen?

So the evidence so far is that pre-war boatbuilders were indeed skilled and trustworthy fellows, and that the more dubious or possibly even criminal ones are a recent arrival/ is this so?

[baz gimson]

I'd of thought that there are are more chancers building boats because of the rise of leisure boating. Fleet operators know what they want etc private individuaLs looking for a floating home/caravan are in the dark about boat building.

[Athy]

I'd of thought that there are are more chancers building boats because of the rise of leisure boating. Fleet operators know what they want etc private individuaLs looking for a floating home/caravan are in the dark about boat building.

Good point, Baz. But I wonder if there any of these "chancers" around during the so-called golden age of the canals. We do read stories of surveyors and canal builders who weren't up to the job, so it's not impossible that some boatbuilders were found wanting too.

[MtB]

Baz is right, and in addition most boat builders wanted/expected expected to build more than one boat (hopefully many!) for each customer, so stitching up the punters back then was a surefire way to ensure your own business failure.

 

Unlike nowadays when every punter is at risk of being bled dry as few are likely to come back in six months to buy another.

[koukouvagia]

I do wonder why, if the Braithwaite butties were so highly regarded, FMC ordered only 24.

 

By the way, Braithwaites are still going strong, 125 years on.

[John Williamson 1955]

I do wonder why, if the Braithwaite butties were so highly regarded, FMC ordered only 24.

 

By the way, Braithwaites are still going strong, 125 years on.

Maybe FMC didn't have the capacity available to build them at their own yards, so had to subcontract the build? They had 2 yards of their own at Uxbridge and Saltley for building new and maintaining older boats

[Tim Lewis]

I do wonder why, if the Braithwaite butties were so highly regarded, FMC ordered only 24.

 

By the way, Braithwaites are still going strong, 125 years on.

 

Are they still going, they were part of the Rowecord Group which went bust a year or two ago

 

Tim

[koukouvagia]

 

Are they still going, they were part of the Rowecord Group which went bust a year or two ago

 

Tim

I don't know. I'm just going by the Braithwaite website .

[Tim Lewis]

I don't know. I'm just going by the Braithwaite website .

 

It looks like it was 'just' Rowecord Engineering that went into administration with the rest of the Rowecord Group continuing.

 

Tim

[Athy]

Braithwaite's have an impressive history which I think that few of us were aware of - they helped build the Earl's Court hall for example.

 

It is a pity that the "Heritage" section of their web site makes no mention of boatbuilding though.

[pete harrison]

There's a good 17 page booklet called "WJ Yarwood & Sons Ltd Ship buiders of Northwich 1896-1966. Not much about canal boats as they did built so much other stuff. If your at ricky this year Alan you can have.

 

Darren

This 17 page booklet was completed by the late Clive Guthrie, although it was not started by him. Clive was asked to bring this publication to completion as he was already working on his own researches into W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., but he was dissatisfied with the end product.

 

Clive went on to write a thorough account of this Yard going back as far as 1840, and listed a credible history of each and every W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd. Yard Number which is correct up to 2006. In September 2006 Clive circulated three 160 page manuscripts for proof reading prior to publication, with one going to his publisher and one to me. Unfortunately Clive died suddenly on 18 February 2007 and although his family were keen to see his work published this has not happened, and I do not expect it to now. All that was left to do with his manuscript was decide on which photographs to use (mostly W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd. photographs) and where exactly to place them.

 

I lost a good friend in February 2007, and the waterways community lost a bloody good book

[Wanted]

This 17 page booklet was completed by the late Clive Guthrie, although it was not started by him. Clive was asked to bring this publication to completion as he was already working on his own researches into W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., but he was dissatisfied with the end product.

 

Clive went on to write a thorough account of this Yard going back as far as 1840, and listed a credible history of each and every W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd. Yard Number which is correct up to 2006. In September 2006 Clive circulated three 160 page manuscripts for proof reading prior to publication, with one going to his publisher and one to me. Unfortunately Clive died suddenly on 18 February 2007 and although his family were keen to see his work published this has not happened, and I do not expect it to now. All that was left to do with his manuscript was decide on which photographs to use (mostly W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd. photographs) and where exactly to place them.

 

I lost a good friend in February 2007, and the waterways community lost a bloody good book

Ever thought of picking up the mantle Pete?

[Athy]

Ever thought of picking up the mantle Pete?

It does sound worth doing if you can find a publisher to subsidise the printing, distribution etc. I suspect that those 160 pages include a wealth of information which is not known elsewhere.

[John Williamson 1955]

It does sound worth doing if you can find a publisher to subsidise the printing, distribution etc. I suspect that those 160 pages include a wealth of information which is not known elsewhere.

If you have time and a scanner to convert what's there into a pdf or .epub file, then you don't need a publisher. Just list a URL here, or maybe have a chat with Amazon about selling it. They work on a commission only basis, so once you've generated the file, you just wait for the returns. There are also a few bookshops who can do a local good quality printout of a bound book from a file online for a fee, while making sure the author gets the royalties for the work.

 

You can even do the job in Word or Libere Office and just print it to a pdf.

[pete harrison]

Ever thought of picking up the mantle Pete?

This is not my work to publish.

 

edit =

Edited March 17, 2015 by pete harrison

[Wanted]

This is not my work to publish.

 

edit =

Yes, fair point, and I totally understand

[mark99]

As seen as I passed yesterday near Stink'ole.

 

As I understand it from a good source, to be moved to Cassio, surveyed and sold by CaRT to limited pool of bidders.

 

 

 

Note to image of Eridanus above - don't leave engine room right hand door open.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2015 by mark99

[madcat]

Sad, how's the poor bloke who owns the boat? Surely it's his to sell not the trust.

 

I think it should be on the open market. There's a few people looking for a project who have track records of previous restorations. It's a sweet looking boat.

[mark99]

Sad, how's the poor bloke who owns the boat? Surely it's his to sell not the trust.

 

I think it should be on the open market. There's a few people looking for a project who have track records of previous restorations. It's a sweet looking boat.

 

I was told he was getting help but would not rather say more than that on public forum partly because I don't know him nor do I know the full story. But yes - sad.

[madcat]

Understand you not wishing to say much on a public forum. Hearing that he is being helped is as much information as any body needs to know me included. I'm very sorry things have gone so badly wrong and I hope the future will be better.

[forsberg]

As seen as I passed yesterday near Stink'ole.

 

As I understand it from a good source, to be moved to Cassio, surveyed and sold by CaRT to limited pool of bidders.

 

 

 

I guess CaRT got the boat in exchange for costs and will not make a profit on that, but since they allready seemed to have waived the mooring fees I hope there is no surplus after refloat.

Else I fear the owner have been mislead, the phrase " limited pool of bidders" dont ring well.