Birchills back at BCLM

[springy]

Taken yesterday :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

bloody weather !

 

springy

[Laurence Hogg]

What a corking job, doesn't that look good. Very good match for the "Common blue" on the lining board. This livery is the last the boat carried.

Ray Thomas (Ernies son) commissioned me to build a model of" "Birchills" as built new and supplied photos and colours for the job, the model was my 212th and is stamped with that number underneath, it was a big one 20mm to 1ft and used to be in the club room at Calf Heath. You can see the detail differences in the two pictures below:

 

 

[Derek R.]

Cracking job!

 

Same place 30yrs ago:

 

[Fmc_rob]

Very, very nice. Stark change from when I saw her half sunk a few years ago. Have to say the dock at BCLM and canal arm looked rather empty a few weeks ago with Peacock and Kildare missing also, and also I'm sure a tug or two were missing

[AMModels]

Lovely job done on her at Alvecote, she could have just dropped off the chocks at Birchills or even Mr Worsey's.

 

Stirred a few memories too.

[The Pipe]

Interesting that she is double ended with a cabin, not seen that before. Having lifted 'Kildares 'Ellem' anybody who wishes to move it from one end to the other needs a spine with fewer slipped disks than mine.

[Laurence Hogg]

Interesting that she is double ended with a cabin, not seen that before. Having lifted 'Kildares 'Ellem' anybody who wishes to move it from one end to the other needs a spine with fewer slipped disks than mine.

1000's of joeys were double ended many with day cabins, Bichills is the typical wooden variety and a prime example to preserve. The rudders were made light weight and weigh no where near that of a long distance boat so changing wasn't such a great issue.

 

What bothers me a bit on the boat is the scarf joints go the same way on the top strake, this was often avoided to make the boat less likely to "hog".

[Fmc_rob]

 

Taken less than two years ago

[dave moore]

Please bear in mind that wooden boats are usually sunk while awaiting restoration, the reason being to preserve the timbers and to prevent the seams from drying out.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Fmc_rob]

Thanks Dave, I wasn't aware of that

[giveitsomeoil]

A stunning rebuild of the stern end by A.P Boatbuilding including a new cabin and fitments. Also a stunning Paint-job inside and out - all by Narrowcraft at Alvecote.

 

Nice to see traditional boatbuilding has returned to the Alvecote area. With the historical docks of Barlows just over a mile along the Coventry canal and Lee's and Atkins docks were a mile away in Polesworth, the other direction.