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Modern Carrying Narrow Boats


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What about Elsinore - she was converted and became Else as her nick-name was the "floating shit house"

This boat has been advertised under its full name of ELSINORE several times recently on the Apollo Duck website (but not currently advertised), claiming to have been built by Hancock and Lane in the 1970's and spending its first three years as a carrying boat. Not knowing (or remembering) this boat I did not include it, mainly as several owners claim their boats to have been carrying boats but with little or no evidence.

 

So how was ELSINORE used, and where ?

 

edit = I have just done some further investigation and ELSINORE was built as HOUGHTON, and was still named as such in both 1983 and 1985 when it was licensed as a house boat. It's B.W.B. index number (64848) certainly dates to 1980/1981 when these numbers were first issued. When advertised on Apollo Duck in April 2014 it was claimed to have been built as a working boat circa 1978.

Edited by pete harrison
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This boat has been advertised under its full name several times recently on the Apollo Duck website (but not currently advertised), claiming to have been built by Hancock and Lane in the 1970's and spending its first three years as a carrying boat. Not knowing (or remembering) this boat I did not include it, mainly as several owners claim their boats to have been carrying boats but with little or no evidence.

 

So how was ELSINORE used, and where ?

Is this the green boat moored up by the Braunston puddle banks on the off side?

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This boat has been advertised under its full name of ELSINORE several times recently on the Apollo Duck website (but not currently advertised), claiming to have been built by Hancock and Lane in the 1970's and spending its first three years as a carrying boat. Not knowing (or remembering) this boat I did not include it, mainly as several owners claim their boats to have been carrying boats but with little or no evidence.

 

So how was ELSINORE used, and where ?

 

edit = I have just done some further investigation and ELSINORE was built as HOUGHTON, and was still named as such in both 1983 and 1985 when it was licensed as a house boat. It's B.W.B. index number (64848) certainly dates to 1980/1981 when these numbers were first issued. When advertised on Apollo Duck in April 2014 it was claimed to have been built as a working boat circa 1978.

She was Else by 84/85 on the GU near MK the Parris family lived on her. I remember her before she was converted as she was owned by a friend of my father who I think had her converted but as they are all gone now hard to find more info. She was always known to me as either Elsinore or Else. She had a brass plate on the front of her cabin with info regarding the builders and date of her conversion.

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I often used to meet these Union Canal Carrying Ltd. self steered camping boats but it was KIMBERLEY and LINDSAY that I 'feared' the most captain.gif

Kimberly was my favorite, we used to hire her in the eighties into the nineties, though we did have Linsey on one occassion and went down the Soar with her, and we had Heyford on one occassion. Had some great Friday nights in the Plough in Braunston, playing music and singing.

 

We went through Braunston two years ago for the first time since then and were supprised to see the same lady (Iris) I think; in UCCs shop and the old landlord (John) having a pint in the Plough

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Is this the Elsinore you are referring to above

 

Hancock and Lane 70 foot

 

I think this one was taken in 1975 - 6 on the Llangollen canal

Ellsinore_zpspuiizgrh.jpg

 

I think this was taken at the same time

 

img242_zpshlvdw9bv.jpg

 

This was a year later,

img310_zps55zv7s8c.jpg

 

I probably have others. I would be interested to know where it is now and what it looks like after all these years.

 

Carl

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How about Unicorn? Started life as a hire boat but in later years, approx 10 or so years ago, had work carried out at Stockton and has now been converted into a 50ft narrowboat with a clothed up open hold.

 

This boat may not count as it apparently was destined for an undercloth conversion, but is currently up for sale via Apolloduck with the posibility if being used for carrying.

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How about Unicorn? Started life as a hire boat but in later years, approx 10 or so years ago, had work carried out at Stockton and has now been converted into a 50ft narrowboat with a clothed up open hold.

 

This boat may not count as it apparently was destined for an undercloth conversion, but is currently up for sale via Apolloduck with the posibility if being used for carrying.

In the initial post of this thread I wrote:

 

"boats built post 1970 with the intent of being used for commercial carrying"

 

I have my doubts about a few that have been mentioned so far. Just because a boat is built unconverted does not mean it was built for carrying (I am not including modern camping boats, shops, later deconversions of pleasure boats e.t.c.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

My boat is a (domestic) Hancock & Lane, i was told she was built in '79 but the info CRT have on her state she's a '74 build. I've never seen a H&L working boat, so i don't know if the "tell tale" features of domestic H&L's would apply, but the handrails and the front of the bow pictured above are similar (although they're pretty standard Norfolk rails)
Without a regular cabin i guess the curved top sides (where they meet the welldeck) weren't necessary

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm not convinced about the history of Unicorn.

 

I'm sure it was a Rugby Boatbuilders/Boughton Products hull (but Colecraft did build some to the same shape and I don't know how to tell the difference), originally built with a wooden top which had rotted, hence it's removal.

 

John Forth bought it as one his winter projects and the "de-conversion" was his idea. Stockton Dry Dock Co rather than WFBCo did the steelwork and then John fitted out the back cabin and put the engine in, which I think was the Lister S range that had previously been under the back deck. I was working at MC's Junction Wharf premises at the time which makes it late 90s rather than 1993.

 

The bow of Elsinore looks like a Hancock & Lane Norseman to me.

 

Anthony

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I'm not convinced about the history of Unicorn.

 

I'm sure it was a Rugby Boatbuilders/Boughton Products hull (but Colecraft did build some to the same shape and I don't know how to tell the difference), originally built with a wooden top which had rotted, hence it's removal.

 

John Forth bought it as one his winter projects and the "de-conversion" was his idea. Stockton Dry Dock Co rather than WFBCo did the steelwork and then John fitted out the back cabin and put the engine in, which I think was the Lister S range that had previously been under the back deck. I was working at MC's Junction Wharf premises at the time which makes it late 90s rather than 1993..

 

Anthony

The current B.W.B. index number for UNICORN can be dated to 1995, suggesting to me that this was its date of conversion / completion. Clearly UNICORN would have had a different B.W.B. index number prior to its current conversion, unless it was kept on another Authority's waters. I am sure Mr Forth would have kept the boat on a 'Trade Plate' whilst he was working on it.

The bow of Elsinore looks like a Hancock & Lane Norseman to me.

 

Anthony

I thought Hancock and Lane 'Norseman' as well, a hull built for the pleasure boat market rather than a sturdily built carrying boat.

 

edit = captain.gif

Edited by pete harrison
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Built 1976 by Nigel Jackson, Cliff Sherwood and others Phoebe incorporates much ironwork from the remains of definct carrying craft; T studs, elum irons etc. She was active in the restoration of the Caldon and carried a variety of loads with the Five Towns Carrying Company. See http://apolloduck.net/441234

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Built 1976 by Nigel Jackson, Cliff Sherwood and others Phoebe incorporates much ironwork from the remains of definct carrying craft; T studs, elum irons etc. She was active in the restoration of the Caldon and carried a variety of loads with the Five Towns Carrying Company. See http://apolloduck.net/441234

PHOEBE is listed in the first post of this thread, and its built date was 1979/1980 regardless of what the advert might claim captain.gif

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I want that. It's lovely.

it is certainly being marketed at a realistic price captain.gif

 

PHOEBE is being advertised by Ben Duncan, who also recently advertised a wooden 'Severner'. Does this mean that PHOEBE is no longer owned by Nigel Jackson, and if so when did he sell it ?

Edited by pete harrison
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  • 3 years later...
34 minutes ago, Heartland said:

Merchant on the Thames, is this a modern boat or a heritage craft?

Modern :captain:

 

edit = a quick bit of googling suggests MERCHANT was built in 2010 by R.W. Davis & Son Ltd., Saul, so presumably is one of their 'Northwich Trader' pleasure boats with a short cabin.

Edited by pete harrison
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