Have decorated Deck Boards gone out of fashion?

[magnetman]

I thought it was a Roger Fuller the best shaped washer joshers about in my opinion.

[mark99]

Hi all

David has raised a valid point, I think. As someone at the sharp end, actually decorating boats in traditional style, I've done quite a few over the years, though they are certainly not something I do often, those that I have painted have all been on working or trad style craft. I recall painting the roses on Mark's Deckboard when I did the boat some years ago and not long ago I painted one for Alder, owned by the Pinnock family. Junior's Deckboard, used for advertising, is also mine. If I remember rightly, it was largely the Number Ones, or owner boatmen, who went in for the decorated boards.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

 

I just rubbed it down this weekend and gave it a good old coat of Phil's varnish.

[Laurence Hogg]

I think people have lost the knowledge of the purpose of the deck board. On loaded boats particularly it was there to keep lock gate splash out of the hold as some gate paddles were violent in use.

The modern see through versions act in the same way and satisfy the same use, typically though modern fore end decks are short and the deck board sits forward of where it should be for maximum protection.

 

As for decoration, I love to see a fully decorated one and think it shows pride in the craft. However we must look to history for the start of lack of decoration. No British Waterways traffic boats had any decoration, nor the previous Grand Union Canal Carrying Co Ltd, Fellows Morton & Clayton were just plain dark blue too. Also some firms like S E Barlow were "economising" by simplifying the design, in their case to a single row of diamonds down the middle.

 

Ovaltine used theirs for advertising and Samuel Barlow's always had the full Monty right through to Blue Line days.

 

Now instead of a Deck Board has anyone tried a "Bulk" ? Now that would be different!

 

A Cowburn & Cowpar motor in BW days with a "Bulk":

 

[David Schweizer]

Hi all

David has raised a valid point, I think. As someone at the sharp end, actually decorating boats in traditional style, I've done quite a few over the years, though they are certainly not something I do often, those that I have painted have all been on working or trad style craft. I recall painting the roses on Mark's Deckboard when I did the boat some years ago and not long ago I painted one for Alder, owned by the Pinnock family. Junior's Deckboard, used for advertising, is also mine. If I remember rightly, it was largely the Number Ones, or owner boatmen, who went in for the decorated boards.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

Yes, photographic evidence would certainly support that, although Samuel Barlow boats nearly always carried a decorated board, and some companies such as Wanders used the deck board to advertise therir productsm very much in the same way as many coal/fuel boats do today.

 

Anyway,I feel that I fit into the modern catagory of owner booatman , so a decorated board is completely appropriate.

[alan_fincher]

I think people have lost the knowledge of the purpose of the deck board. On loaded boats particularly it was there to keep lock gate splash out of the hold as some gate paddles were violent in use.

The modern see through versions act in the same way and satisfy the same use, typically though modern fore end decks are short and the deck board sits forward of where it should be for maximum protection.

 

As for decoration, I love to see a fully decorated one and think it shows pride in the craft. However we must look to history for the start of lack of decoration. No British Waterways traffic boats had any decoration, nor the previous Grand Union Canal Carrying Co Ltd, Fellows Morton & Clayton were just plain dark blue too. Also some firms like S E Barlow were "economising" by simplifying the design, in their case to a single row of diamonds down the middle.

 

Ovaltine used theirs for advertising and Samuel Barlow's always had the full Monty right through to Blue Line days.

 

Now instead of a Deck Board has anyone tried a "Bulk" ? Now that would be different!

 

A Cowburn & Cowpar motor in BW days with a "Bulk":

 

 

 

Our Flamingo has certainly carried one in the past:

 

(Taken from Narrow Boats, by Tom Chaplain, but cannot find a photographer to credit).

 

 

Yes having a lovely deckboard that others can see why you stare at a triangular piece of wood seems a poor choice.

Although you could argue that any elaborate external decoration to any narrow boat is seen far more.(at least to any great advantage), by people not on the boat, than those actually one it!

Edited July 19, 2015 by alan_fincher

[Peter X]

Having recently done a trip on which making plenty of progress was a priority, I can see how the working boatmen would have liked to have a deck board, or one of these "bulk" things, or some other arrangement so that water pouring through the paddles on top gates would not get into the boat. So long as the boat could be held steady enough in the lock by a centre line or the engine to withstand a bit of a torrent coming into the lock, you could be a bit more adventurous opening the gate paddles when going uphill, thus saving a bit of time on each lock. Anyone trying this in a double lock should of course consider the wishes of the other boat's skipper...

[David Schweizer]

 

 

Our Flamingo has certainly carried one in the past:

 

(Taken from Narrow Boats, by Tom Chaplain, but cannot find a photographer to credit).

 

 

 

Although you could argue that any elaborate external decoration to any narrow boat is seen far more.(at least to any great advantage), by people not on the boat, than those actually one it!

 

Most probably Hugh McKnight who provided all but two of the illustrations for the original 1967 booklet. The photo above does not appear in the original book, but, I am sure i have seen it elsewhere.

[magnetman]

Having recently done a trip on which making plenty of progress was a priority, I can see how the working boatmen would have liked to have a deck board, or one of these "bulk" things, or some other arrangement so that water pouring through the paddles on top gates would not get into the boat. So long as the boat could be held steady enough in the lock by a centre line or the engine to withstand a bit of a torrent coming into the lock, you could be a bit more adventurous opening the gate paddles when going uphill, thus saving a bit of time on each lock. Anyone trying this in a double lock should of course consider the wishes of the other boat's skipper...

Used to do this in most locks but sadly a lot of the gate (centre paddles is the term on Grand Union) openings have been baffled for safety

[GUMPY]

Used to do this in most locks but sadly a lot of the gate (centre paddles is the term on Grand Union) openings have been baffled for safety

If boating on my own since the fitting of the baffles I open the offside centre/gate paddle first before the ground paddle on the side of the boat. I find it creates a better "wash round" than the ground keeping the boat tighter on the lockside. Sometime the ground paddle on the same side as the boat will push the bow over hence my change of ways.

There are one or two exceptions Denham springs to mind......

Edited July 19, 2015 by Loddon

[Sabcat]

 

No, unless Roger Fuller has changed his name recently?

 

Roger Fuller, Dave Harris, Norton Canes all know how to produce a well proportioned bow which looks right from every angle. Obviously there are others.

 

You can tell it's not a Hudson, the bow of your boat is inspired by a Josher rather than Aladdin's sandal

[alan_fincher]

 

Most probably Hugh McKnight who provided all but two of the illustrations for the original 1967 booklet. The photo above does not appear in the original book, but, I am sure i have seen it elsewhere.

 

Which 1967 booklet is this, please David? I am not familiar with it, (but obviously interested!).

 

In think that unless Flamingo carried a bulk in Willow Wren service mote than once, it is unlikely this picture was that early - the evidence seems to be it was very much towards the end of Willow Wren CTS days, probably when Ron Withey worked it..

 

One mystery though, is that in other pictures I have seen when it has a bulk, it is paired with a Star class butty, (probably Cygnus?). If the boat behind Flamingo in the picture I have posted above is its own butty, then it is a Town class, not a Star, and I have no idea which one.

[David Schweizer]

 

Which 1967 booklet is this, please David? I am not familiar with it, (but obviously interested!).

 

In think that unless Flamingo carried a bulk in Willow Wren service mote than once, it is unlikely this picture was that early - the evidence seems to be it was very much towards the end of Willow Wren CTS days, probably when Ron Withey worked it..

 

One mystery though, is that in other pictures I have seen when it has a bulk, it is paired with a Star class butty, (probably Cygnus?). If the boat behind Flamingo in the picture I have posted above is its own butty, then it is a Town class, not a Star, and I have no idea which one.

 

The original first edition, entitled "A Short History of the Narrow Boat", published by Geoffrey Dibb in their Waterways Pocket Book series. price 3/6d. It is a small 48 pages paperback measuring 7" x 5" . I bought it on the IWA (or possibly BWB) stand at the 1967 Earls Court Boat Show. Tom Chaplin was ony 20 at the time, and the booklet was based upon the Special Study he produced for his Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award.

 

Edited to add:- There is a copy of the 1968 edition on Amazon at the moment, price £15 + £2.80 postage !! Same cover design, but different photo, my copy has a picture of Jim Collins on Kent.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-short-history-narrow-boat/dp/B0000COBOD

Edited July 19, 2015 by David Schweizer

[FadeToScarlet]

I thought it was a Roger Fuller the best shaped washer joshers about in my opinion.

Some say that either he or his brother Martin coined the term, "washer Josher".

[Laurence Hogg]

Some say that either he or his brother Martin coined the term, "washer Josher".

 

I think it was Waterways World who first used the term, way back in the 1980's.

[AMModels]

Who made the first washer Josher? First one I saw was at Titford pools at one of the nationals, so 78/82ish.

[larkshall]

 

 

I think such boards are wonderful to see, nearly impossible to do well on a DIY basis, and costly to commission. With modern pressure on people's budgets, is it any wonder they are in decline alas ?

[Tonka]

What is difficult all you need to is cut a sheet of ply and paint it.

[cheshire~rose]

Although far from traditional our (glazed) deck board is also decorated.

 

[mark99]

I think such boards are wonderful to see, nearly impossible to do well on a DIY basis, and costly to commission. With modern pressure on people's budgets, is it any wonder they are in decline alas ?

 

 

Not difficult unless you count the painting/decoration. That bit you need a pro (like Dave M) to come down and do it for you. You would be surprised how inexpensive a decoration by an expert can be (they work so quickly!) - as long as you look after it with decent anti UV varnish, it's a real feature.

Edited July 21, 2015 by mark99

[larkshall]

 

 

Not difficult unless you count the painting/decoration. That bit you need a pro (like Dave M) to come down and do it for you. You would be surprised how inexpensive a decoration by an expert can be (they work so quickly!) - as long as you look after it with decent anti UV varnish, it's a real feature.

 

 

 

Not difficult unless you count the painting/decoration. That bit you need a pro (like Dave M) to come down and do it for you. You would be surprised how inexpensive a decoration by an expert can be (they work so quickly!) - as long as you look after it with decent anti UV varnish, it's a real feature.

Hmm maybe, but whilst I'll spend hours with a spray gun brush painting leaves me cold. Define inexpensive?

[giveitsomeoil]

Very Interesting observation David and not one that I had consciously made myself, but now you mention it.....

 

Indeed as it has already been said here this was very much a custom from the owner boatmen or No. 1' s in horse boating days or maybe those with small highly decorated fleets. There were some fleets such as 'Barlows' that were renowned for their embellishment and artwork but in the main the larger carrying fleets kept it simple with plain colours or even just a simple shape.

 

Often a 'deck cloth' was used as a part of the crafts top cloth arrangement. If properly erected this piece of carefully cut canvas wrapped around the deck board and was tied back, to under the top cloths. It made the cratch stronger and more rigid but also protected it against water and rot. This would give the appearance of a plain deck board. It was under this canvas that the bulk structure would be fitted.

 

Personally I like a canvas deck cloth stretched over either a bulk or tight over the deck board with scrubbed white rockets holding the cratch together tightly. Decorated deck boards (although I have always considered them a southern or Braunston boats 'thing') are indeed a welcome sight so well done to all those take the time and trouble.

 

Incidentally here is my fore end showing that some people still are sporting the bulk!

 

 

[magnetman]

Looks really good

 

Edit as I couldn't quote the picture for some reason..

Edited July 21, 2015 by magnetman

[churchward]

Over the years I have noticed that the number of boats with Deck Boards seem to have increased significantly, but very few seem to carry any decoratiopn and even fewer are fully decorated. This year over four weeks cruising we only counted three. The most popular configuration appears to be varnished wood with glazed triangular wings, some of these carry lozenge design on the centre board, but most have a plain varnished board.e Even the few with solid wings were painted a single colour.

 

This has set me thinking, is this a change in taste, or have the number skilled decoraters reduced to such an extent that people cannot find anyone to do the work. or maybe people want to use their Cratch area as an extension to the boat, much in the same way as a conservatory is on a house.

 

We have always carried a fullly decorated Deck Board on Helvetia, and increasingly we get admiring comments about how "pretty" or colourful the front of our boat is, it can certainly be seen from a good distance. But despite the complimentary comments very few boat owners seem to want to follow the traditions any more, but we soldier on.

 

 

They have not gone out of fashion with me (nice example in your pics BTW) I like them. I have painted ours with borders and currently plain triangles but have yet to have any roses or any decoration in them.

[David Schweizer]

I think such boards are wonderful to see, nearly impossible to do well on a DIY basis, and costly to commission. With modern pressure on people's budgets, is it any wonder they are in decline alas ?

 

Our board was decorated by Ron Hough, and cost very little (I did the diamonds myself). Sadly, he is no longer painting, but If you got the board to someone like Dave Moore, I think you would be surprised to learn how reasonable it would actually be to have it decorated.

 

Unfortunately paintwork on a wooden board does not last long before it begins to crack and flake off. I overcame that by laminating the inner panels with glass fibre and resin, before paintying it with the background colour. The decoration was then overcoated with several layers of Yacht varnish, and six years on it is still almost pristine.

Edited July 21, 2015 by David Schweizer

[dave moore]

Resinising timber is a good way to improve longevity. All of the wooden work on Resolute has been treated thus prior to painting and is holding up well 15 years later. This was at the advice of one of the then Norton Canes chippies, Glynn Walker who also built racing dinghies and was familiar with resin. He had worked for many years at the dock, from the days when Malcolm Braine was in charge and wooden topped cabins were the norm.

 

Thanks to all for the heads up about my work. Having painted 12 swags of roses, almost to completion, started 6 castles and painted about 60' of mouldings today, I'm not sorry to be home with a glass or two of red wine....as well as chatting to various visitors to Glascote.

 

Cheers!!

 

Dave