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Where Do Old Boats Go ?

NB Willawaw

By NB Willawaw
in General Boating

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NB Willawaw Experienced

NB Willawaw

Posted
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Whilst motoring along the cut yesterday, I passed a dirty and uncared for narrowboat with a list that only unchecked excessive rainwater or a leaky stern gland can cause...

and I wondered what happens to old narrowboats when their time is up.

 

We all know what happens to old cars (the feared crusher) and I know that ships end up run on to a beach at high tide in the Indian sub-continent, being cut into small pieces, but where do narrowboats go ?

 

Answers on a postcard !

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Jon Rising Star

Jon

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I know that boats in a really poor condition and abandoned get taken away by BW, but not sure where to? I guess that wooden boats normally rot away, and steel/fibreglass boats eventually end up on the scrap heap as with anything else :lol:

 

Jon

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Gary Peacock Veteran

Gary Peacock

Posted
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In the old days on the Calder and Hebble there were boat "grave yards" on certain unnavigable sections old wooden boats were moored there at the end of their days sometimes they were then burnt or more often just left to rot.

I can remember the remains of two west country keels being visible at times of low water near our Wharf twenty or thirty years ago.

I don't think this practise would be very popular these days though.

 

Gary

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dor Veteran II

dor

Posted
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The flashes on the T&M north of Middlewich were used as a dumping ground at the end of the freight-carrying era. Some completely rotted away, some were salvaged for restoration and some bits are still visible.

 

This boat restoration thing - how much boat do you have to use in the restoration for it to be a restoration rather than a replica? Bit like the old broom story: "A great broom this, I've had it for twenty years and I've only gone through two handles and three heads".

 

I believe there is an "old" Bentley raced in historic classes - "Old Number one" I think it is. Apaarently about the only bit that survives from the original car is a little brass plate on the bulkhead.

 

Sorry, thread completely diverted off the original line, well nearly.

With the prospect of being able to replate a hull, replace engines, refit internals etc, maybe many boats will go on indefinitely, but they will be a bit like that old broom.

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John Orentas Veteran II

John Orentas

Posted
Posted (edited)

Rod.

 

Fifteen or twenty years ago there was a couple of dozen boats in the flashes, some chap spent a few years pulling out the ones in better condition, don't know who he was or what he did with them. He seems to have gone now and only one or two hulks are visible.

Edited by John Orentas
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khaffra Collaborator

khaffra

Posted
Posted
Rod.

 

Fifteen or twenty years ago there was a couple of dozen boats in the flashes, some chap spent a few years pulling out the ones in better condition, don't know who he was or what he did with them.  He seems to have gone now and only one or two hulks are visible.

 

Ian Riley from the boat and butty yard Runcorn rescued a lot of wooden boats from up that direction so it could have been him.

 

The boat and butty yard is no longer there and hasn't been for a few years.

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Jon Rising Star

Jon

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So perhaps what we should be asking, is what will we do with life expired hulls in the future? With the amount of new boats being built, there must come a point where demand for very old second hand boats will fall, or they are beyond economic repair.

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wynd lass(nb.Black Pearl) Collaborator

wynd lass(nb.Black Pearl)

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Thing is jon, you can always have your bottom re-plated can't you? how long is a piece of string.........as someone pointed out, old narrowboats were made of thinner steel in by gone years, yet lots are still with us......

I suppose most wear and tear is below the waterline? and thats nothing that cant be replaced........really.

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Bernie Proficient

Bernie

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THe boat in question is in the Henhull winding hole, and yes, it's still there!

The last time we were through there the BW chappie who does the patrol checking boats for overstaying their mooring told us that it was BW who had moved the boat to the winding hole and set fire to it. Don't know whether he was just joshing or speaking the truth. But he is not normally a joker. Perhaps they are just waiting for it to totally disintegrate and sink to the bottom completely.

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Jon Rising Star

Jon

Posted
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Thing is jon, you can always have your bottom re-plated can't you? how long is a piece of string.........as someone pointed out, old narrowboats were made of thinner steel in by gone years, yet lots are still with us......

I suppose most wear and tear is below the waterline? and thats nothing that cant be replaced........really.

 

I wonder if boats will then become obsolete because of changes in hull design. Afterall, some of the original Anglo Welsh hireboats that were sold off now look really dated compared to modern hulls. While they make excellent boat for first time buyer, do you think people will want to have a more modern looking boat? What will happen (if) the number of people buying used boats dwindles?

 

Food for thought... :)

Jon

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Alastair Rising Star

Alastair

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I'm on an 83yr-old dutch barge, original steel thickness 5mm. She's been overplated on the waterline quite a bit - but the rest is still going strong. 50mm frames every 40cm, no rust apparent on those.

 

So with sensible surveys, blacking and repairs, no reason why a steel boat won't go forever.

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Richard Lacy Contributor

Richard Lacy

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Our 33 year old narrow boat was built with 5mm sides - we had it ultrasonic tested last year and were down to 4.8 mm . At that rate its going to outlast me by a long way , it may have been thinner steel in the old days but far superior quality. Perhaps the question "Where do all the old Boat owners go or want to go" might be more appropriate :)

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