original number for butty needed

[John Brightley]

All very interesting Steve.

Here are the photos so people don't have to go on to Dropbox:

 

It was a very well known and photogenic boat in its day, so there are many photos of it out there - especially in holiday hire brochures.

 

(incidentally, I think it is an historic boat, but don't consider it old...(nothing from the 70's seems particularly old to me !)

 

[Steve kitchen]

thanks for the feedback guys we hope to paint it back in its original colours. don't know how you got the pictures up we tried every thing, thanks for that its a lot better to have them all right in front of you. I'll try to put one as she was and as soon as I can get a clear view of the new swim I'll post it as well, thanks EMM I could see from the pictures that it had been cut and for our purpose it will do us well.

[John Brightley]

don't know how you got the pictures up we tried every thing,

Steve - this is how you do it (thanks to David Mack from another thread recently):

1. Compose the text of your message.

2. Click on "More Reply Options", and you get the opportunity to 'Attach Files' from your own computer

3. Click on 'Choose File'- select photo from your own computer,

4. Click on "Attach This File" , the file uploads to this forum.

5. Click on 'Add to post' and it is added to your message.

A bit laborious, but when you've done it once you get the hang of it.

[Steve kitchen]

Thanks John,

Just gonna try this out now

 

 

[Derek R.]

I've got a stiff neck now . . .

[Steve kitchen]

give me a welder and gas bottles any day

scan0002.pdf

[Steve kitchen]

never mind about a stiff neck its just scrambled my brain trying to get one on the right way round. however I can fabricate and machine almost any thing you want but computers do my head in completely, but thanks anyway.

[Derek R.]

There you are! Never say never!!

The pdf worked too - well done.

Edited January 1, 2016 by Derek R.

[Steve kitchen]

hi guys after the strip out we extracted about four & half tons of lifting chains 25 buckets of rust scale and general crap, remarkably the bottom cleaned up really well, but when you walked on the quarter plate you could feel it springing up and down not a good feeling! so we've opted to fit a new bottom plate. hopefully you will see from the pictures.

[pete harrison]

'Willow Wren' must have had a plentiful supply of lifting chains as the older sections of the 1972 built butty (lengthened from 50' to 70' in 1976) that I operated was ballasted with these, along with various other pieces of iron strip, Fish Plates e.t.c..

 

My 1976 'Willow Wren' built motor used similar ballast but was supplemented by numerous 56lb weights under the counter, all of which were removed and sold / exchanged in order to lift the counter an inch or two out of the water when stationary and flat on when under way

[Duchess]

hi guys I've not abandoned the forum we are struggling to post pictures, we can not shrink the pictures enough to get on, so we are getting advice tomorrow, but to continue, the cabin on Abergavenny castle at the stern is also tall I'm 6-ft-2 and although I can see it would be quite daunting for the wife at 5-ft-4 perhaps its something I should address or just get her a box to stand on

Hi Steve, interesting reading, I havent got my copy here but I'm fairly sure that Rose and Castle are mentioned in the book Precious Cargo which listed many of the hotel pairs. There may well be some pictures too. My boat was built in 1973/4 and was called Daisy Ashford, paired with Lichfield, its been an interesting journey tracking down all of the history and still a little more to do.

Good luck with it all

[Steve kitchen]

Now that is very interesting when I saw that mess under the floor I assumed that someone along the way acquired the boat as a empty hull and reballasted it to there own requirements on the cheap, but having said that they must have been there a long time because it was a hell of a job to lift them out all fused up with rust and gunge it also had a terrible Oder, that was the reason for lifting the floor in the first place, just as well we did .

[Steve kitchen]

hi duchess, I've just purchased the precious cargo book and your right rose and castle are in there and as Pete said they are the other pair and the good news is the rose of Brecon and Abergavenny castle are as well including a black and white picture, that's going to make some interesting reading for me not only the history of my own boat but the history of all the others that are listed. thanks for the tip off.

[Steve kitchen]

try this out for size

[Steve kitchen]

hi guys its amazing what a bit of wet and dry +some elbow grease will do, we are almost at a standstill with the history just waiting for some guys to give me a name and number so I can move on, I'm well pleased with my new find this will give me size and format when I repaint, the swim is almost complete I'll post pictures when I drag it out of the workshop. by the way I've got no idea why two pictures came up, are well catch you next time.

[ChimneyChain]

Just out of interest the motor to this boat was tied up at packet boat bridge in cowley some years ago, the then owner was cleaning the engine bilge with thinners and accidentally sparked the battery's next thing the boats completely on fire. I'm sure the boat is still there but with a new steel top fitted, and still retaining its dropped gunnels.

 

Darren

[Steve kitchen]

thanks for that Darren, always wondered if it was still around