Narrowboat across the Atlantic!

[Roger Murray]

Was chatting to Darrell Pickup who has the marina at Saltford on the Avon near Bath. He mentioned that they once had a narrowboat in the marina which had actually crossed the Atlantic. Evidently this chap from Nova Scotia wanted a boat which he could cross the Atlantic in, and navigate the UK and European canals etc, which meant a maximum beam of 7ft. He built a boat on narrowboat lines, only difference as Darrel remembers, a longitudinal girder on underside of baseplate as kind of semi keel and proper screw tight portholes, plus a mast. Think that surpasses Nick Sanders trip with Narrowboat and butty to the Black Sea and back.

Roger

www.rogermurray.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RLWP]

That would be Ocean Princess I Frances: http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF

 

Not your average narrowboat!

 

Richard

Edited April 25, 2016 by RLWP

[Robbo]

This one? - http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF

That would be Ocean Princess I Frances: http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/ifrances.PDF

 

 

Beat me too it

[WJM]

I last saw it on the Lee near the Olympic Stadium - a year or two ago.

[Athy]

Good Heavens! "We never rolled more than 45 degrees" says the narrator calmly, adding a little later "Towards the end of the voyage the toilet paper ran out". I can't say that I'm surprised.

[billh]

Was chatting to Darrell Pickup who has the marina at Saltford on the Avon near Bath. He mentioned that they once had a narrowboat in the marina which had actually crossed the Atlantic. Evidently this chap from Nova Scotia wanted a boat which he could cross the Atlantic in, and navigate the UK and European canals etc, which meant a maximum beam of 7ft. He built a boat on narrowboat lines, only difference as Darrel remembers, a longitudinal girder on underside of baseplate as kind of semi keel and proper screw tight portholes, plus a mast. Think that surpasses Nick Sanders trip with Narrowboat and butty to the Black Sea and back.

Roger

www.rogermurray.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was invited aboard this boat by the skipper/designer at Castlefield Manchester several years ago. His story of the Atlantic crossing was interesting,to say the least. It has a small diesel engine fitted, barely big enough for narrow canals, never mind the sea, very little fuel capacity as well- just enough to get in and out of harbour a few times. The last leg of the voyage was from Ireland to Manchester. At the time he was aiming for Europe via the Huddersfield Narrow! I pointed out the depth problems on that canal but I don't know if he ever made it (I doubt it).

Inside the boat was divided by heavy duty steel bulkheads with small ways through. The well deck in the bow could be sealed off with strong planks . I can't remember what happened at the steering position but the helmsman would need to be lashed to the tiller. A lot of the trans-atlantic voyage involved getting blown backwards and covering the same bit of sea more than once.

Bill

[Dharl]

that was an interesting read! a narrowboat that was suitable prepared for an ocean crossing. Not sure I would have liked it myself!!

[Tony Brooks]

that was an interesting read! a narrowboat that was suitable prepared for an ocean crossing. Not sure I would have liked it myself!!

 

I think that should read "built". It was only a narrow boat dimension wise and even the draft is open to question in that respect - see Roger's post.

[Dharl]

Well yes I meant along those lines...., She has a keel an a half which would have problems wit most sections of the cut I would think!

[magnetman]

Draught is shown as 0.6m which seems OK. "Depth" of 2m must be gunnel height.

 

I suppose if the boat was not intending to do a return voyage it would be fairly straightforward to cut the keel off in a dry dock. And it wouldn't be rocket science to weld another keel on in case a trip to India was planned

Edited April 25, 2016 by magnetman

[WJM]

The plan was to go all the way to Russia but I heard that the bloke developed health problems that prevented him from continuing beyond England. I used to see the boat at various places around Est London so I presume it was sold on.