Mysterious switch

[être et avoir]

Oddly enough I found out crown blue line by way of the original crockery still onboard, as well as the coat hangers with their logo.

[cuthound]

I think it is for the invisibility cloaking device

[cereal tiller]

I have some vague memories of a Tamaris at a Paris boatshow where it said made by "Broom".

 

Peter.

Yes, Hull and superstructure were made by Aquafibre originally for Hire fleet use,later on the mouldings were used for the Broom 32

 

The Boat seemed to gain a foot in length,never managed to work out how that happened!

 

CT

[être et avoir]

You're right there, on the vessel paperwork it says 9,3m, but the actual length is 9,7m.

[Jess--]

You're right there, on the vessel paperwork it says 9,3m, but the actual length is 9,7m.

could one measurement be measured at the waterline and the other is overall length?

[être et avoir]

would think internationally there's agreement on how/where to measure a boats length? Anyway, that would be about the difference I guess.

[Nightwatch]

I think it is for the invisibility cloaking device

switch it and you may find your boat is full of previously invisible holiday makers.

Would explain why you're spending a fortune on food.

[être et avoir]

I think she has been abused quite a bit in her lifetime, I agree.

[bargemast]

I think she has been abused quite a bit in her lifetime, I agree.

 

That's something you can expect of an ex-hire boat, where most of the hirers have never done any boating before.

 

They often discover much to late that they're not equipped with an ABS-brake systems and that the builders forgot to install a handbrake.

 

I've seen quite a few nasty crashes of the hire-boats, and am surprised that they survive as long as they do.

 

Peter.

Edited May 10, 2016 by bargemast

[Athy]

.

Peter Zivy's company was called "Saint-Line"

 

Blue Line was started by Michael Streat, at Marseille les Aubigny (as far as I remember)

 

Peter.

Thanks Peter - I did know that Mr. Streat was an early entrant in the French hire-fleet scene but I somehow thought he was in partnership with Mr. Zivy. I think that the eminent man-about-waterways Hugh McKnight was also involved - I read somewhere his account of helping to take the initial fleet of boats down to their base.

Oddly enough I found out crown blue line by way of the original crockery still onboard, as well as the coat hangers with their logo.

eBay beckons! Either that or you can be proud of the boat's period-appropriate inventory.

would think internationally there's agreement on how/where to measure a boats length? Anyway, that would be about the difference I guess.

That's a bit of a grey area. A cynic would say that boats get shorter when it's time to renew their licence and insurance, and longer when you advertise them for sale or hire!

[dor]

My guess would be for a tunnel light (if it has one). Otherwise it could be anything as it is clearly a later addition.

Instrument lights are normally switched on when the ignition is on (in my experience).

[jake_crew]

What colour are the wires ?

Its possible that a standard colour system has been used.

For example yellow and white wires, on the Lucas colour system, could be a) Overdrive b Petrol injection c) Door locks

or d) Gear selector switch to start !

Edited May 10, 2016 by jake_crew

[magnetman]

That's nice to have the original crockery and coathangers for the boat.

 

I have a teaspoon I found with the magnet with "maid line cruisers" engraved on it.

 

Not that I have a Maid boat but i thibk it's a really nice item

[Athy]

That's nice to have the original crockery and coathangers for the boat.

 

I have a teaspoon I found with the magnet with "maid line cruisers" engraved on it.

 

Not that I have a Maid boat but i thibk it's a really nice item

That's a nice historical piece - how long ago did Maid Line cease operations?

[cereal tiller]

That's a nice historical piece - how long ago did Maid Line cease operations?

Maid Line were Maidboats until the mid eighties,The Maid line name was used when Richardsons of Stalham took over from the original family founder.

 

Maid line fizzled out late nineties early noughties

 

CT

[magnetman]

Interestingly I did also find a "Maidboats" spoon but I can no longer locate it. .

I thought Maid Line was first then Maid Boats. There was a Maid Boats yard in Thames Ditton near where I lived as a lad which closed around mid 90s I think but the teaspoon was found at their former hire base at Wallingford - now a university rowing club.

Edited May 10, 2016 by magnetman

[cereal tiller]

Interestingly I did also find a "Maidboats" spoon but I can no longer locate it. .

I thought Maid Line was first then Maid Boats. There was a Maid Boats yard in Thames Ditton near where I lived as a lad which closed around mid 90s I think but the teaspoon was found at their former hire base at Wallingford - now a university rowing club.

I stand corrected. the boat's names were all changed to 'Miss' whatever in the Richardson's era

 

Maid Line was the company name when the late Lionel Munk started the business just after WW 2,there first base was at Shardlow.

 

 

CT

Edited May 10, 2016 by cereal tiller

[Iain_S]

(snip) Would expect instrument lights to switch on together with nav lights, but that's probably an automotive idea. (snip)

 

 

Sometimes they do; probably more often are on whenever the engine is on. Separate switch could be a good idea, though, as an aid to prevention of night vision loss if cruising after dark. (Red instrument lights also help with this)

[Murflynn]

I started my boating life on Maid Line when my Dad hired Maid Mary Sue for our summer hols in 1957. It was a narrow beam, and I don't think he had realised that we didn't need a narrow boat on the Thames. Great fun. I remember when we moored up just above Marsh Lock at Henley and I pulled a 1.5lb chubb out of the weir stream, ledgering on maggots. It made my year.

[être et avoir]

Ok, the switch seemed indeed intended for the dashboard illumination. During the wee hours of the day I managed to see the lights. Thanks for all the interesting replies.

Now I can worry about leaking Windows, probably another topic.

[carlt]

 

"What's that switch over there for?

[MtB]

would think internationally there's agreement on how/where to measure a boats length? Anyway, that would be about the difference I guess.

 

 

The length of a boat varies.

 

It's shorter when you are renting a mooring than when you are advertising it for sale!

[Giant]

would think internationally there's agreement on how/where to measure a boats length? Anyway, that would be about the difference I guess.

 

"The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from".

Do you want length overall, length at waterline, length on deck, length of hull, length between perpendiculars?

Not that any has a single clear definition, so in practice every rule that refers to length includes its own definition for good measure.

 

The length of a boat varies.

 

It's shorter when you are renting a mooring than when you are advertising it for sale!

 

As someone once commented to me, "She's just under the limit. It was an awfully stretchy measuring tape..."

[Keeping Up]

Or, back when boats under 20 metres long did not need a vhf radio licence on the tidal Thames, my boat would always shrink by 0.4 metres the moment it hit the cold river water below Limhouse lock.

[twbm]

I see the origin of the boat is resolved.

 

FWIW, my grandfather worked at the Thorneycroft ship builders in Woolston, Southampton. Later amalgamated to become Vosper-Thorneycroft and thence often referred to as Vospers. I think the yard closed in 2004 with production moving to Portsmouth. There's a few photos and lots of history here:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldnavalships.com%2Fvosper_thornycroft.htm&psig=AFQjCNHfhx3feVwjnQn0DR7OCTkcL08WeA&ust=1464092228812932