Harborough a long way from home

[Athy]

We came across this Harborough Marine narrowboat earlier this year - nothing unusual, you might think, but look at the boats surrounding it. It's 'Bourgogne', moored in the harbour at Castelsarrasin on the Canal de Garonne in South Western France.

The owners, a British couple from the North, had never boated in Britain before buying the boat, one of two which were delivered new to the Canal du Midi in the 1970s and had been there ever since. They got it some seven or eight years ago and, as you can see, keep it in absolutely tarte aux pommes order - they were busy repainting the roof when we moored there.

Does anyone know what happened to Bourgogne's sister boat? Has anyone seen other British boats so far from their natural habitat? (We found a widebeam Hancock & Lane, home to a South African couple, nearby, and a few years ago we boated on a Springer on the Canal du Berry).

 

Edited July 29, 2016 by Athy

[Sea Dog]

Nice one!

[bargemast]

There are quite a few British owned narrowboats cruising all over on this side of the Channel in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and some even as far as Poland.

 

One of these belongs to forummember "Wandering Snail", and another well known one that has been, and still is travelling all over the place is "Temujin".

 

Several years ago the earliest converted narrowboat "Elizabeth" of Jim MacDonald has been cruising very extensively here too, but she's now back in the U.K.

 

Peter.

Edited July 29, 2016 by bargemast

[X Alan W]

We came across this Harborough Marine narrowboat earlier this year - nothing unusual, you might think, but look at the boats surrounding it. It's 'Bourgogne', moored in the harbour at Castelsarrasin on the Canal de Garonne in South Western France.

The owners, a British couple from the North, had never boated in Britain before buying the boat, one of two which were delivered new to the Canal du Midi in the 1970s and had been there ever since. They got it some seven or eight years ago and, as you can see, keep it in absolutely tarte aux pommes order - they were busy repainting the roof when we moored there.

Does anyone know what happened to Bourgogne's sister boat? Has anyone seen other British boats so far from their natural habitat? (We found a widebeam Hancock & Lane, home to a South African couple, nearby, and a few years ago we boated on a Springer on the Canal du Berry).

 

IMG.jpg

Around this time last year there was a Harborough boat at Homps on the du Midi but as it is not a vast distance from Castelsarrasin it could have been the same boat & I didn't take note of the name.The last time we visited Briare there were several narrow boats moored by the town end of the aqueduct there seemed to be a Brit enclave then, but that was 3 or so years ago

[Athy]

I think it probably would have been the same one, Alan - the owners spend several weeks per year on her and do trundle about a fair bit.

[X Alan W]

I think it probably would have been the same one, Alan - the owners spend several weeks per year on her and do trundle about a fair bit.

Looking again at your photo & taking it all in this time ( It's the brain fade set in you know)The one at Homps The hull was all black & the cabin was 2 shades of green with a white/cream coach line which differs, but it could have been painted. I was the other side of the du Midi & didn't want to engage in a shouting match with the guy sat on the stern, as the cut side sat outside diners at the bar/ restaurant were right beside his boat seem to remember the name was on the top bends & around the stern. I was so gob smacked seeing a Harborough boat I forgot to take in the details put it down to the BF. A couple of the boats at Briare were Colecraft shells

[Athy]

Thanks, Alan. Maybe the one you saw was the "other" Harborough which went over there at the same time as Bourgogne.

 

I don't actually know why they went: I assume to be (part of) a hire fleet.

[FadeToScarlet]

There's a Springer widebeam- a rare beast in itself!- moored in the terminal basin of the Canal Saint Martin next to the Seine

[nbfiresprite]

There are couple of fox boats used as hire boats on the Erie Canal in the states.

[bargemast]

There's a Springer widebeam- a rare beast in itself!- moored in the terminal basin of the Canal Saint Martin next to the Seine

That widebeam Springer has been there for ages, about 7 years ago the stern was lenghtened and a longer propshaft fitted with a P-bracket, as because of the very blunt rear swin, it was almost impossible to get any speed in the boat, and it would only reverse (a bit) in idle, as soon as you accelerated in reverse, she would go forward because the water was hitting the much too blunt stern.

 

After the lenghtening of the stern it became a different boat that handled like a real boat.

 

Peter.

[X Alan W]

There used to be a hire base/boatyard( maybe still is) at Trebes that in some way was linked to either a UK hire firm or a booking agent ( Blakes, Hoseasons)their brochure showed several narrow boats for hire I never saw the actual boat/s but from the brochure photo's they were very Harborough looking hull shape wise I think (not sure)that the firm ceased trading/ changed hands or ceased with the UK link up & a couple of years ago the boats they seemed to be hiring were the Broads type GRP construction Possibly your sighting was a sold of ex boat from there The Brochure seems to have gone walkabout from our last house move ( Pity)