You've seen the film

[Andy F Water Lily]

 

As the former owner of the Water-Lily to give her the proper name, I was told by Riahard Smith&Jones she was for sale. Anyone buying Wl might have a few problems with the bill of sale as I sold her to Simon not the Film company! Sale and purchase of boats is a funny business so anyone buying might need to be very careful.

 

I have shed loads fo pics of WL over the years including soe of the famous filling can and priming gun. The box is not original but looks the part. As some have said it is rare to find a totally original Kelvin installation. I saw another some years back, a similar boat to WL called Kingbird. She was totally original below, cabin, fish hold with boards etc and her K3 in fine order. Sadly her owner died and some young guys bought her and then she sank in Boston Lincs. Not sure what happened to her engine though.

 

I bought WL when i was a mere lad, I lived in her whilst workign day and night to get her afloat again after 20 years ashore. She had been splined, sheathed in glassfibre and generally hacked about. Her stem was missing and keel bolts sheared off. I spent many months removing glass fibre, removing splines in her seams, replacing the plank edges and recaulking her. I laminated a new stem from iroko, new wrought iron keel bolts and many other items. I then got her afloat again in Southampton. I lived on her and built a grand wheel house which Simon butchered but then marriage, kids and ever increasing mooring fees crippled me. I moved WL to Littlehampoton to a sympathetic boatyard that was then taken over by Hillyards who should love wooden boats but were not the best of help. Then I was not far from removing the engine when Simon turned up and to save the boat I gave her away really. Sounds crazy but ther is an awful lot of me in WL and I have very fond memories. It is too tempting to think of owning her again and if she was not in France then I might have done something stupid and bought her back.

 

The film co mentioned giving her the the fisheries museum in Anstruther but they are unlikely to want her really. She should really go to Fisherrow where she was based as the Falconer family who had her built still live there and I am still in contact with many of them.

 

I sometimes think I should haev set up a trust for her restoration or maybe got her registerd on teh historic ships register then gone for a lottery grant as she really does need quite a bit more work to get her really seaworthy. To call the work done a restoration is stretching it a bit. However, she is one of the most beautiful fishing ringers I have ever seen and deserves to be saved. Maybe I will set up a campaign...any willing helpers here?

 

Best regards,

 

Andy

[charles123]

Andy thanks for sharing the history of your part of the ownership, very interesting reading, this is not the first TV story the present owner has been involved with regarding "restoring" boats, it makes for an entertaining story. I hope the hull finds a good owner but I do feel it will be as a houseboat rather than a restoration

 

Charles

[carlt]

Andy thanks for sharing the history of your part of the ownership, very interesting reading, this is not the first TV story the present owner has been involved with regarding "restoring" boats, it makes for an entertaining story. I hope the hull finds a good owner but I do feel it will be as a houseboat rather than a restoration

 

Charles

Having spoken to the guy at the production company, who is selling the boat on behalf of Simon, with his blessing, I'm fairly confident they are very keen to find someone willing and able to restore her.

 

I don't know how much you know about wooden boats Charles, but they are a right pain to live on, if you are not able to maintain them. I have rescued and passed on many boats which have been abandoned by their previous owners, after, through no fault of their own, finding themselves unable to cope.

 

In defence of Simon Woodhouse, he was given four weeks in dock to get the boat fit to cross the channel. It was going to be broken up and, with his intervention, the boat still survives. Restoration is not just about chucking lottery money at boats to produce a facsimile copy, it's about keeping boats alive.

Something I know much about, because it's something I've failed to do with Lucy.

Simon Woodhouse still owns his first project, Keryl, which is in fine order, in Southampton.

 

He is sensible in trying to pass on water lily, but, unlike you Charles, I think her most likely fate will be that she will be bought by a boat butcher. The engine will be on a trailer heading back to England to be installed in a nice new washer josher and the hull will be left to rot in France.

Hippies looking for a 'cheap' home don't win auctions for a old boats with Kelvins in them.

Edited June 1, 2007 by carlt

[NB Alnwick]

He is sensible in trying to pass on water lily, but, unlike you Charles, I think her most likely fate will be that she will be bought by a boat butcher. The engine will be on a trailer heading back to England to be installed in a nice new washer josher and the hull will be left to rot in France.

Hippies looking for a 'cheap' home don't win auctions for a old boats with Kelvins in them.

 

Even so, this would be better than the fate that has befallen a few similar boats that were deliberately sunk with there vintage engines still in-situ. It would be very nice to see the boat properly preserved in its original working condition but even if only the Kelvin K3 and its associated euipment can be saved - that will be better than nothing at all . . .

[rjasmith]

Not sure if this is old news for the various folks who took an interest in the Water-Lily sale saga a few months back but I learned today that she was finally sold to someone who plans to continue the restoration in France and keep her going for a while longer - complete with original Kelvin engine!

 

Was it anyone from CWDF perhaps?

 

Richard

[carlt]

Not sure if this is old news for the various folks who took an interest in the Water-Lily sale saga a few months back but I learned today that she was finally sold to someone who plans to continue the restoration in France and keep her going for a while longer - complete with original Kelvin engine!

 

Was it anyone from CWDF perhaps?

 

Richard

Great news! Thanks for that. I was just thinking about sending off another email to ask about her fate. I decided I couldn't take her on because, though she's the right boat, in the right place, it just wasn't the right timing.

 

I'm still looking for a saltwater motor boat (wooden, of course) and would have snapped this one up, if it was a bit closer. Though I'd probably have been competing with the engine boys and their chainsaws.

[saltysplash]

Great news! Thanks for that. I was just thinking about sending off another email to ask about her fate. I decided I couldn't take her on because, though she's the right boat, in the right place, it just wasn't the right timing.

 

I'm still looking for a saltwater motor boat (wooden, of course) and would have snapped this one up, if it was a bit closer. Though I'd probably have been competing with the engine boys and their chainsaws.

 

Read this with interest having a tub of my own and can confirm and sympathise with carl over keeping a wooden boat. Ive been very lucky in being able to dry dock the old girl everyear and with the help of swmbo and the previous owner keep her upto scratch, but its a continual job throughout the year, My biggest problem so far this year has been the weather and the deck. If you dont keep up the day to day touch ups then....i am woken up while slumbering to a drip on the bonce... how come it never happens on her side? Hoping for some decent weather this weekend to do those touch up jobs.

Water lilly like Emblem was built at the best time for wooden seine netters, before the war, and with engines built to do a heavy job in sometimes heavy seas. Long may there be people trying their best with limited resourses to keep them intact and afloat. I only hope the chap currently buying Emblem will take care of her. How guilty do i feel? Its only a few bits of oak an larch

[carlt]

How guilty do i feel? Its only a few bits of oak an larch

 

 

But from little wooden boats, Tall ships grow!

 

What are your plans now? Another wooden boat?

 

Well done on selling Emblem, it must have been tough, in more ways than one.

[saltysplash]

 

But from little wooden boats, Tall ships grow!

 

What are your plans now? Another wooden boat?

 

Well done on selling Emblem, it must have been tough, in more ways than one.

 

It was very tough, I found myself vetting people who i didnt think would keep her up, which is bad i know,

 

Plans now are moving on board a ditch crawler with swmbo. she is just too uncomfortable with the sea.

 

Our prospective purchase is being lifted and surveyed on wednesday. The best news though (which i aint told the missus) is, the prospective buyer for emblem wants to continue her participation in the ostend festival and has invited yours truly

[jake_crew]

Magnetman

 

I know of a Glennifer DB2 with split barrels after the water froze in the jackets one Winter.

 

The owner would dearly love to get it back in his boat.

 

If you ever hear of any Glenny spares, let me know please.

 

colin.harrison3@ntlworld.com

[carlt]

Resurrecting a 3 year old thread to say that the series is on Discovery realtime, at the moment.

[MIKE P]

when I were a lad, sixpenn'orth o' chips cost a farthing ................

 

 

Nostalga is not what it used to be

[rjasmith]

Resurrecting a 3 year old thread to say that the series is on Discovery realtime, at the moment.

 

Good Lord - Do you mean to say that chap Richard Jones is starring yet again!!!

 

I really must send in my appearance fee bill for £1 this time!

 

It was great fun to get involved with though (nearly 4 years ago now). I'll never forget going across the channel on Water-Lily. I was there as well in the bits that show the crossing on Episode 3 despite the programme making it look as though Simon Woodhouse did it solo! I did 4 hours on the helm that night while Simon was below keeping the big bilge pumps going - serious stern post leak!

 

I always take reality TV with a very large portion of salt now having seen how it gets twisted to "improve" the final result!

 

Also remember the nasty accident in the old boat shed during the first relaunch attempt. A pulley block failed and someone got hurt. Not shown on the final prog for obvious reasons!

 

Richard