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A Rice Boat Builder?


Chas78

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2 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Our boat was built at Hoo Mill lock in 1979, by J E Rice. The bows look completely different. I have a vague recollection that his father used to be in the business. 

Wow have you any more info on this company? were they good Boat Builders? what is the gauge of metal used on these boats? any info very much appreciated ;)

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The firm was called Kingfisher Line. Not sure if John Rice was trading as a sole proprietor or as a limited company. Steel was 1/4" bottom, 3/8" side, 1/4" superstructure. Here are a couple of 1981 photos. It's basically all still there, so yes I'd say it was pretty well built. We did find a small hole behind a rubbing strake when they were refitted last year,

 

20150919114610_02.jpg

20150919114114_02.jpg

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Hope you didn't pay too much.

We straightened the rudder on that last year,  the owner said he was struggling with the steering and had to do a loop the loop to get in the basin,  it was bent 90 deg over.☺

Propellor like an egg whisk and hasn't been blacked for many years. 

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1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Hope you didn't pay too much.

We straightened the rudder on that last year,  the owner said he was struggling with the steering and had to do a loop the loop to get in the basin,  it was bent 90 deg over.☺

Propellor like an egg whisk and hasn't been blacked for many years. 

Hi Matty,

I paid £5k which i think is very good i have funds now to get welding plating done if necessary? i intended buying something for around £10k needing work so hopefully this will be a good un when hull has been sorted it had a hull survey in 2003 unfortunately there is no evidence that it was blacked but i cannot see why it would have been taken out of the water and not blacked? the thinnest gauge noted was 4.9mm in 2003 how did the owner bend the rudder that badly??? and when you did the rudder did the hull look sound?

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  • 4 years later...

Hi There. I appreciate this is an old post, but I'm sat here on a rainy day googling Kingfisher Line Hoo Mill. I'm reminiscing I guess.

J.E Rice was my Uncle (John Edwin) and A.Rice was my Grandfather. Both Passed away, My Grandfather in about 1971 and Uncle John about 5 years ago.

My Granny continued to live in the house and help out with the day to day running of the hire boat business until it was all sold in about 1981 (ish).

I have very few photos or records of that era even though some of my most memorable and enjoyable holidays were taken at Hoo Mill.  When I was 10 or 12 a small dayboat built of steel in workshops at Kingfisher Line (the smell of Swarfega takes me right back to those days! ) was made available to me during my stay. "Flip" as she was called had a Stuart Turner petrol engine and was part of the hire fleet.

 I'm still boating now but sea based, our present boat being a Nimbus 3003.

I'd love learn more about Kingfisher Line, I was about 14 when the business was sold (55 now).

 

ATB

 

Colin

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I know Mike Heywood the boat builder was at Hoo Mill in 1986 because he repaired my 1983 Mike Heywood built boat.  Had to have a new propellor shift and coupling installed on our way home from Lymm to Surrey having just bought the boat second hand

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On 02/03/2017 at 17:48, Chas78 said:

Hi,

I have just bought a 31ft Narrowboat that was built by A Rice in 1969 does anyone know anything about this boat or boatbuilder please?

20170228_124049.jpg

 

As above, A.Rice was my Grandfather but as he died when I was about 3 or 4 my memories of him are very vague! What I can tell you though (with some reasonable amount of certainty) is Kingfisher Line didn't start building boats until after his death. 

 The business first started as hire boat company concentrating on weekly hires using boats that were bought from another boatbuilder. For some reason, the business changed to day hire only with all the boats being built on site. 

 But there's a twist, A. Rice was also my Grans initial (Audrey). Highly unlikely I think, but it's possible it could be her name being used, but more likely, you've bought one the original hire boats (built by another yard unknown to me)

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An interesting revival of an old thread, and hopefully you will get more serious responses. However when I read the title I got really excited by the thoughts of a Rice Barge from Kerala on the Grand Union - maybe down Southall way.  😃

 

Tam

4b.jpg.5971d49e7197d2ee37f2a3f462852321.jpg 

 

69.jpg.a7893a60da0e0536ac66155ba9df7e3e.jpg

Edited by Tam & Di
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8 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

You won't get that under Brentford High St. bridge.

Oh yes you will, but like a double-decker under a low bridge it won't come out the other side with its roof still attached... 😉

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12 hours ago, IanD said:

Oh yes you will, but like a double-decker under a low bridge it won't come out the other side with its roof still attached... 😉


My reaction was as Tam's
It's not the headroom, Never mind the quality feel the width. 

 

IMG_0436.JPG

Just now, oboat said:


My reaction was as Tam's
It's not the headroom.
Never mind the quality feel the width. 

 

 

Well !!! may be.

IMG_0459.JPG

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