Jump to content

Extant full length butty's and horse boats


pete harrison

Featured Posts

A slight deviation, and I'm not sure now completely up to date in view of some later information that I may now hold.

But last time I had a list drawn up here are the buttys known to have worked with our "Large Northwich" LETCHWORTH / FLAMINGO.

14/09/1944 Letchworth and Taplow (steerer E.J. Willis)
11/05/1945 & 30/07/1945 Letchworth and Langho
09/02/1946 & 21/11/1946 Letchworth and Indus
08/06/1948 Letchworth and Banbury (steerer William Wilson)
19/01/1950 Letchworth and Banbury
Late 1949 and 13/05/1952 Letchworth and Pictor (steerer William Wilson)
01/10/1954 Letchworth and Surbiton (steerer William Wilson)
10/01/1958 & 20/05/1958 Letchworth and Meteor (steerer J Beechey)
26/01/1959 , 15/02/1960 & 11/1960 Letchworth and Cedar (Steerer J Skinner)
1962 Flamingo and Wagtail (formerly FMC Freda) (steerer Charlie Atkins Jnr.)
03/1963 Flamingo and Smew (formerly Norton) (steerer Charlie Atkins Jnr.)
10/1963 Flamingo and Titania (steerer Ron Green)

1960s Flamingo & Brighton (steerer Ron Green)
28/04/1968 Flamingo and Bideford (steerer Ron Green)
Multiple dates 1969 Flamingo & Beverley (steerer Ken Ward)
Multiple dates 1970 Flamingo & Cygnus (steerer Ron Withey).
 

I think I make that 15.

Only one of those was a GUCCCo style Yarwoods boat, I think, and even that was one of those built a foot shorter for the Erewash Canal Carrying Co.

Otherwise, apart from a couple of ex FMC buttys in its early Willow Wren years, all seem to have been either "Large Ricky" boats, (the type it was originally intended to be paired with), or "Large" or "Small" Woolwich boats.

(With special thanks to Pete Harrison for supplying much of the data for the above list, and also for correcting incorrect captioning of a regularly published picture that contradicts it).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Listed under it's original name, TRIAGULUM

I have to wonder why, as it only carried than name for the first twenty years since building. It was renamed Kestrel in 1956 and AFAIK has carried that name ever since. Still owned by a (former?) member of this forum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

I have to wonder why, as it only carried than name for the first twenty years since building. It was renamed Kestrel in 1956 and AFAIK has carried that name ever since.

It actually carried TRIAGULUM for less years than that, because before it became Willow Wren's Kestrel it had been Wyvern Shipping Company's ELIZABETH.  From memory I think Wyvern only had it for a couple of years, but I don't have detailed facts and dates in front of me now.

Edited by alan_fincher
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It actually carried TRIAGULUM for less years than that, because before it became Will Wren's Kestrel it had been Wyvern Shipping Company's ELIZABETH.  From memory I think Wyvern only had it for a couple of years, but I don't have detailed facts and dates in front of me now.

And before ELIZABETH it carried only a maintenance boat number - either 191 or 198.

I used the name TRIAGULUM in the list as I just copied and updated a list I already had :captain:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Until now, I was completely unaware of it being operated for hire, but just happened upon this.
 

Wiltshire Lazy Boat Holidays

Very interesting. I have minute interest in so far as I supplied a wall mounted oil lamp for the back cabin, along with some very large brass screws for the cabin renovation. The web details do not make it clear whether the boat is actually moved, or whether you spend a week on it in one place. £600 seems a lot to spend a week on a moored boat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

Very interesting. I have minute interest in so far as I supplied a wall mounted oil lamp for the back cabin, along with some very large brass screws for the cabin renovation. The web details do not make it clear whether the boat is actually moved, or whether you spend a week on it in one place. £600 seems a lot to spend a week on a moored boat.

I wondered the same thing. The web site is elusive on this point, but I get the impression that they are moored up, so it's a floating holiday flat. I am not sure how the price compares with that of renting a land-based flat for a week; I suppose much depends on the location.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Athy said:

I wondered the same thing. The web site is elusive on this point, but I get the impression that they are moored up, so it's a floating holiday flat. I am not sure how the price compares with that of renting a land-based flat for a week; I suppose much depends on the location.

Out of season it is quite easy to find a rural cottage for less than £600 a week, often significantly less, and with far more facilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we owned Thaxted ( or Widgeon as many called her) I was informed the reason the counter was so bashed about was from towing Snipe and it was the wrong butty. 

Many people asked why we had her as Thaxted and was because we had a star class butty, and that was how we had bought her. Eventually we got both boats into the same paint scheme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Athy said:

I wondered the same thing. The web site is elusive on this point, but I get the impression that they are moored up

Quote

 

Our boats are a short distance from the beautiful sleepy village of Horton, 4 miles from Devizes and easily reached from the M4 or A4.

We will move them for you, a short distance from here, in discussion with you, to find a place to moor for the week that meets your needs.

 

Doesn't sound like fun to me...

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/9/2017 at 13:19, pete harrison said:

There is often 'talk' of how many butty's are getting cut up and how few survive so just for fun I thought I would have a go at preparing a list of the current status of butty's, some of which were built as horse boats (I know, I should get a life !!!!!).

Every list has rules and mine are they must be full length and retain their original stern post, or at least a good part of it so that it could become a butty again fairly easily - and I am excluding anything B.C.N. including 'Mk.1 Bantocks'. Obviously these boats are a mixture of motorised (but not counter sterned), unconverted and converted. 

(m = motorised but retains butty stern)

VARIOUS (Wood)

CHANCE II (m)

FORGET ME NOT

GIFFORD

HAZEL (m)

MARIA

RAYMOND

SATURN

So at first sight it looks to me as though there are loads, and I have every confidence that I have missed several :captain: 

Assuming you mean Hazel, the Runcorn header boat, she is no longer motorised after re-building as the "Well- Being Boat" by WCBS a few years ago. 

Very much a horse boat again, though mostly towed by wooden motor Forget Me Not. Currently she's  on slip for her first(?) tar and caulking since re-build and looking good. Also, at the same location is horse boat Maria, moored next to wooden motor Joel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Paul H said:

There are of course 2 Hazels

National Historic ships says this about the Barlow's Hazel:

"HAZEL is a butty boat (narrowboat towed by horses in former times and nowadays by speedboat) built in 1957 in Northants."

I do hope they keep within the speed limits....

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, billh said:

National Historic ships says this about the Barlow's Hazel:

"HAZEL is a butty boat (narrowboat towed by horses in former times and nowadays by speedboat) built in 1957 in Northants."

I do hope they keep within the speed limits....

I can't imagine a 1957 built butty would have seen too much towage by a horse.

(OK, I am aware they used horses into the 1960s to assist buttys down the single locks of the Nortamptom arm, but I doubt Hazel was involved.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Speedboat" in this context sounds like a word which might be incorrectly used by someone who's mother tongue is not English to describe a "power boat" or "motorboat".

 

It seems odd that someone would have knowledge of the term "butty" but not "motor" unless they have drawn their information from one or more unreliable sources. Or someone did a joke Wikipedia edit or something.

 

 

 

 

Edited by magnetman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I know you said excluding anything bcn but what about birchills and the one at jem bates yard?

Im also not sure what it is but there is dasiy near market harbour thats a wooden butty of some sort.

There is also clara (butty thats with dane)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couldnt see on your list.

Ditton lms butty

Birdsworth still being horse pulled

There is a butty not sure if full length thats with a modern motor tug Tory.

There is a butty on the inside of motor bootes at grand union narrowboat services.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.