Archimedes

[SOBB]

Hello all,

 

I spent lots of time aboard Archimedes growing up as it was owned my my Father AB, I heard a rumour that it may now be on the market, if so any information would be appreciated as I could be interested.

 

TIA

[Nightwatch]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you get more info than I can supply.

[SOBB]

Cheers Nightwatch

[alan_fincher]

Last I can remember is that they were reported earlier this year as still being on dry land at Galleon's Point marina in London Docklands.

 

I don't recall any subsequent update, or any recent attempt to market either Archimedes or Ara, (or at least not publicly advertised).

When they were first stored out of use they were advertised for sale, but at really quite a high price, if I remember rightly.

EDIT:

Reading down that thread the following was stated......

 

Quote

 

A sale of these craft will be considered by the current owner once people stop trying to take advantage of the siutation

 

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by alan_fincher

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

When they were first stored out of use they were advertised for sale, but at really quite a high price, id I remember rightly.

 

I seem to remember them being offered together as a pair for a six figure sum, £100k or £120k springs to mind. 

 

General opinion was there was no real desire to sell as they would not separate the pair or consider offers, IIRC. Maybe time will change things. 

[Nightwatch]

Would I have seen them up north somewhere? I'm fairly sure I did. Racking me brain box trying to remember where Llangollen Canal? 

[alan_fincher]

16 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Would I have seen them up north somewhere? I'm fairly sure I did. Racking me brain box trying to remember where Llangollen Canal? 

Not for some years I believe.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of Mountbatten & Jellicoe, which are regulars on the LLangollen?

Edited August 6, 2018 by alan_fincher

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Would I have seen them up north somewhere? I'm fairly sure I did. Racking me brain box trying to remember where Llangollen Canal? 

 

 

They were moored on the water point at Aldermaston on the K&A for a number of weeks last year, IIRC.

[Nightwatch]

18 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Not for some years I believe.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of Mountbatten & Jellicoe, which are regulars on the LLangollen?

 

13 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

They were moored on the water point at Aldermaston on the K&A for a number of weeks last year, IIRC.

Now I'm confused again. 

Alan, could well have been Mountbatten and Jellicoe.

Mike. Might have been there that I saw them. 

 

Its sad that whereever they are, probably getting vandalised, they haven't been sold. It'll be good to see them at work again. Shortage of diesel Supplies Napton to Warwick.

[Tim Lewis]

Taken at Galleons Point Marina last September

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Tim Lewis said:

Taken at Galleons Point Marina last September

 

 

Swerving off topic for a sec, isn't the spelling something weird rather than 'galleon'? 

 

Gallion springs to mind

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Swerving off topic for a sec, isn't the spelling something weird rather than 'galleon'? 

 

Gallion springs to mind

Tis Gallions point. We moored there for a week once. Right under the flight path of city airport.  Very noisy. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by rusty69

[Nightwatch]

9 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

Taken at Galleons Point Marina last September

What a bloomin' shame. 

[alan_fincher]

6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Swerving off topic for a sec, isn't the spelling something weird rather than 'galleon'? 

 

Gallion springs to mind

You are correct.

I've seen both spellings and didn't check, and it seems I backed the wrong one!

A bit of Googling revelease that it is (or at least was) at threat of closure due to development plans.

23 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

 

Now I'm confused again. 

Alan, could well have been Mountbatten and Jellicoe.

Mike. Might have been there that I saw them. 

 

Its sad that whereever they are, probably getting vandalised, they haven't been sold. It'll be good to see them at work again. Shortage of diesel Supplies Napton to Warwick.

 

Mountbatten & Jellicoe are owned and operated by "Paddyr" a(who used to be a forum regular) and his wife Ruth.  Don't know exact stomping ground, but regular forrays up the LLangollen (along with regular groundings, and into waders to get tyres off the prop) are a regular feature of their Facebook postings.

Not exactly sure which baot(s) cover napton to Warwick.  Possibly Southern Cross and possibly Callisto, I'm not sure.

[alan_fincher]

17 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

Taken at Galleons Point Marina last September

 

I love the way the range chimney is on the butty.  the brass on it even looks reasonable, (well better than ours, anyway!).

At least Archimedes has an air cooled engine, so you could run it in current location for battery charging!

[SOBB]

Thanks for the reply’s, the last time I saw them on the water was at Leighton lock about five years ago, I gave the chap my number then in case he decided to sell but have never heard anything.My Father did a good number of carrying miles when part of South Midland Water Transport and my Grandfather used Archimedes to move house when they came off the water many, many summers ago so I do have a strong connection, which I would be keen for my own family to share.

 

I would be prepared to pay a fair price but it wouldn’t be six figures!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by SOBB

[pete harrison]

53 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

What a bloomin' shame. 

Having seen this sort of thing numerous times before I have every confidence that these two boats will return to the canals, but under what circumstances and ownership we will have to wait and see.

 

As far as I am concerned the "bloomin' shame" is the fitting of the over high steel cabin on ARA which completely spoils the proportions - especially as the boats were sold shortly after it was completed   

[pete harrison]

4 minutes ago, SOBB said:

Thanks for the reply’s, the last time I saw them on the water was at Leighton lock about five years ago, I gave the chap my number then in case he decided to sell but have heard anything.My Father did a good number of carrying miles when part of South Midland Water Transport and my Grandfather used Archimedes to move house when they came off the water many, many summers ago so I do have a strong connection, which I would be keen for my own family to share.

 

I would be prepared to pay a fair price but it wouldn’t be six figures!

And in the meantime there are plenty of YouTube videos to watch of ARCHIMEDES and ARA, assuming you don't mind seeing them getting knocked about a bit 

[Scholar Gypsy]

4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Tis Gallions point. We moored there for a week once. Right under the flight path of city airport.  Very noisy. 

You did better than me. Last time I tried to get a mooring there,  they said it was too dangerous for narrowboats to go that far down river ... 

 

[magnetman]

There was some discussion about Gallions Point marina being under threat of closure due to the area being purchased by a chinese consortium. As I remember it @NigelMoore was involved in the legal side of it. I would guess that if and when the marina does have to close this would be the point when the boats (Archie and Ara) would go back on the water. 

 

Its a shame that Archimedes seems to be open to the elements. 

 

I was told they do not allow canal boats or barges in the marina when I enquired about lifting for blacking a couple of years ago. 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by magnetman

[rusty69]

34 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

You did better than me. Last time I tried to get a mooring there,  they said it was too dangerous for narrowboats to go that far down river ... 

 

I wasn't in a narrowboat, came in from the other end

[Rob-M]

Archimedes arriving in Bristol...

 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/everything-know-owner-75m-superyacht-1864826

 

Worth a bit more though.

[pete harrison]

21 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Archimedes arriving in Bristol...

 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/everything-know-owner-75m-superyacht-1864826

 

Worth a bit more though.

Only in monetary terms, history being priceless.

 

I drove under Clifton Suspension on an almost daily basis for several years whilst doing the school run (1996 - 2008) and I was always surprised how few boats I saw on the river Avon, but there was always a handful of 'historic' narrow boats in the Floating Harbour when I needed a 'fix' 

[Tim Lewis]

9 hours ago, SOBB said:

Thanks for the reply’s, the last time I saw them on the water was at Leighton lock about five years ago, I gave the chap my number then in case he decided to sell but have never heard anything.My Father did a good number of carrying miles when part of South Midland Water Transport and my Grandfather used Archimedes to move house when they came off the water many, many summers ago so I do have a strong connection, which I would be keen for my own family to share.

 

I would be prepared to pay a fair price but it wouldn’t be six figures!

 

 

 

 

 

The person who operated them was not the owner so number probably didn’t get through 

[Admiral]

15 hours ago, SOBB said:

Thanks for the reply’s, the last time I saw them on the water was at Leighton lock about five years ago, I gave the chap my number then in case he decided to sell but have never heard anything.My Father did a good number of carrying miles when part of South Midland Water Transport and my Grandfather used Archimedes to move house when they came off the water many, many summers ago so I do have a strong connection, which I would be keen for my own family to share.

 

I would be prepared to pay a fair price but it wouldn’t be six figures!

 

 

 

 

 

I sold Archimedes to your father. He always loved it.