Petronella?

[MtB]

And a comment in passing, I think "PETRONELLA" is a totally delightful name for your boat.

 

 

[mark99]

Cheers Mike - I might just do that. We are close by, being opposite the office. The rear fender is spot on btw <as you would expect>.

[Joseph]

Hi everyone

 

If a slight diversion is permitted, can I ask what is known of Floating homes Ltd? For how long did it continue in business, and was it just confined to the Basingstoke Canal? 

 

I would be very interested to know more.

 

Joseph 

 

[Derek R.]

A Pathé NEWS clip from the sixties. I believe this was the company known as 'Floating Homes'.

Two comments, and worth reading.

 

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/new-barges-for-old/query/floating+homes

Edited September 8, 2018 by Derek R.
added text

[X Alan W]

 Seeing the photo's of "Petronella" brought to mind the guy who built several boats (Modded half hulls ) in his garden opposite Gallows Inn lock on the Erewash  in the 60's he had cut in half hull which could  have been a single ended BCN boat or a double ended "Joey I thought he would make the sharp end the bow & fit a counter stern but he cut out the stern post? & cut & fashioned the plates to make a swim & counter with what appeared 2ft draft the stern was very similar to "Petronella" but a larger radius on the curve of the counter  he then got appox 12 ft of what appeared to be a a single ended BCN day boat which was fitted to the cut off end to form the fore end It was quite a time before I was next in the area so never knew what was done or what the outcome was & never saw a name

[Bee]

Can't imagine many of those floating homes are still floating but that film clip is so evocative, ah, that wooden boat smell of damp and mould, that's proper boatbuilding that is, none of this namby pamby shiny boat stuff, just make a plywood shed, nail roofing felt on it and move in.

[MtB]

46 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

A Pathé NEWS clip from the sixties. I believe this was the company known as 'Floating Homes'.

Two comments, and worth reading.

 

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/new-barges-for-old/query/floating+homes

 

Fantastic video, great to see it getting another outing I haven’t watched it for several years. Thanks!

 

i note they studiously avoid mentioning how the toilet works, which is the first thing on anyone’s mind when house boats are mentioned. Even if they don’t say so! 

 

I notice he also says these wooden boats are 25 years old, and have a life expectancy of another 25 years. Ha!

[Derek R.]

I took several shots of house boats on the Basingstoke before any serious restoration began. Just a couple I took back around the late eighties or early nineties:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RLWP]

That explains 'Floating Homes'. Thank you

[dogless]

I used to like that programme.

Wonder if he ever finished his house?

Sorry.

Rog

[Rob-M]

There appears to be a new Floating Homes in the UK setup in 2004.

 

http://www.floatinghomes.ltd.uk/index.html

 

[roland elsdon]

Used to get requests to insure them in the 1980s. The word dry dock and maintain was not part of the owners vocab. Took a walk down there one weekend justified the decision. Many very dead ricky boats

I see you only photographed the good ones..

[Derek R.]

Most were afloat back then, the ADELINA looked like it wouldn't last much longer. There is a story book about ADELINA:

http://www.basingstoke-canal.org.uk/archive/booklets/bkltarc9-1.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Derek R.

[black cap]

That National is not in the standard GU format, with a Brunton gearbox, looks like the gearbox is on the flywheel end, possibly ex road roller or gen set, the set of the boat , the counter and patches look typical Harris Bros, and Hingley's were only a bridge or so past Bumble hole, I often wonder what happened to the railway boat I fetched out of Netherton basin and got Harris to put a counter on, I asked for a round counter, but they put on a more or less square one with a slight curve, I sold this without any further work, it was collected from the old "hospital" length at the Grove, cannot remember to whom I  sold it, never knew Joan the second had a National, I think she had a Fordson petrol parafin for a while, but may have ended up with a 3 cyl. Bolinder, incidentally, I did know the lady who she was named after

[MtB]

I so nearly bought a Basingstoke boat like that back in 1976. Might even have been ADELINA. Looks desperately familiar.

 

I was warned off by a died-in-the-wool thames CCer 40 years aboard though, even back then, God thank you.

[Clare Young]

I am going to add to this thread...I am Peter's daughter. When I was 12 years old the boat was pulled out of the canal in New Haw....having watched the previous owner refuse to leave the boat when it was sinking....it rotted and dad was given permission to retrieve it and keep it. He shortened the length of boat so it would fit through the locks. He bought the engine and basically built it from nothing. The week before my dad passed away we took him to visit Petronella knowing it would be for the last time.