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Name: Cactus

Certificate number: 1988

Status:

Registered

Function:

Cargo Vessel

Sub Functional Area:

Narrow Boat

Type:

Location:

Great Heywood, Staffordshire, England

Current use:

Commercial trade

  • Length Overall:

    21.53 metres (70.60 feet)

  • Tonnage Not Known:

    0.00

  • Draught:

    0.92 metres (3.00 feet)

  • Beam:

    2.13 metres (7.00 feet)
Cactus - Cactus - moored at Liverpool, port side

Web address

Builder

History

CACTUS was the first of an order for ten similar craft and was built in 1935. She operated as a city boat, mainly traveling between Birmingham and London, towing a butty boat. CACTUS worked for Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd. until the firm went into voluntary liquidation in 1939, when she was transferred to the British Transport Commission. She later moved to British Waterways, withdrawing from the trade in 1963 when she was sold to the present owner.

In 1967, she was converted to a passenger boat with a capacity for forty-six people and was used in this way for twenty two years before being withdrawn from service for a complete restoration to her original condition.

She was judged winner of the Alfred Ritchie Award at the Inland Waterways Association National Festival Rally; an award given to the boat deemed to be best presented as a genuine working craft of its type and consistent with its recent record of actual working commercial movement.

These brief histories are compiled from details supplied by vessel owners and enthusiasts and from various reference works. National Historic Ships would be grateful for any corrections of facts or additional information for inclusion. Please contact ron.ellis@nationalhistoricships.org.uk

Subsequent developments

2007 - CACTUS was awarded a grant of £400 by National Historic Ships to cover the costs of new interpretation signs. Source; Hannah Cunliffe, National Historic Ships

Previous names

Bibliography