Recent visits - June 2007

Simon Stephens and Hannah Cunliffe visited North-West England in June to familiarise themselves with the following vessels of the Inland Waterways, featured on the National Register of Historic Vessels:

The Black Country Living Museum

• President
  President is a narrowboat, owned by the Black Country Living Museum but largely operated by the Friends of President Society who are very effective. The vessel is well maintained and run regularly on long trips (three months). There is a rota of some 40 volunteers to crew her. Originally, she would have had a compound engine, but now has a single cylinder steam engine. She is in good condition, having been fully restored and works as a pair with butty Kildare.
• Kildare
  Kildare is the butty to President. The sign-writing on both vessels was being renewed during this visit. She is in excellent working condition and has been fully restored. She is used as accommodation for the crew of President whilst on passage, but all interior fittings can be easily removed so as not to impair her originality.
• Peacock
  Narrowboat Peacock is currently on display afloat. Her bottom and cabin sides have been replaced since she was last viewed by the team.

The team were also able to view the following vessels which were visiting the Museum at the time:

• Gifford
  Tanker Gifford is in immaculate working condition and was viewed whilst en route to a festival, when passing through the Black Country Living Museum. There is limited original material left after a full restoration, but she is aesthetically beautiful and well promoted.
• Tug Pacific
• Sharpness
  Icebreaking tug Sharpness has recently successfully applied for a grant from National Historic Ships and appeared in excellent condition.
• Tug Enterprise No. 1

Stourbridge

• Black Countryman
  Narrowboat Black Countryman is a registered vessel which has been converted for day tripping and evening functions. She is run as a business and appeared in good condition.
• Amsterdam
  Narrowboat Amsterdam is a new registration. She looked immaculate and seems to have been fully restored.
• Bramble
  Narrowboat Bramble is a new registration, currently moored at Dadsford Wharf, Wordsley. We were showed round her by the owner who bought her as a shortened vessel and has since restored her to the original length. The new section has been made of welded steel, whereas the old sections are riveted. She requires covers to complete her restoration and the owner has applied for a grant from NHSC for this. He intends to use her for educational purposes.

Ellesmere Port

The team were welcomed to the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port and spent the day viewing the following vessels on the NRHV from their collection.

Designated Vessels:

• Basuto - Forth & Clyde Puffer
• Perseverance - steam grab dredger
• Friendship - wooden horse boat
• George - short boat
• Marbury - Shropshire Union wooden ice boat
• Merak - butty
• FCB 18 - concrete barge
• Merope - narrowboat

Registered Only:

• Aspull - Leeds and Liverpool ice boat
• Bacup - short boat
• Bigmere - steel dumb barge. She is floating and in good condition, open to the public with an out-of-date display in the hold. She appeared to be largely original with no significant alterations.
• Centaur - Narrowboat
• Chiltern - Josher
• Cuddington - Weaver packet Cuddington is a floating exhibit, moored in the bottom basin. She is largely in original condition.
• Cedar - Wooden canal float
• Mendip - Narrowboat
• Mossdale - Wooden dumb Mersey flat
• Ethel - Wooden West Country keel Ethel has been deconstructed by sectioning.
• Speedwell - Wooden dumb Wey barge
• Scorpio - Wooden long boat
• Shad - Narrowboat Shad is on public display afloat. Her cabin has been restored and she is in operational condition, with some possible work needed on her bottom.
• Worcester - Tunnel tug Worcester is moored at Ellesmere Port. She is in good condition, undergoing restoration, with some riveting recently completed and the cabin top restored
• Phoebe - Day boat
• No 39 - Narrowboat
• Manchester - Bridgewater steam tug Manchester is currently out of the water on a disused slipway.
• Regulus - Narrowboat Regulus is moored at Ellesmere Port. She appeared in good condition and is kept afloat in the top basin.

Liverpool: Eldonian Village

• Cactus
  The team also visited narrowboat Cactus who had travelled from Stafford and was moored temporarily at Liverpool where she was taking part in the International Narrowboat Festival.
  She has been fully restored to immaculate condition, with only the sides original. She has a Bolinder engine which the owner kindly started during our visit. The restoration has been done very accurately to old photographs, with sign work exactly as it would have been. Her aft cabin is beautifully arranged as a lived-in area, with attractive canal art and brass. She carried all cargoes.

Barton and Leigh

• Severn
  We visited short boat Severn, moored at Barton and were shown over her by her owner. The vessel is in good condition, mostly original with few alterations. She has her original hull and bottom and has not been converted. Her engine is a Lister diesel. She is in use by her four co-owners. Her fore-cabin is original, with a replacement heater. She worked carrying grain for Kellogg�s and was unusual in that she was never used to carry coal.
• Rudd
  
Severn's owner has also owned motor narrowboat Rudd since the 1970s, when he discovered her sunk and restored her to full working condition. She has a Bolinder engine which originated in another narrowboat and a typical panelled cabin aft. Her hold is used as a sleeping quarters now, with removable fittings. Rudd is securely berthed in the Bedford Basin, Leigh and is regularly used on local canals.
• Pauline
  Pauline was a short fly-boat, now converted to a houseboat by the owner of the Bedford Basin, Leigh, where she is moored. He has owned her since 1975 and converted her from a tripper boat in the first few years of ownership. She is a Designated Vessel, in good condition and working order. In the past, she has travelled to France and Amsterdam as a pleasure craft under the current owner and is now moved occasionally for local use.

National Maritime Museum

Copyright in these images rests with National Historic Ships and the vessels' owners. Pictures must not be reproduced without the permission of National Historic Ships or of the owners.

Royal Observatory Greenwich