Name Hyperion

HYPERION was built in 1935 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Woolwich, London, originally paired with the butty HYADES. They were the third and fourth of an order of 24 iron composite pairs, commissioned the previous year by the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd. Her first master was J Brooks, and at the time she was fitted with a National 2DM 18½hp engine.

In 1942, she was listed as being paired with GRETNA, and in 1947 she was purchased by S E Barlow of Tamworth, Staffordshire, along with CETUS. In 1957, she was purchased by Samuel Barlow Coal Company Ltd of Birmingham, West Midlands, and her engine was replaced with a Parsons Merganser 7556/4091 AS2MES.

In 1961, she was purchased by J Taylor of Moore, Cheshire, who worked her along the North West of England, first through Waterdale Canal Services and later through Hyperion Cruises. By 1969, she was owned by R W Woodward of Marple, Greater Manchester, and the following year she was purchased by R Olney and M Sumner of Soulbury, Buckinghamshire. By 1973, HYPERION had been purchased by V Garret of Birmingham, West Midlands, who operated her as a passenger boat.

In 1978, she was purchased by A Sim of Macclesfield, Cheshire, who paired her with the butty SPECK, and in 1981, she was sold to T Angell of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. In 1987, she was fitted with a new steel bottom, steel cabin and engine room, and after that she switched hands a couple of times, first to M Sampson of Liverpool, Merseyside, in 1991, who paired her with KESTREL, and later to K Jackson of Weston, Cheshire, in 1994, who paired her with SERPENS.

In 2005, she was again sold, purchased by J Hobby, M Wilson and D Ray of Norbury, Staffordshire, with D Ray taking sole ownership the following year. In 2008, her engine was replaced by a Parsons Merganser ex-lifeboat engine. In 2010, she was purchased by D Riley of Walsall, West Midlands, and around 2012 she was purchased by P and M Routledge, who reunited her with HYADES in 2014 and operated both as fuel boats.

In 2019, HYPERION was purchased by her current owner, who in 2023 replaced HYPERION's engine with a Lister HA2 industrial engine with Lister HB2 variable speed and PRM gearbox. She is still currently paired with HYADES, leased to the current owner in 2020 and purchased in 2022, and they work together around Staffordshire.