Name Oakdale

Built in 1951 by Richard Abel & Sons of Runcorn, OAKDALE is a Mersey Flat of composite construction with a Lister HA3 diesel engine. She spent her working life on the Rivers Mersey and Weaver and was used as a grain barge. She is one of only two Flats surviving and is the only remaining composite construction Mersey Flat. She is also the only remaining merchant vessel built at Runcorn and is built to the same pattern as boats built by Abels in the 1850s.

Update, March 2020: OAKDALE suffered considerable damage during the recent storms.  The generator and pumps have been dried-out and will be brought back on-line soon.  Extensive damage to the outer hull will be worked on over the coming months, to get the flat back to watertight and safe conditions.

In May 2023, an internal video was done and can be seen https://youtu.be/7ELPBvzs6Eo  © Daryl Stocker