Name Mabel

MABEL was converted from being horse drawn to a counter sterned motor boat by Leeds and Atkins, Polesworth, for John Wilson in 1934. 

In 1951, she was registered in London and was being used as a carrying boat before being converted in 1953/1954 to a 'hotel boat' by Tooley, Banbury for the same owner, trading as inland navigators.  In 1955 MABEL ran with hotel boats NANCY and NELSON and then ran with the butty MALBERN in 1956.

She was then paired with the butty FORGET-ME-NOT in 1957 and continued to run as a hotel boat.  Her Petter engine was replaced with an Armstrong Siddley in 1959.

In 1963, the vessel was sold to an owner trading as an 'inland waterways holiday cruiser', followed by new ownership again in 1991 when MABEL was then run between Ilangollen and Chester canal.  MABEL and FORGET-ME-NOT were regsitered sunk and abandoned by the Waterways in December 1998 but she was saved and in 2001 converted, including dry docking where she was caulked and blacked keelson chine planks.  Her side planks were also replaced.

Update, February 2023: MABEL is currently up for sale with sister vessel FORGET-ME-NOT. 

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