Name Tortuga

TORTUGA is believed to have been constructed in the late 1960’s by Canal Line for use as a hire boat. She was originally named DENNIS and was constructed with a welded steel hull with a GRP cabin top. She was taken out of the water by her previous owner and put on a hard standing on a yard north of Cambridge in 2019/2020. While on hard standing the original GRP cabin was removed and work began on changing the steel cabin structure, but due to the pandemic and lack of funds she then fell into disrepair and was later abandoned.

In January 2021 TORTUGA was bought by Jez Walsh and sympathetically converted into a traditional style narrowboat tug at Hillingdon Narrowboats Association, Harefield on the southern Grand Union Canal. This consisted of new stern deck rails, modified steel substructure, a welded steel cabin and a 2.8m tug fore deck. A refurbished three cylinder Lister engine was fitted in the engine bay below the rear deck. The interior was fit out for living on board with a double bed under the fore deck and a range cooker in the open plan kitchen/ lounge. 

Walsh also renamed the vessel TORTUGA after the Caribbean island of the same name. It is known for its pirate history, and because of this there is a theme of piracy throughout the boat and its construction while still in keeping with traditional narrowboat styling.

TORTUGA is currently moored in Northampton and frequents the river Nene and Grand Union Canal.

Update, April 2025: Vessel under new ownership.