Jump to content

Tug style narrow boats

davidandheather
 Share

Featured Posts

carlt Veteran II

carlt

Posted
Posted (edited)
If you want to see what Jem's yard is capable of come and have a look at Judith Ann which he is rebuilding for us. Now that is a tug.

 

Beautiful boat, did a spot of work on her when she was still at charity many years back. Jem did a nice job on progress the other keyes tug. Nice to hear judith anne is being looked after. She fell off my radar for a while (last I heard she was rumoured to be on her way to cornwall to be put in a field to await rebuilding. Thought that was funny but with wooden nb's, anything is possible). Welcome to the forum btw, we need more wooden boaters. It can get lonely here with just supermalc for company.

 

 

Yeah why not, if you have the time and money!

 

As hairy neil said, people in glass houses, steamboat willie. ;) . A new wooden boat needs much the same maintenence as a steel one. Every 4 years pull her out, caulk and pitch her and a coat of black. Two weeks work every leap year aint bad and you can always pay a pro like jem to do it, or rope an experienced enthusiast like me to help out.

 

Course, if you want to devote every last breath in your body to back breaking, cancerous torture, buy a knackered old one (or two (or three)) and do the work yourself.

Edited by carlt
Link to comment
Share on other sites
hughc Proficient

hughc

Posted
Posted
Beautiful boat, did a spot of work on her when she was still at charity many years back. Jem did a nice job on progress the other keyes tug. Nice to hear judith anne is being looked after. She fell off my radar for a while (last I heard she was rumoured to be on her way to cornwall to be put in a field to await rebuilding. Thought that was funny but with wooden nb's, anything is possible). Welcome to the forum btw, we need more wooden boaters. It can get lonely here with just supermalc for company.

As hairy neil said, people in glass houses, steamboat willie. ;) . A new wooden boat needs much the same maintenence as a steel one. Every 4 years pull her out, caulk and pitch her and a coat of black. Two weeks work every leap year aint bad and you can always pay a pro like jem to do it, or rope an experienced enthusiast like me to help out.

 

Course, if you want to devote every last breath in your body to back breaking, cancerous torture, buy a knackered old one (or two (or three)) and do the work yourself.

Thank you for the welcome. As good wooden boats become scarcer it becomes more cost effective to rebuild or restore good surviving examples.Judith Ann is being completely rebuilt. We have saved the posts and one plank along with parts of the kelsons. The planking used has been in long lengths and whilst retaining the shape- which has to be one of the most beautiful on the cut-the number of scarfs has been reduced and the boat is significantly stronger.I have a Ruston 4Vrom which came out of JA at some stage but she is to be re-engined with a Kelvin J3. It has been interesting to see how Keays yard tackled what to them must have been-from the solutions adopted-unusual problems.Why for instance was she built with 1.5" planking and splayed engine beds. If anyone knows the answer to these or has any other information on the boat I will be pleased to hear from them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
carlt Veteran II

carlt

Posted
Posted

Hi hugh,

I've just tried posting a long and detailed (read soporific) yarn about what I know about JA and it was spat out and lost so here's a summary of what I typed.

 

1.5" is 25% cheaper than 2" and a tug doesn't need the extra strength from 2" planks that a cargo vessel does when it has large loads dumped in it's hold, it's also loads easier to work than 2". Carrying on the economy thing JA was built with a composite counter instead of the usual solid counter block, she was also a 4 planker rather than a 5. These things, I would have thought were disadvantages for a tug. I would have rather had all those joeys bashing a solid block of oak rather than the strange thing ken keays came up with. It looks good in his drawings (I have a copy of his sketchbook somewhere, I'll try to dig it out sometime) but I wouldn't have thought it was up to the hammering BCN tug back ends got. This maybe why the back end was such a mess when I last saw the boat. I'd have also preferred the extra draught a 5 plank tug would have had for dragging the day boat trains about. Great news for the restorer though (only 4 planks, 1.5" thick, composite counter and not 72', this is where I've gone wrong).

 

I've no idea why the engine bearers are splayed (in which direction? a picture may help). But JA Has had many engines in her time so they may not be original.

 

I know one of the previous owners very well so I'll try to get hold of him and get more info. I'll also try to find the KK boatbuilder's sketchbook and let you have a look sometime (don't hold your breath though, my books are scattered far and wide).

 

Only other thing I can add (which is widely known anyway) is that Judith Anne is Ken Keays daughter.

 

I will dribble more info to you as I remember it (age and something else...no it's gone) or as I get it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hughc Proficient

hughc

Posted
Posted (edited)
You say take a look, do you have any photos anywhere?

Daniel

I've uploaded a photograph of the last of the outer planks being fitted after steaming on the Gallery under Boats. Regards HC

Edited by hughc
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

Posted
Posted
I'd have also preferred the extra draught a 5 plank tug would have had for dragging the day boat trains about. Great news for the restorer though (only 4 planks, 1.5" thick, composite counter and not 72', this is where I've gone wrong).

 

Surely the extra plank would just give you more freeboard rather than greater draught? The useable draught is governed by the depth of the cut....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Phil Speight Rising Star

Phil Speight

Posted
Posted

Back from Scotland almost but not quite sufficientlychilled !

Best boat builder - for a tug or anything else is surely Dave Harris. He just about shades a group including Norton Canes , my buddy Ian Kemp( it`s pretty close! ) and Brinklow Boat Services. Actually there`s b`all to seperate any of these.

The absolute best remember DON`T need fancy adverts in magazines - but of those that do Barry Hawkins boats are extremely well put together - we just painted one that features in their current ad. Personally I don`t go for lots of overstated detail , particularly false rivets - but if you want them all these guys will at least put them in the right places and they won`t be over-sized.

A bit more mainstream but still bloody good - Jonathon Wilson and co.

Then of course there`s the others who are favoured by people whose opinions are every bit as valid as mine.

Good luck !

Oh yes - have the new year that makes you happiest.

Cheers

Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites
David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

Posted
Posted (edited)
Back from Scotland almost but not quite sufficientlychilled !

Best boat builder - for a tug or anything else is surely Dave Harris. He just about shades a group including Norton Canes , my buddy Ian Kemp( it`s pretty close! ) and Brinklow Boat Services. Actually there`s b`all to seperate any of these.

The absolute best remember DON`T need fancy adverts in magazines - but of those that do Barry Hawkins boats are extremely well put together - we just painted one that features in their current ad. Personally I don`t go for lots of overstated detail , particularly false rivets - but if you want them all these guys will at least put them in the right places and they won`t be over-sized.

A bit more mainstream but still bloody good - Jonathon Wilson and co.

Then of course there`s the others who are favoured by people whose opinions are every bit as valid as mine.

Good luck !

Oh yes - have the new year that makes you happiest.

Cheers

Phil

Once again Phil you have missed out Roger Farringdon, who builds excellent tugs (as confirmed by John and Kathy in an earlier post) But then by you own admission in another thread, you have never worked on one of his boats so we will forgive you for this ommission.

Edited by David Schweizer
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kelvinman Gongoozler

Kelvinman

Posted
Posted

[best boat builder - for a tug or anything else is surely Dave Harris. He just about shades a group including Norton Canes , my buddy Ian Kemp( it`s pretty close! ) and Brinklow Boat Services. Actually there`s b`all to seperate any of these.

The absolute best remember DON`T need fancy adverts in magazines - but of those that do Barry Hawkins boats are extremely well put together

 

New boy to this forum but I couldn't resist adding my thoughts......

I was looking for a solid shell to mount my Kelvin K1 engine and after much trawling around boat builders (some of whom couldn't be bothered to reply) I ended up with a shell from Canal Transport Services from Norton Canes. Dennis Cooper has now all but retired - his son Matthew now runs the business and turns out 4 or 5 shells a year. They are solid, no frills boats built (to my eye at least) with a pleasing line and well finished steelwork. My boat, Catkin, has now been in the water for 4 years and I'm still delighted with her. The great thing about CTS is that they will build you the boat you want, not what they want like some (not that they won't offer advice but its up to you then). Oh yes - these boys really know how to install a vintage engine too if thats the route you're taking.

 

We had our fit out done by Barry Hawkins (this was before he was making his own shells) - again a high quality job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Phil Speight Rising Star

Phil Speight

Posted
Posted
Once again Phil you have missed out Roger Farringdon, who builds excellent tugs (as confirmed by John and Kathy in an earlier post) But then by you own admission in another thread, you have never worked on one of his boats so we will forgive you for this ommission.

Indeed - but as you have rightly suggested I can only fairly comment on boats I have worked on or builders whose work I have watched from close quarters . You and other well versed observers will always be able to extend any list I might come up with.

Another thing to remember - however good their reputation - a workman of any type is only as good as the work they are producing right now. Times change , pressure , staff turn round and even ambition not to mention economics and marketing can drastically affect quality.The best way to find the builder you want is to do your research then actually go and look, asking for advice should only ever be part of the process.

Cheers

Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites
magnetman Veteran II

magnetman

Posted
Posted (edited)

Nothing quite like an owner to do a proper advert for a good boat.

 

Most of the builders I like are no longer constructing boats - Allens, Malcolm Braine, Tony Gregory, Dennis Cooper, good solid boats. Not being a fan of rivets on new boats I think Norton Canes would now be my no.1 choice if I were buying a new boat.

Edited by magnetman
Link to comment
Share on other sites
NB Alnwick Veteran II

NB Alnwick

Posted
Posted

To anyone buying any boat the best advice must be to take several holidays at all times of the year in a boat similar in style to the one you have chosen - we had a vague idea that we wanted a 'tug' style boat with a traditional back end and separate engine room - so we hired 'Spriit of Georgia' from Challenger in February when there was ice on the cut, in July (2005) when it was both wet and hot and in October when it was damp and muddy. This helped us to decided on the good points and bad points of our ideal boat.

 

The next very important step is to spend as much time as possible beside the canal at a busy stop - in our case this was mostly Braunston but we also spent time at Norton Junction, Foxton Locks, Hillmorton Locks and other places. We watched many different craft and where possible spoke with the owners - the latter were tremendously co-operative and we were invited aboard a very large number of boats by proud owners keen to tell us both the good points and bad points of the design feature that they had chosen.

 

Finally we visited half a dozen builders who appeared to be producing the style of boat that we wanted. All but one was very pleased to show us round his boatyard and talk about his work. In almost every case we were shown boats under construction and recently completed, we were introduced to owners who had just taken delivery or were having boats built and everyone seemed to have plenty of time for us - the time that we spent doing all this proved to be an excellent investment and we learned that the differences between builders is far more than just a matter of style.

 

In the end we chose 'Alnwick' because it was exactly what we wanted even though we were the third owners of a ten year old vessel - in fact we had already agreed to place an order for a new boat with Alnwick's designer and builder (Phil Trotter of R W Davis & Son) when Alnwick became available.

 

That was our choice but it wouldn't necessarily suit anyone else - we are all different and everyone must choose their own favourite boat style and builder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

Posted
Posted
But the what would you count? Weld runs?

Daniel

 

On wooden boats you could count the scarf joints..........:cheers:

 

Its actually not such a daft idea.....because trees don't grow to uniform specifications every wooden hull is different as the scarf joints are never in quite the same place. Its sometimes possible to identify old wooden boats in photographs as they are all unique.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.