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Tug style narrow boats


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But the what would you count? Weld runs? - Even then a lot of builders are using MIG welders, so that out as well! What it the world coming to>

Daniel

 

I'd count the banknotes I saved by not adding a completely unnecessary feature to the boat.

Rivetted boats were rivetted, welded boats are welded.

Simple... isn't it?

:cheers:

Edited by magnetman
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I'd count the banknotes I saved by not adding a completely unnecessary feature to the boat.

Rivetted boats were rivetted, welded boats are welded.

Simple... isn't it?

:cheers:

 

Surely adding 'rivets' either real ones or imitations is just part of the decorative style - and should be left to the choice of the individual - in much the same way as the choice of colour scheme or choice of name . . .

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Surely adding 'rivets' either real ones or imitations is just part of the decorative style - and should be left to the choice of the individual - in much the same way as the choice of colour scheme or choice of name . . .

 

 

Other than provable facts everything I write here is my own individual opinion, and may be expressed with some strength of feeling, force of wording or humorous undertones, as far as freedom of expression allows.

I have a right to an opinion and I accept others individual rights to their own while I may well disagree with them.

I do not imply or indicate that any opinion held by me is necesarily held, or should be held, by anybody else.

 

We are all individuals.

:cheers:

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Rivetted boats were rivetted, welded boats are welded.

Simple... isn't it?

:cheers:

 

You're implying that no riveting is ever done on boats any longer, whilst boat builders the likes of Steve Priest, Ian Kemp etc are regularly building replica Northwich back cabins with all genuine rivets. Much riveted restoration work was done on President's hull in recent years and Leo's restoration was virtually a new build riveted hull/back cabin.

 

There are many completely unnecessary features designed into modern narrowboats. It would be easier and therefore cheaper to build along the box like lines of a BW River Class boat but few would wish to buy one, preferring instead the more traditional styling of the older, long distance boats.

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You're implying that no riveting is ever done on boats any longer, whilst boat builders the likes of Steve Priest, Ian Kemp etc are regularly building replica Northwich back cabins with all genuine rivets. Much riveted restoration work was done on President's hull in recent years and Leo's restoration was virtually a new build riveted hull/back cabin.

 

There are many completely unnecessary features designed into modern narrowboats. It would be easier and therefore cheaper to build along the box like lines of a BW River Class boat but few would wish to buy one, preferring instead the more traditional styling of the older, long distance boats.

 

I wouldn't mind a river class, like TAW, she's a complete beauty, brutal but handsome.

 

 

I certainly believe that borrowing proven ideas from workboats is great, like using a solid round block of steel for the rudder post rather than a tinny little bearing, these things are functional and add to the workability of the boat. raked rudder, which comes to the centre, makes it heavy to steer but it goes where its pointed. The same applies to general underwater shape, experience has proved what does and what doesn't work. What I (personally) don't like is something added which makes no difference whatsoever to the working of the boat in question.

 

I am not implying that no genuine rivetting is ever carried out, I know perfectly well that it is, but I have noted, and I am perfectly happy to be corrected if I am wrong here, that a lot of new boats are built using welding to join the steel parts together, after which circular discs are added to the exterior (maybe the interior too?) in an attempt to imply that the construction method used was something other than the most feasible and cheapest technique (I believe) which is mig welding.

 

Replacing the counter, for example, of a FM&C josher using rivetting as a construction method, following the original technique to remain 'in keeping' with the original design is completely understandable in my opinion, rather like refitting old houses with bakelite switches and cotton braided cables.

 

edit:

Although I do think that chopping off the back of any boat and replacing it altogether is really quite lazy.

Edited by magnetman
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Yes, How did you Know ?

 

Just got back from Christmas and New Year with it, Magic

 

John

 

A guess.

One of the best engines about, wickedly powerful but they don't make them anymore I believe which is a shame. A good friend of mine had one in a previous and his current boat.

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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....

I was thinking about the days when the canals were maintained and a 5 plank tug could be ballasted to have less than a plank showing. Of course Ken keay's 4 plankers now are the best looking (real) tugs on the cut because they can still run with the minimum of freeboard and not be sat in mud.

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I was thinking about the days when the canals were maintained and a 5 plank tug could be ballasted to have less than a plank showing. Of course Ken keay's 4 plankers now are the best looking (real) tugs on the cut because they can still run with the minimum of freeboard and not be sat in mud.

I am looking forwards to comparing Judith Ann to our modern tug Wyrd which has perhaps a little less freeboard but with 6" or so greater water draught. What I have found over many years is that tugs perform better if they have something to tow. Certainly with Meteor on cross straps Wyrd was no slower than as a single motor and speed could be maintained in shallower water because the butty prevented the back end dragging down.

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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.

 

Hi Hugh. Just realised who you are. <_<

 

Another wooden boat previously rescued by you was discussed here:-

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...43&hl=hazel

 

Are you able to put any meat on the bones?

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Hi Hugh. Just realised who you are. <_<

 

Another wooden boat previously rescued by you was discussed here:-

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...43&hl=hazel

 

Are you able to put any meat on the bones?

Hazel did have a section eight noticeand was lying submerged at Mills boatyard at the bottom of the Erewash. We bought the boat and put it on dock at Langley Mill. It needed very little work considering that it had been sunk for some time.AISTR there was one smallish leak and the boat had filled with rainwater until this level was reached. We were going to camp Hazel alongside -at that time Chiswick and Meteor-but reality kicked in and we sold it to a member of the WCC Trust. The sternpost had been hacked about to fit an SR2 but this was on the bank in pieces when we collected Hazel and there we left it.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Hi if you were thinking of having a Tug style narrowboat build who would you have build the shell???

David

 

In my opinon there is only one builder to who can builder your new boat that is NORTON CANES BOAT BUILDERS.

Edited by Keith M
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No Contest the only builder is Bary Hawkins He built mine and it is perfect, no faults at all on the snag list only i knocked off a rivet on a bridge on way home and he insisted on coming to the boat to put it back on.

No question- Barry Hawkins builds really good solid boats - although for my taste the "trad" detailing is over stated - but there most certainly IS a contest . Dave Harris, Simon Wain and Norton Canes Boatbuilders. I know them all , I`ve painted a number of boats they`ve all built. All three would provide stiff competition , and the odd lesson, for all the rest . The problem is their level of uncompromised quality and good taste is very expensive. Then there`s Mel Davis , Roger Farringdon............................

This "tug" thing is weird. Genuine canal tugs were generally pug ugly purely functional things. Modern replicas tend to be based on three or four originals - Stentor,Birchills , Enterprise and Buffalo spring to mind . Very often these days the abscence of windows seems to be all a boat needs to be a tug - add lots of imitation rivets and joins to make it an expensive tug!

Cheers

Phil

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Fully agree that the "Tug Style" thing is weird.

 

Last year Roger Farrington completed the steelwork for our tug Batavia, which is loosely based on the Stewarts and Lloyds tug Pacific No. 4. In our eyes, it look splendid, but seems to inspire liking and loathing in equal measures in other people. It certainly looks different to other boats, but there seems to be very little true variety in boats being built these days - when compared with, say, 20 years ago. Are costs so high that people are too worried about re-sale value to buy boats which are different from the norm?

 

Chris

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Fully agree that the "Tug Style" thing is weird.

 

Last year Roger Farrington completed the steelwork for our tug Batavia, which is loosely based on the Stewarts and Lloyds tug Pacific No. 4. In our eyes, it look splendid, but seems to inspire liking and loathing in equal measures in other people. It certainly looks different to other boats, but there seems to be very little true variety in boats being built these days - when compared with, say, 20 years ago. Are costs so high that people are too worried about re-sale value to buy boats which are different from the norm?

 

Chris

Have you got the twin tunnel lights like Pacific? If you mean the one John Pattle has restored and put in the water, what a nice boat she is, sister to the 'Bittell' I believe. I am also interested in this liking or loathing thing about replicas, as I am actually in the loathing bracket, but they do seem popular. I know this causes arguments but I genuinely can not get my head round imitation rivets...

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Yes, it is based on the Pacific which John Pattle now owns - Roger Farrington had owned before him. We decided to pass on the twin headlamps - that was a step too far! And our rivets should not get knocked off - they are CNC machined ones, with real sized and shaped heads, but with a 5mm shank for ease of drilling the shell (this saved about 1,200 12mm holes, which Roger was not that keen on drilling)!

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I think that tugs look beautiful but their practicality worries me slightly. I have never set foot on one though so my comments are deeply uninformed.

 

The two points that I would make are:

 

1. The foredeck often has quite a camber and is often used for sitting out. How often do owners fall asleep on their chairs and find themleves over the side? A rail around the side might make it safer but IMHO ruin the appearance.

 

2. Is the space under the foredeck easy to use and what do people use it for? I have seen pictures of beds under there but with the lack of headroom I would have thougt that it is quite an althletic job to make the bed.

 

Do let us know, tug owners!

 

Nick

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