whats this all about? odd steel plate welded to front of boat

[GoodGurl]

 

I think those are fairleads for the mooring lines

 

Richard

don't fairleads have a piece cut out tho for the rope to go through

[David Mack]

I though it used to be called something like "Thorn", but can find no obvious match in the boat listing. Perhaps I'm wrong on that?

 

Thorn formerley paired with Persephone, the similar length butty? The pair used to be owned by Guy Morgan who some may remember from the old Canals mailing list. Persephone is (or was recently) for sale on Ebay with a 40ish foot Harborough boat.

[Peter Reed]

Designed for breaking swans wings and legs?

[magnetman]

I don't think it is Thorn as I have seen thorn before. If its still there today I'll ask the owner and get a picture of the whole boat.

 

I didn't notice an electric anchor winch - the whole boat looks pretty ordinary other than the bit that I photographed

I think Thorn was a 1970s CTs boat or possible built by Water travel. Those West Midlands boat have quite distinctive bow shapes normally which doesn't look like this one.

 

The grab handles are interesting though ! Perhaps it WAS for getting on and off the boat !! I suppose if one were moored where the bank is say 6 inches above water and can only get the front of the boat to the side... But welding such a massive bit of plate on as a step is a bit extreme.

Another thing about thorn is I think she had wooden cants and distinctive stern dollies. This boat seems to be newer as it has steel cants I think. I suppose it could be Thorn but heavily refurbished. I think Thorn was a tug deck with a large winch but this boat has a gas locker and no space for a winch.

[RLWP]

don't fairleads have a piece cut out tho for the rope to go through

 

Don't bows have a graceful curve to cut through the water?

 

Richard

[Bettie Boo]

 

Don't bows have a graceful curve to cut through the water?

 

Richard

 

Graceful and bow is not two words I would use together when describing the front end of our boat ... but our back end makes up for it IMO

[koukouvagia]

 

 

If I have the right baot, then what Magnetman doesn't mention is that it has quite a few unusual features for what is a basic leisure narrow boat of (probably) under 30 feet long, such as an electric winch for an anchor.

 

Just to add my two penn'orth to the speculation. Could it be a platform on which to store an anchor instead of having to haul it on board the boat? The "handrails" would be to guide the anchor chain.

[magnetman]

It just went past and YES it does have quite a heavy looking winch. At the back of the boat though not the front.

 

As it is in Limehouse and I have not seen it before it is possibly off the tideway. Its tiny - more like 25ft or something. I couldn't find the fone to take a pic its gone past now.

 

I think its probably something to do with stopping the boat diving when it meets a large wash such as that thrown up by the Cory tugs and City Cruises tripper boats on the tideway.

[alan_fincher]

I think its probably something to do with stopping the boat diving when it meets a large wash such as that thrown up by the Cory tugs and City Cruises tripper boats on the tideway.

 

From your description I DEFINITELY know this boat, have had a permanent mooring next to it, and chatted with the bloke who has bought it about 2 years ago.

 

I'm absolutely sure this isn't the case! As I said previously it was built by a known builder, (wish I could remember which, though), for his own use, and used as a show boat, but I don't believe the apparent "sea going like" bits were ever intended to be used in anger.

[Bee]

It was going to be a v. small car ferry and this was part of the ramp.

[BGA]

It would make a good icebreaker

 

Richard

I agree Richard looks like an ice breaker.

[steamcompound]

Ice breaking plates, I've seen them on iron and old wooden boats on the Dutch canals. The boat is supposed to attempt to climb the ice and the boat's weight subsequently breaks the ice by forcing it downwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

edit to change frequency they are encounted.

Edited June 17, 2016 by steamcompound