Belfast

[David Mack]

There was mention a while back on the Historic Boats for sale online thread that Belfast had been put up for sale by the Dacorum Narrowboat Project.

Well Jacqui and I are the new owners. We picked the boat last month and have spent a couple of weekends aboard.

Belfast was built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co by Harland and Wolff at North Woolwich in 1936, given fleet number 115 and originally paired with butty Baildon. Belfast passed to BW on nationalisation, and saw service with Willow Wren before being laid up in the Wendover Arm along with other surplus carrying boats.

In 1971 Belfast was sold for £500 to the Dacorum Narrowboat Project (who outbid the Fincher family). DNBP converted the boat and from 1972 it was hired out to schools, Scouts, Guides and other youth groups, based latterly at Nash Mills. In recent years interest from these groups has waned, and DNBP were finding it harder to attract volunteers to run and maintain the boat, so last year they decided to close down and put the boat up for sale.

The boat currently has 12 narrow single berths in the main cabin and two side beds in the back cabin (which has lost its original fitout). The interior is rather 'institutional' and 20 years after its last refit more than a little tired. We intend to refit the boat for more comfortable cruising, but its all going to take some time...

For those who have watched the DVD of the 1967 Flower of Gloster TV series, Belfast is the boat on which a boatwoman gives birth half way up Braunston Locks while for some unexplained reason her husband is miles ahead with the butty!

 

When I told my sister we had bought a boat called Belfast, she had a momentary misunderstanding with a more famous Belfast, moored near Tower Bridge. So, to avoid any confusion, here are some facts:

•  Belfast 115 was built by Harland and Wolff at North Woolwich. HMS Belfast was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast.
•  Belfast 115 was registered on 9 December 1936. HMS Belfast’s keel was laid down on 10 December 1936.
•  Belfast 115, after the end of its carrying life, was sold off by Government-owned BWB to the DNBP charity in 1971. HMS Belfast, after withdrawal from naval service in 1963, was sold by the Government to a preservation trust charity in 1971.
•  On the other hand, HMS Belfast is 8.6 times as long, 9 times as wide and draws 6.6 times as much as Belfast 115. 
•  And HMS Belfast was built with 48 guns and 6 torpedo tubes, and we have none of either!

 

[Greygal]

Many congrats! And thanks too for removing temptation, as I was seriously contemplating adding to the fleet, which may have just seen me divorced. 

[RLWP]

Congratulations, David

Richard

[Rob-M]

Interesting steering technique turning with the butty.

[X Alan W]

15 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Interesting steering technique turning with the butty.

That was one of the ways of avoiding a hefty "clout" should the rudder hit/or be hit by some thing with the steerer having that amount of "lock on being required to stand on the counter also some working craft had unbalanced rudders & were b****y heavy to hold over for any length of time so more devious means were employed & that was one variation.

[mark99]

Congrats.

Observed it a few time but never moving.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Very nice posting thank you

[Ace 01]

Apparently the main armament on HMS Belfast is aimed at a motorway services not far north of London!

 

Cheers

 

David

[alan_fincher]

We passed Belfast an hour or so back.

(All looked OK).

[Ray T]

Congratulations, will you be getting Belfast to Alvecote?

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Ray T said:

Congratulations, will you be getting Belfast to Alvecote?

Don't know. We're heading for the Braunston gathering first.

[tomsk]

On ‎01‎/‎06‎/‎2017 at 19:25, David Mack said:

There was mention a while back on the Historic Boats for sale online thread that Belfast had been put up for sale by the Dacorum Narrowboat Project.

Well Jacqui and I are the new owners. We picked the boat last month and have spent a couple of weekends aboard.

Belfast was built for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co by Harland and Wolff at North Woolwich in 1936, given fleet number 115 and originally paired with butty Baildon. Belfast passed to BW on nationalisation, and saw service with Willow Wren before being laid up in the Wendover Arm along with other surplus carrying boats.

In 1971 Belfast was sold for £500 to the Dacorum Narrowboat Project (who outbid the Fincher family). DNBP converted the boat and from 1972 it was hired out to schools, Scouts, Guides and other youth groups, based latterly at Nash Mills. In recent years interest from these groups has waned, and DNBP were finding it harder to attract volunteers to run and maintain the boat, so last year they decided to close down and put the boat up for sale.

The boat currently has 12 narrow single berths in the main cabin and two side beds in the back cabin (which has lost its original fitout). The interior is rather 'institutional' and 20 years after its last refit more than a little tired. We intend to refit the boat for more comfortable cruising, but its all going to take some time...

For those who have watched the DVD of the 1967 Flower of Gloster TV series, Belfast is the boat on which a boatwoman gives birth half way up Braunston Locks while for some unexplained reason her husband is miles ahead with the butty!

 

When I told my sister we had bought a boat called Belfast, she had a momentary misunderstanding with a more famous Belfast, moored near Tower Bridge. So, to avoid any confusion, here are some facts:

•  Belfast 115 was built by Harland and Wolff at North Woolwich. HMS Belfast was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast.
•  Belfast 115 was registered on 9 December 1936. HMS Belfast’s keel was laid down on 10 December 1936.
•  Belfast 115, after the end of its carrying life, was sold off by Government-owned BWB to the DNBP charity in 1971. HMS Belfast, after withdrawal from naval service in 1963, was sold by the Government to a preservation trust charity in 1971.
•  On the other hand, HMS Belfast is 8.6 times as long, 9 times as wide and draws 6.6 times as much as Belfast 115. 
•  And HMS Belfast was built with 48 guns and 6 torpedo tubes, and we have none of either!

 

Just caught up with this David.

Smashing boat.

[Sea Dog]

On 2017-6-1 at 19:25, David Mack said:

•  

 

Good job you didn't buy that BELFAST - looks like the blacking is coming off in sheets!

Good luck with your actual project.