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Reginald's Big Trip


PinkWaterFairy

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New on here, so not sure if this is the right place for this, but so looking forward to taking Reginald for his first Big Trip on the Shropshire Union :D

We are taking him from Grubb Street to Orion boats, leaving tomorrow, which is apparently going to take us two days (according to Mike the Boilerman, and of course he's bound to be right :captain:;) )

Just keeping my fingers crossed that he won't break down. (Reginald that is, not Mike !) and that the weather stays sunny.

(obviously I hope Mike doesn't break down either)

Edited by PinkWaterFairy
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mobile update :) not far now, only 3 incidents so far, stuck in forward gear :-S, only have reverse when Reginald feels like it and got stuck in Awbridge lock for about an hour, had to be towed out (violently) in the end, after opening and closing top sluices to make waves, rocking, etc. etc. Many thanks to owners of Lutra Lutra and Roach and whoever else was helping today :)

 

hopefully some pics to follow

Edited by PinkWaterFairy
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Yeah was a good trip, tempered with uncertainty about whether we would get to Ashwood at all as we'd been told by several peeps there were some tight locks on the Staffs and Worcs but no-one seemed able to name them.

 

Anyway, Reginald is 7' 2½" wide and we can now confirm Dimmingsdale lock is also 7' 2½" wide empty as we rubbed both sides quite firmly leaving the lock, with little puffs of pink brick dust being thrown into the air as we scraped our way out.

 

The next lock, Awbridge, was worse. Seems there is a bulge when empty and I'd guess the width is 7' 2" exactly at Reginald gunnel height, as Reginald failed to drop the final two inches to empty water level. We tried in several places along the lock length with no success.

 

Our apologies for all those delayed for an hour as we tried to get through, and many thanks in particular for skipper of Lutra Lutra who finally dragging us out with a seriously big pulls on a long stretchy line. He put his boat bow to bow with us then gave it full power in astern, and as the line took up the strain we move about two feet along the lock each attempt, and finally got through. Timid pulling would not have helped and Lutra Lutra really gaving it some gun. So much that I'm vagueley surprised not to be paying for a new tee stud on his boat....

 

If Lutra Lutra is a forum member and reading, we owe you a pint or three :cheers: And the lady from coalboat Roach who knew the lock and was orchestrating the operation.

 

Orion at Ashwood are very confident they can add a bulkhead or do something to reduce the width to 7ft, and I'm fairly confident Awbridge is now 7' 2¼" wide at one height anyway :D

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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Anyway, Reginald is 7' 2½" wide and we can now confirm Dimmingsdale lock is also 7' 2½" wide empty as we rubbed both sides quite firmly leaving the lock, with little puffs of pink brick dust being thrown into the air as we scraped our way out.

 

 

I saw Reginald go past Dimmingsdale wharf this weekend, admiring the engine sound as it came through the bridge. Little did I know Reginald was just going to get stuck.

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Reginald's engine is awesome :lol:

I've uploaded a few pictures in the gallery, not sure if this link will work tho ...

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=14527&do=view_album&album=694

 

hurrah! it does :)

Edited by PinkWaterFairy
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PWF - I'm glad you like the engine (I assume thats what you mean !).

 

And I'm glad its going again, but you got me all excited - I thought we were going to see pictures of it :(

 

Keep up the good work, some nice pictures there.

 

yes, that is what I meant :)

sorry your hopes were cruelly dashed (as child No. 4 would put it) re engine pictures - Mike may have some tho !

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yes, that is what I meant :)

sorry your hopes were cruelly dashed (as child No. 4 would put it) re engine pictures - Mike may have some tho !

 

Well I was so preoccupied with clearing all our junk out of the bote and getting a photographic record of the hull this afternoon I totally forgot to take photographs of the engine. DOH!

 

I DO seem to have taken one engine pic by accident though and I'll upload it (along with loadsa hull pics) shortly for anyone interested.

 

Looking at the engine pic reminds me why I'm not taking loadsa pics of it before. It is in one helluva state. Removal and rebuilding would be nice for when I've finished hemorrhaging money on the fixing the hull ;)

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Wonderful stuff.

 

Looks very similar to the ex Stewarts and Lloyds boat I owned approaching 40 years ago, though trust me, you have a very much nicer back end on it than the monster that had been added to ours!

 

We were told that boat was 1898, but I suspect it was actually later.

 

No doubt the experts will be along soon, but my hunch, (no more!), is that you are looking at early 1900s - probably very early 1900s.

 

I didn't realise those guard irons are hollow at the back, and can wear through! I assumed the back of them was flat!

 

What are the underwater "twin holes" for ? Part of a cooling system, or something else.

 

Does it have a riveted bottom ? It looks like it might ?

 

I still really like the bow shape of these boats - I think it could end up something rather special!

 

EDITED: To add pictures of our old S&L boat......

 

Kerbau_On_The_Road.jpg

 

Kerbau_Lift.jpg

 

Kerbau_Sold.jpg

Edited by alan_fincher
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Wonderful stuff.

 

Looks very similar to the ex Stewarts and Lloyds boat I owned approaching 40 years ago, though trust me, you have a very much nicer back end on it than the monster that had been added to ours!

 

I still really like the bow shape of these boats - I think it could end up something rather special!

 

EDITED: To add pictures of our old S&L boat......

 

Kerbau_Lift.jpg

 

 

Alan,

 

Do you know who put the back end onto Kerbau please? And when it was done? The counter looks an awful lot like the stern of the half-dozen riveted pleasure boats built by Harris's in the very early 60's. They have an absolutely straight swim and not much draft.

 

Regards

N

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Do you know who put the back end onto Kerbau please? And when it was done? The counter looks an awful lot like the stern of the half-dozen riveted pleasure boats built by Harris's in the very early 60's. They have an absolutely straight swim and not much draft.

 

It was Harris's (is that right Sarah? Harris', Harris's, Harrisi)

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Alan,

 

Do you know who put the back end onto Kerbau please? And when it was done? The counter looks an awful lot like the stern of the half-dozen riveted pleasure boats built by Harris's in the very early 60's. They have an absolutely straight swim and not much draft.

 

Regards

N

:smiley_offtopic:

 

Sorry to divert Mike's thread, although I think discussion of the origins of any of these boats can be of interest to anyone trying to find out about them.....

 

:smiley_offtopic:

 

Our boat "Kerbau" was definitely a Harris Brothers conversion.

 

We were told 1960, but had no way of validating that.

 

It was exceedingly crude, and done with the boat spread, so it was well over beam.

 

The rear underwater shape was appalling, with very short straight swims, and a hard angle at the leading end.

 

I understand Harris Brothers never had any welding capability, and certainly this was done all riveted.

 

"Kerbau" had had its wooden bottom replaced in riveted steel plate. It was never clear whether Harris Brother had done this at the same time as the shortening / motor conversion, but it seems likely.

 

Malcolm Braine produced a few slides of harris Brothers at Bumblehole at the last HNBOC AGM. I had always understood there to be two brothers, but he talked of three.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Is it an optical illusion ?

 

It looks like the hull sides slope in for much of the depth, (perhaps to some extent because of the spread!!), but that they then flare out again a bit towards the base.

 

Is that right, and if so was an opinion given as to why ?

 

I know you said the other night that you had been able to trace some of the history of it.

 

I'd be interested to learn that once you have it.

 

I'm no expert, but it doesn't look that much like other BCN boats I have heard described as 'Ot-'Olers, (spelling ??), but then I guess that description relates more to use of the boat, than to one particular hull shape, (I'm by no means sure, I'll admit!).

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