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Our "New" Boat, (actually quite old).

alan_fincher

By alan_fincher
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Laurence Hogg Veteran

Laurence Hogg

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Excellent. Well worth waiting for. Now, what you really need is a butty to go with it.biggrin.png

Well I believe "Lichfield" is still extant and that was the original intended butty to pair with Letchworth. Its only a wooden large Rickmansworth so wont cost a lot to buy ......... maintenance might cost a bit more smile.png!!
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Hope Odin gets better soon. Our cuthound is just recovering from idiopathic vestibular disease (similar symptoms to the human condition labyrinthitus) so he cannot keep his balance, so no boating for him until he recovers.

 

Hope doggie is ok

 

Thanks for everybody's good wishes.

 

We have made it to Braunston with no greater ill effects than managing to get the heating header tank overflowing rather dramatically, (it seems I managed to turn off the circulating pump! :blush:)

 

You will note I was "economical with the truth" with my camping boat references - we do have heating and are very warm! And a fridge to keep the white wine chilled.......

 

Odin has stopped being sick, and is being returned to a normal diet. He met his best friend Auntie "Starry" today, which may have helped with his recuperation.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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How does it feel Alan to be back steering a full length boat?? Any headaches due to depth of water?? I loved the look of that boat when it used to be tied up above springwell 15 odd years ago. Good luck

 

Darren

 

Ha!

 

You wrongly assume I have much history of steering a full length working boat!

 

I don't actually, so we are taking it very gently.

 

"Flamingo" is very, very much slower off the mark than "Sickle", but the real difference comes with stopping. "Sickle" will pull up very abruptly, (albeit that the front end usually wants to swing left), whereas "Flamingo" currently seems to want a couple of days advanced notice.

 

I was genuinely surprised how much stopping it took in the Hillmorton locks, but at least I did stop each time before I thumped the cill.

 

A much more positive thing is that "Flamingo" holds a straight line if you let go of the tiller. If you let go of "Sickle's" tiller even for long enough to get an arm down a coat sleeve, she will normally head straight at whatever is around that you want to hit least!

Very fast boat - doesn't half flamin' go!

 

Nice theory, (and joke already done!), but she doesn't feel that fast, frankly.

 

Perhaps I'm just expecting too much, (or not winding it on enough!).

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churchward Veteran II

churchward

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Thanks for everybody's good wishes.

 

We have made it to Braunston with no greater ill effects than managing to get the heating header tank overflowing rather dramatically, (it seems I managed to turn off the circulating pump! blush.png)

 

You will note I was "economical with the truth" with my camping boat references - we do have heating and are very warm! And a fridge to keep the white wine chilled.......

 

Odin has stopped being sick, and is being returned to a normal diet. He met his best friend Auntie "Starry" today, which may have helped with his recuperation.

I am sure it will be nicely fitted out for comfortable boating in the not too distant future. I rather liked the look of the exterior when I last saw her as the slightly faded paint and scruffy bits made it all look more lived in and genuine I thought.

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Tony Dunkley Influencer

Tony Dunkley

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Ha!

 

You wrongly assume I have much history of steering a full length working boat!

 

I don't actually, so we are taking it very gently.

 

"Flamingo" is very, very much slower off the mark than "Sickle", but the real difference comes with stopping. "Sickle" will pull up very abruptly, (albeit that the front end usually wants to swing left), whereas "Flamingo" currently seems to want a couple of days advanced notice.

 

I was genuinely surprised how much stopping it took in the Hillmorton locks, but at least I did stop each time before I thumped the cill.

 

A much more positive thing is that "Flamingo" holds a straight line if you let go of the tiller. If you let go of "Sickle's" tiller even for long enough to get an arm down a coat sleeve, she will normally head straight at whatever is around that you want to hit least!

 

Nice theory, (and joke already done!), but she doesn't feel that fast, frankly.

 

Perhaps I'm just expecting too much, (or not winding it on enough!).

If your running with the counter up as much as in the photos and its still got the same blade then it won't hold back too well, or get going that well either until the counter's pulled down. Get the counter bottom 'flat on' the water and it should be much better . . . that was the usual way for the GU when empty, whatever the motor was . . . much better for pushing and pulling lockgates open.

 

As far as I can remember the last man to work 'Flamingo' for Willow Wren was Ron Withy, with a little Woolwich butty 'Cygnus' not long before Croxley finally finished for good. He did some loads for Blue Line to Southall with it at that time too.

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Steve Priest Contributor

Steve Priest

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Yes there is certainly something a bit different about the front end rivets - particularly the guards.

 

I'm interested to get it alongside a boat from the same stable to compare the two.

 

What doesn't quite fit with that story though is that WWCTS were skint at that stage, and , (I'm sure I have read), thrashing the leased boats into the ground, whilst selling off some of the owned ones to raise money. It seems odd if in the midst of that they did a thorough overhaul of any of them, doesn't it?

 

 

 

In the fifties and sixties most of the big boats in the BW carrying fleet had plating work done, sometimes at Bull's Bridge, and often at the Thames Launch Works. Commonly they were re-footed, but several boats had considerably more work done, new side plates, occasionally complete new straight sides, counters and fore end plates. Many of the big Northwich motors had new fore end plates, and Flamingo, or Letchworth as it was then, is one of these The top bends I believe are original, but the plates from there down, and the guards, have been replaced. There are several tales of boats swapping identities when more than one boat was being worked on at the same time, but I don't know whether there was any truth in this or not.

 

I'm afraid Lichfield met her maker a couple of years ago. Having lain sunk at Hillmorton for a while she ended up with a section 8, and was taken to Stockton and stored out of the water and eventually broken up. I had intended to go and have a look and take some photos but I didn't get round to it and missed the chance. It is a great shame that there are so few examples left of what was the most numerous type of boat in the G.U. fleet

 

 

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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In the fifties and sixties most of the big boats in the BW carrying fleet had plating work done, sometimes at Bull's Bridge, and often at the Thames Launch Works.

 

Commonly they were re-footed, but several boats had considerably more work done, new side plates, occasionally complete new straight sides, counters and fore end plates. Many of the big Northwich motors had new fore end plates, and Flamingo, or Letchworth as it was then, is one of these The top bends I believe are original, but the plates from there down, and the guards, have been replaced.

 

There are several tales of boats swapping identities when more than one boat was being worked on at the same time, but I don't know whether there was any truth in this or not.

Thanks Steve - very interesting.

 

It makes a lot more sense to me that this work was done under BTC / BW auspices than by Willow Wren, as I would not have expected WW to find it cost effective. If you could simply lease another BW boat at minimal cost, then run it until it was completely "shot", why would you spend large amounts repairing those you owned, if the company was having to be bank rolled most of the time anyway?

 

I look forward to getting "Flamingo" alonggside another "Large Northwich" and having a compare. (Little point in comparing to "Sickle", as "Sickle's front end has had much modification as part of the ice breaker conversion.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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As far as I can remember the last man to work 'Flamingo' for Willow Wren was Ron Withy, with a little Woolwich butty 'Cygnus' not long before Croxley finally finished for good. He did some loads for Blue Line to Southall with it at that time too.

Yes, from what I can work out from the books, (I am of course far to young to remember!), I think the final captains probably ran in this order....

 

Ron Green (with Brighton)

Ken Ward (with Beverley - delivered last grain to Wellingborough)

Ron Withey (with Cygnus).

 

But that is just based on a few claimed dates, and the general upkeep of the boat.

 

I'll take another look at how much air there is under the counter. My thoughts were that it is not a lot, and that it will pull down a bit more underway, but maybe it could do with some extra weight at the back.

 

I really need to take a look from the tow path at what is going on, with someone else at the tiller.

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Tony Dunkley Influencer

Tony Dunkley

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Yes, from what I can work out from the books, (I am of course far to young to remember!), I think the final captains probably ran in this order....

 

Ron Green (with Brighton)

Ken Ward (with Beverley - delivered last grain to Wellingborough)

Ron Withey (with Cygnus).

 

But that is just based on a few claimed dates, and the general upkeep of the boat.

 

I'll take another look at how much air there is under the counter. My thoughts were that it is not a lot, and that it will pull down a bit more underway, but maybe it could do with some extra weight at the back.

 

I really need to take a look from the tow path at what is going on, with someone else at the tiller.

Yes that's right for the last three to have her. If the counter's not right in . . . at least flat on . . . . then you will have wait for her to get going, but its always going to feel a bit lumbering and slow compared with that tug you've got. Don't overlook the weight of ballast you've got in there, looking at the photos you're not that far off half loaded . . . a normal sort of late 1960's southbound load that is . . . 23 tons odd. All that weight forard won't help the counter pulling down either.

They wouldn't be any use to you until you get a butty, but I've still got the swansneck and elum plaits off 'Beverley' that Ken Ward gave me when he finished with Willow Wren for the last time.

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David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

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We have made it to Braunston

 

Yes, from what I can work out from the books, (I am of course far to young to remember!), I think the final captains probably ran in this order....

 

Ron Green (with Brighton)

Ken Ward (with Beverley - delivered last grain to Wellingborough)

Ron Withey (with Cygnus).

If the towpath telegraph is working you should expect a visit from Ron, who lives in Braunston village!

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