Well you can tell it's a Bank Holiday weekend, because it's raining! After a manic day yesterday, it has seemed amazingly quiet today, but it's nice to catch up on some outstanding jobs.
Mick was called out to a breakdown at Market Drayton this morning after we had shown the three dayboats out. That left Bernard and I out in the rain swapping the boats on the dry dock. The couple's boat that we floated off this morning are regular customers and they are just delightful. They live on their boat all year round and visit us every other year to have their boat docked and blacked. We've received all sorts of gifts, but the fresh scones topped with butter and fresh strawberries were my favourite...
We've now got Nebulae on the dry dock. She has lived here for the past four years and will shortly be moving to the Lancaster canal as that will be closer to her owner's home with the hope that she will return to Norbury in the next year or two.
Nebulae was built as a butty for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company in 1935 by Harland and Wolff at Woolwich in London. She was used as one of the trainees boats during the Second World War. She was motorised by Balliol Fowden of Braunston in the 1980s. The conversion was quite cleverly undertaken meaning that she retains her traditional butty boat appearance although she is capable of propelling herself along by means of a cocooned Perkins diesel engine which drives a hydraulic motor, which in turn drives a conventional propeller. At the same time an undercloth conversion was fitted which she still carries today. Here's a couple of pictures of her.
Mick was called out to a breakdown at Market Drayton this morning after we had shown the three dayboats out. That left Bernard and I out in the rain swapping the boats on the dry dock. The couple's boat that we floated off this morning are regular customers and they are just delightful. They live on their boat all year round and visit us every other year to have their boat docked and blacked. We've received all sorts of gifts, but the fresh scones topped with butter and fresh strawberries were my favourite...
We've now got Nebulae on the dry dock. She has lived here for the past four years and will shortly be moving to the Lancaster canal as that will be closer to her owner's home with the hope that she will return to Norbury in the next year or two.
Nebulae was built as a butty for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company in 1935 by Harland and Wolff at Woolwich in London. She was used as one of the trainees boats during the Second World War. She was motorised by Balliol Fowden of Braunston in the 1980s. The conversion was quite cleverly undertaken meaning that she retains her traditional butty boat appearance although she is capable of propelling herself along by means of a cocooned Perkins diesel engine which drives a hydraulic motor, which in turn drives a conventional propeller. At the same time an undercloth conversion was fitted which she still carries today. Here's a couple of pictures of her.
The picture below shows where her original underwater swim was removed to facilitate the addition of a smaller and narrow swim to allow room for a propeller. Her original Elum (rudder) has also had some minor modifications. The under water part was reduced in size as it was found that it was impossible to steer at speed.
That's about it from me today.
Until tomorrow.
Regards, David.
Until tomorrow.
Regards, David.
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