Article from 'Canal Boat' Magazine. August 2008...............................
'Very few things held my imagination as a child more than the boat trips I experienced.
A coastal resort pleasure trip perhaps, or even a rowing boat on a local lake was the best 'treat' you could give me.
By the age of eight I had decided to build my first canal boat. It was made of packing cases lashed to oil drums and the maiden voyage was on the Hollinwood branch of the Ashton canal. I pushed away from the bank and stood proudly astride the flat packing case deck with a broomstick handle ready for steering. Things started to go wrong very quickly as the untested buoyancy distribution caused an alarming dip to starboard - I moved to the left - far too much to the left.......I pushed my broomstick into the mud with increasing fear as the starboard drum shifted from its lashing and everything tilted 45 degrees. I was left standing waste deep in foul water as the remnants of my vessel drifted slowly away.
Forty eight years later I still nursed the ambition to own a boat - perhaps designed by somebody with more experience than an eight-year-old. With the mortgage paid and the children heading off on their own voyage of life, my wife Denise and I searched the market for a GRP cruiser.
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| Wanting some TLC - 'Quintet II' as purchased. |
Finding a 27ft 'Classic Ensign' for sale I enlisted the help of a (slightly) more knowledgeable friend in the appraisal of the down-at-heel vessel, The engine was good ( a 9.9 Honda) and sang a sweet song just like the old 'Crazy Frog' ad.
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| ........and TLC being added at Wincham |
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| 'Quintet II' after a lot of hard work. |
When we craned her out at Wincham, she showed her bottom for perhaps for the first time in 17 years - and what a dirty bottom it was too. My learned friend and maritime advisor 'Alf' worked long and hard removing the fresh water mussels with a yard brush ( four buckets full) from the hull and we painted her now clean bottom with red ' anti-fouling'
With the hull gel-coat polished to perfection and the boot line repainted gleaming red Quintet II seemed to burst with pride among the snooty steel narrowboats in the adjacent broker's yard - little did I know then the direction my boating would take.
I learned a lot with with Quintet - she was very responsive compared with a narrowboat, but this proved embarrassing on our first real cruise. As I approached Hurleston locks on the Llangollen with a line of steel boats waiting behind, I was unaware of the characteristic overflow current and it hit the side of the boat, pushing the bow sharply away from the lock mouth. Every crew member of the waiting boats and the small army of gongoozlers nudged each other in knowing anticipation of disaster.
" Give 'em a show then" I thought, spinning the varnished wheel smartly - Quintet spun almost through 360 degrees until perfectly in-line with the lock mouth again.
"Try THAT with your 60ft Narrowboat" I muttered at the audience.
"Nice Trick" said my wife from the top of the lock........
"I thought you were going to enter the clock backwards!"
Trying to find petrol during the trip to Llangollen was difficult and made me realise that a diesel-powered steel narrowboat would make life easier, and an advertisement for an ex- Alvechurch hire boat led to the purchase of 'Dipper'
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| 'Dipper' in her original Alvechurch colours, Norbury. |
She was built by Alvechurch as part of their Wren class - a small 33ft hire boat designed for a couple and perhaps two small children. It was perfect for us with a large cruise deck that could accomodate our disabled adult son in his wheelchair, although we could take him for day trips only, because it was impossible for him to get in the cabin.
Moving Dipper from her Alvechurch base to her new moorings at Anderton was a fantastic holiday via the Birmingham Canal Navigation and the Shropshire Union. She was a gentle soul and a very easy boat to handle.
I decided to change her hire boat parentage colours to something less recognizable and asked around for a good boat painter. I was met with two-year waiting lists. Frustrated at the slow pace of canal commerce, I fell back on the old adage "If you want a job doing - do it yourself !"
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| Prep' work before painting.... |
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| 'Dipper' in her new colours. |
I looked long and hard at professional hand painted finishes and took on the challenge. Months of preparation preceded a wait for the perfect painting day - dry, no wind and moderate temperatures. I found eight or nine days in twelve months within these parameters and put on five coats of 'International' each flatted by hand. I was very fortunate to meet Andy Russell doing a boat at Furness Vale dry dock and he painted the 'Dipper' signage. He's one of the best narrowboat painters in the U.K in my opinion and if I watched him for a thousand years I could,nt match his work.................
'Dipper' was sold to finance the purchase of 'San Serriffe' and she was eventually sold again to........a hire company! So she is back as a working girl again on the Rufford branch of the Leeds and Liverpool.
My very first trip on the rear counter of a narrowboat came some years ago when Don McPhee a staff photographer with The Guardian invited me on a short trip on his narrowboat 'San Serriffe' which was the 16th boat completed by Braidbar Boats based in Higher Poynton, on the Macclesfield canal.
Three years after my trip with Don, I was deeply saddened to hear he had lost his fight with cancer. His wife Lil had reluctantly decided to sell San Serriffe and was pleased when I offered to buy her.
It's true that all boats seem to have a soul apart from that first one on the Hollinwood Canal, she did not last long enough for that - but,perhaps she did - her memory has certainly stayed with me all these years.
San Serriffe...........
'San Serriffe' has a distinguished journalistic pedigree (unlike me) after being previously owned by Guardian staff photographer Don McPhee and is named after one of the biggest April fool's day spoofs ever.
No less than seven travel pages were devoted to a mythical island in the Indian Ocean called 'San Serriffe' (clue is in the mis-spelling) with locations such as 'Upper Caisse' and 'Lower Caisse' giving more obvious clues. Despite this many Guardian readers requested flights and prices etc, in an effort to visit this island paradise, only to find that life is often full of little disappointments.
'San Serriffe' began life in the workshops of the now defunct hull builder 'Chappell and Wright' during 1994.
On completion of the hull steelwork she was taken the short distance by road to Braidbar Boats where she was fitted out to become 'Braidbar No 16'. Due to an error of mathematics she was repainted many years later with the incorrect number of '14' on her side. A Braidbar boat called 'Wanderer' was actually the 'real' No14 so until we save up for a new (expensive) paint job, I am afraid the error will have to stay for all the world to see.....but unless you are a serious Braidbar 'anorak' I don,t think many people will notice!
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| Waiting at Chappell and Wright Ltd , before being transported to Braidbar Boats, Higher Poynton. |
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| Leaving Chappell & Wright ( Whaley Bridge) for Braidbar Boats |
Our first 'cruise' in San Serriffe was during the summer of 2008 when we completed the 'Four Counties' ring with a side-trip up the Caldon Canal.
This trip was to prove a real challenge when San Serriffe developed a serious problem half way down 'heartbreak hill on the Trent and Mersey. Entering a lock that was full after being exited by another boat, I did not notice that one of the rear paddles had not been put down by the previous boat crew. Denise chatting with another crew did not notice either, result - disaster!
A strong current pushed San Serriffe backwards despite full forward throttle with the skeg hitting the cill behind and bending downwards forcing the rudder stock out of its cup, making steering problematic to say the least.
Our problems we did not have to seek on exiting the lock when we were met with a strong wind blowing at 90 degrees to the boat. With the tiller arm flopping about, trying to get to the tow-path side was a tricky challenge.
'River Canal Rescue' was called and they were confident that the rudder could be replaced into its holding cup on the skeg. Life is never that easy I find, we all realised eventually that the skeg was bent down leaving an 'in water' repair impossible. With no other options, I rang a number from 'Nicholson's guide' of a boatyard at Malkin's Bank on the chance that he had a slip-way. A friendly lady answered the 'phone and passed me over to the owner a Mr Martin Webster..........
" Sorry I have no slip-way, but if you can managed to get it here in the morning , I will see what I can do"
he offered.
Malkin's bank was several miles and several locks ahead, so after a trial mile or so steering with the bucking tiller arm only becoming horizontal if I pushed downwards with both arms, I decided we should make it. Mooring for the night it began to rain, so went to a nearby pub to drown our sorrows...........
Meeting Martin Webster at his workshop on a small arm of the Trent and Mersey at Malkin's Bank inspired me with confidence. He was obviously a very experienced 'hands-on' engineer and suggested we pass a chain around the skeg using a jack on the top of the weed-hatch to straighten the skeg upwards, locating the cup back with the rudder. This was not to prove easy and he decided to take the rudder stock out of it's bearing...............
Martin's friend held a large piece of timber over the base of the tiller arm as Martin used a large 'Manchester Screwdriver' (sledgehammer) to release the bearing. After the boat had stopped shaking with the vibration of the hammer blow I noticed fuel leaking from the stern !
Expletives came from all three of us as the situation went from bad to desperate. I had at least seventy litres of diesel fuel in the tank, enough to seriously pollute the Trent and Mersey if its contents were released.
Martin and colleague went into hyper-drive bringing a large plastic barrel, pumps and oil bilge mats to tackle the situation. Within minutes all of the contents of the fuel tank was pumped into the container and we mopped-up the spills with bilge mats and oil-absorbing material. A close run thing, but at least there was now no diesel in the water.
We jumped to the conclusion ( wrongly it would transpire) that the fuel-tank seam had split.
" If we did'nt need a dry-dock at the start of this, we certainly need one now!" Martin exclaimed.
He 'phoned a friend' and managed to secure use of the dry-dock at Middlewich, some five miles ahead. Managing to rig a temporary fuel tank in the engine bay with a return 'tank' for the fuel, we were back in business enough to struggle to our destination.
Safely in the dry-dock the following morning I helped Martin to remove the rudder so that he could begin repairs to the fuel tank. After removing the rudder we had easy access to the tube that runs vertically through the fuel tank which accommodates the rudder stock. Martin put his hand up this tube and then held it to his nose........
" Diesel has leaked from the tube " he exclaimed
We both began to realise that the problem was not the fuel-tank seam, but corrosion on the thin walls of the tube. This, unlike the hull was not protected to the same degree by 'blacking' and the hammer blow had caused the last bit of rust to detach itself allowing the fuel to leak. Martin had brought his gas-welding gear with him and cut out the old tube. He then jumped into his trusty SAAB and returned some time later with a new heavy-gauge tube to the exact diameter.........this guy was good!!
I began to realise that this was all a blessing in disguise. This tube could have dumped gallons of fuel into the canal, perhaps miles from anywhere and certainly miles from somebody like Martin who had the welding and engineering skills to help. I could have cruised 'San Serriffe' for months or even years without knowing there was a disaster ready to happen.
After the un-planned few days sitting in Middlewich dry-dock, we continued on the 'four counties' holiday via the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union.
This trip was to prove a real challenge when San Serriffe developed a serious problem half way down 'heartbreak hill on the Trent and Mersey. Entering a lock that was full after being exited by another boat, I did not notice that one of the rear paddles had not been put down by the previous boat crew. Denise chatting with another crew did not notice either, result - disaster!
A strong current pushed San Serriffe backwards despite full forward throttle with the skeg hitting the cill behind and bending downwards forcing the rudder stock out of its cup, making steering problematic to say the least.
Our problems we did not have to seek on exiting the lock when we were met with a strong wind blowing at 90 degrees to the boat. With the tiller arm flopping about, trying to get to the tow-path side was a tricky challenge.
'River Canal Rescue' was called and they were confident that the rudder could be replaced into its holding cup on the skeg. Life is never that easy I find, we all realised eventually that the skeg was bent down leaving an 'in water' repair impossible. With no other options, I rang a number from 'Nicholson's guide' of a boatyard at Malkin's Bank on the chance that he had a slip-way. A friendly lady answered the 'phone and passed me over to the owner a Mr Martin Webster..........
" Sorry I have no slip-way, but if you can managed to get it here in the morning , I will see what I can do"
he offered.
Malkin's bank was several miles and several locks ahead, so after a trial mile or so steering with the bucking tiller arm only becoming horizontal if I pushed downwards with both arms, I decided we should make it. Mooring for the night it began to rain, so went to a nearby pub to drown our sorrows...........
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| Malkin's Bank. Trent and Mersey Canal. |
Meeting Martin Webster at his workshop on a small arm of the Trent and Mersey at Malkin's Bank inspired me with confidence. He was obviously a very experienced 'hands-on' engineer and suggested we pass a chain around the skeg using a jack on the top of the weed-hatch to straighten the skeg upwards, locating the cup back with the rudder. This was not to prove easy and he decided to take the rudder stock out of it's bearing...............
Martin's friend held a large piece of timber over the base of the tiller arm as Martin used a large 'Manchester Screwdriver' (sledgehammer) to release the bearing. After the boat had stopped shaking with the vibration of the hammer blow I noticed fuel leaking from the stern !
Expletives came from all three of us as the situation went from bad to desperate. I had at least seventy litres of diesel fuel in the tank, enough to seriously pollute the Trent and Mersey if its contents were released.
Martin and colleague went into hyper-drive bringing a large plastic barrel, pumps and oil bilge mats to tackle the situation. Within minutes all of the contents of the fuel tank was pumped into the container and we mopped-up the spills with bilge mats and oil-absorbing material. A close run thing, but at least there was now no diesel in the water.
We jumped to the conclusion ( wrongly it would transpire) that the fuel-tank seam had split.
" If we did'nt need a dry-dock at the start of this, we certainly need one now!" Martin exclaimed.
He 'phoned a friend' and managed to secure use of the dry-dock at Middlewich, some five miles ahead. Managing to rig a temporary fuel tank in the engine bay with a return 'tank' for the fuel, we were back in business enough to struggle to our destination.
Safely in the dry-dock the following morning I helped Martin to remove the rudder so that he could begin repairs to the fuel tank. After removing the rudder we had easy access to the tube that runs vertically through the fuel tank which accommodates the rudder stock. Martin put his hand up this tube and then held it to his nose........
" Diesel has leaked from the tube " he exclaimed
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| Braidbar 'No 14' 'San Serriffe' in Middlewich dry-dock. |
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| Martin Webster fits the new tube. |
I began to realise that this was all a blessing in disguise. This tube could have dumped gallons of fuel into the canal, perhaps miles from anywhere and certainly miles from somebody like Martin who had the welding and engineering skills to help. I could have cruised 'San Serriffe' for months or even years without knowing there was a disaster ready to happen.
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| Looking a little worried......... :) |
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| New tube ready for welding into the fuel tank. San Serriffe |
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| A bottle-neck with summer traffic........ Middlewich three locks with the dry-dock off the picture to the left....... |
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| Kings Lock Middlewich. Trent and Mersey Canal. |
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| ".............and then the rudder fell off ?" sympathetic boaters at Middlewich. |
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| Our troubles behind us, we make progress on the Shropshire Union. |
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| Coal-fired steam narrowboat 'Emily Anne' on the Shropshire Union. |
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| Hail storm in progress near Audlem............ typical summer weather in July? |
