£58,000 | | |
Status: | Available |
Tax Status: | Tax Exempt |
Location: | Wateryleaf curio cafe, Badseys Wharf, Hillmorton CV21 4PP Warwickshire UK |
FOR TWENTY YEARS BADSEY HAS BEEN OUR COSY HOME AND CANAL CRUISER BUT REGRETTABLY, ITS NOW TIME IN LIFE TO MOVE ASHORE.
Badsey is a full-length 72ft Town Class motorboat, built in 1936 by Harland and Wolff in Woolwich for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company. Won the contract to carry Guinness from London to Birmingham in WWII because it was the fastest working boat. Listed on the National Historic Ships Register. Current home mooring at Hillmorton, CV21 4PP on the North Oxford Canal
Back Cabin
Badsey has a traditionally decorated back cabin, adorned with brassware and hanging plates and painted by the renowned canal artist Phil Speight, with a cross bed, side bed/seating, table cupboard and solid fuel range with oven.
Engine Room
The engine room houses the boats original National 2DM engine installed in Badsey by Harland and Wolff in 1936, with a 2:1 reduction and a Brunton Gearbox. Badsey is believed to be the only historic boat on the canals today with its original engine which in 2005, the current owners had beautifully restored by Tony Redshaw. The original large diesel tanks are retained with fuel pumped from them into the engine’s day tank for both the engine and the central heating system.
Hold
The hold has been converted as not to alter the integrity of the hull. The conversion is fully insulated lined with tongue and groove floorboards under traditional clothes style covering and has full Kabola diesel central heating.
The cosy large open plan saloon area is complemented by a full length waterjet bath and cassette WC plus a bedroom area with kingsize double bed.
Maintenance History
2005 Hold base and footings steel was completely cut out and replaced by Brinklow Boat Services (NOT overplated)
Inspected and blacked every three or four years thereafter.
New Boat Safety Certificate runs until 2027.
17th JULY 2023 - Taken out of the water at Braunston where the hull was professionally inspected with instruction to correct whatever faults may be found. No problems were found so two coats of Supertuf Black were applied, although it really didn't need it. The tunnel stripes on stern were rubbed down to metal and re-painted.
21st JULY 2023 - Back in the water and returned to Badseys Wharf, Hillmorton on 24th and It has not travelled anywhere since, we are confident the hull is in the same great condition.
Every piece of the wood cabin was inspected and probed for signs of rot which were replaced where found.
Roof and cabin side and rear repainted.
New batteries have been installed and the Kabola central heating stripped and decoked.
The National engine has new oil and is in its best form since its complete restoration.,
As it is plugged into the shore-line (through a galvanic Isolator of course) the solar panels have been removed for storage (included if required) but the solar power management system and inverter remain with new deep-cycle batteries.
Vessel type: | Historic canal working boat |
Builder: | Harland and Wolff |
Make: | Harland & Wolff |
Model: | 72 Traditional |
Fit Out: | Grand Union Canal carrying Company |
Constructed: | 1936 |
Registration: | BWB 68474 |
Registry: | National Historic Ships |
Berths: | 5 |
No. of engines: | 1 |
Engine model: | DM2 National |
Fuel type: | Diesel |
Drive type: | Shaft drive |
Length over all: | 71' 6" |
Beam: | 6' 6" |
Maximum draft: | 0' 31" |
Hull material: | Steel |
Hull type: | Flat bottom |
Hull colour: | Black |
Fuel capacity: | 140 Gallons |
Water capacity: | 110 Gallons |
Small double in rear boaters cabin with traditional childs bed.
Large Kingsize Double in Front Cabin plus Long sofa single.
All steel welded hull. Wooden cabins.
Everything in the photographs and all that is needed to cruise the canals (including the lifejackets) will be left on board included in the sale.
Asking price also includes:
the original Buckby can passed to us by former skipper and now gloriously painted by renowned artist Christine Jones.
The original 1936 hand bilge pump.
The mast (not pictured but kept indoors)
Decorative traditional ropework items.
A 30" model of Badsey made when it was rescued and restored in the 1970's
Two new batteries have just been installed.
Solar panels have been removed as we have shore power at the mooring but included if requried
National 2DM diesel engine no.46646, Brunton Gearbox with 2:1 reduction gear number E/7976/3 and 3 blade left hand 24” x 17” propeller.
Quite unknown to each other, in very same week that the Lauders brought Badsey to Hillmorton to where they had just moved, Tony and Paul Redshaw bought 4 scrap National engines in Gloucester with the intention of restoring them at their workshop in Hillmorton (now Braunston). They started restoring one for Badsey when by sheer coincidence, another was found to have engine number 46646, listed by Harland&Wolff as the engine they originally installed in 1936 in Badsey!! That engine was restored and reunited with Badsey 70years after it was first installed. What are the chances??
History of BADSEY
27 Jan 1936 Grand Union Canal Carrying Co Ltd ordered from Harland&Wolff Ltd of Woolwich, 24 pairs of the Large
Woolwich Town Class Type F Motor & Butty to be constructed in all mild steel plate.
8 Sep 1936 Badsey delivered with Butty Barnes at a cost for the pair including a National 2DM diesel engine no.46646,
Brunton Gearbox with 2:1 reduction gear number E/7976/3 and 3 blade left hand 24” x 17” propeller, of
£1,363-5s.
Allocated GUCCC fleet no.108 BW index no 68474.
27 Jan 1937 Health Registered at Brentford allocated no 619.
19 Feb 1937 Gauged on Grand Union with GJC gauge no 12674.
20 Jul 1937 Health registered at Rickmansworth, allocated no. 165.
BADSEY’s WORKING LIFE
Operated by Jack James through WWII carrying Guinness between Park Royal (London) and Birmingham. The Guinness history book says contract ceased after a heatwave caused the barrels to burst on one run and on another, a big freeze delayed delivery for weeks.
14 Sep 1944 listed as paired with the butty Balham
7 Aug 1946 steerer James reported by Hatton lock keeper for “persistently drawing paddles before entering locks and
closing one gate only, leaving the other for wastage of water to close” and giving “offensive replies”
1 Jan 1948 Nationalisation: the GUCCC fleet joined the South Eastern Division carrying fleet as part of the Docks and
Inland Waterways Executive.
Jack James gave up Badsey to become lock keeper at Stoke Bruerne where he established the Canal Museum (amongst the many canal treasures that Jack exhibited there was the brass tiller from Badsey - a fact now sadly denied by the present incumbent). Whilst helping brother John start a now famous tourist trip on the Regents canal, Jacks son Noel proposed to Rene Carter in Maida Vale Tunnel and they eventually took over Badsey.
26 Jan 1959 Badsey listed paired with butty Leo steerer Noel James
15 Feb 1960 listed paired with butty Pallas, steered by Noel James.
1962 Captain was father of Eddy and Percy Hambridge
24 July 1962 Badsey is photographed with butty Argon loading from the ship MV Sirius at Limehouse.
1963 Badsey operational within the SE division. A Petter PD2 engine was installed July 1963 - one of 25 pairs
leased to Willow Wren Canal Transport Services Ltd
1966 Badsey with butty Capella run for Willow Wren by Ken&Vera Ward with daughters Delma&Daphne.
1967 Badsey paired with WillowWren butty Greenshank, steered by Percy Hambridge. Carried grain and tomato
puree from Brentford to Birmingham and Cadbury cocoa beans from Limehouse.
1968 Badsey paired with Alperton steerer Percy Hambridge
BADSEY IN RETIREMENT
By Apr 1970 Badsey repossessed by British Waterways and left in a very sorry state in the Wendover Arm.
July 1971 sold to Malcolme E Braine a boatbuilder from Norton Canes for £587.
1972/73 sold to James Yates of Norton Canes - Fitted with Perkins P3 engine and then on to David & Jill Humphreys
as a Camping Boat paired with Barnes.
1979 sold to David&Julia Vickers, Godalming with Barnes.
June 1988 sold to Pete & Donna Harrison, Bristol with Barnes.
1990 sold to Toby Ombler (via W.F.B.Co.), with Barnes.
1991 Badsey starred in the TV Christmas Day Special of “Minder” with steerer George Cole.
Oct 1993 sold to Phil Speight, Ellesmere Port, with Barnes. Engine changed to a Perkins 3152 in1993
Aug 2003 sold (sadly without Barnes) to current owner Ian&Lesley Lauder. New bottom fitted at Brinklow and then moored as flag ship of Badseys Café Bistro (formerly BW Oxford Canal office at Hillmorton where Badsey used to moor) and where Rene James (Noels’wife) kept a critical eye on the restoration.
It was meant to be (or is Jack James still at the tiller?) :-
Quite unknown to each other, in very same week that the Lauders brought Badsey to Hillmorton to where they had just moved, Tony and Paul Redshaw bought 4 scrap National engines in Gloucester with the intention of restoring them at their workshop in Hillmorton (now Braunston). They started restoring one for Badsey when by sheer coincidence, another was found to have engine number 4664 6, listed by Harland&Wolff as the engine they originally installed in 1936 in Badsey!! That engine is now restored and was reunited with Badsey 70years after it was first installed. What are the chances??