The hull was to be one of Barry Hawkins 60ft Northwich Tug hulls.
A build slot was booked for May 2009 however in April after unsuccessful attempts to phone Barry Hawkins Narrowboats/boatbuilders I drove over to the yard to see that everything was set for the build the following month. It was then that I discovered that they had ceased trading as a boatbuilder and my boat was not going to be built by them.
The Hull
This is the Barry Hawkins "Northwhich" that I was originally basing the project on. Sadly this is no longer an option and I am £500 out of pocket.
The hull is now going to be built by Brinklow Boat Services. Originally we planned to start in January 2010 with the intention to have the boat launched and in steam by summer 2010, however this has been delayed a bit because of Steve's (the boatbuilder) growing workload. This suits me because it gives me the time I need to sort out the engine and pumps plus time to save up the cash needed when it comes to fitting her out.
This new boat will be a replica of the tunnel tug "Hasty" which can be seen on the "Pumps" page. There will be subtle differences such as the position of the funnel and it will be 12' longer than Hasty's recorded length because it is important to make it practical for cruising so space for living accommodation is important.
September 9th 2010 The first signs of the hull coming together. There's nothing fancy about the spec, being 10mm bottom and 6mm sides it is pretty standard but I'm sure will out live me as top quality descaled and primed material will be used throughout. The strength will be evident soon when the frames and bracing are finished. This is very important as steam engines do not need gear boxes, they produce massive torque throughout their rotational speed range which is transferred to the hull so extensive stiffening will be needed.
September 29th 2010 the bow is completely shaped ready for the guards to be tacked on. This is a particularly difficult part of the boat to get in proportion and looking like the original. The pictures don't really show it to it's best but I think that it's looking pretty good.
September 22nd the foredeck starts to take shape
End
This picture shows some of the detail of the "T" Stud and stem post which came from an early wooden hulled tug. This demonstrates the lengths Steve and Dave are going to, to achieve a realistic and detailed replica
The current layout doesn't leave a lot of room for living space, but it is only a scheme, once things start to take shape some of the major parts might be bunched up a little.
I don't know why I can't get a clear image from the CAD file.
