This is Sextans, a Middle Northwich Star Class narrowboat motor, built in 1936: one of only eight of her kind. This image was posted online by a previous owner back in 2002.
We bought her late last year. We've had a few trips up the Shropshire Union canal on her, getting used to her pre-war diesel engine and the depth of her draft. As an old working boat, she's fairly deep at three foot. So with the lack of dredging on some canals, we often scrape the bottom or worse, run aground: annoying for us but it gives spectators a laugh.
Soon we'll get her repainted in her original company livery: the blue and white of the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company.
Sextans is one of eight boats commissioned by the newly formed GUCCCo in the mid 1930s. There were also Large and Small Northwich narrowboats. Each motor pulled an unmotorised butty with extra cargo...
I've been looking for online images of Sextans's siblings: Sickle, Tycho, Radiant, Zodiac, Tucoma, Theophilus and Taygeta........
So far success with the first four but no idea of the whereabouts of the three at the end. I might have to resort to phone-calls...
1 comment:
Hi there, Liam here from SCC where you left your boat for a couple of weeks when you had to travel back home. I hope the boat is going okay, and that you made it to the dry dock in time after leaving the Bridgewater!
I see you're wanting to know where Sagitta is? Well it's usually based at Anderton, opposite the lift. It's part of the BW heritage and is unconverted, and is still in the old BW blue and yellow colours.
Post a Comment