Is it the last Spoon Dredger?
a restoration project
I am sending you this note in case it might be of interest to any B.C.N.S members who, like me, have any sort of passion for old narrow boats.
Since handing over the dockyard at Norton Canes Docks, to Graham Edgson of Norton Canes Boatbuilders, I've managed to keep a hand in with old boat restoration works here at Weston Wharf. This until now all dependant on time allowing me free from demands as a Marine Surveyor. However, with work outside being programmed to reduce to almost nothing by this year, I have been able to concentrate on what I have to believe will be my "swan-song" in this type of work, the latest project having been in progress now for nearly eighteen months.
Doubtless some of your members will recall that we lent the society an old open iron workboat a few years ago and eventually we brought it back here, a plan having been thought out as to how it could be restored to full working order as a BCN spoon dredging boat.
This particular vessel has a fascinating history, orginally built as an open work boat with a small cabin aft, in 1873 at the B.C.N main workshops at Ocker hill. It was of all hand riveted iron plate construction and one of several similar craft built for general maintenance duties around the system,this one allocated to No.1. District. First wieghed and registered at Tipton station it was given B.C.N. No. 133, although in later years it was modified, repaired and re-weighed in 1902 and 1919 at Smethwick.
Subsequent modifications required re-weighing on seven further occasions but without new gauging tables and their accompanying numbers being listed.
A few years ago Canal & River Services fitted a new 10mm welded steel bottom, to replace the orginal,which by then was well over a hundred years old.
During the more recent times I've managed to build on a traditional style B.C.N. day cabin, although it did finish up with steel cladding instead of pine sheering boards, due to the fact that the boat will almost certainly be moored for long periods as a display piece, without the benefits of daily use and atention.
The cabinis simply fitted,with cross and side benches, bottle stove and the usual assortment of odd hooks and shelves. The compass deck has been replaced with self draining steel too and a new rudder fitted. Looking at and working with the boat either reveals or confirms some of it's extremely chequered history, not least in use as a pump (steam) boat at sometime, but for many years in use as a spoon dredger. The dredging crane has all new oak timberworks now, fitted to much repaired and rebuilt iron works, borrowed, by arrangement,from the Black Country Museum's store yard at Tipton.
The main elements of dredging gear are those, last used by Dewsbury and Proud and Alfred Matty & Sons Ltd, based at Coseley. A new old type mast is under construction and the boat yet has to be fitted with 6 sets cross boards and accompanying running planks.
It is hoped that the boat will be sent to the B.C.L.M by the end of the month (April), to be displayed on loan for whatever agreed periods we can arrange.
I only ever went into the Ocker Hill Workshops twice, what an amazing place that was and what a tragedy that it was all demolished to make way for multi storey flats. Even more of a pity is that in those days I didn't even possess a camera.
I have been well assisted by Joe Hollingshead who has now worked an average of one day per work with me since leaving cabin boating in 1963 a great man to have around and his enthusiasm never seems to waver.
Maybe the Society can, by arrangement with the Musuem, organise a dredging party some day, given adequate insurance and safe keeping.
The job has occupied about eight hundred hours to date but it will be nice to restore a boat of this kind to it's rightful area and helping, I would hope, to teach younger members of the Black Country Community something of what it was like to work on the canals.
Best wishes, as always, to all of your Members.
Malcolm Braine
Note:- For photo's of the Spoon Dredger Please view the Gallery Section in the Day Boat Section. The articles will give the full involvement of the Society in this boat...Ed
Letter to the Editor in the 186 Edition from Malcolm adds to this article.
Dear Brenda
Just a note to say that the spoon dredger has now been delivered (if you haven't heard already) to the Black Country Museum and is on display. I've a few small jobs to complete it in every detail and have the benefit of first hand professional advice from Jack Smith who was a BCN dredgerman all his working life. He came from a long line of dredgermen and I shall be able to write up an interesting historical review of this type of operation for you to include in Boundary Post,as soon as time allows.
Quite co-incidentally I bought,from Jack, the last spoon dredger owned and operated by the Smiths, in about 1958.
It was complete with all the dredging gear, which I unfortunately had to scrap (how little did I know what later years were to bring), as it was the boat that I wanted for use. It was a good example of a composite Bantock boat, which still gave me lots of trouble free service,despite it's age. It's a real case of the wheel turning full circle, to think that I can still ask Jack for his advice, even after a gap of 51 years.
As soon as the spoon dredger is fully operational we're going to arrange a ceremonial first dip into the waters, I'll let you know when.
The present arrangement is that I've loaned it to the museum for an initial 12months, extendable if all goes to plan, and they have it covered on their insurance.
It's now registered with National Historic Ships as BCN district No.1. Spoon Dredger.
Sincerely Malcolm.
