The college summer holidays of 1975 was when I intended to make some real progress on Lilith. My intention was to renew the stern post as the old one was rotten. The new curved planks that I had fitted were just sort of hanging where they should have been spiked in to the hoodings. My only problem, I thought, was what to make the stern post out of.
Chris Leah begins the story of his obsession with restoring an old Joey - No.9 - bought for £100 in 1974. He renamed the boat Lilith, and kept her for 50 years.
The Wooden Canal Boat Society,based in Manchester, is busy not only saving a small fleet of wooden narrow boats, but also putting them to good use. Museums are all well and good, but boats were made to be used.
