The steam engines used to provide hydraulic power to the whole dock estate. Sadly, they were derelict and all their bearings and other brass bits had been nicked. I unlocked the door and we entered past the silent Lancashire boilers then up the steps into the engine house. Bill got very excited. “Do you think,” he asked “if anyone would mind if I just cleaned them up and painted them?”
No longer needing to be near the college I moved my two little boats to join Lilith on the farm moorings. The fees were 50p per boat per week. Even at £1.50 for the 3 boats it wasn’t too bad but, when he realised that I was living on them the farmer demanded £3 a week for the 3 craft. Extortion!
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.
