ULAS
University of Leicester Archaeological Services

Annual Report 2001

One Man and Two Boats - The Recording of Two Historic Craft

In early 2001, ULAS were commissioned to carry out an external survey of two historic craft, for British Waterways, using a Reflectorless EDM Theodolite. This equipment permits the swift recording of thousands of points on any surface, be it on iron, brick or wood, and can be operated by one person.

The form and visible repairs of the two boats were to be recorded, while out of the water, before restoration work. The vessels will form part of British Waterways’ fleet of boats used for education programmes.

The reflectorless survey provided accurate base drawings that were to be augmented with more detailed study.

The two vessels represented different aspects of the history of the waterways - one is a Tug and the other is an unpowered carrying boat called a Day Boat or ‘Joey’.

Above, the Tug, ‘Birmingham’, built of iron, is 45 feet (13.61m) long with a beam of just under 7 feet (2.09m) and a draught of 4 feet (1.35m) and was built in 1912. It was one of a series of similar tugs built for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal for pulling unpowered boats through tunnels. The shape of the stern was designed for a large propeller to give optimum pulling power.

Joeys, 70 feet (21.63m) long, and 7 feet (2.08m) wide, had either open or small closed cabins at the stern. They were built in their thousands making them the most common boats on the canals of the West Midlands. The 'Joey' boat shown above was also of riveted iron construction. Patches have been welded to the outside of the hull, where corrosion behind the internal frames or knees had occurred during its long periods of use.