Is There Anybody Out There?
Canal Boat|October 2020
As the lockdown eased with canals partially reopened, Tim Coghlan collected a brokerage-narrowboat in Oxford and brought it to Braunston Marina. He recalls an eerie experience: the canal was almost empty of boats and boaters....
Tim Coghlan
Is There Anybody Out There?

They say things come to those who wait, but sometimes you have to wait a long time. I had been contacted in early October last year by Nick, the owner of narrowboat Melodeon – which was lying at Abingdon - with a view to selling it for him. The boat was a 40ft trad hull built by Colecraft in 1983 and fitted out by its team of true craftsmen, headed up by the legendary Lennie Beauchamp.

Despite the boat’s relative age – now over 35 years old – Nick assured me that Melodeon had been well maintained in an A1 condition since new – as had been proved by a recent survey. He was only the second owner, and it had been his for more than 30 years.

Now both their 80s, he and his wife could no longer cope with canal locks, which were getting tougher by the year, as maintenance seemed to slip in the priorities of the CRT.

Nick paid me the compliment of saying he had read several of my articles, including one in Canal Boat in which I had talked about my own boat - a 1991 45ft Colecraft, also fitted out by Lennie Beauchamp, and which likewise had had only two owners since new. We had never met before, but he told me that if there was any broker to sell his boat, it was me! With a compliment like that, I had to make the journey to go and see it.

Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Canal Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CANAL BOATSe alt
HIGH AND MIGHTY
Canal Boat

HIGH AND MIGHTY

Acorns make the perfect store food for jays’ larders

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Canal Boat

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Why Chris and Sarah Atkin will never forget tying the knot

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2020
LABELLED WITH LOVE
Canal Boat

LABELLED WITH LOVE

Helen Tidy enjoyed one weekend moored next to The Beer Boat ... simply the perfect solution to collecting bottle tops for her next project

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
MIDDLE THAMES
Canal Boat

MIDDLE THAMES

In the second part of our guide, we follow the Thames upstream from Reading through the steep sided Goring Gap and quieter countryide to reach Oxford

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2020
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Canal Boat

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

Robert Davies recalls childhood memories of a popular holiday destination and uncovers a reminder of the golden age of canals

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2020
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Canal Boat

FIT FOR PURPOSE

Terry Hibbard from Harworth Heating offers his expert opinion following our feature on onboard stove safety

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2020
BUCKING UP...
Canal Boat

BUCKING UP...

We join Waterway Recovery Group’s first canal restoration working party in six months - as WRG’s volunteers help the Buckingham Canal Society get the project back on track after lockdown

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020
ART ON THE WATER
Canal Boat

ART ON THE WATER

Graphic artist Katie Ruby lives and works on 32ft narrowboat Poppy

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

GO WITH THE FLOW

What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse and a taste for adventure

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2020
Canal Boat

A GLASS HALF-FULL AT BUCKBY WHARF

Tim Coghlan raised a glass on the Grand Union Canal as The New Inn reopened to the relief of regulars

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2020