#346

NOW SOLD

NB Dane Elm and Chrome Fountain Pen

(25% of which will be donated to The Narrowboat Heritage Foundation, the custodians of NB Dane)

EUROPEAN ELM - Ulmus procera

European Elm has is a light to medium brown, sometimes with a hint of red. With an oil finish, it can turn a beautiful golden brown colour. Unless, of course, it's been kept at the bottom of a canal for an awfully long time.

Narrowboat Dane was built by the Mersey Weaver and Ship Canal Carrying Company and used as part of their fleet. She was built in November 1946 and first registered on January the first 1947. Ade from A P Boatbuilding is currently restoring her on behalf of The Narrowboat Heritage Foundation, the work being done is rebottomed with new chine planks, kelson, stem post and soon to receive two new bow planks, gunwales, decks, new back cabin and engine room. The pens that I will be making from Dane are all from a heavy lump of Elm bottom plate.

We had been planning on mooring up for the night above the Calcutt locks but it was such a lovely day that we carried on for an extra hour past Napton Junction and to another favourite spot just down the hill from Flecknoe which left us a short hop to the village of Braunston, a historic center of the canal system.

It was going to really be touch and go as to what work I was going to be able to get done as the typical UK weather forecasts showed sunshine and heavy showers. Unfortunately there aren't many of the pen making processes that I can carry out inside the boat because of all the wood chippings and sawdust but we had one really fine day sandwiched between two rotten ones that saw a fair few soggy boaters go by.

Pen #346  was turned on July 25th 2015 just outside the village of Flecknoe.