#398

NOW SOLD

NB Dane and 24ct Gold Plated Rollerball Pen

(25% of the profit will be gifted 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.

The rotten parts of these rebuilt boats are usually used to stoke the fires that steam the new planks for bending to the hull's shape.Luckily these pieces of elm were too important to burn and have been properly stored. I wasn't sure how deep the rot would have gone and how deep I would have to delve into this piece to find stable wood. The pens I make from historic boat materials have been thoroughly tested by me to make sure that they will give pleasurable daily use.

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 re-bottomed 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.

It was only a short cruise north from one of our favourite moorings at the bottom of Audlem to one of our favourite towns, Nantwich. Although it's only a little over two hours journey it was the stillest most foggy trip we have ever had. Luckily the Shroppie is fairly straight but trees and bridges still leapt out of the murk. I even missed all the massive canal side signs giving directions to Hack Green 'Secret' Nuclear Bunker!

The trip to Nantwich was predominantly to have our rear end measured up for a pram cover that will enclose the open rear deck from the elements and give me some shelter from the summer sun (yeah right!) and the rest of the weather from our unpredictable seasons. Unfortunately the weather was so bad on the appointed day that Hazel and Tim from Cratch Covers and Canopies were unable to carry out the pattern making and measuring so after waiting for a couple of days we decided to head up to Chester and arranged that the guys would drive up to us in dryer and less windy weather.

We were lucky enough to spend a few hours en-route in the company of Martin on fuel boat Halsall, a proper working boat. Martin delivers coal and diesel in a continuous loop around the four counties ring getting up as far as Ellesmere Port on the banks of the Mersey. The plan was to end our day a few hours south of Chester but in the warm afternoon sunshine we decided to stop early away from houses and roads with the backdrop of Beeston Castle, which dates back to the Bronze age but more recently has the ruins of Ranaulf de Blondeville's castle dating from 1220. What a magic place to make some special pens!