The Pen Makers Boat: #418

Now Sold

NB Saturn Oak and Gun Metal Fountain Pen

(25% of the profits from the sale of this pen will be gifted to The Shropshire Union Fly-Boat Restoration Society, the Custodians of NB Saturn)

EUROPEAN OAK - Quercus robur

Usually straight-grained, the heartwood of European Oak varies in colour from light tan to brown. Quarter-sawn pieces show attractive flame figuring. The wood is fairly hard, heavy and dense, clean but with the occasional knot. European Oak is a beautiful timber and with an oil finish, the grain will turn a deep golden brown.

This particular piece of oak (probably English rather than European) is just a little bit special though. It is one of the large bow mainframes from the Shropshire Fly Boat Saturn. The days of the fly-boats began with the success of the Bridgewater and Trent & Mersey canals in the 1770’s. Up until the heyday of the fly boats cargos had sedately plodded up the towing paths (Haling Way’s in them thar days) at three miles per hour or so but the new Fly Boats with teams of four men and two horses regularly galloped their loads of perishable goods at ten miles per hour.

Built in 1906 for the Shropshire Union Canal Carrying Co. at Tower Wharf, Chester, Saturn was used for the fast carriage of cheese from the producing towns of Cheshire and Shropshire to the major markets such as Manchester.

Saturn is the last horse-drawn Shropshire Union Canal Fly-boat in the World – originally built to travel non-stop, day and night. Over 100 years old, she has been fully restored to her former glory; not only to preserve her for posterity but to educate present and future generations about our waterways, narrowboats and horse-boating.

After waiting for the massive fallen ash tree to be cleared just outside Wheaton Aston on the Shropshire Union canal we really had to get a hustle on to get some of those lock miles past us and closer to Birmingham where we had a place booked on the Roving Canal Traders floating Christmas market.

With the shortest route, up the Wolverhampton 21 locks, closed for winter maintenance we would have to go the long way around. A very pretty rural route down the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal, across Stourbridge Canal, up the Dudley No1 and Dudley No2 canals and their 22 locks down and 24 locks up. We would normally take a leisurely fortnight for a journey like this - we did it in two days. Up and cruising before first light and mooring up after dark with mugs of tea and snacks as we went.

Whilst it was quite tiring we had great fun and the weather was really on our side with hardly a drop of rain and temperatures closer to what I'd have expected on a cool September rather than early December. The progress was so good that we were able to spend a couple of nights, and some busy days catching up, high on the embankment above Merry Hill Shopping Centre before an easy couple of hours cruise to the delightful Bumble Hole.

Whilst Bumble Hole is not particularly prettier than any other part of our journey it is a special little oasis just outside of Birmingham city centre. Just the 2768 metres under ground in the Netherton Tunnel and we'd be in the industrial urban sprawl of Birmingham.

Pen #418 was turned at Bumble Hole on Monday 7th December.