The Pen Makers Boat: #419

Now Sold

NB Dane Elm and Chrome Ballpoint Twist Pen

(25% of the profits from the sale of this pen 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.

Well 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 #419 was turned at Bumble Hole on Monday 7th December.