Curious Boats At Bow

In mid January four of us broke our usual pattern of monthly walks in the East Anglian countryside and took ourselves to Bow and Limehouse. Very flat walking, lots of interest and lots of individual boats. Do visit the Ragged School Museum and The Grapes pub.

What do you think of these quirky boats?

 This is the same boat photographed from each end. It's a lifeboat from a sea going vessel and there are quite a few around, especially in the London area. Usually painted orange so they can be more easily found at sea there is also one famously painted in blue.

And this small sculpture was being used to moor a narrow boat. The two chaps are doing a good job.

Blue Submarine Identified

In a recent blog I commented on the "Blue Submarine" found near Walthamstow Marshes - it could be seen from trains on the Liverpool Street line.
On a visit there I discovered it had left just before I arrived, which was a shame, but the landlord of The Anchor and Hope

opined that it was a lifeboat, which made me think I could find out more online.
And so, here is the solution: it's a lifeboat, and others can be seen around the place if you're curious enough to look. Here's one I found hiding in the Lee Valley Marina:

Visit this page for detailed info about this boat recently sold by the Bristol Boatshed ...

 ... and this one from "Audrey Too"

 ... and this one sold on ebay

and this one, posted to a Canal World Forum:

Orange seems a good colour for a lifeboat, which suggests the "blue submarine " has had a paint job along with a refit. Given the shortage of windows they don't look very comfortable for living in - it may depend on the way windows have been added - but this YouTube clip from Boatshed looks to have a surprisingly comfortable interior!
More Clips
If there are any doubts to its seaworthiness take a look at this Australian News clip which, incidentally, also shows the original multi-seated interior.
Or this clip showing the successful free-fall test launch of a boat.
Or this clip showing what can happen when things go wrong ....

Willow

On a day when the Environment Agency (unfairly criticised perhaps for the flooding on the Thames and the Somerset Levels) announced that strong stream advice was cancelled for the Nene (hurrah! the prospect of boating gets nearer!) I took a walk along the river bank at Ely and found this houseboat.

 and its attractive, if dishevelled, accompanying wooden launch..

I don't know how it got there, whether towed, possibly by the adjacent narrow boat, or under its own steam, but it was good to see someone making a living while on the water.
For the record the business is called Willow Sculptures and more info, including photographs of a wide range of willow animals, can be found at http://www.thewillowsculptures.co.uk 
The phone number on the website seems to contradict that shown on the board (seen in green on the aft deck above). So it's either 07718 125508 or 07940 188876
Good luck to him.

Jubilee Pageant

Though Patience was not in the Pageant (Canal Planner estimates 14 full days to get there from our present moorings, and there are so many stoppages it would be bound to be even longer), I was there to see the stream of more than 1000 boats pass along The Thames at a stately pace.
Stationed near Wandsworth Bridge, with occasional forays towards Putney, we had an excellent view of the area where the mustering took place, before the formal start of the Pageant.

Arriving at 10.30 we managed to see narrow boats go upstream towards their far mustering place before they joined the formal parade. We also saw all the man-powered boats before the rain set in.
Royalist or Republican, there is no doubt this was a Grand Occasion and a unique display of our boating heritage. I was glad to be there!
Oh, and a word for the rowers and paddlers: Fantastic job! The powered boats in convoys had their challenges, but those rowers were on the water continuously for more than 7 hours, through rain and cold winds mostly without protective gear. Well done all!

President

nb President was built in 1909 at a cost of £600 in Fellows, Morton and Clayton’s company dock at Saltley, Birmingham.
President and another narrow boat,Kildare, are owned by the Black Country Living Museum
More information and evocative photographs at their website.

Pirate Castle

Swingbridge

Canal River Trust

Quercus and Beatty, with gondola

Wandsworth Bridge - man-powered boats mustering

From Wandsworth Bridge - man-powered boats mustering

Dragon Boats from Wandsworth Bridge

Just some folks we met on the bridge ....