Month: May 2010

Filming with Nigel Royall and his traditional Norfolk gun punt and lighter

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The geezer in the hat and the little green boat is Norfolk boatyard proprieter Nigel Royall; in these pictures he’s demonstrating the use of an old-fashioned gun punt with a 3ft beam and a small Norfolk Broads marshman’s punt or eel punt for a local film maker. Here’s what he had to say about the adventure:
‘Dear Gavin,

‘How nice to hear from you, I have often looked at bits and pieces on your web site.


‘Last week I recreated eel picking and sculling and firing a punt gun to fowl for a local amature film maker and we will put some photographs of this on our own website shortly.

‘It was most ‘interesting’ to see how my little gun punt Plover handled with an 11ft sculling oar and a rather large cannon balanced on her bows!

‘We are also slowly restoring a very old River Ant gun punt that is on long term loan to us from the  Museum of the Broads that I hope to eventually refloat, again photos should arrive soon.

‘Nigel’

I’d like to see that recoil in action from a suitable distance and direction!
For an earlier post about Nigel’s adventures with gun punts click here. Also, for a piece about eel fishing in the old days, click here.

PS – There’s been some discussion about these photos at the Wooden Boat forum, which has prompted Nigel to send us some interesting remarks. To read what he has to say, click here: Wooden Boat forum contribution.

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Light Trow Mk 2 plans now available!

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I’ve been waiting for Water Craft magazine to publish its Grand Designs series story on the Light Trow before releasing the Mk 2 plans – they’ve also been publishing a two part article by small boat adventurer Ben Crawshaw about his adventures in the Mark 1 boat.

But now the big day is almost upon us, it’s at last time to let them loose on the public. Download them now – click here for the zip file of drawings etc. There are plans for making a model here.

For more on the Light Trow including Ben’s exploits and the origins of the design, click here, scroll down and go back through the  posts.

The wreck of the George Murray – was she a Thames barge?

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Jan Carpenter has written in to ask for information about this local wreck. Does anyone have any answers for him please?

‘Hi all, looking for any info about what’s said to be a Thames barge named the George Murray, which is now a wreck lying in Forder Lake just off the River Lynher in Cornwall. However, I’m thinking that it may not be a Thames barge.

‘There have been several hypothesis for this wreck and several different names have suggested, but the locals seem to remember her as the George Murray. However I suspect she wasn’t a Thames barge because I cannot find any trace of a barge called George Murray anywhere! I was hoping your website may jog a few memories or direct me to somewhere I can find lists of vessels I have not yet come across…’

‘Kind regards, Jan

‘PS I have had three 40ft larch logs delivered for the planking of Scoter and a fine selection of oak knees!’

I should explain that Jan is the new owner of the important Maurice Griffiths-designed Scoter, and that his postscript is great news for anyone interested in seeing her afloat once again.

As for the George Murray – from the look of her she certainly could be a Thames barge, and given the thousands that used to work in the Thames, I’d guess there could easily have been some about which there’s little documentary evidence left today. Would the PLA’s archives include some information, I wonder?

For more on Scoter, click here and scroll down!