Sponsors
National Historic Ships UK acknowledges the financial support of its sponsors
Details
Function
Cargo Vessel
Subfunction
Narrow Boat
Location
Ely
Vessel type
Star Class Small Northwich
Archive reason
More information required
Current use
Unknown
Available to hire
No
Available for excursions
No
Info required
Yes
Construction
Builder
Yarwood, W J & Sons Ltd, Northwich
Built in
1935
Hull material
Iron
Rig
None
Number of decks
1
Number of masts
Propulsion
Motor
Number of engines
1
Primary engine type
Diesel
Boiler type
None
Boilermaker
None
Dimensions
Breadth: Beam
6.98
feet
(2.13
m)
Depth
2.98
feet
(0.91
m)
Length: Overall
69.97
feet
(21.34
m)
Tonnage: Gross
0.00
Air Draft
To be confirmed
History
CLYPEUS is a narrow boat, built by Yarwoods of Northwich for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company and launched on 24 July 1935. Her British Waterways Number was 500774. She has been registered at Watford since 1993.
Her hull is made of riveted iron. She originally had an elm bottom, but this was replaced with steel by British Waterways in the 1970s. She has iron frames and oak gunnels, a pointed bow with a plumb straight stem and a counter stern. Her current engine is an inboard diesel made by R A Lister in 1945, model JP2, with 2 cylinders and 22 horse power.
CLYPEUS was used as a fire vessel during the war. In 1948, at the time of nationalisation, CLYPEUS was taken over by Britsh Waterways and she moved to Sharpness circa 1960 as part of the South East division, where she continued trading, until ending up as a dumb barge in the 1960s and 1970s.
She was fully restored in 1992. She is one of only a dozen Star Class Small Northwich vessels built by Yarwoods for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company (GUCCC).
Sources
Faulkner, Alan H, The George & the Mary, Robert Wilson, 1973
Own this vessel?
If you are the owner of this vessel and would like to provide more details or updated information, please contact info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk
