Name Dabchick

Built in 1930 by W J Yarwood of Northwich for the London Midland & Scottish Railway, DABCHICK is an iron riveted day boat without living accomodation and without an engine (the vessel was either rowed or towed). Under the name NORAH she worked for the railways in the Birmingham area until 1954. She was then sold to Peter Keay & Son of Walsall and renamed DOG ROSE. In 1957 the ownership changed to the Willow Wren Canal Carrying Co. Limited and she was later renamed DABCHICK. Paired with the motor barge AVOCET, she did varying journeys including a cargo of bicycles from the British Cycle Corporation in Smethwick to Brentford for export to Iran and another consignment of bicycles to Manchester. The pair worked in tandem until 1966 when traffic was being lost and the boats were laid up. The next owners were Peter & Joyce Fox and in 1967 Michael Streat of Blue Line Cruisers at Braunston converted her into a hotel boat for the Inland Cruising Company. She was sold to Tony Dennis in 1997 and to  unknown private owners in 1999. From 2007-2020 she was a private leisure craft owned by David & Karen Wilson and based at Shardlow in Derbyshire. Sold in September 2020, current owners unknown.