Corona | National Historic Ships

Registration number 3555

Status Registered

paula.palmer

Previous names

1935 Corona

Details

Function Cargo Vessel

Subfunction Narrow Boat

Location Grand Union Canal

Vessel type Star Class Woolwich

Current use Private use

Available to hire No

Available for excursions No

Construction

Builder Harland & Wolff Ltd, Woolwich

Built in 1935

Hull material Steel

Rig None

Number of decks 1

Propulsion Motor

Number of engines 1

Primary engine type Diesel

Boiler type None

Boilermaker None

Dimensions

Breadth: Beam

7.00 feet (2.13m)

Depth

3.00 feet (0.91m)

Length: Overall

71.00 feet (21.64m)

Length: Overall

71.50 feet (21.79m)

History

CORONA, together with the butty Coronis, was built in December 1935 by Harland and Wolff in North Woolwich for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Co.'s 'Star' class.

This pair of boats was the fifteenth eighteen pairs of composite Woolwich boats of riveted steel sided construction with elm bottoms which followed 24 pairs of iron sided composite boats. All these formed the Star class.

CORONA passed to the maintenance fleet before nationalism in 1948. In 1960 it was sold for use by Town Thorns School near Rugby and in 1968 was bought by Trevor Maggs who would own it for the following fifty years.

The original National engine was replaced by a Lister HR2 in 1970. The wooden cabin was replaced in steel in 1980 and the elm bottom was replaced with 10mm steel in 1984. Throughout his ownership, Trevor used CORONA for transporting coal on various occasions and the vessel's current owners hope to use the boat in the same way.

Key dates

December 1935
Vessel built by Harland & Wolff in North Woolwich for the Grand Union Carrying Canal Co.
1948
Vessel passed to the maintenance fleet
1960
Vessel sold to Town Thorns School
1968
Vessel sold into private ownership