Name Carina

CARINA was built in 1935 by W.J. Yarwood & Sons of Northwich, Cheshire, as a Star Class Butty for the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company. She was originally paired with LIBRA.

In the 1970s, she was purchased by Doug and Anita Lear of the Magic Lantern Narrowboat Theatre, a popular itinerant show which travelled along the UK’s inland waterways between the 1970s and 1980s. CARINA was part of a pair of vessels used for the magic lantern shows and for the Lear Family’s accommodation.

In 1987, she was sold into private ownership and reunited with her original motor LIBRA. From 1990 onwards, CARINA was operated by Staffordshire County Council & British Waterways as an Educational Resource Boat and paired with motor SAGITTA. In 2013, CARINA is known to have been operated as a bicycle sales & repair boat based near Gas St Basin in the centre of Birmingham.

In 2023 CARINA was purchased by S Edgeson and moored in Tamworth at Norton Canes Boatyard. She had new black cloths and ropes fitted. CARINA was purchased by the current owner in 2024. Since then, she has had a hull survey and some patching done on the hull before being blacked. Work is being done to restore her to her original condition by renovating the fore and aft decks and the tiller, as well as by repainting the British Waterways blue & yellow livery to the external wooden back cabin panels.