Your Floating Hotel on the Canals and Rivers of the UK

News about Reed Boats in 2005.

January.

We finished the 2004 season immobile half a day short of the end of the last cruise! We had set out from Warwick to go to Worcester, we had a great trip up Hatton and Lapworth locks. We meet Hotel boats everywhere, Duke and Duchess in Warwick, Byswater at Lapwoth, and Dawn and Dusk, Hind and Hart and Away4aWhile in Birmingham Then we set off on our own down to Worcester, but in the outskirts of the city a coupling on the propeller snapped rendering us immobile. Taxi's took off Guests and Crew, and Pinder's boatyard came out to fit the coupling. However when we reached Diglis Basin it was to find that the River Severn was closed not due to floods, but to a fatal accident near Gloucester and unlikely to reopen till after Christmas.

So our winter plans had to be rearranged, instead of mooring on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal, and using Davies's yard at Saul junction to dry dock the boats and other boat yard work we stayed at Worcester and used the facilities of Pinder's.

In November I took a much needed break from the boats after first sorting them out. Then in December I used Diglis dry dock to first inspect the bottoms, and to pressure wash and wire brush rust areas. Then I painted the boats up to the gunell level, this involved bottom blacking, the fine painting on the bows and stern and the Ellum. (Up to this level they now look great!)

At the start of January we will take the boats up to Stoke Prior to Pinder's yard so they can overhaul the engine and the diesel boilers. They will also do a wide variety of other work, including steps up to the bow lockers, overhead lights in the cockpits, razor points in the showers, a new high level shelf for the TV, better table tops for dining etc.

I will then move the boats back to their winter moorings at Diglis basin to carry on with exterior painting, the whole of the fronts and rears of both boats will be freshly painted. I will also be overhauling the cabins including many extras asked for by guests and laying carpet throughout the butty.

All in all a very busy winter, as work is finished I will put pictures up on this site and also we will be publishing a new brochure for Easter 2005 containing pictures of the finished boats. I am now on the boats most week days, so if you are near Stoke Prior, or down at Worcester do come and have a look. Best to ring first and check, unless you are just passing by, as some days I will be away obtaining materials and other days I will take work home to do.

Newsletters for 2004

If you have any questions then do ring us on 07977 229103
or email us at martin@reedboats.co.uk