Riveted Narrowboat Company Ltd

Riveted Narrowboat Company Ltd http://www.rivetednarrowboatcompany.com/ It was during another late night visit to Charring Cross Hospital that my mum and I sat talking.

We talked about all sorts of things rather than the dreadful disease that was slowly consuming my brave mum, Jenny. We talked about the fun old times when my mum raised us on a narrowboat in Rickmansworth and we concluded they were the best of times. Then an idea...to build a new boat to mark my mum’s passing and to act as a welcome distraction to the fight so recently lost. My mum, brother and I

had spent 8 years or so living on various boats but it was always the old working boats with their distressed hulls and distinctive engines that left the greatest impression. So the challenge was on to build a new boat full of character and with echoes of days gone by. I was fortunate enough to remember seeing an old FMC boat on my travels so using google earth on my phone I retraced my journey to find Lion a Saltley built FMC motor boat dating to 1913. The current owner was kind enough to let me crawl all over the hull to take templates and measurements and a host of videos and pictures so that I had a visual resource to work from. I have worked with steel since leaving school in 1988 as an apprentice in several boatyards then for 5 years while studying fine art sculpture before finally setting up my own workshop in Sussex. The work we produce is always to a high standard and often quite demanding in terms of size, creativity or deadline. We act as a subcontractor to other Sussex metalworkers and are frequently called upon to get them out of a spot of bother! The guys who make up the team are hugely experienced and exceptionally keen and love a challenge so a narrowboat build was a worthy task. Our workshop is well equipped and we soon made space to lay the bottom plates. The build began with a very clear purpose, to build myself a family holiday boat named Jennifer Grace and to relive some of those great adventures. I did not anticipate the boat build itself being the very first great adventure. As I said we love a challenge so why not do something a little different? If we were going to try and produce a working boat influenced design then it made sense to try and copy the method of construction as well as the curves and proportions. So I decided to investigate the concept of hot riveting the hull and copying the plate sizes and rivets like for like. The process of riveting is more labour intensive than welding and presents a completely different approach to putting a hull together. The last 12 months has been quite an intensive year of studying, experimenting and developing skills in order to achieve our goal. We have invested in equipment, forges, jigs and templates but we have made good progress. During this time the local interest in our project has grown and grown so much so that we began to think about maybe producing another boat or two after Jennifer Grace and so we formed the Riveted Narrowboat Company. The company is in a rather fortunate position as we are the customer as well as the builder so as you can imagine we have kept a very close eye on our originally concept and have accepted no compromises. Our main company, Arc Fab Sussex Ltd is well established and is able to invest in the project so we can get it right. The company has a clear objective to produce a traditional boat with graceful lines and to the highest standard. Part of our development has been the idea to use modern laser cutting techniques to produce the standard hull sides and bulkheads so that more time and effort can be devoted to handcrafting the bow and stern which is what defines the working Narrowboat. We had hoped to bring a riveted shell to Crick for 2012 as a grand entrance but we did not want to rush the hull just to launch the company and its raison d’être. Instead we shall continue to develop the prototype with the hope we might whet the appetite of those seeking a traditional boat and so tempt you to visit our workshop on the South Coast for a more leisurely chat and look. We aim to complete the first hull later this year after which we will start work on another in 2013 ready for Crick.

27/11/2018

Our core business Arc Fab Sussex Limited is looking for staff so please spread the word if you know anyone suitable!!

Our business is growing and now we are recruiting
Arc Fab Sussex has recently won several new contracts, so we’re looking for some fabulous fresh talent to join our team in January 2019 and help us to grow our business. Could this be you? Contact us, including a CV and a cover note to [email protected] or call 07779604647

You’ll need to be keen, enthusiastic and a genuine team player. You’ll also require a full driving licence.

Experienced Welder and Fabricator
We are Ex*****on Class 2 and we need a coded Welder to work on structural steel projects.

Experienced Architectural Metal Worker
We’re seeking an experienced Metal Worker to work on balustrades, staircases, balconies, gates and so on.

Material Preparation and Painter
Your duties will include plate making, loading, unloading, cutting beams for the welding team and prepping and painting beams after fabrication.
Estimator

We’ll be recruiting an Estimator early in January 2019.
Arc Fab needs great people to start in January 2019, so don’t delay.

We have been working hard behind the scenes although there has been little boat work! We have set up a new workshop faci...
18/09/2018

We have been working hard behind the scenes although there has been little boat work! We have set up a new workshop facility so now we have a large paint shop, a new engineering workshop for the traction engine restoration work and a much larger general fabrication facility. Check out Arc Fab Sussex and Hume Heritage for details. 2018 has been all about setting ourselves up to really push forward into 2019

A big improvement...not quite so many holes now!!
15/11/2014

A big improvement...not quite so many holes now!!

I met with Helen yesterday to discuss the next phase of the project. Helen has commissioned a firm of London based Archi...
15/11/2014

I met with Helen yesterday to discuss the next phase of the project. Helen has commissioned a firm of London based Architects to design the concept to make BetaIII a very modern houseboat. Helen describes it as a Marmite design...you either love it or hate it!! I am of the opinion that its a better option to make a modern statement than to fabricate a superstructure in the style of a 1926 Fireboat converted to a house boat in 2015!! I also took some pictures of the hull and I will post those in a minute. It will be a great project to work on next year...we have 6 months to work out the nuts and bolts of the conversion ready for the good weather in the spring!

Well done to Helen and her crew!!!

We had a couple of days this week to fit the stern plates. We robbed two chaps out of the workshop and have now managed ...
09/05/2014

We had a couple of days this week to fit the stern plates. We robbed two chaps out of the workshop and have now managed to tack all the sheets in place. There are just a few localised thin patches to cut out and the new bottom plates to go in then just a load of welding to complete most of the hull. The new section of cabin is all bolted up, holes reamed and spacers fitted ready for countersinking then riveting. Once we get the hull more or less complete we will pull of it for a month or so while Helen designs the new modern cabin and general layout.

The end of a short week but the cabin sides are now on, drilled and ready for some rivet work. 2/3 of the inset plates a...
24/04/2014

The end of a short week but the cabin sides are now on, drilled and ready for some rivet work. 2/3 of the inset plates are now on too ready for a week of welding. We are cutting new frame sections to replace the perished ones but considering the boat is nearly 90 years old and there are nearly 100 frames only 6 are rotten...mostly from previous repairs that have rusted away.

The two roof sections are both re united and welded up...new frames ready for cabin sides next week
18/04/2014

The two roof sections are both re united and welded up...new frames ready for cabin sides next week

WE raised the deck and have it roughly propped in place. We will make up the frames and weld this in place ready to temp...
16/04/2014

WE raised the deck and have it roughly propped in place. We will make up the frames and weld this in place ready to template and fit the cabin sides. These will be welded top and bottom to the hull but all the frames will be riveted in place so it looks original....We have no choice but weld the tops and bottoms because of the way they lowered the roof all those years ago.

Alex and I spent this week welding in plates and patches around the bow. We also worked on the lower deck section. This ...
11/04/2014

Alex and I spent this week welding in plates and patches around the bow. We also worked on the lower deck section. This deck was lowered in the 1950's for use as a trip boat on the Thames. It was riveted and welded and bolted once lowered. Alex and I cut all the fixing points and started to raise it. The 5m section of deck was dropped as one piece to preserve the teak deck. We will raise it up next week to the same level as the original and create loads more headroom for Helen

11/04/2014
We have been off the boat this week while the lads and Helen have done some blasting. I popped down yesterday to check a...
03/04/2014

We have been off the boat this week while the lads and Helen have done some blasting. I popped down yesterday to check and thought I would post some before and after shots...what a difference. The new keel plate is tacked in place and next week we will fill in most of the holes. Helen will be moving in for May!!!!

Address

Ringmer
BN85NP

Telephone

07779604647

Website

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