Bass boat / platform

[mann]

Lads

Do you’s think this would make a good fly fishing platform for the Bass around cork harbour

I took her down from Tullamore to Shannon harbour last week on the Grand Canal, this was her first run since she was refloated after being under water for many years,

She was deliberately sunk to preserve her,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJsar1fScSo

If the link don't work, search for (GRAND CANAL 60FT BARGE)

[hugo]

Hi Mann. Whatever about the bass, she'll be a grand party boat! Book me on....

[mann]

Hallo Hugo

Consider yourself booked in, She should be ready to rock after a 2 year restoration project, its planned to turn her into a floating café type thingy,

Right now it’s a ball of rust but after spending 3 days on her I fell in love with it… felt kinda gutted when I moored her at the harbour, couldn’t believe it when a chap that actually worked on her sailed toward me and as he passed he recognised her and said E4 32,

I started thinking how did he know her number as she had been sunk for years… He followed me to the mooring and explained how waterways Ireland cut the bow down and fitted a dredging machine which was used to clean the canal,

He was well pleased when he found a couple of plates that he ate off while working her, I met some great people on the trip… it’s a different world on the canals where you can travel for hours and hours without seeing a soul, I was buzzing for days after the trip and would highly recommend it,

In fact I started to look up the prices for a fully fitted out barge Seen I would have to sell the house / boats and car to get one.

[hugo]

Some coincidence to run into your man like that, and great to get that bit of history.

Yeh, the canal thing has had me wondering at times, daydreams of slow days through total backwaters etc. We're always talking about hiring one to do a trip down thru France, but not sure if the old liver would be up to it....

Anyway, all the best with the project, keep posting - and buying Euromillions tickets....

[mann]

Some coincidence to run into your man like that, and great to get that bit of history.

Yeh, the canal thing has had me wondering at times, daydreams of slow days through total backwaters etc. We're always talking about hiring one to do a trip down thru France, but not sure if the old liver would be up to it....

Anyway, all the best with the project, keep posting - and buying Euromillions tickets....

Coincidence maybe but I reckon the folk on the canal are a close knit bunch, I would say this was as rare an event for them as it was for me, I reckon they passed on word of her progress along the route,

and yeah I have started buying lotto tickets again "if your not in you cant win" . took her down another bit on Friday and Saturday,

Friday we got from Shannon harbour to Terryglass which is on the upper part of the Derg, the forecast for Saturday was force 3 but it hit at least F4 as we left Terryglass around 10am, the old barge "1910" took such a hammering that after 15 minutes into the trip we didn't think she could take anymore and agreed if it got any worse we should abandon the plan and just find safe harbour,

for years people have told me bout the difference between conditions at sea compared to that on a lough in the same wind and now that I seen it for myself I have to totally agree that the lough can be a monster... Specially while on an unbalanced Barge that has had its bow chopped down

She's moored in Killaloe for now, next week we plan to hit the power station lock at Ardnacrusha, the lock there is a 2 step,

the first is a 60ft drop then the lower is 40ft give or take a few feet depending on tide state, will have to get footage of that leg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiSju56fZBw

lets hope she don't pop a rivet on route.