Myrtle's History

Myrtle is a Thames lighter or dumb barge i.e she never had an engine, but was just towed around. She was probably used for holding gravel. If I understand it correctly, her fore and aft holds would have been filled with water, and then, as the gravel was added the water would flow out. The remains of the pipes are still there in the holds, and the walls have been lined with a thin layer of concrete in the past.


Showing posts with label Myrtle Shoreham houseboat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Myrtle Shoreham houseboat. Show all posts

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Myrtle the day she became mine

Here's a picture of Myrtle about an hour after she had officially become mine.
Apparently these sheds go back to the 1970's and the bit of platform they are standing on -  who goes a long way to explain the rickety-ness of them!  The jetty was built for the Bellands, the boat which was moored here before Myrtle, and who keel still lies on the Western boundary of the mooring.