Shellfen is a Westlander Dutch barge constructed c.1912 with an iron-rivetted hull.
The following extract is the translation by the curator at the Maritime Museum, Rotterdam, Drs. L.M. Akweld for Roger Lorenz in his research on the boat in 1976.
"The Westlander is a small flat "little-ship" with little draught; the length around 52ft, the width 9ft. 3ins.. Just as the 'bok' has no side decks, here the hatch-covers take up the full width. In the after end there is no room for a cabin, and there is at the end of the hold a closing hatch. The prow falls sharply and the rudder is broad. The front end is perculiarly formed as both sides towards the front bulge out like two cheeks that fallin sharply towards the prow. Present day vessels are unwisely built with the same form, of iron,the boat operates generally in a large part of South Holland and the southern part of North Holland. When it appears as a motorised craft," Translated by Drs. L.M. Akveld from: Kampen,H.C.A. (1927) "Schepen die Voorbijgaan" Amsterdam p.141-145
entry in wikipedia about shellfen " the last commercial boat on the upper river was "Shellfen", a Dutch barge converted to carry 4,000 imperial gallons (18,000 l) of diesel fuel, which supplied the remote pumping stations until 1974, when the last ones were converted to electricity."
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Great_Ouse
The Lister LP2 engine, tanks and pumping gear were installed in 1938 when it was converted to an an oil tanker with two 2000 gallon tanks. It was registered at Lloyds in 1938 by 'Shellmex-BP Ltd.' and was the smallest oil tanker in their fleet commissioned to supply all of the diesel pumping stations on the Fens, but became redundant when they were converted to electricity. It was sold in 1974 to Paul and Roger Lorenz and taken across the Wash to Manchester where it worked for a while supplying diesel for Lorenz & Co. based in Bedford Basin at Leigh on the Bridgewater Canal.
It was sold on in 1988 to a consortium of boating enthusiasts ( C.E.Barfield, M.A.Barfield, G.F.Jebb, P.Simpson, D.I.Kelly, C.N.Kelly) and kept at Edgerton Boatyard in Stretford when the current owner took on the restoration and upkeep of the barge in 2004.
Mr Appleyard on board Shellfen
the boat while at Stretford Boatyard
We are currently looking into getting the block repaired and an alternator fitted at Eel Pie Island Slipways on the Thames at Twickenham.
Noticed this interesting plate on the side of the block which we will have to investigate further'
Who was Van Horst?
We know Listers made the engine under patent from the Dutch, maybe this is a specific model?
(don't like to say it but 'Listard' sounds a little bit like a b**stard)
'Listard' Van Der Horst Brish Patents.Nos.401933 & 429206
results from googling reveal on the Lister forum that the Van der Horst patent process for chrome plating cylinder liners. According to rleonard from Illinois it is important to use cast iron rings in chrome liners as the chrome rings would score the surface.
article 'Narrowboat', Autumn 2013
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