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Tom and Dee started searching for a new boat in 2004 and
travelled to boat shows from Dublin to Chicago without seeing
a craft that would fit all their requirements. Their ideal
boat had to cruise the Irish inland system, the French system
and yet be capable of getting there under its own keel.
Ida has been designed to
meet their requirements. Now cruising the Irish waterways
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The Search
2005 and an introduction to naval architect Andrew
Wolstenholme provided the closest to our ideal. Andrew had
drawn the design for a 49’ barge for himself. The design had
lines we liked. We did not want a folding wooden wheelhouse
found on many barges. Following discussions we requested a
57’ version and Ida is the end result. The design brief was
for a boat no longer (LOA) that 57’ with spacious living
areas for a crew of 2 with room for occasional guests. The
boat had to be capable of long term cruising/live aboard and
able to deal with hot and cold climates (air con/heating). It
had to be easily handled by one with hydraulics for a bow
thruster and fore/aft hydraulic winches for
anchoring/mooring. At the risk of being tarred and feathered
we believe Ida is the only new build cruising barge designed
specially for the Irish inland navigation. Naturally we’re
talking 21st Centuary here. The original barges designed for
the navigation were the beautiful M and B Canal boats and
steamers |
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Ida.... Whats in a name
My wife Dee’s family come
from Scarriff Co. Clare (Ireland) and in the 19th and early 20th
centuary the Hynes family owned a warehouse and 2 shops in
Scarriff. They traded by water using sailing barges and a steam
barge called the Ida. They carried general cargos up to Shannon
Harbour to link with the Grand Canal to Dublin and to Banagher
and Killaloe to link with the steam railways to Dublin and
Limerick. We have a copy of the 1901 census of Clare which shows
Dennis Hynes aboard the Ida in Scarriff Harbour on the day of the
census. In 1906 Dennis Hynes drowned in the canal at Killaloe
after falling off Ida’s deck. His son John continued the trade
until his tragic death during the Irish cival war in 1922.
Following WW1 there was a general depression in Europe and
Ireland was not spared. We believe the Ida was sold around 1920.
The proceeds of the sale bought the first Model T Ford pickup in
Co. Clare. A new age was beginning with road transport. It seemed
only natural to name the new barge after the original Ida and
maintain family tradition. |
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Finding a Builder
Research over many
months brought us to Steve and Yolanda Winfield of South Holland
Boatbuilders in Lincolnshire. With years of experience in large
boat building they created Ida’s hull. They have done a beautiful
and difficult job using round chine bars where steel plates meet
to ensure a superb weld and fair seams everywhere. Can’t
recommend them enough. The hull was completed and painted by
October 2006. The second stage now began
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Fit Out Oct 06 to
June 07
The fit-out needed
careful research and after visiting and talking to far to many so
called boat builders in the UK we were delighted to find Mike
Adkins of Stoke Boats in Stoke-on-Trent. With 25 years experience
and many happy customers singing his praises we were in no doubt
as to who would handle Ida’s fit-out
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Fit
Out June 07 to December 08
How
come it always takes longer than planned?
The
fit out as agreed with Mike Adkins of Stoke Boats was always
going to be a slow process which was OK with us because Ida is a
one-off and our family boat for our kids and grandchildren. It’s
actually worse than building a house because you are trying to
fit everything in that you have at home (washers, dryers,
freezers etc.) and yet there is a limited amount of space. This
is where an experienced boat builder is so valuable. At every
stage during the build Mike kept us informed of progress and his
ideas as to the best way to position something as simple as light
switches. The end result is exactly what we asked for and we have
a working home on the water for less than the cost of a much
smaller production line cruiser from one of the major European
builders.
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Rodley Boat Centre / Vetus :
Without the engineering assistance of John Snowden who fitted
all Ida’s machinery the project would not have been so
successful.
John’s expertise in all things Vetus is acknowledged within the
marine industry in the UK. I simply cannot recommend him
highly enough. Rodley Boat Centre is based in Leeds.
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Launch Day Feb 09
It was always my
intention to have Ida launched into the Marina in Liverpool
for sea trial and commissioning. Thereafter I was going to
sail her over to Dublin and enter the Grand Canal en route to
her home base in Dromineer (Lough Derg, River Shannon). The
best laid plans of mice and men...........Waterway Ireland
had closed the navigation for much needed work and
improvements and I was committed to a 2 month visit to South
Africa starting in Feberuary.
This left an
impossible decision. Do I wait until I return in May and pay
very expensive short term UK marina charges or transport her
over to Ireland by road. The decision was make for me by
looking at the respective costs and the road trip won.
In late January 09 the weather decided
to act-up and it resulted in heavy snow. Great news just as
you are preparing a boat for transport.
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Under Way 10th May
Sea trials took place on the 8th,9th and 10th of May. They
were conducted by John Snowden who tested and signed off all
her machinery on behalf of Vetus.
She passed with flying colours and is now officially ‘legal’.
Her handling with a Shilling rudder and two stage hydraulic
bow prop was outstanding.
She turned a complete 360 within her own length and reversing
into tight pontoon berths posed little problems.
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