Meet me on the Ledge

So. Here we are. It’s happening, and it’s happening soon.

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On the initial to-do list for the boat are:

A central roof

Steel floor in the hold

Sliding cabin sides

Rear cabin fit out

Fit solar panels

Rear safety rails

Install two forges

Paint the whole thing

And that's just the tip of the forge-berg.

All of this is going to take place on the Birmingham Main Line section of the Grand Union, and the South Oxford (from Napton to Heyford), and once the plans are finalised and heads are done being scratched, it’s time to open the project up for people to get involved.

Were I more of a self-promoting bod, I would now be saying “this is your opportunity to take part in something unique and historic"; and it is, but I am not. So take that as read (and it is a true statement) but I am more inclined to say simply “gis a hand”, so, gis a hand.

Between now and October I need to get the boat weatherproof, and the means of doing this are pencilled out, but must remain sketch-like until it is actually built. The reason for this is no tardiness on my part, more that this is a 40 year old boat with heavy cabins at either end and a 5 metre unsupported midsection. It moves, flexes a little, and isn’t straight along its lines. Any attempt to pre-fit a mid cabin by making it off site and lifting it on is doomed from the start. It’s got to be made in situ, in real time, and iteratively. It echoes my entire life so perfectly, in that respect.

So, cutting to the chase, I am looking for volunteers to get stuck in and help make it happen. I can offer cups of tea and coffee, nice sandwiches, and marvellous scenery to work in. I can also show you, should you want to learn, how to do the basics; cutting, fitting, welding, painting. I’ll even throw in end-of-day bottles of cold beer.

My rationale for working in this way is clear- for each day I get volunteer help for, I will subsequently offer someone free short course places for the things I teach (stone walling, greenwood working, lime mortars, and metalworking skills). It’s a chance for you to pay it forward, give someone who needs it the chance to learn something that will benefit them, by coming and spending a nice day on the canal building a boat. Everyone’s a winner, surely?

Register your interest by emailing me at rgarchaeology@gmail.com with the subject WORKING DAYS (in capitals), and if there is something in particular you want to take part in, let me know in the email. It’s not a commitment at this time, and if time or other demands mean you can’t make it at any point, that’s absolutely fine too. But if you want to take part in something a bit different then this is it. I have all the tools and materials here, can help with transport, and if nothing else it’s a chance to see me swear at inanimate objects and possibly even fall in the cut. Who could ask for more…

Welcome to the second chapter of the Restless Forge

The Restless Forge is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.