Bittell and Sagitta
Bittell
Stewarts & Lloyds Limited commissioned two new tugs from Yarwoods at Northwich, Cheshire who in 1934 built the hulls for tugs Number Four and Number Five. The cabin of Number Five was put on by Harris boat builders at Bumblehole,Netherton, Worcestershire soon after; it is probable that Number Fours cabin was completed at the same time. While under Stewarts & Lloyds ownership it is believed that the tugs were known only as Tug Number Four and Tug Number Five.
In June 1958 Tug Number Five was purchased by British Waterways and it was given the asset number 80384. The present engine, a 3 cylinder Lister HA with a Blackstone gearbox (dated January 1959) was probably installed in the boat by British Waterways during the late 1960's.
From the mid 1970's until 1985 it was kept on behalf of British Waterways by Charlie Atkins Junior; the son of ?Chocolate Charlie Atkins?. It was during this time the tug was named ?Bittell?. Tug Number Four came to be named ?Pacific?.
Bittell continued to be operated by British Waterways until 1990, when it was acquired by the Dudley Canal Trust. During the following year the Trust improved certain aspects of the boat and the hull was repainted in Stewarts & Lloyds Limited colours
Further detail can be found in the History pages - associated documents
Sagitta
Sagitta is a Grand Union Star class boat, built in 1935 by Yarwoods of Northwich on the River Weaver, at 71ft 6" long, 7ft beam, 3ft draught. The boat was delivered to the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Limited, on the 20th June 1935. Its fleet number was 80. Mr Fredrick Webster was put in charge as master of the boat. Sagitta was registered at Brentford on the 3rd September 1935 with a Reg. No. 526.
1st January 1948. The whole fleet of boats registered with the
GUCCC.Co LTD were nationalised and British Waterways (South Eastern Division)
took over Sagitta.
1974 Sagitta went into the British Waterways Maintenance Fleet
were she would be used for delivering cargos of Piling's up and down the
Shropshire Union Canal.
In 1991 Sagitta was taken over by Staffordshire County
Council who spent a lot of money converting the hold of the boat into a floating
class room. The engine was also moved back to allow enough room to build a
working boatmans cabin. The boat was also repainted. "Sagitta" was then paired
up with the Butty "Carina". Both boats went to events around the StaffordshireCanals where School children were educated on water safety and the
history of the canal system.
In 2003 British Waterways took back over the boat and she entered
its heritage Fleet where the "Friends of the Working boats" moved Sagitta to
events on and around the BCN .
On 25th June 2009 Dudley Canal Trust took control of the boat with
the intention to take Sagitta to Canal rallies around England promoting the
history of DCT and the restoration of the Dudley tunnel and canal
systems.
She is crewed by volunteer members of Dudley Canal Trust
Further detail can be found in the History pages - associated
documents