President (narrowboat) facts for kids
The President is a very old and special steam-powered boat called a narrowboat. It was built way back in 1909 by a company named Fellows Morton and Clayton (FMC) in Saltley, England. Today, this amazing boat is owned by the Black Country Living Museum, which is also where it lives. The President is so important that it's listed by National Historic Ships as part of the National Historic Fleet, meaning it's a valuable part of history!
President's Early Life
The President is about 71 feet (22 m) long. It was built in 1909 at the FMC company's dock in Saltley and cost £600, which was a lot of money back then! The boat was officially registered on June 23, 1909. Its hull (the bottom part of the boat) is made of wrought iron pieces joined together with rivets. This special shape is called the 'Josher' style, named after Joshua Fellows, one of the directors of FMC.
In 1925, the original steam engine and boiler were taken out. They were replaced with a 15-horsepower Bolinder engine that ran on crude oil. This change made the boat work differently.
Later, in 1946, a director from FMC named Ernest Thomas bought the boat. Then, in 1948, it was sold to George and Matthews. However, that same year, the canals in the UK became owned by the government. So, the President finished its working days as part of British Waterways' team that maintained the northern canals. It worked on canals like the Trent and Mersey, Macclesfield, and Shropshire Union canals, operating from a base in Northwich.
Saving President
In 1973, two people named Nicholas Bostock and Malcolm Braine bought the President. At that time, it was just an old, empty hull. They worked hard to fix the hull and built a new cabin and boiler room that looked just like the original ones. They found a special boiler from 1928, similar to the one the boat first had, and a steam engine that used to be in a boat on the River Thames. After all this hard work, the President was ready to sail again in 1978!
President at the Museum
The Black Country Living Museum bought the President in January 1983. In 1990, the boiler was replaced with a different type. From 2001 to 2003, the boat had a huge makeover. This included getting a brand new steam engine, new pipes, and a new cabin. They also did big repairs to the hull to keep it strong.
The President usually travels with another boat called Kildare. This second boat is a butty boat, which means it's pulled along by the President. Both boats are painted in the old FMC company colors.
On June 3, 2012, the President took part in a very special event called the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in London. It represented the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire. To get there, the boat traveled for three weeks all the way from the Etruria Industrial Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, moving at a slow speed of about 3 miles per hour!
