| The Narrowboat Silver Vale and Silver
Spirit are both Royal Class Narrowboats. These vessels
are 65 feet in length and a standard 6 feet, 10 inches in
width. These narrowboats are a tight fit in most locks.
Their hulls are of steel construction with wood paneling interior
walls and ceiling.
The Silver Vale is equipped with two 12-volt marine batteries
(four on the Silver Spirit) to power the house circuits and one
12-volt dedicated to the starter motor. A voltage inverter
converts 12-volt DC to 220-volt AC. A four-cylinder 50 HP diesel
motor provides both the drive for the propeller and the charging of
the vessel's batteries. A heat exchanger on the motor warms
the hot water for wash and showers while the motor is running and
when not running, a gas water heater picks up the load. The kitchen
included a 12-volt refrigerator, freezer, microwave oven and a
four-burner gas stove with broiler and oven.
Anglo-Welsh,
the Charter Company, provided linen, towels, kitchen items,
etc.
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The
Silver Vale and Silver Spirit are Royal Class narrowboats
with similar size and outfit. Seen on left is the
Silver Vale departing from Anglo-Welsh's
Trevor Base on the Llangollen Canal (6/23/2001) |
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Katie
(left) and Rita enjoy a relaxing moment in the Silver
Vale main cabin |
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Silver
Vale takes on water and pump-out of holding tanks at Anglo-Welsh's
Bunbury facility on the Shropshire Union Canal. In
the background behind the bridge are the Bunbury double
staircase locks. |
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The
Silver Vale
crew Katie (left), Mark, Rita and Cindy at
Anglo-Welsh's New Mills facility (7/6/2001) |
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Silver
Spirit crew Julie (front, left), Katie, Nicole,
Cindy, Mark (rear, left) and Dennis pose for a picture on
the Worcester & Birmingham Canal moored below the
Sidbury Lock. In the background is a portion of the
Royal Worcester porcelain factory. (6/10/05) |
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Mark
performs daily
engine fluids check on Silver Spirit. (6/14/05) |
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A
necessary evil - pumping out Silver Spirit's two marine
toilet holding tanks. We luckily found this free
facility just north of the Strensham Lock on the river
Avon. Elsewhere pump-outs cost from £6.30 to £15.00
GBP per tank! (6/8/05) |
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Having
just completed in one day the 30 locks of the Tardebigge
flight rising in total elevation by 217ft, the Silver Spirit
stops at the Tardebigge Anglo-Welsh marina for service -
fuel, water and pump-out. (6/12/05) |
Visit Anglo-Welsh
Company |
