Sagitta

"Sagitta" is a Grand Union Star Class boat, built in 1935 by Yarwoods of Northwich on the River Weaver at 71' 6" long, 7' beam, 3' draught. Its original butty "Serpens" was built at the same time.
The original engine was a Russell Newbury DM 2 (it now has a twin cylinder HR Lister 29.5 hp @ 2200 rpm with a Blackstone Gearbox).
The boat was delivered to the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Limited, on the 20th June 1935. Its fleet number was 80. A mister Fredrick Webster was put in charge as master of the boat. "Sagitta" was registered at Brentford on the 3rd September 1935 with a registration number 526.
On the 14th September 1944 "Sagitta" was not listed as being active in the G.U.C.C.Co Ltd Fleet !
In February 1944 she had been reported on being moored for some time at Stockley Dock, upon close investigation the boat was found to be in poor state and partly SUNK ! with NO engine !
1st January 1948, the whole fleet of boats registered with the G.U.C.C.Co Ltd were Nationalised. This is where British Waterways (South Eastern Division) took over "Sagitta" and possibility fitted the twin cylinder Lister engine. The livery was also changed into the blue & yellow of British Waterways.
During the 1960's Bill Littler and his wife lived and worked on "Sagitta" delivering coal and other cargoes.
Then in 1974 "Sagitta" went into the British Waterways Maintenance Fleet where she would be used for delivering cargoes of pilings up and down the Shropshire Union Canal. The boat could be seen moored at Norbury Junction.
In 1982 "Sagitta" was laid up again, in the Wides at Nantwich where it was put up FOR SALE.
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 Staffordshire Canals where school children were educated on water safety and the history of the canal system.
Around 2003 British Waterways took over the boat, where some more steelwork was carried out and another paint job put the boat back into the Blue & Yellow BW Livery. It went into their Heritage Fleet where the "Friends of the Working boats" moved "Sagitta" around to events on 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 Dudley Canal Trust and its boat trips into Dudley Tunnel and the Limestone Caverns.
"Sagitta" will be moored at the Black Country Living Museum for school parties to visit.

Sagitta is Latin for ARROW (Sagittarius is the BOW)

Research by Steve Bingham