The Story of OAKDALE

 

The history of this unique vessel is entwined in that of the Runcorn shipbuilding firm of Richard Abel & Sons.  That firm was in business for around a hundred years, finally closing in the 1960s when competition from the roads and the mass of former wartime armed forces personnel with wagon driving experience meant that it was impossible to make sea and river transport seem as attractive to clients as it used to be.  Abel's were sand merchants and built and maintained their own vessels, as well as conducting such work for others.  The business was sold and eventually so were the other local firms (such as Cooper's of Widnes who conducted similar work), with most concerns being subsumed into the Pilkington Glass empire.

 

Abel's were based at the Castlerock Yard beside the Runcorn Railway Bridge as well at another yard in Weston Point and at several depots from manchester to Liverpool.  They employed many local people in their vessels and in their shoreside departments and were well known and respected business people.  They were renowned for their shipwright skills and built their vessels, mainly Mersey Flats (the local type of vessel built across the Northwest of England and North Wales at one time), to the same tried and trusted methods that they had from the 1800s.  Eventually, they built the later Flats as Composites: Steel frames with wooden hulls, providing strength and longevity.

 

In the 1920s, Abel's bought steel for frames for a proposed five hulls, but the Great Depression put paid to that.  FRED ABEL (named after Frederica Abel, the mother of the owner) was launched in 1936 using one of these sets of frames, but then World War II interrupted expansion plans again.  OAKDALE was eventually begun in 1949 and RUTH BATE, but the fifth vessel was never built it seems.  Perhaps the steel was used in the war effort?

 

OAKDALE was the second-to-last vessel built by Abel's and the second-to-last Mersey Flat ever built.  The last, RUTH BATE, has been scrapped and thus the only other Flat still in existence is the Bridgewater-style Flat MOSSDALE.  This smaller vessel is at Ellesmere Port Boat Museum and has been the recipient of a National Lottery Fund grant to help preserve her.  She is a Chester-built Flat that was later bought, and rebuilt, by Abel's of Runcorn.  She is smaller because she was one of the "Inside" Flats designed for work on the Bridgewater Canal and other such waterways.  OAKDALE was a sea-going vessel designed to enter the Leeds-Liverpool Canal but also to sail the Irish Sea.  Many local vessels did, however, exceed their designed purpose and there were many shallow-draught river vessels built in Runcorn, Widnes, Frodsham, and other local shipbuilding centres that actually put to sea in what can only be described as an heroic fervour for trade.

 

According to Michael Stammers, in his “Building Flats at Runcorn” from Waterways Journal Vol. 5, this and the RUTH BATE were built “to the same design which is considerably different in shape to the traditional form” being for example, “almost as square in the bow as the Humber Keels”.  They were designed by Mr. Albert Andrews, the manager of the yard, and he “incorporated a great deal of steel into the framing”.  There were 3 steel keelsons, instead of the usual one on the centreline, as this reduced the amount of the hold taken up by large timber pieces used traditionally.  Straight side frames were rolled from steel and the framing timbers at the bow and stern were “fashioned in the traditional way” (iron frames running the length of her parallel body and wood frames from the fwd and aft bulkheads).  Additionally, the hatch coamings were of steel also, instead of the traditional timber.  There is a greenheart bottom and from the turn of the bilges to deck level she is of oak, with her decks of Oregon pine.  All of this gave this vessel great strength.

 

OAKDALE was in service with Abel's until 1963 when they ceased trading and at that point she was sold to Rea's, with whom she remained until 1966.  She languished for some time as many of the other working boats of the region did, used for coal storage.  When a number were bought by private investors, she remained unwanted because she was not of all-steel construction.

 

The boat was then bought by a public house owner at Burscough who wished to turn her into a floating restaurant to complement his pub.  These plans fell through and David Keenan bought her in 1975 when she was lying in deep mud at Burscough and in need of much care and attention.  Dave took her to Brunswick Dock in Liverpool and refitted her at the Bootle Barge Company using parts salvaged from the remaining barge companies that existed then locally.  He then sailed her as Master for many years in the coastal trade before laying her up some years ago to continue repair work on her whilst living onboard with his pet dog and cats.  He had always wanted to own one of these vessels since working on them straight from school, so OAKDALE and Dave are lucky to have each other.

 

The OAKDALE spent some years berthed near the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool before being moved for further repairs and she has spent time beached at Lytham St. Annes and now Askam-in-Furness.  The latter is where Dave now lives onboard and continues his efforts to preserve this unique survivor, following damage sustained in recent storms as well as the ravages of life at sea.

 

Vital Statistics

• Launched  on 15th September 1951 after an 18-month build, she is a 63T Mersey Flat, built in the style and tradition of Abel's vessels from the 1850s onwards.  A more modern vessel, however, built as a Composite (with steel frames under her wooden hull).

• 72’ 6” X 15’ 9” X Depth 3’ (6’ 6” moulded depth); Lister HA3 Diesel Engine (fitted 1957).  As she is over 60 feet in length and built for service on the river (and beyond), OAKDALE has always been required to have full-sized navigation lights.

• 66 Reg Tons Gross, 63 Reg Tons Net, 52 Tons Displacement in working order, Cargo Capacity 120 Tons.

• Registered Merchantman, Official Number 183820.  Registered at Liverpool.  Dave remembers seeing the full-page entry in the large leather-bound book about 30 years ago when it was still held in the old Customs House at Liverpool.  Nowadays all such information is digitally recorded.

• Listed on the National Historic Ships Register.

• Her current owner has converted her hold and made some other modifications:

1. Fitted a mast.  This came from a Dutch vessel that had to be dismasted at Eastham in order to sail up to Manchester (as was the norm for tall ships that other wise could not fit under the bridges at Runcorn and beyond on the Manchester Ship Canal).  Her topmast is what was removed and it lay beside a Lock Keeper's office (at Walton Lock, I believe) for many years when the Dutchman failed to return to sea.  It was later given to Dave and he fitted her to OAKDALE.  He added a tabernacle from a trawler.

2.   Replaced the anchor.  The current one came from a barge belonging to local firm, Bates.

3.   Replaced the windlass.  The new one comes from a yacht.

• OAKDALE appears to be the second vessel of that name to serve Abel's.  The first was a 46 Ton barge built by William Bate of Runcorn in 1888 and later sold to Abel's.  She was registered at Liverpool as ON143721 and removed from the register in October 1922.