A high light of this year’s annual Easter Gathering at the National Waterways Museum (NWM) will be a joint celebration of the re-launch of the Admiral class butty Keppel and of the tenth anniversary of the launch of the unique Shropshire Union fly-boat Saturn.
The Ellesmere Port event is being organised jointly by voluntary organisations; the Etruria Boat Group, owners and operators of the ex. British Waterways’ pair Lindsay and Keppel, and the Shropshire Union Fly-boat Restoration Society (The Saturn Project) owners and operators of Saturn.
Keppel required considerable work and has been docked, re-bottomed and extensively overhauled at Roger Fuller (Boat Builders) of Stone (Right).
Saturn has successfully completed 10 years of highly successful educational work since her complete restoration. Both groups have received considerable help from the Canal & River Trust (CRT) and The Saturn Project is a partnership with the latter.
The Easter Gathering runs over the holiday weekend from 4 to 6 April and as usual will provide a huge public spectacle, when the many visiting historic craft will join with the NWM’s boat collection and other exhibits and attractions.
CRT chairman Tony Hales CBE will perform the Keppel/Saturn joint re-launch – by the wide-locks in the centre of the museum complex – at 12.30 on Saturday 4 April, which visitors are invited to witness.
Thanks to Harry Arnold and Waterway Images for this report and photo of Keppel on dry dock.
