Black Prince Blue & Yellows

Welcome to the Black Prince Owners site

A site full of information on the narrowboats built by Black Prince across the decades

This is where it all began. Initially two Harborough style craft were bought from Anglo Welsh and newly built craft were purchased for a short period from Fernie Steel Fabrications. When they closed, around 1979, Black Prince started building their own steelwork, to the same Harborough design, but in all-steel as opposed to the fibreglass superstructure Anglo Welsh were still building with at the time. Due to Black Prince’s fast expansion many boats in blue & yellow colours were built elsewhere and inherited when boatyards were bought up, and so styles did vary.

The newly built craft were built either in the drydock at the Lower Heyford base or at the boat building factory at Milton Keynes that Black Prince operated for a spell. Fitouts were completed at the companies Welford base. Interiors were built to last the rigours of hire work and designed to last ten years in the hirefleet, though they have proved to be solid after twice that time! Internal bulkheads were of good quality laminated marine ply in either a very dark brown, lighter brown or light ash type colour depending on the year built. Wall coverings were thinner laminated ply and ceiling coverings thin white boarding which was quick and easy to replace. Worktops were initially in Black Prince yellow, with red curtains and vinyl floor and berth coverings completing the practical but smart interior.

A Black Prince boat with steelwork and fitout built by them during the blue & yellow years can be identified by a BP number at the stern as in the picture of Black Prince’s thirteenth build - BP13 “Canberra”, built around 1981.

Clipper Class: 64ft 8-10 berth. Introduced from 1982. A more flexible layout and with two dining areas fore and aft. Thirteen were built, all fitted by Black Prince, the last six were built with steel shells manufactured elsewhere.

BP 13 - “Canberra”

The drydock (in the background) at Lower Heyford where many BP shells were constructed in the ‘80‘s.

The boats Black Prince built themselves during the blue & yellow years all fall into the classes laid out here:

Frigate Class: 38ft 2-4 berth. Introduced from 1982 this was a very neat, compact design, and was similar to the Missile class but with shorter for & aft decks and a slightly shorter aft cabin. The rear cabin was slightly different in that the top bunk could drop to make a settee. A separate wc and shower followed with galley and dinette/double forward. Eight were built between 1982 and 1985.

Originally “Brilliant”, Frigate Class. Seen here in 2002 as “Crocus” from Anglo Welsh.

Missile Class: 42ft 4 berth. As the Frigate above but with bunk beds and an extra wardrobe in the rear cabin. Also larger forward and aft decks. Black Prince built around five or six themselves but ran fourteen in total with others inherited from other fleets and builders including Harborough and Hucker Marine.

Above: “Jupiter”, Missile class. Seen here in 1992 with Silsden Boats. Note the longer foredeck compared to the Frigate class moored directly behind

Corvette Class: 47ft 4 berth: Introduced from 1983. The same forward layout as the Missile and Bomber class but with a rear cabin offering a second saloon option with a settee that could either be used as a single or pulled out into a double and a fold down single opposite that could be used if required. This made them suitable for families or two couples. Ten were built, all by Black Prince. Easy to recognise from the Bomber class (also 47ft) by its wide aft and front side windows with two smaller windows inbetween.

“Vulcan”, Bomber class, seen here in 1994 with Oxfordshire Narrowboats.

Inside “Canberra” in 2000 showing Bomber aft cabin layout and early fitout laminate colours.

Forward cabin inside “Canberra”, Bomber class in 2002 showing dinette/double - a feature of all the classes above

Fighter Class: 50ft 6 berth. Two separate bunk cabins aft with separate wc & shower ahead, followed by galley and settee/double forward. A popular class with around nine being built by Black Prince and more inherited from other fleets.

“Blackbird”, Fighter class seen here in 1992 with Silsden Boats

Carrier Class: 56ft 6 berth. Introduced from 1983. Flexible layout making her appeal to families and two-three couples and with two toilets. Nine were built, all fitted by Black Prince but with the last five's steelwork manufactured elsewhere.

Above: “Illustrious”, Carrier class on hire with Black Prince in 1993.

Left: Inside a late build Carrier class. Black Prince 1994 brochure

Tank Class: 56ft 8 berth. Six singles all in bunk berths with settee/double aft. About four were built by Black Prince, with more inherited from other fleets.