She worked for the company until nationalisation in 1948, then for the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive, then British Waterways Board, then was leased to Willow Wren in the 1960s. Sold into private ownership in 1967. After languishing in the Wendover Arm, she was acquired by Stroudwater Carriers and was paired with COMET, steered by Jim Marshall, and carried retail coal in the early 1970s, with Ian Kemp as crew. In the summer, Jim used her to carry passengers as the Chester Packet, pulled by Snowy the horse, and she was converted for this, with a small cabin extension, in the mid '70s. After time as a houseboat on the Macclesfield Canal, she was acquired by Ian Chambers, and a new steel bottom welded on in 2002 at Malkins Bank. The present owner acquired her in 2003 as an empty shell, and commenced restoration to working condition, working from copies of the original H&W drawings. She collected all the timber required from Queen's Head on the Montgomery, and the running gear was built at Godalming on the River Wey, with ironwork made by Ian Kemp. The rudder was also restored and new cloths fitted. Shutts for the hold were finished at Newbury, and cabin restoration commenced in spring 2005 with a new outer skin, and internal fitting out is still continuing. BETELGEUSE Paired with JAMES LOADER.

Merak would have carried about 30 tons of cargo: iron, steel and other metals, coal, grain, timber, cement, stone and other general goods. Having overstretched themselves and at a time when canal transportation was in decline, GUCCC decided to reduce their fleet to 100 boats and, in 1948 Merak was sold to the Mersey Weaver & Ship Canal Carrying Company Ltd., based in Stoke.  In 1950 she was re-registered no. 964 at Stoke At that time George Iain Tunstall, his wife and 3 children were living on board the boat.  However, the following year C Powell was living on Merak with his wife and three daughters.  Two years later a fourth Powell daughter must have been born as she is recorded as living on board. Apparently Merak was damaged by running into one of the pointed apexes dividing the twin locks of the Cheshire Flight. This accounts for the strengthening pieces which are fitted in the angle between sides and bottom, up near the bows. She was bought by the 1^st Hazel Grove Sea Scouts some time during the 50s and underwent some major alterations, including an engine being fitted in the former living cabin. The scouts kept her on the Macclesfield Canal, firstly at Marple then at Styperson (by Bridge no. 20).  She was renamed The Chief  in honour of their scout leader but, unfortunately, the poor man was killed in a rather horrific industrial accident and the lads lost all interest after that.  She deteriorated and sank at her moorings. In 1972 Jimmy Hewitt purchased the boat for £50 with the intention of using the craft for commercial use again.  He raised her and dismantled the scouts’ conversion but never put her to use.  In 1974 he sold her to Malcolm Webster who carried out an extensive restoration of her at his Worsley dockyard. The Boat Museum Trust purchased Merak in 1985 as a floating exhibit...sometimes Pics