Marcuswarry

Hello Everyone! Firstly, some rather fun news! Lady Doris & I are going to be on the telly... (on GC's Amazing Spaces, Channel 4). I'll let you know when it's ging to aired.. but not for some time yet, as we have quite a way to go.. in fact, she's still got mud smeared all over the inside! ... But now the weather is warming up a bit, I'm chucking myself back into the project with gusto. I'm afraid I may be on this forum a bit more regularly again, asking for your help and advice! Brace yourselves!! The first BIG thing to tackle is putting in a system that heats the boat, heats the water, and ideally generates electricity too. At the Ecobuild conference (Excel, London), the only thing I found that did all three well, was still in development, and not going to be ready for a few more months! And so I've downgraded my desire to just having a system that heats the boat & water instead! Since posting about this last time, I read all your incredibly useful input, and have been researching and educating myself about the various options out there. I was veering towards Diesel... But now I'm veering towards Gas... One of my primary concerns, as some friends may come & use the boat when I'm not there.. is that the system is super simple & super safe!! Ease at which you can buy fuel is important too (and the cost!).. and the fact that most Petrol Garages sell propane bottles is a plus.. whereas, pootling off to find red diesel, when the boat is mostly stationary, could be come a slight pain. The other thing I want (and this is where I may sound like a slight novice again, so please bear with me!), is for the heating system to work without any Electricity. I have a mid stream mooring, and there is no mains supply. The only way to get 240v would be by using an inverter on my 12v system, and that would RINSE the batteries, which are primarily being topped up with solar (at the moment, looking at other options too). I believe if the system can run off 12v, I'd be fine... The reason why I want the system to be on standby, when I'm not in the boat, is so I can turn it on remotely, using one of these clever systems I saw at ecobuild: www.cimote.com - this would also enable me to control the thermostat remotely too... quite snazzy... but also super handy in winter of course, when I can turn it on 30 mins before I arrive! FYI, this climote gadget doesn't require Wifi.. it actually has a sim card in it.. so you can text it your instructions - neat eh? Other things I'm stil deliberating! 1 - Whether I can "easily" turn Thames water into water I can use for the heating system & for showers etc. 2 - Whether to heat water and store in a tank.. or just have a combi system, that heats it when you need it.. I'm not sure about the pros & cons (clearly having to store it is a con.. and you have to buy an extra storage thing.. AND it takes up more space - but what are benefits to doing that?!) I'll stop before this becomes a mammoth email.. and I eagerly await your amazing replies! Perhaps one for you MagnetMan?!!?? Maybe you could be on the telly too?! Marcus xxxxxx P.S. Richard, let's get you on the Telly! I think getting the sunken engine roaring back to life would be something they'd be very interested in capturing!!

Thanks Wanted - sorry for slow reply - lt's all sorted now, it's in Oxford. I've even put it on Airbnb, and had 3 happy customers already! Check it out here if interested! https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/4413969 Sorry, back to my boats.. freezing cold ones at that! I'm prioritising a quick and inexpensive way to get some heating into the front bow room now... I've just been googling gas heaters of varying types, and my head is spinning a bit.. so are so many, some that require flues, some that don't... why?! Why do the portable ones not require flues?! Sorry to sound like sucha novice again.. My main question is this... I think a wall mounted one would look quite cool, and of course take up less space than a portable one... I've found it rather hard to find what I'm looking for... apart from a few rediculously priced ones from the US... why is this? Am I being a plonker? Thanks for all your help! Marcus x P.S. Lady Doris (aka Fairstar, is doing well (touch wood!!).. I've tidied up the bow room room now.. and pretty soon it should be quite cosy & liveable in! I'll send pics when done, and when I work out how to!

Sabcat, are you a saint, or some kind of angel?! My reason for trying to save money is born out of being frugal too (read 'tight arse'), as well as being skint... But it's not like I'm on my last fiver, I really wouldn't feel right taking any money. I hope you understand? You're a legend for offering It though!! Based on my total lack of experience and the fact that no-one had agreed with me so far... I'm oddly still angling towards tarp first... The polythene... Wrapped tightly around it... So I'm using the tarp, that will be quite taught... As a support for the extended gunwale on the more sunken side, to stop the polythene caving in.. As there's a huge empty space in the middle of the boat... And that method seems quicker than building a wooded rail, or maybe using chicken wire (which might snag the polythene in fact (peter x, good point). You spotted my dyslexia nicely peter! Nougat, nugget... Same thing. Errr... No. Can't believe you don't make Nougat though peter. Disappointed! Haha! Richard, I've left wickes now, without may chicken wire and I'm at the boat... So I'm trying to convince myself now, that it was a terrible idea... But shucks... It's a tough one... Should got flipping chicken wire eh?! Balls... Tarp will work a treat!! Marcus

Thanks! Thing is, if the tarp is on the outside... It's not really doing anything much... The reason for wanting the tarp, is so that the polythene has something more rigid to go against... As along te middle, there aren't any railings... So it would just suck in a probably snap... I've also wondered about making a temporary railing along the middle, between bow and stern railings... Using chicken wire... Again, to support the polythene... Good idea? Shit idea? You decide!! Marcus

Quick question.. Given I've for the wrap up the hull... Again. I've got a more robust tarpaulin now too.. As on the more sunken side, there's quite a big for the polythene to cover, so want tree to be more resistance... Tarp on first or polythene first? I'm thinking tarp... But that's partly because it'll be a million times easier to handle and attach (has eylets)... And then the polythene can be wrapped around and around the boat horizons rely to further keep it all in place?! Mx

Yes I'm rather worried about the rain too... I think my thames work could be a little hairy later this week.... But a fair sea never made a good sailor... As the saying goes... (Or something like that). I have two big boats lined up to go alongside fairstar now... And will try hard to secure bigger pumps! Hss do one that shifts about 1300 L a minute... I think it's about £70 for the weekend... So kind of you to offer to help towards the cost, but I would not feel right at all accepting that! I'm buy some fizz for the hopeful celebrations on Saturday night though!!! Mx

Brilliant, thanks Rob!

I have a very large Dutch barge confirmed for Saturday 16th, to come alongside... It has a 7 kilowatt generator on it. Going to try and firm up a large widebeam to come the other side now. More updates soon! Mx

Thank for you all the continued support and enthusiasm, and sorry for my lack of updates recently! Right. The re-float date is Saturday 16th August. By then, my thumb will have largely healed, and the boat will be wrapped in polythene. My friend on the island has a 2.7 generator... And a compressor (if needed)... And I'm working out with friends on the island which boats can be used to come alongside... I have 4 pumps at the moment, that should together shift 400l a minute. When I get a idea of what else is available to borrow on Saturday... Then I'll buy some more if there's a shortfall. I'm aiming for at least 1000l a minute. I'm hugely grateful for any time or items you're able to lend to the operation!!! If you're able to come, then please confirm if you're able to bring pumps, generators, water tanks, inner tubes... And anything else that might be useful. The main thing is pumps! As the strategy in adopting is as suggested by CarlT... Who isn't overly keen on the floatation devise option. I'm on 07879 812 789 Marcus X

Thanks guys! I actually need a water tank for the boat anyway... Do you think this one is too big?! http://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/1000_litre_water_tanks Is 1000l a bit over the top for a live aboard boat? I can't get my head around it? Marcus X

@craftycarper - I'm considering that! I'm having conversations between sensible me, and the other one - as I type... @arthur - I'll see how it feels tomorrow! But yes, still a fair bit if planning to do... M

Oh dear! Yes, sadly all part if the excercise it seems... Still, it gives me a slight break from diving in the Thames for a bit... Every cloud has a silver lining and all that! Marcus X

Thumb update: I had five stitches... And i cut my tendon.., fortunately not too badly.. And I still seem to have full mobility... I'm on antibiotics to ensure it can't get infected... And annoyingly I have to keep it dry for about a week! Argh!!! Sadly, I may not be able to do much more on raising the polythene gunwale... Until about Tuesday next week at the earliest... Very very frustrating!! I'll keep you updated! Marcus X

Still waiting!

Great! Glad it works Mike! Shame it doesn't appear in the forum, without having to click on it though... Posting the youtube video I did earlier... Was easy peasy... This forum turns the youtube link into a video clip without having to do anything clever at all! So... The image on Flickr shows the full extent that the 2m wide polythene membrane reaches on the wheel house... So it's not wide enough to bring the other side above the water level sadly... So what I'm thinking is that I'll attach it to the wheel house on the other side, using the batons as I have on this side... I'll then secure another membrane... Placing another baton below the previous baton... So it's really water right... And raising the membrane over the roof... And horizontally right across the boat... Creating a cover over that whole side!! Blimey.... Once the main polythene 'structure' is in place... I'm going to go wraptastic... Until I've turned the boat into some kind of cacoon.... From which in the hopefully near future.. A beautiful butterfly shall emerge!! Marcus

Thanks Richard. Noted. I've signed up to Flickr... I think I'm going to keep a public album there, tracking the story of Fairstar from the canal in Sheffield... To her glorious completion! Let's see if this works for now: https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/126705674@N07/14846486552

Hello! Just killing time as I wait in a&e! I think I'll live... The main reason for coming is to get a tetanus jab... But also it looks like I've slightly cut my tendon... So I'd like them to have a look at that... Although fortunately the mobility of my thumb is still pretty good! Arthur has been an amazing help, and we chatted for a long time last night about the diving plans. I'm aware how this looks, in relation to my posts about my DIY efforts. I said to Arthur that whilst I can, and in the gap before 16th... I have to keep trying out a few DIY options too... As I'm obviously kean to rectify the situation asap, especially as the engine doesn't want to be under water for too long... I'm very very conscious of not wanting to waste people's time too. And so I think it's best to see the 16th August as a possibly rather than a certainly... That will be firmed up, if the divers agree, and if the boat hasn't refloated by my DIY efforts in the nearer future. Hope that makes sense? Juggling a few balls and options, and glad to help clear that up, so you're all in the loop! I'm now going to work out how to post pictures on this forum hopefully... So I can show you what I did today... Pre injury!! Thanks for all your amazing help & support! Marcus X

Thanks CarlT ... I guess I might just raise the gunwales today then, and staple to the wheel house roof... Another good chap who I found on the Facebook group, london boaters' had his 1922 boat sink on the canal recently too. And he's hiring pumps... These may be available for me to try tomorrow... So there is a chance we might have a bash tomorrow if anyone is around? Marcus

Oh and here's a little video of her, before she went back in the water a few months ago, after we fixed up the hull, and slapped on bitumen etc

Moring all & especially CarlT, CarlT, would you be able to spare a bit of time for a chat please? 07879 812 789. I've been following your advice so far, and as described before, I have the extendable polythene gunwales at the ready all around the boat... I need to ask a specific question that is confusing me a bit. Assuming I don't adopt any floatation to try and level her, and raise the gunwales to slightly neared the waterline.... Then, on the more sunken side, there will be about 1.5m of flimsy polythene... Between the gunwale and the roof of the wheelhouse.... What keeps snagging at me, is that it just feels like as the water is pumped out the boat... If there's then any difference between the water level inside and outside the boat... If the water level outside is higher... Then the pressure would simply collapse my polythene gunwale? I wonder though, if you know for a fact, that as the water is pumped out from the inside... The water level between the inside and the outside, somehow stays that same? As the boat rises? If the last bit is true... Then I can see how wrapping in polythene and pumping makes sense!! And I can then drop the plan to use floatation devises, and in fact raise the gunwales pretty soon, and get on with it?! Does that make sense? Thanks for all your time and help so far! If be interested in seeing if you may be free to oversee the refloat, when the were ready to go for it too! All the best, Marcus

I've gone around the entire gunwale with the polythene membrane... You just can't see it, because it's wrapped up, next to the batons I used to fix it to the hull.. Ready to be released when ready.... It's taken me ages to do that... It was especially hard on the more submerged side... I was really hoping that would be the main part of the polythene work done! Raising that polythene membrane will take all the other holes on the steps, deck etc out of the equation.... But, it's tricky to raise it high enough on the submerged side... Hence why I'd like to level the boat, by adding buoyancy around the outside of the keel... And then raising the polythene gunwales and pumping like crazy. I guess I'm trying to seek approval for that method.. And trying desperately to ensure I haven't wasted all my time with my polythene gunwales : ( ... Don't humour me though I suppose. If you think my suggestion is idiotic, then I guess I'll have to man up, and consider a rethink / jump back into the Thames : ( ... Mx

CarlT, you're right I guess... It's a little shorter than 2m, as I wrapped some around the batons to fix it to the hull... I just have a feeling that if level, through buoyancy underneath... I'll be able to make a much stronger extended gunwale... As on the submerged side... Nearly two metre of polythene flapping about just doesn't feel like it will work to be... One of those pesky Egyptian geese could swing by and year it to threads in seconds... M

Thanks CarlT! Richard, I'm using these: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Polythene-Dust-Sheet-Roll-2x50m/p/154962 2m wide sadly. Humph.

Thank you ian, churchward & richard! Richard, I think the boat should only be about 4 tonnes with the bulk of it under water, as the wood is neutral or even bouyant, and the only metal is the engine and a few steal bits. I only want to create enough buoyancy for her to bob up a little bit and so she can level out... it'll then be easier to raise polythene gunwales... And steadier before pumping like mad. Does that make sense? So could try between four & 6 maybe... With equal numbers either side of course... Marcus

So, today I'm sourcing large water containers... So I have that option too... What shape, size & type are best please? I was thinking large rectangular ones, would hold better against the hill... Than round ones... And ideally ones with decent handles, so the ropes can hold them very firmly... In fact not ropes... I have straps and winches that would make them super tight to the hull. Obviously the right type of container will make life easier... One that is likely to stay the right way up... So has something for the straps to go through top and bottom... Arthur, I'm waiting to hear back from Kingston divers ... So trying to source my own stuff too. My friend has a compressor that we're going to pick up now... So all I'm missing are large containers! Thanks again everyone for all your help! Marcus X Hill = hull