steamcompound

Failure to hold a valid licence is a criminal offence and Ofcom's enforcement team can impose on-the-spot fines. The maximum penalty on conviction is a£5,000 fine and/or a six month prison sentence. Those convicted may also be ordered to forfeit any radio apparatus used illegally.

Tony makes a good point. The intakes are on the turn of the bilge and quite a distance above the keel. A good view of the shallow vee shape of the hull in dry dock can be seen in Eddie Doig's video www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbrhwXwipqs. Attached is a view of one of the strum boxes and associated valves which are the water intakes for the circulating pumps that feed the condensers. Each engine has a condenser cast as part of the back columns. Note the new concrete forming a pad around the box. A modification was made to original design to allow the boxes to be back flushed to clear material which has been sucked onto the filter bars Each side of the vessel has a discharge for a condenser outlet with the starboard having an extra discharge for the general service pump which is kept running all the time when is steam. By closing one valve on the GS pump the discharge can be turned off and diverted via another valve to the fire hoses.

Here are a couple of views that illustrate the Tender part of Tug/Tender. The saloon was 1936 Art Deco, the remains of which were so amazing when we first looked at her back in 2004. The saloon was an extra incentive to try and save her. edit typo

From what I recall, as soon as you put a rope on a riparian owner's land it amounts to a trespass. People have enough trouble with this on rivers and canals, I believe.

Only if you think mooring on someone else's property is reasonable.

Not part of the dock system that CRT control access by land to. There are other land owners in that area dating back to the time Liverpool (who then controlled the Dock Board) made transfers.

And that piece of land belongs to? and forms part of?

I would suggest the following. At Canning 'Planet' was accessible at any time off the public walkway that runs parallel to the main road. There was no effective way of controlling access to the vessel by anyone. I don't know where it is at Sharpness but if it is in the dock complex then control of access may be more enhanced, and then there is the question of dues. FYI the survival rate for historic vessels moored at Birkenhead is not high, remember HMSs Onyx, Plymouth and Bronington.

Peel own Birkenhead docks, ABP currently own Garston whereas CRT have moved 'Planet' to somewhere they control.

Seen on the Mersey at Eastam this afternoon, pity I had to miss the trip over. 1st view coming down channel, 2nd about to enter the lock which had us wondering if there was enough water. 80 passengers we were told according to the VHF. Slight rain thus everything grey. edit to add 'we'

Weather could pose an issue later in the journey, so lets hope all goes well for the 'old thing'. What one does to save, finance and find a use for significant vessels that have outlived their usefulness is a problem yet to be resolved. People do not realise just how much is involved.

Sharpness is the destination specified in the voyage plan, but this could change, thus my use of 'suggested'. Towing vessel is MTS INDUS

Appears to heading for Sharpness, so may be sighted tomorrow. At least it was not towed up river to the ship breakers unlike the MV Wincham. Attached is a pic of 'Planet's' excellent riveting.

Just to say that old specifications for ships frequently gave the the thickness of plate in lbs (pounds weight). Chesterman made hook gauges for measuring the plates of boilers marked similarly. Boiler and ship plate weighs approx 40lb per square foot so 1/2" (12.7mm) was 20lb plate and 1/4" was 10lb. Expressed like this, it made calculating all up weight easy.

James Troop, 4 Davy Road, Astmoor Industrial Estate. Runcorn, Cheshire.WA7 1PZ Tel: +44(0)1928 566170 If you are in the North West, they do everything from generators to pilot boat engines, no connection with them except to buy bits.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er3tdwY9HqM 12 minutes of joy to all involved in her rescue and restoration. The Art Deco saloon is superb. Some forum members who have crossed the Mersey may recognise Stuart Wood speaking from the bridge to someone on the quayside. edit to put in the last comment

Surely you mean Bill Brockbank. BB gave Liverpool Sailing Club a talk on the voyage last year, amazing and quite scary. edit to put in the original statement

A M12 or 1/2" set screw welded to the hull should do the job adequately but some may suggest M10. The good deep weld fillet should go right round the hex head. The use of a set screw ensures nuts can bear hard on the cable crimp terminals.

Looks as if it has rivets to my eyes. Perhaps it was better to use concrete to ballast the boat for initial stability which also provided an even surface on which to dump 'whatever''. Limestone lumps or similar.would make removal of 'whatever' somewhat difficult. In answer to Davestampy1 post 27 initially over plating was done with concrete in situ whilst funds were arranged to do the whole job, then all the concrete was cut out and a proper rebuild job done with plates let in.

It was not uncommon for new steel and iron (wrought) boats to have concrete poured early after building especially beneath boiler spaces and in the space above the keel at the stern and I know from personal experience how hard it can be to remove. However rusting can take place underneath the concrete. You may find plates can be doubled but that will depend on the surveyor and welder. Hopefully you won't too much that requires doing, we had 25 ft out of 110ft.

Correct, I've checked seven by different makers using slip gauges and all have been within .01mm (4/10000") over scale length. The only trouble with them is the battery and the quality of some of the new batteries.

I recall the Monty being discussed in the 1970s waterways press. The Monty was abandoned by Act of Parliament in 1944 which meant a bare minimum consistent with safety could be spent. Although the local authorities were in favour of restoration it seems the legal officer of one opposed spending and when the A483 was being improved any, other than necessary, expenditure was forbidden. We are now left with the short, weed choked lengths we see today.

Ice breaking plates, I've seen them on iron and old wooden boats on the Dutch canals. The boat is supposed to attempt to climb the ice and the boat's weight subsequently breaks the ice by forcing it downwards. edit to change frequency they are encounted.

The technique is used on pressure vessels so there is no problem with it but the results depend how well it is executed. What will have to be watched is the other side of where the welding is being done. Flammable material can go on fire either by being in contact or as a result of radiation if the fill is deep or extensive. Rust pockets should be ground out to clean metal before an arc is struck. After the job is done you may well care to look at current leakage between boat and canal side, a topic well covered elsewhere on this excellent forum.

Very much, thank you. What a transformation from the time we shifted her from the Port. First pic taken Friday morning from the MT Brocklebank before the ceremony, second Saturday afternoon when we were all trying to get away to change for the dinner. Spent Thursday pm going through stoking with three/five of the lads in the boiler room. Got lots of other pics of course and one shows the lit centre furnace and the other shows some of the transformation in the boiler room.