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luctor et emergo

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  1. luctor et emergo
    Yesterday I finished the cabin bulkhead, effectively separating the cabin space from the hold. It is a very basic set up, using exterior plywood, sealed with gaffer tape. But, for a first atempt, I'm happy with it. It's costing a lot less than the £700+ that I keep getting quoted for a steel bulhead. Now to sort the interior...
     

     

    From the inside. This will be lined with Kingspan, before a thin plywood skin goes up to finish it.
     
    And this is what the rest looks like, I hope to get some better pics on Monday, when the tanks arrive, and the first load of coal is loaded. Yeah baby...
     

     

     

     

     

  2. luctor et emergo
    I made an offer on a boat, and the owner has accepted it. So now the whole process starts again, find a surveyor, book dock or crane, wait nervously for the result...
    Still, it looks good, and hopefully I can finally get on the water at the end of next month.
     
    Fingers crossed...
  3. luctor et emergo
    I have found a boat which looks to have some potential. There are of course a few issues. The boat is a bit longer than I was looking for (70'), needs the cabin removing, is burned out, and a couple of hundered miles from where I am. Did I mention that it is also over 100 years old...?
    No one in their right mind would give it a second thought, but somehow I like this boat. Maybe, just maybe...
  4. luctor et emergo
    After spending good money on a survey, and several weeks of farting about, the owner of the boat that I wanted to buy decided that the surveyor knew nothing about boats, and did not accept that the issues in the survey were factual. He implied that he had another buyer waiting with a higher offer than mine (sure, and without a survey no doubt..) , and insisted that I decide to pay up. So I replied with my final offer, which he has rejected. Which is a pity, because I liked the boat, but it was after all a shell with an engine, which may or may not work.
     
    I'm keeping my cool, but I must admit that I'm pretty pissed off by this, because he seems to think that presenting a rusting hull full of junk for a survey is fine. He seemed really put out that the boat didn't pass the BSS (there was a loose gas bottle for f sake, which he reasons should have been passed, because the surveyor was told that 'it would not be used'.... honestly.. ) The survey pointed out that the propshaft was grinding when the prop was turned, indicating a possible problem with allingnment, or a worn bearing. The owner recons it is because the junk in the cabin may be on top of the shaft... And I paid to have this boat lifted out and surveyed.
     
    So right now, I'm pretty pissed off. I'm out off pocket, and nothing to show for it. I made a final offer, which was dismissed in a less than courtious way, and maybe he has got another interested buyer. Or maybe not, and I called his bluff with a double bluff. In that case, it will be interesting to see if he gets in touch.... I hope he does, if only to have the satisfaction of offering another reduction.
  5. luctor et emergo
    I see that I have rather neglected my blog, and indeed have missed out the journey down from Stone to the Kennet and Avon canal... Ooops. Well, for now, I will pick up from where I am now, which is somewhere along the Western end of the K&A, usually around Bradford on Avon/Avoncliff.
     
    Yesterday was a major moment in the transformation of my boat, as the forward cabin sides and roof where finally removed. My original plan, to cut sections with an angle grinder, turned out to be beyond my scope, so I got it done at a boat yard, where they 'simply' cut around the gunnels, and lifted the whole lot in one, with the crane. And all in just over half a day too. The boat instantly looks better, and the loss of weight has not noticebly influenced the 'sit' in the water.
     
    More pictures will follow, when I dries out down here. In typical sod's law fashion, It hasn't stop raining since the top came off..
     
     

  6. luctor et emergo
    Back 'home' after a week at Stone, and much progress has been made.
    She was dry-docked on Monday, and after I spend Monday cleaning and preparing the hull, on Tuesday the boys from Canal Cruising started their magic on the stern gear and the hull overplating. The original set-up of the stern tube was such that the packing gland could not effecively be used, as it was butted up too close to the shaft bearing. The whole mounting arrangment of the stern tube was a bit of a 'lash up' at any rate, so rather than fathing about, the lot was cut out, and after the tube was shortened and rethreaded, weld in properly. A new shaft is fitted, aswel as a new machined cup for the rudder.
    I blacked the hull, twice around, and started to paint the interior in red oxide.
    Still lots to do, but the surveyor has checked it all over, and pronounced that all is now well. So next, as soon as I get the survey in the post, is to sort out the insurance.
     
    Unfortunately I could not start the journey home yet, but that should be the next stage, in a few weeks time.
     
    Stay tuned for the 'mad dash' to the Kennet and Avon....
  7. luctor et emergo
    Three more weeks to wait, before I can get back to the boat.
     
    At least in the meantime in my absence, the range has been removed, so when I get back I can get straight to work to clear the last bit of debri away.
    At home I have taken to brushing up on my rope skills, and I'm glad to say that I have not entirely forgotten the knots and splices that I learned when I was a Scout. I've also learned a few new ones, which will come in handy when I am going to make my own fenders.
     
    I have to take some pics of the other pieces I made, but this is a small keyfob type sinnet, which is good practice for when I do the fenders.
     

  8. luctor et emergo
    The forward part of the boat contained the bath and bed room, and took the brunt of the fire. The heat actually caused a small part of the hull to bent slightly, but the main damage was the total destruction of the interior, and serious warpage of the cabin uppers. The windows in this part were completely destroyed (molten aluminium). This part of the boat will be converted to an open hold, so most of the work is going to be cleaning back to metal, removing the upper cabin, and paint with red oxide or bitumen.
     

    The area at the front, which used to be a cross bed
     

    Looking back from the front.
     

    The buckled roof
     

    The floor. The darkness is moist from water that has come in through the window. No leak yet..
  9. luctor et emergo
    Going forward from the engine room (or engine'ole?), we enter what was the galley, this part suffered serious damage, but some of the major structures did survive, due to their solid construction. The wood fired Esse range survived of sorts, but would need a full overhaul, at least externaly. Both the surviving table and sink/worktop are removed and disposed of, as they were to badly damaged to salvage. I have retained most of the kingspan sheets however, so not all is a loss. Both the engine room and galley had new side hatches added before the fire, and whilst there is some warping of the thin steel doors, they are fully servicable. That is a stroke luck, as the position of the starboard hatch means that I can get away with a solid end bulkhead to separate the cabin from the hold.
     

    looking forward from the engine room door.
     

    Looking right forward from the same position. Apart from the range, all this is now removed.
     
    The steel is in pretty good shape, with only minimal heat damage. Most of the red oxide is still in place. Eventually I plan on adding a new bulkhead a few feet ahead of the old sink/worktop, giving a total cabin length of some 14'.
     

    This part is to the left, halfway down the boat, just before the existing bulkhead. This is where this small 'French' stove was located, but this will eventually be part of the open hold. Well, open, it will have a covering of some sorts of course. Although I have already decided on the stove that I will get for the boat, I may just look into repairing the firebrick lining of this one instead...
  10. luctor et emergo
    As I mentioned in a separate thread, I have actualy bought the boat, and have started to work on her. I'll do a bigger update later, but here are some pics of the engine room.
     

    the instrument panel, and the gear lever...
     

    looking back to port side (or should that just be left?) astern. Under the steps is the hurricane heater housed, although currntly I have no idea if that still works.
     

    Still port side, slightly forward, detail of a riveted repair of the hull, under the side hatch.
  11. luctor et emergo
    Went to see the boat today, and it's looking good so far. Did some basic measuring, and it looks like the hatches are all in the right place. A fair bit of cleaning up will be needed, but that is not a problem. A colleage from work can assist me with the cutting and welding, and can also supply me with the tanks that I need.
    Now I'm just waiting to hear from the insurance, to see how much it will cost, and how they look at the survey... If they will insure the boat for now, and let me do the plating during the winter, I'll be picking the boat up in May.
     
    Fingers still crossed...
  12. luctor et emergo
    Well, the boat yard was booked to lift my prospective boat out of the water, and the surveyor was booked on the same day to do a hull survey, and whilst he was there, do a BSS examination as wel. As I could not be there myself, the owner was getting the boat to the boat yard. I spend the first half of the day in bed, after a nightshift, and after I got up, a few hours in nervous anticipation of a result. When my phone rang, with the owner's number, I was ready for both joy or dissapointment, but instead he informed me that the surveyor had not shown up.... A quick double check (and some choice expletives) confirmed that I had not mixed up any dates, so a quick phone call to the surveyor was next. He seemed not to worried, although he forgot all about it, but was able to do it the next morning. Sometimes....
     
    Next day the survey was dully carried out, and the results are not bad at all. There is a list of things that need attention, some minor, some a bit more major, but nothing that can't be solved, and wasn't somewhat expected. The major turn up is the actual condition of the hull. Considering that she is at least 30 years old, the readings are bloody good. No thickness less than 5.2mm, and mostly between 5.5 and 6.1 , which I think is excellent for a boat that started with 6mm steel. She needs new anodes, some welding on the strakes, and strengthing along the hull sides to avoid twisting (but that is because of the open hold), and a good look at the engine mount and drive line.
     
    So all in all, a good result, and now it's for the next step in the saga. Getting some qoutes for the welding work etc, and booking some holidays to try and black the hull at the same time. Time to pound that phone bill again I fear..
  13. luctor et emergo
    Saturday finally arrived, and after a pleasant drive through the Wiltshire countryside I joint the tedium that is the M4, to go to London, to see the boat I'm hoping to buy. Finding the location was not difficult, and after a short wait for the owner to open the gate, I found out that the pictures where actually rather accurate. Often the photos that you see in adverts, or in emails, are rather flattering, usually taken just after the boat was freshly painted, and not really bearing much likeness to the tired boat that is listing against the bank, bilge pump still warm...
     
    In this case I was pleasantly surprised, that the boat at the bank was actualy the boat in the pictures. 'Stuff' piled high on the roof, scruffy paint along the hull, and generally looking like she has been through the wars. But she floats level, and is just what I am looking for. Working boat with a forward hold, boatmans cabin and engine room. So far, so good. It is a Les Allen boat, with a very pretty bow, and a lister SR2 in the engine room. An engine room with quite a lot of water in it. From the open hold, which drains into the engine room, where a bilge pump takes it away. At least the water was clear, no oil or diesel contamination, which I think (hope) is a good sign.
     
    So next up is a hull survey, and if that passes, a BSC. Ahh, yes, it has neither of those at the moment. But nothing that can't be fixed...
  14. luctor et emergo
    Saturday I'll be off to look at what I hope will be my new boat, which I will then turn into a 'proper' working boat. Lacking any previous boating experience, some might consider my endavour ill-informed, risky, or simply plain mad, but I have a good feeling about this, and although it is not going to be easy or plain sailing, it will be a worthwhile experience if nothing else. I my youth I decided that I wanted to persue a career at sea, and spend two and a half years at a Nautical Engineering College (in Nijmegen, The Netherlands), but alas, my lack to comprehend apllied maths was to put an early end to that. The next best thing to going to sea seemed to be driving trucks, so after my National Service I got my HGV licence (still in the Netherlands..), went for a short visit to the U.K., got stuck, and have been here ever since.
     
    And now it seems that after all these years I may finally end up on the water after all, even if it is not one of Smit's salvage vessels.
     
    I'll keep a blog here, hopefully charting my succesful journey into the world of narrow boating.
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