36ft Springer build

[truckcab79]

Progress is progress, however small. Another section of floor lifted and still continue to be amazed at the condition under there. Plenty of muck and the layer of bitumen in the central channel.  Oddly no more felt.  All scraped and a quick wire-brush.  So little rust that it didn’t really need it but I Vactan’d it anyway.  Trouble with doing anything at the moment is that it’s so cold and wet that it’s one job a day and then wait until the next visit to doing anything else when it’s dry.  Didn’t help that it peed with rain after I’d cleaned the channel out and Vactan’d.  And of course the disadvantage of working on a hull where it’s also the drain from the bow when it rains…..

 

Added a couple more new battens to the LH front bulkhead just for something to do.  

 

Oh and put the Christmas tree up of course. 🎄😂. 
 

Edited December 3, 2023 by truckcab79

[magnetman]

5 minutes ago, truckcab79 said:

  Trouble with doing anything at the moment is that it’s so cold and wet that it’s one job a day and then wait until the next visit to doing anything else when it’s dry.  

Put the fire in there and light it. 

[truckcab79]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Put the fire in there and light it. 

Has crossed my mind but I’m busy trying to take stuff out so we’ve got room to work. 😂
 

I’ve got a decent big fan-heater and had intended using that but had a choice today between putting the generator outside in the pouring rain or dying of carbon monoxide poisoning by putting it inside. So I did neither.  
 

I had planned to take December off work but have ended up taking a few bits on. Does mean I should still have a bit of extra time though and if I can get to the boat for a couple of hours occasionally it’ll be enough to get a coat of paint on or something.  

[magnetman]

I can't imagine a boat in winter with someone on it with no fire going. 

[truckcab79]

Just now, magnetman said:

I can't imagine a boat in winter with someone on it with no fire going. 

Imagine no more.  😂.
 

To be fair I don’t feel the cold and the rain meant it wasn’t actually that bad. Just too cold for painting stuff.  

 

Marina looked and smelt lovely today with loads of the boats with their wood-burners puffing away though. 

[truckcab79]

Every time I go to the boat it pours with rain. Can’t really be surprised as it’s December of course. Does make trying to paint a wet bilge impossible mind. So I did what I could and painted the upper, dry bits.  Then raised another section of floor, cleared out another load of ballast, was greeted by the crusty underside which as before simply turned out to be bitumen. Scraped off anything loose and vacuumed it all out.  Miraculously the hull where it wasn’t wearing its bitumen layer still has the red oxide paint intact after 40 odd years.  
 

Most important job of the day was cleaning out the accumulated crap to make some more space to work.  👍

 

[truckcab79]

Managed to get down the boat Christmas Eve for a couple of hours.  Cleaned the rest of the rubbish out and threw another coat of bitumen on whatever was accessible and dry enough. 
 

Generous mum and dad added to the project Christmas Day with a gift of:

 

GS 12 Way distribution board

Whale Gulper

Jabsco pump

LPG bubble tester. 
👍👍👍

[truckcab79]

Plod plod plod.  Floors up. Ballast out and bitumen on.

 

Given the weather have had to resort to sawdust to soak out the last of the moisture before painting (water drains through the floor if you recall). 
 

Given the fantastic condition of the old floors I’ve got a bit laissez-faire with technique. So  it’s now wire-brush, no Vactan and on with the bitumen. Poured in and spread round nice and thick on the basis that any excess drains into the lowest point anyway where it is most needed.  
 

 

 

Also started getting some of the old ballast back in just so it’s out of my way though I do need to think about water pipe supply and waste layout before the floor goes down.  Also placement and mounting of the water pump and whale gulper.  
 

Pipework will mostly be above floor but at some point needs to pass under toilet area into / out of pumps and onto shower.  Will all be able to be pulled through in case I ever need to, via the hatch is my reckoning 

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, truckcab79 said:

Also started getting some of the old ballast back in

Straight on top of the bitumen, or have you provided some sort of protection?

[truckcab79]

11 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Straight on top of the bitumen, or have you provided some sort of protection?

For now all just laid back in out of my way.  Before I refloor it I’ll add some spacers under to keep the central part off direct contact. Probably some thin tube so I can snake it backward and forward.   Someone did suggest tile spacers which I have loads of so could scatter those in instead.  5mm most likely.  
 

That said it’s lasted 45 years thus far with the ballast laid directly on the floor and it looks like it was painted yesterday so no reason to think it needs it. All I’ve take off of the original coating is any obvious loose bits.  None of the main floor area had felt over the bitumen.  The bow and I think the engine bay did though. Can’t fault their original method. 👍

[truckcab79]

More lovely pristine Springer steel cleared out and painted.   Over half-way now  👍

 

 

[magnetman]

They don't make gasometers like they used to back in the day. 

 

Some of these old springers will be outliving a lot of more recently constructed steel Boats just because of the quality of the steel. 

 

It must have been great back in the day to have access to steel which was not controlled by the Mafia. 

 

Taking apart state owned infrastructure. Brilliant ! 

 

Especially good on a small set of islands. 

[truckcab79]

I’m amazed by it.   We knew we’d had a clean hull survey obviously but given that we knew it drained through the floor and the fact that the ballast would trap water against the steel we assumed we’d find a crusty mess. Thankfully not.  Even the roughly gas-axed drainage holes between bearers show no signs of rusting. 👍

Edited December 30, 2023 by truckcab79

[nealeST]

This is great. Enjoyed reading through all your progress. It will be amazing 🤩 

[truckcab79]

6 minutes ago, nealeST said:

This is great. Enjoyed reading through all your progress. It will be amazing 🤩 

Thanks so much.  Glad you’re enjoying it.   Going to be a long slog as I don’t get much time on it but it’ll get there eventually and it’s only a little’un. 
 

 

[truckcab79]

Build now moved to Instagram. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1khA_crMsC/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==