My new project

[Melita]

Having struggled all year with back problems, I've decided that KenDorR is too heavy for me to handle and will be passed on to my younger brother. I've just taken delivery of Melita as my latest project.

 

She was built in 1985 by Delph Marine, 30 foot long with a cruiser stern. The engine is a Bukh DV10, single cylinder 10hp - quite a difference from KenDorR which has a Barrus Shire 40hp engine.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy a good few more years on the waterways, although I think my long trips will be curtailed and I'm not sure yet how Melita will handle the tidal Trent.

 

Anyway, for now Melita is an 18 month project.

[Morris]

She looks really nice, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. If you need any substandard welding doing give me a shout!

[Melita]

18 minutes ago, Morris said:

substandard welding

You're getting to be quite the expert welder now, Mr T would be proud  🙂

Edited October 14, 2023 by Kendorr

[truckcab79]

She looks lovely.   

Having mentioned in the past that there seems to be very few actual owner build threads on here suddenly there’s three new ones.  👍👍👍

 

Look forward to following 

[Melita]

1 minute ago, truckcab79 said:

suddenly there’s three

Just like busses 🙂

 

[Melita]

Here's a few more pics showing Melita before the work has begun, there's just over 15 feet internal space, I've got a couple of ideas on how to make better use of the internal space, but will know better once the inside has been cleared.

[magnetman]

I like that interior. 

 

Clever gas locker !

looks like there might be a little Eberspacher D1 in there. Nice to have if it works and worth getting it working if it doesn't. 

 

I'm sorry if you are taking the interior out - thats exactly how I would want a small narrow boat to be inside ! 

[Melita]

6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

looks like there might be a little Eberspacher D1 in there

There is, but it was sold as non working, but I will be checking it out, well spotted.

 

8 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I'm sorry if you are taking the interior out

I'm sure there are many who would agree with you, but it's not how I want to use the space. Hopefully you'll like the changes I make.

[magnetman]

It is rather more important that you like the changes !

[Melita]

The engine is a Bukh DV10, oil and filter change to be done in the next couple of weeks.

[mrsmelly]

On 14/10/2023 at 20:24, Kendorr said:

Having struggled all year with back problems, I've decided that KenDorR is too heavy for me to handle and will be passed on to my younger brother. I've just taken delivery of Melita as my latest project.

 

She was built in 1985 by Delph Marine, 30 foot long with a cruiser stern. The engine is a Bukh DV10, single cylinder 10hp - quite a difference from KenDorR which has a Barrus Shire 40hp engine.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy a good few more years on the waterways, although I think my long trips will be curtailed and I'm not sure yet how Melita will handle the tidal Trent.

 

Anyway, for now Melita is an 18 month project.

Dont worry about river performance you will be fine. My first narrowboat was a 57 foot job with an ancient knackered lister that was nine hp when new and well below that when I owned it. I did the tidal Trent on that years ago when I was inexperienced with narrowboats and whilst interesting at times we didnt have a major problem. The current method of ever bigger and bigger engines helps cover up mistakes made by bad boating and in most cases engines are now bigger than needed.

[magnetman]

Lovely engine that. 

 

 

Did you get the instruction Bukh with it ?

[Melita]

37 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I did the tidal Trent on that years ago

Thanks, with the Pennine problems, the Trent is my preferred way of getting out and about 🙂

 

30 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Did you get the instruction Bukh with it ?

I didn't, but I've downloaded and printed the 32 page owners manual and also downloaded the 300+ page workshop manual

 

Duhhh, I've just realised your joke 🙂

[Stroudwater1]

Hope you keep that gas water heater, if not there’s I believe a market for them. 
 

I like the interior as well, and would be inclined to just get boating rather than spend an expanding period of time without. But obviously it’s your boat! I’ve admired it in the flesh, it’s a nice one, and a decent price too👍

[Sea Dog]

A lovely little boat now destined to become steadily more lovely. Good luck with your new project.  

[Melita]

10 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

and would be inclined to just get boating rather than spend an expanding period of time without.

Luckily, I still have KenDorR for my boating trips and with it being in the same marina now, I'm able to work on Melita but use KenDorR as my living and relaxing space.

[Francis Herne]

My 30ft boat has a 20hp engine but the last few aren't really much use.

 

Hull speed of the boat (not helped by her very short swims) is 6-7mph which is reached at a bit over half throttle. Adding more power makes the bow wave bigger with a negligible increase in speed.

 

Based on that 10hp should be fine within reasonable limits.

[Melita]

Well, I've made a bit of a mess today!!

 

Not sure why the images are showing in landscape, the were taken portrait!

[Melita]

Anybody seen this before? I've been taking the shower apart looking for a bilge pump, but this is what I found. Difficult to see, but the red circle is around the drain pipe from the shower, it drains straight out into the engine bay!! I suppose the idea was that the engine bilge pump would then get rid of the water!!

 

The refurbish will have a gulper pump fitted.

[David Mack]

I've come across this before , where the shower, sink and washbasin all drained to the bilge and the waste water could flow back into the engine bilge (no separate bulkhead at bottom plate level). I think the idea was that it simplified the plumbing, and the soap in the waste water would deal with any oil in the engine bilge. But the practical result was a smelly mess of soap residue, food bits and hair coating the entire bilge.

Fit a proper shower drain pump!

[magnetman]

Also one wants to have a bulkhead between engine bay and cabin in case of weed hatch problems. 

 

Below engine air intake height. 

 

 

Hopefully one would become aware of engine bay flooding before it all got dangerous. Unusual noises. 

 

 

 

and if the leakage was minor one would want the auto bilge pump to deal with it rather than filling up the whole under floor area in the cabin. 

[truckcab79]

Nice to see it moving on. Even stripped out its got more in than ours.  😂

[Melita]

It's taken a couple of days to finish stripping the shower room, the wall covering was 3mm ply, but underneath was steel plate about 2mm thick, this had been put on before the side wall and door, so to get it off they had to be demolished.

 

The shower base and the front area is solid concrete, which looks like it will take some removing.

 

I managed to break through one area or rotten wood and there's about an inch of standing water - the last survey does say that an inspection hatch should be cut near the stern, but that hasn't been done.

 

I'm thinking my next task is going to be taking all the sub floor up as it's been patched and bodged many times, I'll get it all up and start again.

 

 

[Melita]

A good bit of progress made, removed all of the ballast and chopped the shower tray out. The steel at the stern was a bit rusty, but it has been cleaned and treat with Fertan. The rest of the baseplate had surface rust, but the original paint was still mostly intact. This has been cleaned and a new coat of blacking applied. The Fertan hadn't cured enough before I came home, so that will be blacked next time I go.

 

The baseplate thickness is between 4.8mm and 5.9mm, I'm happy with that for a 38 year old boat.

Edited January 27, 2024 by Kendorr
corrected spelling!

[truckcab79]

Looking good. 👍