Boat taken, stripped and trashed

[blackrose]

 

Agreed. When New Boat Company used to sell three LB boats a week from their office at Thames and Kennet Marina in Reading, they used to employ me to carry out a gas safety check on all the boats prior to customer handover. Of all the boats I tested I NEVER found one that didn't leak gas like a sieve and have multiple gas system design faults. It was almost a full time job fixing all the problems.

 

Given their appalling attitude to gas safety (and all the other non-gas post-delivery problems I saw NBC also struggling with) I am reasonably sure their quality control wasn't much different in other areas such as electrical, carpentry etc.

 

I can't imagine Sam Springer sending his boats out like this, even if their hull structure was good like you say.

 

 

MtB

 

I was talking about LB sailaways - I did my own gas installation. You're wrong if you can't imagine Sam Springer making a mess of it. The gas system on my old Springer was terrible, failed the BSS and half the system had to be ripped out and re-installed. It didn't even have a gas locker!

 

If you'd owned boats from both builders you'd know what I was talking about Mike. There is no comparison because LB are far better.

 

Plumbing being fitted today - looks like loads of fun.

 

Now, who's used a thermostatic mixing valve to keep the hot water safe and preventing people getting scalded?

 

I used one on the calorifier. I was in a hard water area so I had to use a Y strainer before the TMV to stop bits of limescale from the calorifier from blocking the TMV.

Edited June 26, 2013 by blackrose

[canals are us?]

I have only just read this thread of your boat being wrecked and was devastated for you, but very nice to hear the new fitout is nearing completion

 

I had my Liverpool Boat surveyed and according to the surveyor he said mine was in good condition and Liverpool boats and Springers had a undeserved reputation as more were sold and therefore more around. He said he had seen far worse problems on pretty new narrowboats less than 5 year old.

My boat seems well made.

I actually like springers.

 

Great to hear of your progress, I wish you all the best

 

James.

Edited June 26, 2013 by canals are us?

[vicvdb]

Rule one of the insurance world, is take the insured for a ride, and dump on them from a great height. Get yourself a loss adjuster.

 

Not always the case - I worked (in IT) for an insurance company that worked on the principle that 'if you thought it was covered - it was' and were the first to pay out in major claims involving others (who went off to look at small print).

 

The problem is that the cheapest aren't always the best (although Groupama and my recent computer claim proved that wrong).

 

Loss Adjusters can be a great help if you get the right one.

 

Thanks to all for comments - will pst some photo's shortly :-)

[Pykebird]

Glad to see your boat is coming along, well done. Hope you and your family enjoy many more years on her

[vicvdb]

We've just completed our first trip out on the newly fitted out boat and having done almost eighty hours of cruising with no real issues I have to say that generally everything looks like it's in the right place and works.

 

Been a long journey but the joy of having her back has taken the pain away.

 

Losing the shower and pump out tank appears to have been a great success as were the new settee/bed arrangement - downside is that the hanging cupboard was pants and will be replaced by additional storage boxes.

 

Been trying to add photos but can't seem to make it happen (will try again)

 

Now comes the finishing off phase - loads of work, but worth the time it's going to take I'm sure. Can't wait for next trip this week.

 

Thank you to those who have contacted me with words of encouragement and support.

 

Vic VDB

Why can't I add photo's - obviously used to be able to do it!

Edited August 14, 2013 by vicvdb

[Pete & Helen]

I haven't been on here too long so dont know if the way you put pictures on has changed since you last did it. but you need to upload them to photobucket.com or other photo share site. then copy the image code. in Photobucket click on the paperclip symbol above your picture then copy the "IMG Code" and paste it into your post. you will only see your picture when you post or if you click the symbol in the top left of the post tool box (its above the "Bold" button. Hope you manage to figure it out ok, took me a couple of goes

 

Glad to see your getting there with your boat. Not sure I would have liked to have spent as much time as you have refitting. Boats are there to be enjoyed not endured. Good Luck for the future.

Pete & Helen

[Athy]

 

We've just completed our first trip out on the newly fitted out boat and having done almost eighty hours of cruising with no real issues I have to say that generally everything looks like it's in the right place and works.

 

Been a long journey but the joy of having her back has taken the pain away.

 

 

Vic VDB

 

HOORAH!!!

[vicvdb]

Thanks P&H for info - will have to experiment

[Pykebird]

Brilliant news, glad its all going well

[ditchcrawler]

I haven't been on here too long so dont know if the way you put pictures on has changed since you last did it. but you need to upload them to photobucket.com or other photo share site. then copy the image code. in Photobucket click on the paperclip symbol above your picture then copy the "IMG Code" and paste it into your post. you will only see your picture when you post or if you click the symbol in the top left of the post tool box (its above the "Bold" button. Hope you manage to figure it out ok, took me a couple of goes

 

Glad to see your getting there with your boat. Not sure I would have liked to have spent as much time as you have refitting. Boats are there to be enjoyed not endured. Good Luck for the future.

Pete & Helen

I use to use Photobucket but have given up on it and gone to imgur.com which seems much more user friendly. a bit like Photobucket 3 years ago.

[vicvdb]

The reality with Dandelion is that had we not endured and refitted her we couldn't have enjoyed her!

 

The money we received from the insurance bought back the hull and paid for the materials to fit her out and the time taken could have been shorter if I'd have been a little less of a workaholic methinks. Still, that said, I've collected all the photos and will be putting them up shortly.

 

Anyone got plans for window liners (channel glaze top hopper) as I need to make some

 

Thanks again to those who have offered encouragement.

 

Vic

[Jigsawged]

We've managed to move the boat to a safe place and having had a better look find the weirdest bits in that they tried to remove the gun metal bits of the stern tube assembly. Fortunately they didn't manage to get the prop disconnected (or she'd have gone down). They've removed bit of the engine (some brass or copper) and glowplugs!!!Bottom line is that as it stands the engine isn't going to be running for a while. The also cut engine wires and nicked batteries, all the shore/inverter 240v wiring and consumer units, etc. have gone.I do understand the sentiments of some here regarding Springers but of course the biggest value is that Dandelion is a member of the family (got it wrong, we've had her nine years this August - kids are 8 -14, she's always been part of their lives). Having had a new bottom and new stern gear and the like, she's a sound little boat. What's interesting is that's she's also flat-bottomed and is thicker than many of her contemporaries (A peter Smith variant apparently).I find myself oscillating between the thoughts that the perpetrator/s must have been boaters through to someone looking for metal to sell on to just malicious kids. there's no consistency in what has gone and there's no reason for some of what was taken or left.We await an inspector sometime today and then we can start to sort things.Thanks for you comments (well most of them :-)), sorry to have spoilt some people's day with this sad tale.Here's a photo (Hillmorton) of our first day with her (the two kids are now ten and twelve!) and happier days (full diesel empty water):Vic

She's a lovely looking boat and I understand fully how you feel about her being a member of the family. I'm so sorry to read about your loss. On the up side, I agree with others that she is salvageable and if it is at all possible within your skill set, you would get a lot of satisfaction by doing or project managing the refit yourself and it needn't cost the earth.

 

If Springers were as some posters describe them, why are there still so many around? Go for it Vic. Get the best you can from your insurers then when you have settled, offer them a modest sum to buy her back, they will jump at it, as someone said, they will be glad to relinquish the hassle of disposal, towage, mooring costs etc. there is still a great deal of hope left and it seems that you and your wife don't lack the faith to see this through. Good luck.

 

Edited to say:

 

Oops, should have read the whole of the thread before jumping in, I was incensed and wanted to offer encouragement. Progress is good, keep it up.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Jigsawged

[vicvdb]

Thank you for the encouragement.

 

Easy to come into a thread later on and respond, but sentiments re merely right and valid still.

 

Thanks again,

 

V

[vicvdb]

Thought of sending an update many times but life’s conspired to distract me.

 

The rebuild has been hampered by COVID and a time away whilst we had bottom replayed (generally good but there was putting and it was decided that we’d bite the bullet and o it, transform the bilge into a dry place and change a few other ‘metal based’ things.

 

fire was fitted and slowly we have found ourselves doing the things that make it look finished.

 

Thanks to those who have sent the odd mail to ask what’s happened and sorry for not posting before this.

 

[David Mack]

Thanks for the update Vic.

Whether or not the refit made strict economic sense, it was clearly the right thing to do for you and your family. As one about to embark on major work on a boat I know how you feel (although we bought the boat knowing it would need doing).

Despite some of the detractors, 12 years on from the start of this thread I still see a lot of Springers about when I am boating - some run down and unloved (just like boats from other builders) and some very much cherished. Long may they continue!

Did you manage to get the old engine sorted, or did you have to replace it?

[vicvdb]

It's taken all the money we got from the insures and more besides but the boat that has emerged is so very different in that it's lighter and airier (the glass behind the fire is a help) and the losing of the pump put loo and so many other changes have left us with a boat that still has six berths but now it's two doubles and two singles of one double and four singles and the addition of the cratch and a clarifier (so gas only used for cooking now) has transformed it. 

 

I reckon there's about four months of finishing things off proper and then with it painted inside and out I can start on sourcing an electric vehicle and working on a new greener form of propulsion. That said the original engine runs so well - temperature sits at 80 deg C and starts on first click of the key but I'm sure the day is coming when , like Amsterdam, the fleet will be electric. The wife wants to buy a horse!!

I hope you have and much fun as we have had on your project (the bumps are what we climb on ? )  

 

As for economic sense - working in my business it's about being and doing so has been cheap (where else would I have our kids sawing, planing and doing so much us both as we all designed, built and now use as a family and as individuals. And the value of the thing has increased so there's an offset there if we need a balance sheet.

Look forward to seeing what you're doing and how it's going.

 

V

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, vicvdb said:

The wife wants to buy a horse!!

 

 

My wife drives (horse and carriage) and we were discussing the possibility of using one of the horse on the canal to pull the boat, contacting C&RT showed that this was not allowed and towpaths are apparently not designed for horses !!!.

 

Anyway, Daughter In Law overheard the conversation as asked a couple of questions :

1) won't its feet go all soft and wrinkly, ?

2) how will you get it out of the canal each evening ?

 

She is from Stoke On Trent and a real 'towny' but how we laughed.

Edited April 27, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[Sea Dog]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

contacting C&RT showed that this was not allowed and towpaths are apparently not designed for horses !!!.

They ought to put this on a new blue sign! It would fit in nicely with some of the other blue sign drivvel that has been exposed on here...

[vicvdb]

36 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

My wife drives (horse and carriage) and we were discussing the possibility of using one of the horse on the canal to pull the boat, contacting C&RT showed that this was not allowed and towpaths are apparently not designed for horses !!!.

 

Anyway, Daughter In Law overheard the conversation as asked a couple of questions :

1) won't its feet go all soft and wrinkly, ?

2) how will you get it out of the canal each evening ?

 

She is from Stoke On Trent and a real 'towny' but how we laughed.

 This is the best laugh I have had for ages.

There was a curator at the little museum before the Blissworth tunnel who was seriously explaining to an American how the canal had to be shallow enough for the horse to swim ahead with a rope attached to get the boat through the tunnel.

 

Thank you - made my day thus far ?

 

[Keeping Up]

3 minutes ago, vicvdb said:

There was a curator at the little museum before the Blissworth tunnel who was seriously explaining to an American how the canal had to be shallow enough for the horse to swim ahead with a rope attached to get the boat through the tunnel.

I once sat opposite a group of Americans in the bar of the Boat Inn there, and heard one of them ask what "legging" was all about. I solemnly explained that to get the boats through the tunnel they trained the horses to lie on their backs on top of the boat so they could propel it by walking along the roof of the tunnel. They believed every word of it.

[Athy]

10 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

They believed every word of it.

They didn't realise that you were pulling their.....er.....

[Rose Narrowboats]

7 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

My wife drives (horse and carriage) and we were discussing the possibility of using one of the horse on the canal to pull the boat, contacting C&RT showed that this was not allowed and towpaths are apparently not designed for horses !!!.

 

Anyway, Daughter In Law overheard the conversation as asked a couple of questions :

1) won't its feet go all soft and wrinkly, ?

2) how will you get it out of the canal each evening ?

 

She is from Stoke On Trent and a real 'towny' but how we laughed.

2) is the tricky bit and as a result my mother has the unlikely distinction of having worked a horse through a lock to a place where the nag could be got out after she'd fallen in.

[matty40s]

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

They ought to put this on a new blue sign! It would fit in nicely with some of the other blue sign drivvel that has been exposed on here...

 

[vicvdb]

Yesterday saw me take a couple of hours away from the usual stuff to have a go at the from windows. 

 

Halfway there with this one done, now just need to do the small windows in the loo are (which are frames but need the surrounds done.

Then it's the question of fillets for the corner or something that works (what have others done with this I wonder?)