A make over for my boat

[Pat]

Hi everyone, I've just had my boat taken out of the water and I've spent a week painting her and fixing a few problems. We took her down to Uxbridge boat centre, where she was craned out and put on a trolley. On our way there we passed Paul Clevett and the great looking Tafelberg, but unfortunately we were already running late for the crane out and didn't have time to stop to say hello. Next time I cruise your way Paul, I'll let you know and we should have a coffee or something.

 

Anyway here is Lulama being craned out:

 

 

 

The hull actually looked much better than expected.

 

There were a couple of holes where the gel coat had been scraped off, probably by shopping trolleys and similar crap submerged in the canal. I dried them out with a hot air gun, and filled them with gel coat filler, which by the way costs an arm and leg.

 

Probably the biggest problem was this serious bit of corrosion under the rudder....

 

But the guys in the yard sorted it by welding a massive steel bar onto the rudder straight to reenforce it:

 

After some serious TLC, a lot of paint and antifouling, this is what she looked like before being returned to her element.

Hard to believe this hull is 32 years old!

 

And this is Lulama going back in the water:

 

All in all I had a fantastic week doing her up. The guys at the Uxbridge boat cetre are really nice, their chandlery is excellent and for £245 for having a big boat like mine craned out and put on a trolley under cover for a week, well I think its a really good price.

[Alastair]

That is a fab service, nowhere near me that has those facilities.

 

Great job on repainting.

[Pat]

That is a fab service, nowhere near me that has those facilities.

 

Great job on repainting.

 

Thanks mate, It really was a good experience. They let you do your own work, but have skilled people there that will do more difficult stuff such as welding and engines etc. They specialize on narrowboats and have the only dry dock in the south of England that will take a 70' wide beam.

[Alec Gatherer]

70ft? : that ISa wide beam!

[Denis R]

Great piccies of a well carried-out job. Bet you're proud it! Good one.

[Pat]

70ft? : that ISa wide beam!

 

I know! Whilst my modest little 34' by 12' was perched up on that trolley, a massive 'party' boat was brought into the dry dock. It was called the prince something... prince regent maybe. Anyway. It was massive . It had a huge dance floor on it. What a truly spectacular house boat that would have made. ...

[Alec Gatherer]

"I know! Whilst my modest little 34' by 12' was perched up on that trolley, ....." said Pat

 

Those few of you who know my present wife will readily appreciate that I am drawn to appearances and styles that are considered "from a bygone age". With this predilection, I would love to hear a resumé of Lu-Lama's history and specifications. Apologies if it is a well-known and easily-recognised craft - it looks very unusual to my untrained eye. And well worth preserving. Unlike my Amphibian Otter.

[nbtafelberg]

Hi Pat

 

We saw your boat on the way back from Hertford on Saturday - I actually commented to my crew that I thought it was a lovely boat and would make a nice liveaboard!

 

Thankx for your comments on the subject of Tafelberg: Most of it is practicing!

[Pat]

Hi Alec, Lulama isn't actually that unusual. She is an ex Norfolk broads rental boat built in 1974. In those days they used to slap on loads more fibre glass than they do today, so as a result the hull is very very thick for a GRP boat. They were designed for inexperienced holiday makers to bash them around year in year out, so these boats were built to withstand some serious knocking around. It's an Oxford bermuda 34, and has a BMc 1.8 litre diesel engine. The steering position is in the front, which means that the back will swing out alot if you are not used to handling a boat like this. That is why the hire companies used to call them 'dogs', because families would rent them out, and would chug on down the river with the stern swinging all over the place, like a dog wagging its tail!

Oh, and isn't an Amphibian Otter quite unusual? Or were you talking about your wife?!!