My boat has sunk in Kingston (1939 ww2 wooden motor cruiser)

[wreckferret]

Try asking a local sub aqua club if they could help.

I used to live in Egham and ran just such a club.

Managed to to refloat a couple of boats that were in the same position for a few beers and bragging rights

[Alan Saunders]

However approached in a suitable way with the offer of expenses they might rather like to treat it as a training exercise - but in their time, not yours.

One evening a few years back I witnessed the Fire and Rescue Service re-floating a boat on the K&A a few miles east of Devizes.

 

The appliance was parked on an unmetalled road by the nearest bridge, two officers took to the water in their inflatable, another two carried a heavy pump ~200 yards along the towpath. I do not recall a diver in wetsuit but in a real emergency one may have been useful.

 

Quite effective, I imagine, as a training exercise. They had to find the nearest suitable access point, transport a pump (usually used to put out a fire rather than pump water out of a boat), the crew of the inflatable gained experience in launching and navigating their craft. A press photographer was there to record the exercise but I cannot confirm that the Service got the positive publicity that they deserve

 

£360/hr is cheap for an appliance attendance and a crew of dedicated professionals.

 

I cannot offer practical help but I wish you well with the raising of 'Fairstar'. Many of us who now own steel boats would like to see pre-war wooden boats preserved, especially the 'little ships' that evacuated Dunkerque.

 

On the bright side, the current heatwave will allow the interior to dry out in a few weeks if you remove all standing water and maintain maximum ventilation. Leaving only the tasks of remedying the original leak and scrubbing silt deposits from the interior.

 

Good luck, Alan

[Arthur Brown]

When my boat sank (35ft carvel TSMY on the Trent) two short ropes under the bow each with a 25l can on -four cans in total, and lots more cans at the stern made it sit high enough to be pumped out with a Coventry Climax Godiva fire pump. I was a competent diver at that time. The hole when it surfaced was about 18" by 1" which got filled with horse hair and grease and covered with thin ply.

 

May be able to help according to the time and date selected

[Marcuswarry]

Thanks for all your help and advice! You're all amazing!

 

CarlT being a bit of a novice on the terminology... Are you suggesting wrapping the material horizontally around the boat... Rather than under the boat... Or am I being a wally?!

 

Now to decide.. Tarpaulin or the building material... Hmm... : )

 

I'm going tomorrow to do a proper recky and try a few things with a friend who's on the same island... I'll let you how it goes!

 

I'll go to Wicks first thing. So any further thoughts on precise materials to buy, would be hugely appreciated!!!

 

Thank you all very very much!!

 

Marcus

X

[Lady Muck]

However approached in a suitable way with the offer of expenses they might rather like to treat it as a training exercise - but in their time, not yours.

They did this with a boat near me - they were glad to do it, must've been - I counted 32 firemen!

[carlt]

Thanks for all your help and advice! You're all amazing!

 

CarlT being a bit of a novice on the terminology... Are you suggesting wrapping the material horizontally around the boat... Rather than under the boat... Or am I being a wally?!

Horizontally from the gunwales up to the top of the stanchions at the front and the stern cabin roof.

 

This is to effectively raise the freeboard height to above the river level.

 

Unless you know exactly where there are any holes in the hull there is little point wrapping the actual hull itself as the plastic just tends to drift off and even wrap itself around the prop of a passing boat (no need to tell you how I know this).

 

Builder's plastic is sold as polythene dust sheet roll at Wickes and is very cheap (6.99) and one roll will go round your boat a few times.

[smileypete]

Lath/batten and nails seemed a good suggestion to me, to hold the plastic in place if need be, maybe just a staple gun will do.

 

There's an HSS hire around the corner from Wickes in London Road. I'd check there's enough hose supplied with any pump, so when the boat rises (hopefully!) you can still reach in enough with the pump intake.

 

cheers, Pete.
~smpt~

Edited July 27, 2014 by smileypete

[Arthur Brown]

http://www.williamsons-oldham.co.uk/fire/catalogue/pics.php?imgid=000034

[carlt]

http://www.williamsons-oldham.co.uk/fire/catalogue/pics.php?imgid=000034

I borrowed a Cov Climax fire pump to refloat Adelaide some years ago.

 

When we realised it wouldn't stay on a wheelbarrow and we couldn't get it on a boat to travel the mile down the tow path it stayed in the car park and my two Honda 2" jobbies managed.

Lath/batten and nails seemed a good suggestion to me, to hold the plastic in place if need be, maybe just a staple gun will do.

 

The staples usually do the job until you get some negative pressure from the pumps when the plastic sucks in and stays in place.

[smileypete]

Oops, HSS hire are now in St Georges Industrial Estate off Richmond Road, not in London Road anymore.

 

Still it's pretty close the the boat, might be able to lug the pump there on a big trolley or wheelbarrow.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Arthur Brown]

Marcus

Have you made the decision what you want to do? Do you want a DIY effort? Who do want to lead it? Have you got somewhere to put the vessel while you investigate repairs? Have we got a boat to work from It would seem that the vessel is not bank side?

[Marcuswarry]

You're all amazing, I can't thank you enough!

 

Tomorrow is more of a detailed recky, and probably a prep with the polythene dust sheet... Will test to see if the pumps we have do anything at all... And consider beefing up if necessary... Or stopping and picking a day for more expert assistance...

 

Reasonably confident that the hull is ok, as we repaired it a few months ago... It's been taking on water through the stern gland I believe (after new gearbox was fitted)... And so when back afloat again, it should revert to previous form... Which was needing to be pumped every week... This time it was left a week and 2 days... Which proved too long... Pre gearbox addition, she used to do 3 weeks plus. Maybe a small hole above the waterline caused the quick sink... Which happened over Saturday night... Thank goodness whilst I wasn't aboard!

 

I'll obviously then rectify the stern gland issue, and hope that that does the job. Oh and fit a decent bilge pump with automatic float switch of course!!!!!

 

Sorry to sound so amateurish. I'm in awe of all your knowledge and kindness in helping me out! I'll obviously keep you updated!

 

If any of you are in Kingston tomorrow, and fancy a gander, then we're on Albany island... Near the boaters inn, in the afternoon!

 

Marcus

X

07879 812 789... Will try to keep an eye on my phone... Although I suspect it may be in a safe place as I get my hands dirty / rather wet. Mx

[Marcuswarry]

Sorry, tomorrow as in today... Monday! M

[bigcol]

I cannot be there, won't be any use anyway

But crossing my fingers for you,mans forum members

 

Hope it all happens for you all

 

Col

[Paringa]

Sorry to hear this, best of luck in the re-float...

 

Was moored last night on the island and never noticed...

[RLWP]

Marcus, what you need to do is get the situation so more water comes out of the boat via the pumps than gets in through the holes

 

Assuming the portholes are closed, your major water ingresses will be where the steps outside the cabin doors used to be. Wrapping around the rear doors will be good enough, and perhaps around the rest of the cabin

 

I can't remember the state of the top of the stem, that might need attention too

 

Richard

[Proper Job]

Only just seen this topic

 

Sorry to hear of your predicament.

 

I posted this back in 2012 and it may give you a few hints and tips: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=52153

 

Good luck

[Arthur Brown]

I have two possible angles to get a couple of divers if needed, but getting volunteers may mean giving them some notice -like a week or so. What are the current plans and timescale. I could be free at the weekends but not during the week.

[carlt]

I'm not sure what use divers will be, to be honest.

 

In 20 odd years of refloating boats I have rarely (probably one or two occasions) put my head under water and those occasions were never intentional.

 

If the hull is so badly holed that it will need divers to find the leaks and plug them then I'd start reading up on "wreck salvage" on my boat insurance.

 

Big pumps and getting some freeboard is all that is required...No need to over complicate a simple operation.

 

Divers are handy if the boat is completely submerged but are just decorative if you can stand up on the boat.

[Northernboater]

My thoughts are with the previous owner, she put in a lot of hard work to keep that boat afloat and it was her home for many years, you come along with no knowledge about working on a boat of this age and not knowing it's history, run her aground, trash the gear box and sink her all within the space of a few months, well done. This should be a lesson to all those out there who think it is a good idea to buy an old boat and think they know what their doing, as I say well done, no doubt another boat that has seen her last days on the water.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Northernboater

[RLWP]

My thoughts are with the previous owner, she put in a lot of hard work to keep that boat afloat and it was her home for many years, you come along with no knowledge about working on a boat of this age and not knowing it's history, run her aground, trash the gear box and sink her all within the space of a few months, well done. This should be a lesson to all those out there who think it is a good idea to buy an old boat and think they know what their doing, as I say well done, no doubt another boat that has seen her last days on the water.

 

With respect, the gearbox partially failed long before Marcus bought Fairstar. The oil feed from the crankshaft into the gearbox was blocked and the bearing between the crankshaft and gearbox had totally disappeared through neglect. This, and no oil lead to the collapse of the reverse cluster and loss of drive

 

Richard

 

 

Richard

[Victor Vectis]

My thoughts are with the previous owner, she put in a lot of hard work to keep that boat afloat and it was her home for many years, you come along with no knowledge about working on a boat of this age and not knowing it's history, run her aground, trash the gear box and sink her all within the space of a few months, well done. This should be a lesson to all those out there who think it is a good idea to buy an old boat and think they know what their doing, as I say well done, no doubt another boat that has seen her last days on the water.

Is that meant to be helpful?

 

And I thought I was a miserable old sod/grumpy old git.

 

I hope your boat, if you own one, never sinks.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Victor Vectis

[Barry]

It was meant to be shitty

 

It succeeded

[MtB]

My thoughts are with the previous owner, she put in a lot of hard work to keep that boat afloat and it was her home for many years, you come along with no knowledge about working on a boat of this age and not knowing it's history, run her aground, trash the gear box and sink her all within the space of a few months, well done. This should be a lesson to all those out there who think it is a good idea to buy an old boat and think they know what their doing, as I say well done, no doubt another boat that has seen her last days on the water.

 

I imagine you'd have done better then?

 

The OP sounds to me as though he cares deeply about this boat.

 

And since when did 'knowing it's history' become necessary to own a boat, and how would this have prevented it running aground?

 

 

MtB

[Northernboater]

Still no excuse for letting a boat like this end up on the river bed, total lack of experiance/knowledge,