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Sculptor loaded for the first time in perhaps 30 years


Leo No2

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We loaded Sculptor today with 15 tons of coal (on behalf of a local trader); she already has 2 tons of water as ballast so that's 17 tons in all. We believe it is the first time she's been loaded like this for at least 30 years - Please shout if you know otherwise.

Image here - she looks a bit dull in the fore-end as she has been in Braunston dry dock and the fore-end was the one bit we didn't manage to finish. We'll do it as soon as the weather improves.

I'll try and get a better image tomorrow now that it's stopped raining and the side cloths are up.

15271697120_f7e0277e09_z.jpg

DSC_0005 2 by kathryn.dodington, on Flickr

 

A bit of an update on Sculptor's history following a discussion with Brian Collings (previously Manager at the Canal Museum in Stoke Bruerne).

 

She was ordered in December 1934 and delivered in November 1935. She was originally paired with Toucan (now shortened and in Braunston?).

 

She was registered to work between Birmingham and London and was originally in the Blue/Blue GUCCC livery.

 

She was requisitioned by the Fire Service in London in October 1943 and was a Fire Service boat at Greenford for the duration. She went into storage at Bulls Bridge after the war and extensive work on her wooden bottom and keelson was undertaken in 1948. She then went to the northwest with Scorpio and Sagitta (all three towed by Sickle) as a maintenance boat. She was retired in 1985, restored and then accessioned into the Stoke Bruerne Canal Museum as an exhibit. Her history from 1985 onwards is relatively well known but her carrying history before the war seems non-existant. Pete Harrison (of this parish) has been most helpful in putting together what we know of her history but if anyone knows anything about her carrying or maintenance career (or has any photos) I would be most interested to hear about them.

Edited by Leo No2
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Very nice to see, the boat looks good. Have you steered a loaded boat. Btw, what that butty that's on the other side called please,

Darren

I brought her back up from lock 19 yesterday - a very different feel. She has a bit of an egg whisk for a prop - it really is quite small but I understand that suits the HA2 engine - goes forward well but you have to plan your holding back - like most things in life if you take it slowly it works well.

 

The butty in the background is Moon.

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Nice to see I always admire her when I pass. Is it owned by the museum?

 

Owned by Canal & River Trust but looked after by The Friends of The Canal Museum.

 

For Jeannette - we are just 'looking after' the coal for Julia Cook (Jules Fuels) but we will get out and about this winter. And we have permission to sell some as well!

 

A couple more images taken this morning:

 

15279746760_159ede4097_z.jpgDSC_0002

 

15466464015_564a98d24e_z.jpgDSC_0001

Edited by Leo No2
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The boat's looking great, Kathryn. Congratulations all round.

 

You just need to get to work on those cotton strings and canvas hose now wink.png

I know it's not traditional, but I keep my hose looking bright and new by dunking it each year in a solution of diluted emulsion paint. I found that scrubbing it in the proper way was damaging the rather ancient fabric.

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The boat's looking great, Kathryn. Congratulations all round.

 

You just need to get to work on those cotton strings and canvas hose now wink.png

I know it's not traditional, but I keep my hose looking bright and new by dunking it each year in a solution of diluted emulsion paint. I found that scrubbing it in the proper way was damaging the rather ancient fabric.

 

New cloths end of this week and then some general titivation is in order. I am sitting in my kitchen looking at a complete roll of synthetic hemp and 70m of 12mm white cotton string so we have it all in place - it's just not very nice outside to go and do it!

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We loaded Sculptor today with 15 tons of coal (on behalf of a local trader); she already has 2 tons of water as ballast so that's 17 tons in all.

 

Congratulations - she is much tidier than when I last saw her many years ago. Why is the water still there?

 

;-)

 

Tam

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Congratulations - she is much tidier than when I last saw her many years ago. Why is the water still there?

 

;-)

 

Tam

 

Tam - we want to keep it ever so sightly stern heavy as the bilge pump at the fore-end is not working for some reason whereas the one in the back cabin is working fine so we can get rid of any water that comes in.

Edited by Leo No2
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Tam - we want to keep it ever so sightly stern heavy as the bilge pump at the fore-end is not working for some reason whereas the one in the back cabin is working fine so we can get rid of any water that comes in.

 

Does that mean the bulkhead between the hold and cabin is not watertight? Not good, if so. Probably would have been better to load her to take account of that rather than keep water in the boat's bottom, though I asume you will pump it out when you move as she will go better slightly down by the head.

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Tam,

 

I think Kathryn is referrng to two of those agricultural type containers at the back of the hold, each filled with about a ton of water, rather than to loose water sloshing around under the shuts.

 

I'm surprised if water from the hold ends up in the back cabin though - hard to se how it would not be contaminated by having had to pass under the engine?

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Let me explain - there is a small leak between the hold and the engine room - been there since she was restored in 1986 as I understand it (I am more than happy to be corrected). Alan is right the 2 tons of water is in IBC containers just in front of the back end boards to give us ballast when she is not loaded. She does have a working hand pump at the back end boards which we use when it's been raining but some does slip under the bulkhead. What does end up under the floor of the back cabin is remarkably uncontaminated. We catch the first five litres or so and dispose of it as it exits the boat through the old water pipe for the Russel Newberry engine.

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......so are you going to load it properly then??, at least one more rubbing strake to submerge yet...

 

 

I thought that to :)

 

Looks surprisingly high in the water. The EMU loaded with 18 tonnes of coal followed me up Atherstone shortly after Alvecote weekend looking FAR deeper in the water than the SCULPTOR in your photo.

 

Is that really 16 tonnes of coal and 2 of water? Or is the EMU a bit of a girl's boat?

 

ninja.gif

 

 

MtB

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