Sunday, 16 October 2011
Friday, 14 October 2011
Warrior lift out time again.
With our insurance renewal, came the awaited instructions that Warrior would need a full insurance survey, as seven years had passed since the previous one. This was expected & we had already made tentative enquiries/plans with the marina here & a recommended surveyor.
The arrangements were made for the 29th September, Steph & I both needing to take the day off work. Dan & Sam, the marina guys, arrived at 10am in the two work boats & guided Warrior away from the mooring & headed towards the waiting 70tonne lifting hoist. Although this was to be the second time in as many years that we have seen our home lifted out, it still fills us with the fear that Warrior might just either fall from the hoist or, break in two!
The arrangements were made for the 29th September, Steph & I both needing to take the day off work. Dan & Sam, the marina guys, arrived at 10am in the two work boats & guided Warrior away from the mooring & headed towards the waiting 70tonne lifting hoist. Although this was to be the second time in as many years that we have seen our home lifted out, it still fills us with the fear that Warrior might just either fall from the hoist or, break in two!
Once sitting up in the hoist on the jetty, the marina lads had the not so small task of pressure washing the entire underbelly & water line, to give access to the surveyor who, would be performing an ultrasonic test on the thickness of the hull. If this ever gets down to 4mm, the hull would be un-insurable & then require very expensive over-plating. The surveyor, Mr Colin Mallard-South, duly arrived just after 11am & thankfully seemed very impressed with Warrior's build quality. Where we had the waterline shot blasted in November 09, did not show any signs of deterioration, other than the bitumen top coat having been washed away. The most pleasing aspect from my point of view, was that the sacrificial anodes have been working well. I had taken the advice of MME foundry in 09 to use aluminium anodes & not the usual zinc ones, as they are sold by weight & aluminium worked out at about £14 each, as opposed to £52 for zinc ones & we need ten!
A few other barge owners had gathered to view the anodes, they knew of my original choice & were waiting for me to fall on my backside over it but, luckily I could have a wry smile on my face. Funny how they have since asked for the name of the supplying company!
Once the hull had been checked, we had an hour or so to wait for high tide so, we decided to replace the washed away bitumen(not an issue with the surveyor, just our own peace of mind) so, with the help of the marina lads & a couple of friends, we managed to get around the whole waterline, giving it time in the warm weather to dry off, before Warrior was lowered back into the river.
Once secured safely back at base, the surveyor then came aboard to view the inside fittings etc & have another cuppa! Again, Mr Mallard was very impressed with what he could see & told us that Warrior is 'One of the best conversions of a Lighter he has ever seen.' & has increased in value by some £75k since we bought 'her', very nice!
Once everything was done, we both had a sigh of releif that all the hard work we put into Warrior had all been worth it & after the quite emotional week we had had, we were done in & just sat relaxing for the rest of the evening.
This blog dedicated to my mate Rob, who sadly lost his battle against a brain tumour a few weeks ago; he loved visiting the barge & was in fact due down to us the day he was originally taken ill. He will be fishing with his dad now & listening to loud music, so I won't say 'RIP' it's just not his way.
Photos will be added when this site allowes me to!
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
The people at Hoo marina were very helpful & sad to see Leander leave; her previous owner was well known & had sadly passed away only a few weeks before. Tim had the task of steering away from the moorings, as he had asked the locals for directions so, no point going over it all again with myself. Once out in the Medway, the girls decided to send pictures of their full English breakfast, just as we tucked into our pork pies!
We had to head against the tide & this would be all the way out to the estuary, passing Kings North Power Station & rounding the meandering bends. Everything was fine, until we ventured out into the Thames estuary, just as the tide was beginning to turn & against the wind. In stead of heading down the estuary, we had to tack our way across, due to meeting white water waves, hitting us broadside on. By the time the waves had calmed, we found ourselves off Southend pier head, rather than the preferred Thorpe Bay. At least by now, the tide would be helping us on our way & we began to make good time. Although we knew in our minds that reaching Haven Gore Bridge in time was a definite no no, it was still disappointing when the realisation set in that we would have to go the long way around & a long way it turned out to be!
When on land & looking out to sea, the low tide marks look a long way off however, when looking from the sea back to land, the distances are immense. We were using three methods of navigation, charts, gps plotter & depth sounder & even then, we encountered problems with the channel marker buoys, Buxey in particular, as this needs to be replaced due to shifting sands, not just by a few yards, we ended up having to do a three mile detour to get around the Maplin Sands, not much fun when the boat was only doing 4mph! By the time we were able to turn towards the mouth of the Crouch, we were not far off the wind farm out from Clacton!
The next three & a half hours would be the longest known & we were just glad that the weather had been really kind to us for the majority of the passage. Heading against the tide, we helped the inboard engine by starting up my ten horse Johnson & even with both engines, we still only able to reach the heady heights of 4mph. Just when the tide began to ease off & I had thought of turning off the Johnson, it gave up, bellowing out an acrid smelling aroma. I'm still hoping it was the spark plugs that gave out, still to be investigated.
We arrived back at Essex Marina at about 8.30pm, ten hours after departing Hoo, tired but, satisfied that we had done something not many people had/would achieve in such a small, aged boat.
We had to head against the tide & this would be all the way out to the estuary, passing Kings North Power Station & rounding the meandering bends. Everything was fine, until we ventured out into the Thames estuary, just as the tide was beginning to turn & against the wind. In stead of heading down the estuary, we had to tack our way across, due to meeting white water waves, hitting us broadside on. By the time the waves had calmed, we found ourselves off Southend pier head, rather than the preferred Thorpe Bay. At least by now, the tide would be helping us on our way & we began to make good time. Although we knew in our minds that reaching Haven Gore Bridge in time was a definite no no, it was still disappointing when the realisation set in that we would have to go the long way around & a long way it turned out to be!
When on land & looking out to sea, the low tide marks look a long way off however, when looking from the sea back to land, the distances are immense. We were using three methods of navigation, charts, gps plotter & depth sounder & even then, we encountered problems with the channel marker buoys, Buxey in particular, as this needs to be replaced due to shifting sands, not just by a few yards, we ended up having to do a three mile detour to get around the Maplin Sands, not much fun when the boat was only doing 4mph! By the time we were able to turn towards the mouth of the Crouch, we were not far off the wind farm out from Clacton!
The next three & a half hours would be the longest known & we were just glad that the weather had been really kind to us for the majority of the passage. Heading against the tide, we helped the inboard engine by starting up my ten horse Johnson & even with both engines, we still only able to reach the heady heights of 4mph. Just when the tide began to ease off & I had thought of turning off the Johnson, it gave up, bellowing out an acrid smelling aroma. I'm still hoping it was the spark plugs that gave out, still to be investigated.
We arrived back at Essex Marina at about 8.30pm, ten hours after departing Hoo, tired but, satisfied that we had done something not many people had/would achieve in such a small, aged boat.
Thursday, 18 August 2011
The voyage.
Once our mate Tim had seen for himself, it was a no brainer that 'Leander' would be up for the journey, he went about working out the best times/tides to do the journey. Clive however, was an easier choice to make as a crew mate, he owns a chart plotter GPS! Although there was no hurry to bring her round, we decided last Saturday that Sunday was as good a time as any, so plans were made.
Tim & Lindsey stayed on their own boat overnight(moored next to Warrior) & we picked up the excited Clive from his house at 9am Sunday morning, making sure he had the GPS! By the time we reached Hoo, Clive's 'Are we nearly there yet?' remarks were wearing a bit thin with Tim! To be continued.
Three men in a boat!
Yes I know it has been done before but, this is my version.
With so much illness in my family & one close friend having a terminal condition, I have had my 'Live for today' ethos strengthened & have decided it is time to buy another boat for pottering around in. Steph & I love spending time on the rivers (Crouch & Roach) in our 14ft dorey however, we are due to get caught out one of these days in bad weather. The search has been on for a few weeks & boy have we seen some rubbish! The heart of a good boat is the engine, anything else can be improved without to much cost but, if the engine fails at sea, iot can be a costly experience, in more ways than one.
We finally came across an advert for my all time favorite Colvic, moored over at Hoo marina, on the Medway, a real trip down memory lane for me there too. Having spent many a weekend in my youth, with Dad, crewing on a Dragon out of Upnor.
'Leander' has been owned by the same gentleman for 20 years, being his pride & joy until he sadly passed away just two months ago. Two years ago, he had a brand new Beta 22 diesel engine fitted, which has still only done 112 hours. As soon as we saw the boat & engine, we knew she was was for us(just as you do when seeing a house etc) the offer was made & duly accepted a few nervous days later; all we had to do was decide how to bring her round from the Medway. With the cost by road mounting up to approx £500, the sea route was looking more inviting.
With so much illness in my family & one close friend having a terminal condition, I have had my 'Live for today' ethos strengthened & have decided it is time to buy another boat for pottering around in. Steph & I love spending time on the rivers (Crouch & Roach) in our 14ft dorey however, we are due to get caught out one of these days in bad weather. The search has been on for a few weeks & boy have we seen some rubbish! The heart of a good boat is the engine, anything else can be improved without to much cost but, if the engine fails at sea, iot can be a costly experience, in more ways than one.
We finally came across an advert for my all time favorite Colvic, moored over at Hoo marina, on the Medway, a real trip down memory lane for me there too. Having spent many a weekend in my youth, with Dad, crewing on a Dragon out of Upnor.
'Leander' has been owned by the same gentleman for 20 years, being his pride & joy until he sadly passed away just two months ago. Two years ago, he had a brand new Beta 22 diesel engine fitted, which has still only done 112 hours. As soon as we saw the boat & engine, we knew she was was for us(just as you do when seeing a house etc) the offer was made & duly accepted a few nervous days later; all we had to do was decide how to bring her round from the Medway. With the cost by road mounting up to approx £500, the sea route was looking more inviting.
Catch up time again.
With a cold NE wind blowing straight up the river Crouch, it reminds me that summer is almost over & the Autumn soon approaches.
It has been a busy few months, a new job & a new boat too! My PAT testing business began to expand, still not brilliant but, getting there slowly. I came across an advert for a 'PAC' tester on the job search website & followed the links to find that some one had (luckily for me) spelt the job title incorrectly & it shoulkd have read 'PAT tester.' Off went my cv & for once, I actually recieved a reply. Cutting the story short, I was offered the job working for Balfour Beatty at a well known local MOD site, for a six month period. 'That will sort us out for the winter months' I thought.
With a feeling of going to school for the first time, my first morning consisted of being driven around the site by the retiring Julian; I did not realise the significance of being shown the rest rooms at the time. By the time we returned to the office for lunch, the six months contract had been reduced to three & by 4.30pm, down to one month!
On my return, after the Bank Holiday weekend, I was told that I would now be kept on until the end of October, when the Balfour contract ends & that is pretty much how things stand today although, it has been muted that I will be offered a more permanent arrangement by the new company, fingers crossed!
My new job coincided with Steph's job comming to an end & along with the football season ending too, it meant that she was out of work for the summer. Thankfully, she began a new job only yesterday for a local lettings agents, just when the new football season begins too so, things are back to normal again for her. Steph is also gearing up for her driving test(not allowed to say when!) having passed her theory test last month.
It has been a busy few months, a new job & a new boat too! My PAT testing business began to expand, still not brilliant but, getting there slowly. I came across an advert for a 'PAC' tester on the job search website & followed the links to find that some one had (luckily for me) spelt the job title incorrectly & it shoulkd have read 'PAT tester.' Off went my cv & for once, I actually recieved a reply. Cutting the story short, I was offered the job working for Balfour Beatty at a well known local MOD site, for a six month period. 'That will sort us out for the winter months' I thought.
With a feeling of going to school for the first time, my first morning consisted of being driven around the site by the retiring Julian; I did not realise the significance of being shown the rest rooms at the time. By the time we returned to the office for lunch, the six months contract had been reduced to three & by 4.30pm, down to one month!
On my return, after the Bank Holiday weekend, I was told that I would now be kept on until the end of October, when the Balfour contract ends & that is pretty much how things stand today although, it has been muted that I will be offered a more permanent arrangement by the new company, fingers crossed!
My new job coincided with Steph's job comming to an end & along with the football season ending too, it meant that she was out of work for the summer. Thankfully, she began a new job only yesterday for a local lettings agents, just when the new football season begins too so, things are back to normal again for her. Steph is also gearing up for her driving test(not allowed to say when!) having passed her theory test last month.
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Getting ready for next winter already!
Spring might bo upon us at last however, we are already preparing for next winter. We finally have some heating oil, wonders never cease! I was able to get just under 150 litres last week & now we have done that once, we should be able to buy more during the summer, making sure we have a full tank come the start of next winter. The warmer weather coupled with the longer days = paint brushes at the ready! The new hatch has now had two top coats; problem now is, the rest of the burgundy looks a bit tatty & will now need a freshen up!
Monday, 28 February 2011
Cyprus seems so far away already.
We arrived back on the barge just two weeks ago today, after spending a fantastic relaxing time in Cyprus. That all seems a distant memory already, especially the warm sunny days, it's freezing cold down on the river today!
Not good news this morning, when Dad rang to say that mum was taken back into hospital again at 3am, the fourth time this year already. We really thought that after 8 months of tests etc, they had finally found the cause of her Pneumonia, I guess not.
Managed to corner one of the marina managers yesterday & in addition to giving us plenty of fire wood (once I sort it, cut it & bring it to the barge) we also discussed the ongoing diesel fuel saga. Explained to him that there is no way we will still be here next year, if the problem is not sorted out over the next few months. Apparently, we are not the only ones asking for diesel so, hopefully now there are others, something might actually get done.(Is that a flying pig I see!)
Not good news this morning, when Dad rang to say that mum was taken back into hospital again at 3am, the fourth time this year already. We really thought that after 8 months of tests etc, they had finally found the cause of her Pneumonia, I guess not.
Managed to corner one of the marina managers yesterday & in addition to giving us plenty of fire wood (once I sort it, cut it & bring it to the barge) we also discussed the ongoing diesel fuel saga. Explained to him that there is no way we will still be here next year, if the problem is not sorted out over the next few months. Apparently, we are not the only ones asking for diesel so, hopefully now there are others, something might actually get done.(Is that a flying pig I see!)
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
See what I mean! Barney was not too impressed with wearing his life jacket and being kept on the lead, even though we tried to explain it was for his own safety!
The main problem again this winter, is our ongoing saga of lack of heating oil. People think we are paranoid when we tell them that we get treated differently to the other liveabords but, what happened over the oil seemed to justify our position.
One of the other boat owners offered to deliver us some heating oil, when he was having his own tanks filled however, he talked about this up at the marina bar to the other members of the 'five o clock club' & within days, we had a message back to say that he was unable to help after all, due to 'health & safety issues.' Two weeks later, the same vessel was used to go alongside 5 other liveaboards to deliver, yes you guessed it, heating oil!
The marina owners have condescended to allow us to be taken to the jetty, so that a delivery of oil can be made via a road tanker, at the cost of £240. The usual cost of taking 'Warrior' to the jetty & back is £80 but, they also now want to charge us £160 'waiting time' as two of the yard lads would have to oversea the delivery. Fair point you might add however, no one else is charged this 'waiting time' so, as a matter of dogged principal, we refuse to pay it which means we stay cold in stead. My arguement being, we pay over £6k per year in mooring fees so, surely some of that should go towards a few hours of the workers time when we need them?
Is winter over?
December on the Crouch was not a good time for us, the freezing weather & snow caused us no end of problems.
The snow at the beginning of the month was so bad, that I was unable to leave the barge for 6 days! Barney (dog) had to rely upon Steph to take him for his daily 'walkies' however, even Steph had problems walking along the pontoons.
To take my mind off not being able to get out, I decided to finally put back all the wood panelling in the kitchen/dinning room. The purchase of a nail gun a few weeks earlier turned out to be a good buy, I think I would still be banging in nails now!
The picture shows the cladding at the point of being removed to gain access to the arched windows. These had to be removed & resealed with sikoflex, luckily I was able to remove the ones in the living room & mezzanine, without having to take down all the wooden cladding.
By the end of the week, I was glad to see a thaw outside so, that we could at least get back to some form of normal routine.
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