That large capsized motoryacht at Burnham?

Kukri

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What engines were they?

Might be two 8 cylinder Gleniffers:
(See page 3):

http://www.sotonwss.org.uk/blackjack/Mar18BJ.pdf

Gleniffers were a Scottish company who made very nice engines in the Gardner/Kelvin/Russel Newbery style. They were popular in big motor yachts because they were claimed to be quieter and smoother than others. In 1962 they merged with Kelvins who were taken over two years later by Ruston and Hornsby who were taken into GEC Diesels. Typing the name into Google turned up a handed pair for sale on ebay...?
 
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tillergirl

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Sure is. None of that tricky electrickery. Good idea. The modern trend is all for electrickery irrespective of where it comes from.

Actually I would like a Gardner - not that I need one.
 

ex-Gladys

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The modern two stroke diesels in commercial shipping are interesting, as they use the old Messerschmitt bubble car technique of stopping the engine and restarting in opposite rotation for astern which much to TG's chagrin is run by the electronic engine controls... There was a particularly interesting MAIB report about one such ship going into Fawley. The ship was very new, and the Asian engineers had been playing with valves. Unfortunately as they approached the mooring dolphins, they'd run out of air due to those engineers screwing up and did lots of damage
 

Kukri

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Direct reversing two stroke diesels have been around for a very long time in merchant shipping. Nobody has ever considered putting that sort of power through a clutch! The ancient steam reciprocating engines were direct reversing, like a steam locomotive, and steam turbine ships had an astern turbine, usually 1/3, sometimes 1/2, of the power of the ahead turbine(s). The astern turbine isn’t actually a separate turbine; it’s usually on the same shaft as the high pressure turbine and is brought into action by changing the way in which the steam enters the turbine.

Reversing a two stroke diesel is not necessarily done by way of electronics; all ships have a local control station in the engine room at the side of the engine and the engine can be controlled manually from there.

One Ancient British two stroke diesel, the Doxford, was absolutely notorious for restarting the “wrong way”, and many a dock and pier bears the scars!
 
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tillergirl

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Did not (like the English), Did not a Stuart Turner occasionally run backwards if the magneto had badly timed.

Now talking old engines, on my first boat I decided to junk the Stuart when I could get into Bradwell Creek with the tide! I got a 2 cyl Albin with variable prop. But it didn't come with a lever so whilst I could find 'neutral', you had to get ashore very very quickly to moor up while the torque put the prop either ahead or astern. A smart **se once observed it would be easier to moor up if I put the engine out of gear. It was a lovely arrangement though and by putting the prop half way between full astern and feather and she would almost turn in her length as though there was a paddle wheel under her stern. Lot of frothing and great fun.
 

Kukri

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The modern two stroke diesels in commercial shipping are interesting, as they use the old Messerschmitt bubble car technique of stopping the engine and restarting in opposite rotation for astern which much to TG's chagrin is run by the electronic engine controls... There was a particularly interesting MAIB report about one such ship going into Fawley. The ship was very new, and the Asian engineers had been playing with valves. Unfortunately as they approached the mooring dolphins, they'd run out of air due to those engineers screwing up and did lots of damage

I cannot think of an MAIB report to this effect (loss of start air, at Fawley) but there is one which I do remember which deals with the failure of the main engine of the then new container ship “Savannah Express” to go astern whilst approaching the berth at Southampton. The main engine was a B&W 12 -98 ME. These ME engines don’t have a camshaft - that’s where the electronics come in.

The problem lay in the electro-hydraulic valve actuation system. The ship did run out of start air, eventually, after repeated attempts to start the engine from the local control at the platform but that wasn’t the cause of the failure; it was an effect.

The Chief Engineer was German and the second engineer was Ukrainian.

Is this the report that you are thinking of? It’s quite an interesting one:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c708fe5274a428d0000ab/Savannah_Express.pdf
 

ex-Gladys

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I cannot think of an MAIB report to this effect (loss of start air, at Fawley) but there is one which I do remember which deals with the failure of the main engine of the then new container ship “Savannah Express” to go astern whilst approaching the berth at Southampton. The main engine was a B&W 12 -98 ME. These ME engines don’t have a camshaft - that’s where the electronics come in.

The problem lay in the electro-hydraulic valve actuation system. The ship did run out of start air, eventually, after repeated attempts to start the engine from the local control at the platform but that wasn’t the cause of the failure; it was an effect.

The Chief Engineer was German and the second engineer was Ukrainian.

Is this the report that you are thinking of? It’s quite an interesting one:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c708fe5274a428d0000ab/Savannah_Express.pdf
I was going from memory, that was the one!
 

Kukri

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Wasn't there a similar fault that led to the felling of a number of container cranes at Felixtowe?

If we are thinking of the same incident ...

Port still disrupted after crane crash

I know a bit about it and I’m in a delicate position because the cause wasn’t the one mentioned in the reports (no MAIB report in this case, but a good discussion right here on this forum...):

Zhen Hua 23 in Felixstowe

The Zhen Hua 23 is a former tanker converted to carry container cranes. She had arrived at the port with a deck load of new cranes. The weather was bad and she was on the lay by berth when her winches ran back and she moved down the berth and demolished the cranes she was meant to be replacing!
 

PeterWright

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Hi David,

Seems the Barke brothers (Essex marina), having done a great job of righting her, have moved on leaving just a large Boats.co.uk baner on the port side to mark their success. Another firm seems to have moved in now and have erected a larfe access jetty with a front door and letterbox. The key evidence is a pontoon alongside on which a yellow rubbish skip sits, so I guess their role will be to get more rubbish out from down below and perhaps to put more patches on her plating so she can survive the tow to whatever yard on the Thames she will go to or restoration. At present, although upright, she still sinks on every tide.

Could be a while yet before she's ready to move, but her current owner is certainly showing serious determination, backed by deep pockets in tis recovery and restoration project. If he hacks off that horrible additional deck and steelwork, some of which was bent in the righting exercise, and restores her to her original design, she will look great, but it will be a very expensive operation.

Peter.
 

LlysHelig

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Hi David,

Seems the Barke brothers (Essex marina), having done a great job of righting her, have moved on leaving just a large Boats.co.uk baner on the port side to mark their success. Another firm seems to have moved in now and have erected a larfe access jetty with a front door and letterbox. The key evidence is a pontoon alongside on which a yellow rubbish skip sits, so I guess their role will be to get more rubbish out from down below and perhaps to put more patches on her plating so she can survive the tow to whatever yard on the Thames she will go to or restoration. At present, although upright, she still sinks on every tide.

Could be a while yet before she's ready to move, but her current owner is certainly showing serious determination, backed by deep pockets in tis recovery and restoration project. If he hacks off that horrible additional deck and steelwork, some of which was bent in the righting exercise, and restores her to her original design, she will look great, but it will be a very expensive operation.

Peter.
Hello, I’m part of the Llys Helig team. My brother Howard is the crazy person who bought her.
We’ve been busy setting up various social platforms to keep people up to date and we now have some videos of Howard aboard (when the tide is out).

The current status of Llys Helig is that an awful lot of modern additions have been removed to reduce the weight. This included most of the top deck steel work, house boat interior panelling, a brick chimney and cast iron wood burning stove and several dozen tons of Crouch mud.
She is now sitting upright, scuttled so that she doesn’t go anywhere and work continues in the next few weeks to flush out more mud from the hull sections and to establish water tightness.
Current timeframe is by the end of September for a float test and safety survey before she is towed to the Medway for dry dock full restoration. At Turks (probably)
Most of the original plating (Thornycroft) is very hard and in good condition.
As some have pointed out, at some point in the past the take of the bow was modified and the beautiful torpedo stern was chopped off and replaced. The long term intention is to restore the original lines.

surprisingly, the teak deck that has been in the Crouch (starboard) has survived pretty well and can be restored. The boards also indicate where the original curved walls, masts and internal wall should be.

it’s going to be a long term project to restore her to being isn’t of the best surviving examples of pre war Thornycroft Gentleman’s yacht.
We will of course be needing the expertise and knowledge of people so we’d be grateful as things progress for any advice.

Many Thanks,

Mark Dawber on behalf of Howard Dawber. Llys Helig.
www.instagram.com/llyshelig
www.llyshelig.com
www.Facebook.com/llyshelig1922
 

Concerto

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Having seen Llys Helig since she arrive at Burnham, I was so sorry to see how she became tattier over the years until she sank on her side. I thought she was going to become scrap. To see she has been made upright and know she will be restored is so pleasing to hear. Best of luck with the project. Please advise when you are moving Llys Helig to the Medway as I will try and greet you from Concerto, my 40 year old yacht that I have been restoring.
 
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