Boat in build pics (Squadron 78)

[jfm]

Thanks for the pics MYAG – missed you by a day: we left Excel Sunday. Great idea 16ftPhil for the plane! Let’s see if there’s a date in March, as the boat is stuck in Ipswich now till late Feb. We’d need sunshine too but you never know . Locki, yes hope to see you in a while at EBY, and as you know how gorgeous Eze is you know it makes sense to get your sq55 on a ship and do a couple of seasons down there ; let me know when you decide to do it for help with moorings etc

Here’s a quick update of trip back from Excel to Ipswich. First, here is the mega crane that was set up just for the saturday to lift the prin 32m (157tonnes I believe). It also lifted my boat which, at 57-59tonnes, didn’t cause it much trouble

My boat as I found it on Sunday 9am…

We were booked firmly to leave Excel thru the lock on Sunday at 11.30, in a mini fleet with a sq65 and princess 64,78 and 32m. But the sodding lockkeeper cancelled the booking and told us all at last minute that it would be 4pm, even though that meant it was nearly dark and we all had to get places, including a meet with the fuel barge for the prin 32m. I thought this was a maritime nation? Not a Sunday it isn’t. Anyway here are a few shots of the London bit and the fleet of 5 boats

I have no idea about the city airport rules and I note the comments above about flights needing to stop while the boats pass by, but while we were there loads of flights landed and took off…

Anyway after we got out of the lock we headed out down river about 4pm, while the princess fleet went upriver westwards to St Kats. Here is a Youtube vid, and the boat at the end of the clip is the LIBS sq65 that we were in convoy with. I was quite surprised there is no speed limit on some bits of the Thames. And the water isn't very blue.




Passing under the M25!

I was a passenger btw and my boat was being nav’ed by two pro skippers who knew every inch of these waters in great detail. Very impressive to watch, and very nice guys. We decided not to press on in the dark because there was risk of floating debris due to spring tide, so we turned right and moored up on the end of Queenborough jetty, and had some beers in both pubs there. Next morning we had fine weather all the way to Ipswich. Here is Harwich in the sun

Starting our run up the very nice River Orwell...

These big hull windows are very nice I gotta say…

Then Ipswich Haven lock

And finally on our berth at Fairline’s facility in Ipswich

I really enjoyed the trip. It was my first time at sea for several months, and we were lucky to have nice weather. I had great company made up of a couple of Fairline folks, two excellent delivery skippers, and a mate from Essex Boatyards (on the Sq65) who delivered my Sq58 to Antibes with me the year before last. I also had a blast from the past by visiting Queenborough and walking past old haunt of mine Abbott Laboratories. The boat was fantastic. Veeeery quiet: nearly silent on the flybridge, and surprisingly quiet at the lower helm too. We blasted along at 30kts admittedly gulping lots of fuel, yet at 11kts the data showed 1000nm range even allowing for fuel reserve, and all the time we were stabiliser-flat (I still don’t quite see what a slow trawler yacht offers?) The boat was solid as can be; no creaks or rattles. And my first impressions of the Garmin kit are that it is fab, and the radar was very good indeed. The Cat32s were very nice and the boat didn’t half surge forward as the sticks were pushed forwards (you really need to hold on if standing), though they seemed to smoke a bit on cold start, at least to me who has been spoilt by ultra-smokeless Volvo D12s. The Fairline guys told me this was normal and thought I was being fussy Apropos a discussion several pages above in this thread, I also found out the C32s have built in coolers on the fuel return lines And there is a retrofittable water jacket 230v heater kit available, which I might fit to reduce start up smoke. Not that I'm challenging MuckyFarter in this department of course

More updates later, and I’m keeping this on one thread as requested, until the boat gets to France

 

[PaulGooch]

Anyway after we got out of the lock we headed out down river about 4pm, while the princess fleet went upriver westwards to St Kats. Here is a Youtube vid, and the boat at the end of the clip is the LIBS sq65 that we were in convoy with. I was quite surprised there is no speed limit on some bits of the Thames. And the water isn't very blue.

Missed you Ipswich end by a day, we came home Sunday night.

There's no speed limit on the Thames from Wandsworth Bridge, we met some Thames Clippers doing 30 knots well past St Kats.

Great pics again. When does she leave Ipswich John ? Will you be spending time there while she's there ?

 

[rwoofer]

There's no speed limit on the Thames from Wandsworth Bridge, we met some Thames Clippers doing 30 knots well past St Kats.

Definitely a speed limit from Wandsworth until the Police pontoons just past Tower Bridge. Spoke to one of the Thames Clippers guys and it was complaints about wash that got the speed limit 3 or so years ago.

 

[benjenbav]

Thanks for the pics MYAG – missed you by a day: we left Excel Sunday. Great idea 16ftPhil for the plane! Let’s see if there’s a date in March, as the boat is stuck in Ipswich now till late Feb. We’d need sunshine too but you never know . Locki, yes hope to see you in a while at EBY, and as you know how gorgeous Eze is you know it makes sense to get your sq55 on a ship and do a couple of seasons down there ; let me know when you decide to do it for help with moorings etc

Here’s a quick update of trip back from Excel to Ipswich. First, here is the mega crane that was set up just for the saturday to lift the prin 32m (157tonnes I believe). It also lifted my boat which, at 57-59tonnes, didn’t cause it much trouble

My boat as I found it on Sunday 9am…

We were booked firmly to leave Excel thru the lock on Sunday at 11.30, in a mini fleet with a sq65 and princess 64,78 and 32m. But the sodding lockkeeper cancelled the booking and told us all at last minute that it would be 4pm, even though that meant it was nearly dark and we all had to get places, including a meet with the fuel barge for the prin 32m. I thought this was a maritime nation? Not a Sunday it isn’t. Anyway here are a few shots of the London bit and the fleet of 5 boats

I have no idea about the city airport rules and I note the comments above about flights needing to stop while the boats pass by, but while we were there loads of flights landed and took off…

Anyway after we got out of the lock we headed out down river about 4pm, while the princess fleet went upriver westwards to St Kats. Here is a Youtube vid, and the boat at the end of the clip is the LIBS sq65 that we were in convoy with. I was quite surprised there is no speed limit on some bits of the Thames. And the water isn't very blue.




Passing under the M25!

I was a passenger btw and my boat was being nav’ed by two pro skippers who knew every inch of these waters in great detail. Very impressive to watch, and very nice guys. We decided not to press on in the dark because there was risk of floating debris due to spring tide, so we turned right and moored up on the end of Queenborough jetty, and had some beers in both pubs there. Next morning we had fine weather all the way to Ipswich. Here is Harwich in the sun

Starting our run up the very nice River Orwell...

These big hull windows are very nice I gotta say…

Then Ipswich Haven lock

And finally on our berth at Fairline’s facility in Ipswich

I really enjoyed the trip. It was my first time at sea for several months, and we were lucky to have nice weather. I had great company made up of a couple of Fairline folks, two excellent delivery skippers, and a mate from Essex Boatyards (on the Sq65) who delivered my Sq58 to Antibes with me the year before last. I also had a blast from the past by visiting Queenborough and walking past old haunt of mine Abbott Laboratories. The boat was fantastic. Veeeery quiet: nearly silent on the flybridge, and surprisingly quiet at the lower helm too. We blasted along at 30kts admittedly gulping lots of fuel, yet at 11kts the data showed 1000nm range even allowing for fuel reserve, and all the time we were stabiliser-flat (I still don’t quite see what a slow trawler yacht offers?) The boat was solid as can be; no creaks or rattles. And my first impressions of the Garmin kit are that it is fab, and the radar was very good indeed. The Cat32s were very nice and the boat didn’t half surge forward as the sticks were pushed forwards (you really need to hold on if standing), though they seemed to smoke a bit on cold start, at least to me who has been spoilt by ultra-smokeless Volvo D12s. The Fairline guys told me this was normal and thought I was being fussy Apropos a discussion several pages above in this thread, I also found out the C32s have built in coolers on the fuel return lines And there is a retrofittable water jacket 230v heater kit available, which I might fit to reduce start up smoke. Not that I'm challenging MuckyFarter in this department of course

More updates later, and I’m keeping this on one thread as requested, until the boat gets to France

Nice - Loved the video. That crane's a baby tho'! Ainscough had one working near my office, lifting a railway bridge just before Christmas which took five trucks to deliver it in pieces. Fab. 'specially when they lifted the bridge deck itself.

 

[Richard Shead]

That crane

is a regular feature outside our office where they are building the Tate Modern extension, rumoured to cost upwards of 10k a day. (we called them to find out...)

Its used to put up and take down the bigger static cranes

 

[mjf]

Indeed Wandsworth down is not speed restricted but HM has a speed advisory issued under LNTM in PLA waters.

I agree jfm that as a maritime nation we are **** using the water on the Thames.

Couple of years ago I wanted to bring my Rib to Excel - had a berth no problem etc.


What a performance with locks and the end of the runway crossing - it was just too difficult and if you 'missed' a slot that was that.

I have similar hopes for 2012 Games but I'm sure there will be no way to arrive by water privately. Utter shambles really.

 

[jfm]

Ref speed limits and things, the two deliv skippers running my boat explained some of it to me and I observed them for a couple of hours. They said there was generally no speed limit but there were zones where there was a wash limit. Hence, we did some stretches at 24kts and in other parts they slowed to anything from 6-11 knots, depending on the effects of our wash. They warned me that in a boat like the Sq78 I was a "target" for winge-ers, who would ring VTS (the traffic authority, like the harbour master only for the river) and complain. Sure enough, a minute or two later VTS radioed us and told us there had been a wash complaint. What really impressed me was the awareness, assertiveness and seamanship of the two skippers. They were completely on the case, like a pair of aircraft pilots in a busy space. One would be looking for things thru image stabilised bionocs, and he'd call out to the helmsman things like "there's a guy in a small boat 2/3nm ahead who will be affected by wash" and the skipper would slow down. Then at other times he would say that the other boat coming up was unoccupied and we could press on. The skippers were very experienced, and one had been on the Thames all his life and seemed to know every other working boat and its crew by first name, and all the VTS folks. When they talked on the radio they were answered back by first names, such was their time spent on the Thames and East Coast. Total Thames professional experts (and a very nice guys). So when we got the complaint about wash they decided it was unwarranted and drove on. Top stuff I thought.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Theoretically there's no speed limit below Wandsworth Bridge but there are regs regarding wash and River Plod do pull boats up for a friendly chat. At least they have done with me.
1000nm @ 11kts is pretty impressive, certainly in the range that SD boats like Fleming, AquaStar and Outer Reef can achieve at D speeds so your Sq78 is a viable alternative to these boats as a D speed bluewater cruiser. Interested to hear how the stabilisers work in lumpy conditions

 

[PaulGooch]

Indeed Wandsworth down is not speed restricted but HM has a speed advisory issued under LNTM in PLA waters.

I agree jfm that as a maritime nation we are **** using the water on the Thames.

Couple of years ago I wanted to bring my Rib to Excel - had a berth no problem etc.


What a performance with locks and the end of the runway crossing - it was just too difficult and if you 'missed' a slot that was that.

I have similar hopes for 2012 Games but I'm sure there will be no way to arrive by water privately. Utter shambles really.

When we visited the Thames, we were shocked and surprised at :

a) The lack of other private boats (we went from a few miles seaward of the barrier to London Eye and back to Gallions Point without seeing another private boat.

b) The lack of accessible facilities.

c) The extremely small tidal windows for the marina locks and the stupid office hours system the operate.

d) The difficulty of obtaining fuel, especially taking account of (c).

 

[jfm]

When we visited the Thames, we were shocked and surprised at :

a) The lack of other private boats (we went from a few miles seaward of the barrier to London Eye and back to Gallions Point without seeing another private boat.

b) The lack of accessible facilities.

c) The extremely small tidal windows for the marina locks and the stupid office hours system the operate.

d) The difficulty of obtaining fuel, especially taking account of (c).

Yup, it is amazing. From not far East of the City to Harwich, there is nowhere for a pleasure boat to stop other than the odd little quay here and there like the one we used in Queenborough. Great shame. I assume the powers that be do not want pleasure users

Ref your earlier post, my 78 will be in Ipswich for about a month and I'll be there quite a bit, so maybe we'll bump into each other some time. You're very welcome aboard!

 

[PaulGooch]

Definitely a speed limit from Wandsworth until the Police pontoons just past Tower Bridge. Spoke to one of the Thames Clippers guys and it was complaints about wash that got the speed limit 3 or so years ago.

From Wandsworth to Teddington is 8 knots.

From Wandsworth to sea there is no limit. There is an advisory of 12 knots to Cherry Garden Pier though and of course rules about wash etc.

 

[mjf]

Paul - you are 100% correct ; actually boating on the tideway is a tough old buisness when all is said and done and maybe thats why not many do it.

Certainly from pix i have seen there is no way anything like it used to be even in C. Dickens day there was considerable leisure use.


Once clear of Wandsworth i usually wizz at 25/30 knots to just before Westminster and then under 10knots to past Tower Bridge then off again on as conditions dictate.
Problem is between Westminster and say Greenwich the ruddy ferries make such a wash that I cannot 'sight see' but am generally forced to go fast as more comfortable and certainly safer...

30kns under Tower Bridge is fun

 

[Richard Shead]

Nothing really gets

going with privately owned boats until you get to Teddington, otherwise you have to worry about all that water draining out then coming back in again, its terribly inconvenient for Thames based folk...

 

[mjf]

going with privately owned boats until you get to Teddington, otherwise you have to worry about all that water draining out then coming back in again, its terribly inconvenient for Thames based folk...

Fred drift here - stopit!

 

[Richard Shead]

Only slightly!

Fred drift here - stopit!

but it is relevant to a last post from Paul!

Anyhow back to topic....Do you think the crane is going to be able to handle the weight of the Laser?

 

[jfm]

Anyhow back to topic....Do you think the crane is going to be able to handle the weight of the Laser?

Tee hee. Well I tried it for the first time yesterday Richard and I gotta say the crane took all 59kg of the Laser it its stride. Those cranes are a pile of fun. Like the remote control cranes you had as a kid, but real. This one has 10 buttons on the remote, woohoo, and has powered slewing as well as the usual motions. A load of fun, and I need to find more things to lift with it (pointlessly, naturally). I'd like to turn the elfin safety bleeper off though

 

[BartW]

Like the remote control cranes you had as a kid, but real.

the ultimate toy ......... on your toy then,
but for me, the crane is a little too tight on weight

 

[z1ppy]

boys and toys, we are all the same.

Have to say, i have noticed a change in trend with JFM's posts. Many of the early ones were understandably very complicated (for a simpleton like me) and technical but now its getting to the playing part he is talking about playing with toy crane! : )

Outstanding!

 

[ACE]

the elfin safety bleeper

Nothing technical about that must be a fuse somewhere ......

 

[aquapower]

Tee hee. Well I tried it for the first time yesterday Richard and I gotta say the crane took all 59kg of the Laser it its stride. Those cranes are a pile of fun. Like the remote control cranes you had as a kid, but real. This one has 10 buttons on the remote, woohoo, and has powered slewing as well as the usual motions. A load of fun, and I need to find more things to lift with it (pointlessly, naturally). I'd like to turn the elfin safety bleeper off though

Hopefully you wont have to but I was gratefull of a crane last summer when I had to lift a gearbox from the bathing platform to the pontoon, gearbox was about 180kg and very awkward.