Crisis, help urgently needed.

[fisherman]

That's a brilliant result, well done, never give up, your son owes you a stiff one or two. I think you are fortunate in one way that this happened in Fleetwood and not on passage to Inverness. Quite a few of this class of boat came over from France and there are not many about now. There was one, unconverted, for sale for £1 in Newlyn not long ago, and my heart sank when you first posted on buying it. I tried to hint at possible problems then and my blood ran cold when you talked about the chartering etc he would do with her. They are basically worn out especially after fishing Rockall as this one has. Not to say you couldn't get her back but an extensive in depth (sorry!) survey will be needed. Please do that before you spend any more.

 

[maby]

Worth contacting Tom Cunliffe to see if he is thinking of doing another series of Boat Yard (http://www.tomcunliffe.com/television-work/boatyard/) - this is the sort of project he would love and you might get some financial support and better treatment from suppliers!

 

[Daydream believer]

One can only say congratulations

 

[Kintail]

I'm sure many on this forum will identify with the predicament of this owner. At sometime or another we all will not have covered every eventuality, and then the very worst happens. It was so pleasing in this case to see the massive support offered to Graham and his son from this forum. Make no mistake, this was a massive task with limited resources available. A great example of will power, tenacity, belief, and importantly never faltering optimism. Rudyard Kipling's words also spring to mind.......they begin,
If you can keep your head when all around are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when others doubt you..............

 

[maxcampbell]

Well done, all, great news. Now you can start "believing" in your "daydreams" again - (I don't really understand the difference between irony & sarcasm, but this is one in the eye for the knockers - if you see what I mean).

If you can do this, you can do the rest.

 

[steadyeddy]

Crisis,help needed urgently

Congratulations Graham a lot of hard work well done,hopefully not too much damage the weather should help drying it out .

 

[maxcampbell]

One can only say congratulations

Can one, well that's alright then....

 

[Daydream believer]

Can one, well that's alright then....

Well i could offer your services to clean the carpets.

 

[WestWittering]

So pleased for you both. Seems that it is 'not her time ' yet and I hope she goes on to give you both many more years of adventure. It will certainly be a tale for the grandchildren!

Di

 

[TradewindSailor]

Excellent news!!!! What a fine start to a Saturday morning in NZ.

Great big pumps ..... a ship only floats because you can pump out more than leaks in .... which also reminds me of a saying my grandfather was fond of "If you spend a penny more than you have coming in your a poor man; a penny less a rich one" ..... Now good luck on saving that engine!

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Brilliant news, well done.

I am just so impressed with your resolve I had to post to say so.

Diving in 6'' viz, needing 4 hands, freezing water !!!

He's very lucky to have a Dad like you

+1

 

[Avocet]

Well done sir! That's a truly warming tale! Do, please post some piccies when the dust (ok, mud!) settles!

Just a thought. A little way up the Wyre, near Skipool, there used to be a fair few old trawlers beached. Clearly your son is going to have even more work to do than before this happened. Might it be worth inquiring about a space there and beaching it for a while? It should save on berthing fees.

 

[vas]

very well done!

curious where you're going to get her for all the work to take place...
I guess its going to be months (although I guess it's going to be years!) working on checking/replacing planks, restoring decks, refiting, you name it, so must make sure you keep her in a convenient place near your sons home? Or is he planning to "camp" on her and work at the same time restoring? That's going to be tough.

cheers

V.

 

[SimbaDog]

Thats just nasty. Theres no need to say that at a time like this.


I hope you get her up and saved soon. Best of luck, you have my sympathy.....

Agreed

 

[Graham_Wright]

very well done!

curious where you're going to get her for all the work to take place...
I guess its going to be months (although I guess it's going to be years!) working on checking/replacing planks, restoring decks, refiting, you name it, so must make sure you keep her in a convenient place near your sons home? Or is he planning to "camp" on her and work at the same time restoring? That's going to be tough.

cheers

V.

Thanks for all the congratulations - the forum is full of friends in times of need.

The plan in the short term (i.e. couple of weeks) is to make good those places that need it and to seal the inter-compartment leaks which allowed the flood water to pass from the primary leak to the other compartments. We are more concerned about the propulsion machinery than we were as access to the engine cylinders sounds difficult. I understand Latestarter is an expert on the Cummins engine and await some advice from him. The Fleetwood lock keeper has suggested beaching her in the estuary at HW springs to offer more security against further sinking, and to allow more convenient access to the hull planking. Replacing planking that was dodgy together with caulking (Mark tells me the shipyards use mortar/concrete??!!) was always high on the list. Outside the dock, I believe, is free.

Once fit to go to sea, he/we will take her up to Inverness which is where his children are.

In terms of accommodation, we have spent several nights on board without any problems save for the double angle on the weather deck!
Had Mark been on the boat at the time of the incident, the sinking could have been avoided. The problem with "commuting" is the transit time - five and a half hours each way. It seems likely he will find work in Fleetwood as he has spent time on safety boats in the North Sea and is very capable with his hands. He has already been offered some refit work in Fleetwood.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks for all the congratulations - the forum is full of friends in times of need.

The plan in the short term (i.e. couple of weeks) is to make good those places that need it and to seal the inter-compartment leaks which allowed the flood water to pass from the primary leak to the other compartments. We are more concerned about the propulsion machinery than we were as access to the engine cylinders sounds difficult. I understand Latestarter is an expert on the Cummins engine and await some advice from him. The Fleetwood lock keeper has suggested beaching her in the estuary at HW springs to offer more security against further sinking, and to allow more convenient access to the hull planking. Replacing planking that was dodgy together with caulking (Mark tells me the shipyards use mortar/concrete??!!) was always high on the list. Outside the dock, I believe, is free.

Once fit to go to sea, he/we will take her up to Inverness which is where his children are.

In terms of accommodation, we have spent several nights on board without any problems save for the double angle on the weather deck!
Had Mark been on the boat at the time of the incident, the sinking could have been avoided. The problem with "commuting" is the transit time - five and a half hours each way. It seems likely he will find work in Fleetwood as he has spent time on safety boats in the North Sea and is very capable with his hands. He has already been offered some refit work in Fleetwood.

Very well done. I had been following your tale of woe and was delighted to read the news.

Concrete in the bilges is IMHO very much a last resort. It can be put into new boats where the planking is pristine and all is well, but you are covering up the problem and only making it worse for the future if you put cement/concrete into the bilge of a boat that needs proper repairing.

Calking cotton and Red Lead putty for calking is VERY CHEAP and the timber for replacing the strakes will be relatively cheap in the grand scheme of things. What wouldn't be cheap would be paying someone to do the job! However I have replaced strakes on a wooden boat and its a very satisfying job that needs relatively few tools. A rip saw, and/or a jig saw, and a power plane and some basic hand tools for woodworking are all that's required. You need some assistance to offer up the strakes if they are very long and heavy. You definitely need an assistant for the fastenings. Start another thread if you want to discuss the techniques?

Tingles and some extra calking until any really bad strakes can be replaced would be my suggestion. You've only got to get the hull and deck reasonably weathertight to keep the old girl floating properly.

If he gets her up to Inverness I'll even offer to come and give a hand as I like working on wooden boats. (Just don't like owning them any more!)

 

[Cookee]

Well done!

 

[Graham_Wright]

Very well done. I had been following your tale of woe and was delighted to read the news.

Concrete in the bilges is IMHO very much a last resort.
If he gets her up to Inverness I'll even offer to come and give a hand as I like working on wooden boats. (Just don't like owning them any more!)

Not concrete in the bilge - concrete for caulking! I can't believe it - it seems too rigid to me. However, Mark tells me that is not uncommon.

I heartedly agree about concrete in the bilge. If you do spring a bottom leak, how do you access it?

Thanks for the help offer, I'll pass it on.

Another useful input today was from a local friend. The chicken processing factory opposite mine, generates its own electricity using two 1Mw generators powered by Cummins KTA's. They are 12 cylinder (i.e. double Marks) but otherwise very similar. I have been offered a course today on removing an injector. Friend recommends draining the sump, refilling with oil, re-supplying with fuel (the deck tank floated away but can be retrieved), removing, washing and drying the starter motor and then cranking the engine. The water will be blown out and the disel and the luboil will clean the cylinders. Then re-assemble and run the engine under power.

We'll see. I have every faith!

 

[fisherman]

Friend recommends draining the sump, refilling with oil, re-supplying with fuel (the deck tank floated away but can be retrieved), removing, washing and drying the starter motor and then cranking the engine. The water will be blown out and the disel and the luboil will clean the cylinders. Then re-assemble and run the engine under power.

!

Woah there! I hope that includes taking the injectors out, if you crank it with water in the cylinders you'll hydraulic it.

 

[prv]

Not concrete in the bilge - concrete for caulking! I can't believe it - it seems too rigid to me. However, Mark tells me that is not uncommon.

I think people have stuffed all kinds of things into the sides of leaky old wooden boats

Tom Cunliffe wrote about someone hammering bundles of old welding rods into gaping seams, the idea being that they'd rust and swell (rust is seven times bigger than the steel it came from) and block the gaps. He did say he shuddered to think of it though

In all seriousness, if you haven't already I suggest you read the recent MAIB report on Purbeck Isle to see what can happen to worn out wooden boats, and why slapping on a few more tingles and some caulking can only be the most temporary of temporary solutions.

Pete