oldgit
Well-Known Member
to buy a new boat and go on your first voyage ?
Spend 2 years just trying to get somebody to look at your boat and give up. Spent money on new props.seats,covers, then first person to actually view, buys it.
Travel half way round the UK trying to buy something that is not a tired pile of overpriced smelly mouldy old rubbish.
Buy a boat.
Find somebody able to get your boat back home this side of winter.
Promise the road haulage company the boat will be ready on the slings to grab the boat and run...and he turns up to discover the the useless Marina has not even got the boat off its mooring.
Find that all the local marinas except one cannot put the boat into the water when you want it.
Find the useless marina who were incapable of getting the boat ready on time have done all sorts of minor damage to canopies and prop woodruff key.
Discover prop nuts and washers are well manky and all.
When you run up the engines in the lifting slings on launch,no water from one engine(stripped impellor) quick new impeller fit using a rusty pair of molegrips.
So creep round to RCC with temporary prop fit on one engine and unknown engine cooling situation on tother.
Arrange for new nuts and washers and arrange for boat to go on blocks along with digging out my bit of bar the make up new woodruff key.
On blocks and all new bits fitted in an hour or so.
Wait for tide to return.
On way out prop hit safety stantion and chain and chain that yours truly has forgotton to lower.
Bent blade can be heard whacking back of rudder blade.
Diving team,who just happen to be passing( no really) go down and report the bad news. Grrr.
Ahem. boat straight back on blocks to view damage,
Determind to get boat down to"Battle of Medway" on the following day. so round up club collection of 10Ib flogging hammers and set to work "dressing" the bent blade.
After much hammering and cursing which could be heard for miles around with a very unhelpful audience offering all sorts of useless advice,the job is done.If you stand about a mile away and squint the prop looks sort of alright.
Finger crossed as we go for little test run,seems sort of OK.
Off we go to the big event in the evening and try to drop anchor no luck.
Moor up on Murv, aquire his wifes large water cannon and spend entire evening soak all aboard Loop Lou.
Beautiful Sunday morning breaks bright and beautiful and go off for run down river.
22 knots at WOT and anchor works perfectly.
Thank you A1 boat transport for your patience and thank you Gillingham Marina for your excellent service.
Job done.
Thames next month,what can possibly go wr****g .
Spend 2 years just trying to get somebody to look at your boat and give up. Spent money on new props.seats,covers, then first person to actually view, buys it.
Travel half way round the UK trying to buy something that is not a tired pile of overpriced smelly mouldy old rubbish.
Buy a boat.
Find somebody able to get your boat back home this side of winter.
Promise the road haulage company the boat will be ready on the slings to grab the boat and run...and he turns up to discover the the useless Marina has not even got the boat off its mooring.
Find that all the local marinas except one cannot put the boat into the water when you want it.
Find the useless marina who were incapable of getting the boat ready on time have done all sorts of minor damage to canopies and prop woodruff key.
Discover prop nuts and washers are well manky and all.
When you run up the engines in the lifting slings on launch,no water from one engine(stripped impellor) quick new impeller fit using a rusty pair of molegrips.
So creep round to RCC with temporary prop fit on one engine and unknown engine cooling situation on tother.
Arrange for new nuts and washers and arrange for boat to go on blocks along with digging out my bit of bar the make up new woodruff key.
On blocks and all new bits fitted in an hour or so.
Wait for tide to return.
On way out prop hit safety stantion and chain and chain that yours truly has forgotton to lower.
Bent blade can be heard whacking back of rudder blade.
Diving team,who just happen to be passing( no really) go down and report the bad news. Grrr.
Ahem. boat straight back on blocks to view damage,
Determind to get boat down to"Battle of Medway" on the following day. so round up club collection of 10Ib flogging hammers and set to work "dressing" the bent blade.
After much hammering and cursing which could be heard for miles around with a very unhelpful audience offering all sorts of useless advice,the job is done.If you stand about a mile away and squint the prop looks sort of alright.
Finger crossed as we go for little test run,seems sort of OK.
Off we go to the big event in the evening and try to drop anchor no luck.
Moor up on Murv, aquire his wifes large water cannon and spend entire evening soak all aboard Loop Lou.
Beautiful Sunday morning breaks bright and beautiful and go off for run down river.
22 knots at WOT and anchor works perfectly.
Thank you A1 boat transport for your patience and thank you Gillingham Marina for your excellent service.
Job done.
Thames next month,what can possibly go wr****g .
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