Monkey Trousers

been there, done that, seen it an' all that!

structurally its not that bad, I've seen a lot worse in daily use!

if nowt else its a very cheap pile of firewood!
 
I have a dream to one day bugger off for a few years in a old MFV.

MTB on this forum had one called Danbrit.

There is a MFV called Lisa Marie with a Hundested engine, 14 inch bore and stroke, 2 lungs, I nearly bought it just for the engine!
 
Looked at a Tejo barge in Setubal cerca 1980. Guy wanted it to convert for liveaboard. 80ft. Single grown mast, also 80 ft. Enough wood to deck it over for the trip (only two fore and aft cuddies) Cotton sails in ok nick. This was to sail it down to the Spanish boarder on the south coast were the conversion was planned. Problem was, there are two sorts of hull form. One with a sort of rolled chine to keel, and the other, a flat bottomed hard chine. It was the latter, and we walked. Chances of getting it to the destination were less than even from the slamming.. Upside was, it was cheap firewood at £500.
A
 
While on the subject of old single and two cylinder slow speed engines, I used to know a lovely old Norwegian gaff schooner called Lista Light - this was in the 70's and early 80's when her previous-previous Owners lived on board her in Bequia for many years, and then sailed her back to Britain in 1980 where they were based in a mud berth just upstream of Kemps on the Itchen in Southampton.

More about her here at http://www.listalight.co.uk/boat.asp
The website doesn't mention that her pitchpine hull planking is all 3" thick......

Lista Light then had an amazing old Wichmann single cylinder beast that started on compressed air - it had its own engine room that took up the whole aft end of the boat, and a flywheel that weighed over a tonne. With a controllable pitch propeller that was adjusted using a manual wheel on a shaft sticking up through the deck by the main mast.
Like Ben graphically describes, she would say "G'donk...... g'donk.. g'donk." as she started and slowly picked up revs - and she blew amazing smoke rings......
This engine was friends only with Noel - only he could overcome her tempermental moods, and she certainly was demanding!
I crewed on her on a passage once, from Southampton to Plymouth at Easter '82 - we motored most of the way '"g'donk g'donk" and as we approached the Hoe at first light the next morning we passed by Atlantic Conveyor being loaded up in readiness for departure for the Falklands.....

Noel was quite a lad - he sailed Myth of Malham in the 1968 OSTAR, used to work for Marconi, did 4 transatlantics with Lista Light, could copy teletype morse in his head while carrying out a conversation with you, and (amongst many other inventions) developed the original Aptel digital RDF (does anybody remember these?).
He was probably one of the first to develop wind generators - in Bequia he had strings of bicycle dynamos with little propellers on them going up the stays and between the lot of them they contributed some healthy amps to the batteries.......
 
River Itchen is my neck of the woods but I dont recognise her.

Cant beleive they got rid of that big one lunger!

G'donk...g'donk...

I learnt to sail and row at the top of the Itchen in the late 70's, just above Cobden Bridge, St Denys Rowing Club, my old man has been a member for 50 odd years. When they did a load of work on the sewage works the pile driver went g'donk....g'donk....g'donk....
 
Bajansailor said:
Lista Light then had an amazing old Wichmann single cylinder beast that started on compressed air - it had its own engine room that took up the whole aft end of the boat, and a flywheel that weighed over a tonne. With a controllable pitch propeller that was adjusted using a manual wheel on a shaft sticking up through the deck by the main mast.
Like Ben graphically describes, she would say "G'donk...... g'donk.. g'donk." as she started and slowly picked up revs - and she blew amazing smoke rings......
Click to expand...

Hi Banjansailor - long time no see! I love semi-diesels and controllable pitch props. Perferably a quarter-prop installation! I loved reading about Lisa Maria and her Bolinda in Burgundyben's link - proper enthusiasts! But Wichmann? You've probably seen this link already, but it shows the control wheel - and brings back memories of the correct sounds - of a semi-diesel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBOJ779LtBM&feature=related

Bajansailor said:
...and could copy morse in his head while carrying out a conversation with you
Click to expand...

Proper stuff!

Best wishes
 
Ben, Lista Light was on the Itchen from summer 1980 until Easter '82, and then they sailed back out to the Caribbean, returning again in about '85, both times berthed at that wee yard just up from Kemps. I remember there used to be a very run down old Bristol Channel pilot cutter berthed further along the pontoon.
Further upstream, do you recall seeing a 30' Seadog ketch called Tresco Maid moored just downstream of St Denys railway bridge?
I used to go out rowing on the Itchen as well in the mid 80's, from the University rowing club up at Wood Mill.

Bill, thank you for the excellent link to that Wichmann one lunger going g'donk, g'donk! Just had to go through all the other links on the right as well.
 
Bajansailor said:
do you recall seeing a 30' Seadog ketch called Tresco Maid moored just downstream of St Denys railway bridge?

I used to go out rowing on the Itchen as well in the mid 80's, from the University rowing club up at Wood Mill.
Click to expand...

I dont remember the ketch, there's plenty of MAB's on that river.

I well remember the Steam Tug on the houseboat moorings too, I wonder what happened to her.

You've reminded me of the ice cream van at Woodmill. I rowed up there last year with the old man, we spotted a kingfisher in one of the creeks, I'll never forget the taste of Itchen water. Yuk!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

xyachtdave
Marine Engines Direct Limited
Replies
11
Views
847
xyachtdave
xyachtdave

Share this page

Top