Salvage Squad

[Deep_6]

I watched The Salvage Squad on TV the other week and they were doing up a Thames Barge, I was surprised when they used expanding foam filler (DIY shop stuff) for caulking deck and hull.
Correct me if Im wrong - but this stuff retains moisture in damp conditions and will lead to rot in the near future.

D6

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[Talbot]

Whatever gave you the impression that these guys were actually interested in doing a professional job of restoration rather than a bodge job that would look OK to the majority of folks on TV who havent got a clue.

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[Peterduck]

It's a bit like the old journalist's creed; never let the truth stand inthe way of a good story! In television, there is a need to appear to have succeeded, and the lengths that TV people will go to to create this appearance are quite rermarkable. You will note that I have only referred to an appearance; the facts may be quite different.
Peter.

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[philae44]

I am into road steam as well as classic boats.
The one with the rebuild of the steam roller was a joke, It was totally incredible what they were showing. What really annoyed was the impression that the whole job could be done in a matter of a week or two. The viewers know no better and will be inclined to take this as factual, the rest of us know the truth.

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[halcyon]

Glad to see like fellows on this programm, trouble is it gives engineering a bad name, must be the biggest bodgers going.

Brian

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[whiskerstay]

I didn't see the programme - forgive me for asking a pretty stupid question, but are we talking about a real Thames Sailing Barge here?

Surely, using expanding foam filler on a sailing barge would be a desecration punishable by death?! What is wrong with people?

/<

<hr width=100% size=1>"Stop mucking about, darling, and get the bloody mud weight over."

 

[BrendanS]

The programme is on Channel 4 at 20:00 tomorrow (Monday 15th) for scrutiny of expanding foam usage

<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate

 

[Blue_Blazes]

I only watched one of this series. It quickly became apparent that it was a sort of transport version of "Changing Rooms". I half expected "Handy Andy" to pop up with a couple of sheets of MDF. As said already on this thread, gives a totally unrealistic impression of the time and effort required to restore things properly. As if there weren't enough "unfinished projects" falling apart around the place!

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[ongolo]

Interestinh one,

I of course cannot watch your programs, but we had a similar BS on our TV made by foreigners who claimed they walked and hiked in Namibia.

Problem was, they were in the Fish River Canyon (second largest after Grand Canyon) at sunrise and slept at night at Epupa Falls, a small distance 1500km or more.

Not bad going for a days hiking. It is one thing to show that production in Europe, but not here with us who know the country.

regards ongolo



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[Deep_6]

Yes it was a real Thames barge, previous owners been an East Coast grain merchant - Pauls I think was their name.
Standby for many Maydays around the coast as innocent DIYers with suspect caulking head seaward, it could have been worse - they might have used Poly Filler!

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[Gordonmc]

I did see a previous episode where the "victim" was a steam launch they were getting ready for a rally on Windemere.
They had to caulk every seam of the carvel hull and found a quick way of laying the cotton. I was fairly pleased when the owner came along and ripped out a foot or so of the cotton... then made them take it all out and start from scratch, twisting it properly.
Of course this because a real drama for our heroes.
Another odd aspect of the programme was the grief and angst of the engineer bloke who decided he had to lathe a boss for the propshaft taper to fit the prop. Getting the right prop for the shaft would have been a better solution... but hey!

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[Sniper]

The 'Barge' programme is, of course, a repeat along with the rest of the series. She is the 'Ena', owned by Pauls Malt until a couple of years or so ago and then bought by Luke Deards. When Pauls sold her, she was OKish, but needing work (I sailed on her a few times in the final years of Pauls' ownership) Water over the ceiling was not uncommon. So there was a lot to be done. The work shown on the programme was just the tip of the iceberg of what needs to be done. I suspect the embarrasing expanding foam incident was done just to try and keep her afloat long enough for the trial sail. Rumour has it that once the filming was over, Robert Deards took her straight back into a dry dock before she sank. I imagine that rather more serious and better planned restoration work is going on now; the television programme was just a stunt, presumably to attract interest in the barge and thus possible funding.

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[Gordonmc]

I watched the programme last night and on the whole it was fairly benign. Even the uninitiated would realise that the TV crew was only there to give a hook to the programme. Their contribution was pretty meagre, given the huge efforts of the owner and his mates.
But it did highlight the plight of many traditional sailing "lorries" left to rot away. It also managed to demystify some saily business, which is no bad thing.
On balance, interesting and entertaining. And what about that floating dry dock made out of a hulk!
I want one.

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[AndrewB]

I thought benign too, with some lovely camera shots of the Ena being worked and sailing down the Blackwater (was it?).

It was rather a pity to watch them ripping bits off other hulks, and put out the wrong message about salvage. By today's standards, some of those hulks looked restorable.

 

[whiskerstay]

The floating Dry Dock thing has been used before, I seem to remember they were looking at a similar rig for Cambria - two Thames Lighters welded together or something similar.

<hr width=100% size=1>"Stop mucking about, darling, and get the bloody mud weight over."

 

[Sniper]

Jonathan Webb uses one very succesfully at Pin Mill. Its made out of two old LASH lighters. Biggest barge in there has been the 'Hydrogen'. Incidentally, if you want ingenuity, Jonathan is your man. He's currently making an excellent job of rebuilding 'Melissa', one of Horlocks 'ironpots'. To get her into a place where he could work on her (his yard) Jonathan constructed a massive trolley and pulled her up the hard. (Somewhere I think I've got some pictures) When she's finished, she'll be relaunched the same way.

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[robind]

Hey! dont you knock polyfilla used mixed with finnigans its great for caulking )))

Happy Christmas all
Rob

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