Working Parties 12/16/17/18th March and 5/6th April
9/10th April 2005

A quick update on where the boats have got to in preparation for the new season.

This year, the boats need to be in good order for the AGM, as the weekend includes crew familiarisation boating on the Sunday. Accordingly these working parties were vital to getting the boats ready to go, so a big THANK YOU to all who came along and gave of their time, minds and muscles.

On Saturday 12th, some of the working party spent time on important jobs ready for the AGM weekend. Prime job was to collect the mattresses from Brook St, fit their covers and install on Kildare’s bunks. Other jobs included a bit of TLC – brasses and cushion covers in back cabin etc. Also part drain the water tanks. (plus of course the superb BCLM fish ‘n’ chip lunch - like no-one else can provide !!)
The other half of the working party towed President round to Caggy’s yard in Tipton, courtesy of one of the BCLM horses. President was then quickly put into the dry dock so that Ian Kemp could do work on the bow and replace some of the tingling (shoeing) which ripped off last season.
The demands on the dry dock are such that we had to book this time back in October, so it was important we used the time we had well.
On Wednesday 16th, around eight of us met up at the yard to do a quick hull blacking with two-part epoxy. This went really well and with a combination of rollers and brushes, plus plenty of willing hands, we had two coats on easily in the day.

In the latter half of the day, the Engineering department got busy preparing for another heavy day on the Thursday. The morning saw David S and me charging round the Black Country acquiring various bits of small and large plumbing and some threading equipment. The afternoon saw the first casualty in the shape of the auxiliary steam feed pipe which needed cutting and threading to take a new valve, So out it came (see pic), threads cut and then put back in, with the injector controls now to be at a much more manageable height, rather than grovelling on the plates.

The next smaller job was to thread some pipe to allow the Weir pump outlet to be re-directed under water, rather than dramatically soaking people on the tow path. Ian had cut the outlet in the hull the day before so the race was on to re-seal the hull before the dock was flooded in the afternoon.

I have to say threading 1” BSP malleable iron pipe (which is about 1.5” ) diameter with a manual threader, not only kept me (very) warm, but provided a few achy arm muscles the following day.

Finally, the arrangements for fitting the two main bearing lubricators at the top of the cylinder were completed and although we ran out of time to do the (small bore) pipe bending required, it was very close to complete.

Meanwhile Richard Prince was giving the cabin roof and sides a good clean down and George was fitting some new (??) Southern Railway chain to the whistle and then cleared the dock of tools, chocks and other bits and pieces.

Eventually we were ready to go and Ralph and Gordon of the yard flooded the dock and President floated free. However the drama was not all over as the boat refused to come out of the dock. The skeg was stuck on the cill of the dock and in the end we had to load about half a ton of coal on the bow of the boat to bring the stern up and get her out !!
As we cleared the dock, the tug Bittell hove into view and we were soon at Factory Locks, albeit having touched the bottom a few times with an empty boat and no boiler water in !!!

A bit of bow hauling up the locks, more tugging by Bittell and we were back at the Museum. It was very late so we did not have time to sheet President up, so we ended up doing it on Friday morning before wending our respective ways home.

Over Easter, David S had a worrying telephone call that President was making a lot of water and when inspected had water over the floorboards in the cabin. Excellent work by Brian and Bob of the BCLM limited the damage by pumping out President using a museum pump. Subsequent work found that our nearly new bilge pump had failed by virtue of the sealed motor enclosure becoming flooded despite it being a submersible pump !! The pump has been replaced and the new one is holding its own easily.

In addition it is thought that the bottom planks may have “worked” while in dry dock and caused an increased inflow of water (there is always some leakage in a wooden or composite boat).

Given the time since the re-build and last years heavy boating programme, we have had a recommendation from Ian Kemp that a systematic tightening of the chine bolts should be undertaken. These bolts secure the timber bottom to the metal sides. Hence the call for volunteers for 9th April to do that before loading coal and ballast.

A follow-up Engineering Department two days on April 5/6th saw :-

A Boiler inspector visit to do the “cold” inspection of the inside and outside of the boiler
The Injector re-fitted, together with the modified auxiliary steam pipe feed
The “manhole” cover in the top of the boiler re-inserted (heavy)
The safety valve re-fitted, having been sent away to be re-calibrated
New pipework completed for the re-mounted main bearing lubricators
The cylinder drain pipework re-routed (avoids a nasty burn when reaching round to oil the eccentrics)
New high level injector controls completed
The regulator handle re-mounted with an improved fixing to the regulator valve
The big end and main bearings inspected and re-fitted

New gauge glass drain pipes fitted
Engine hold down bolts tightened
Removal of the rear casting of the engine and insertion of a fourth engine hold down bolt (never fitted for some reason) These last two to help stop some engine “rocking” that was evident last season.

Remaining jobs before the AGM are:-

Refit the mud hole covers to the boiler
Fit the brand spanking new chimney (thanks George and Eddie)
Fill and Steam the boiler ready for the Boiler Inspector
Tighten Chine bolts
Load ballast
Load coal

Thanks again to all who helped along the way, it really doesn’t work unless the members find the time to give before the season starts – a great effort.

I look forward to seeing you either at the AGM or on the Cut

Bob Crompton