Friday, February 29, 2008

boiler test

Well, she failed.

Previous owners never serviced the guage glasses and inspection of the pipework to the float chamber has uncovered an awful truth; domestic copper pipe with compression fittings being used to carry full pressure steam from the boiler to the floats.

Basically, when asked I could not isolate the guage glass cocks sufficiently and the boiler inspector (even though he's been looking at the boiler for the last 5 years) has never bothered to ask what was under the lagging re: pipes to the float chamber. I'm cross and so is he.

Back to work!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Lift in

Shes in now, looks marvelous, even though we have still not managed to get the paddle boxes on-never mind should be easy enough on the water. Boiler tester is coming shortly-very tense!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Hull

Ian's birthday weekend-loads of people have turned out to help, Debby and I are getting ready to finish the hull painting, the aft lockers and seats are basically in, Christine has come to help with Laura and work continues to progress quickly.

We painted the paddles bright red today, they look fabulous-the bearings aren't bad either. All of the nuts and bolts are rusted in place and there is a messy weld on one of the feathering arms-I think next winter they will need some attention.

Nigel Rowe arrived today to properly set the burner up, there is no smell of diesel from the funnel now and the smoke and lumps of soot that caused so many problems in Kent are gone...I feel rather smug! Nigel seems a helpful enough guy...even though he persists in calling me Matty (I hate being called Matty) - much lip biting today!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Hull

Work has started to the outside of the hull.

Debby and i have found great pleasure in the breathing in of 'Primacon' fumes-magnificent stuff. We've been under the boat for about 5 hours, it felt like 20 minutes; all the time giggling talking rubbish and being very childish to passers by.

Got a headache now though....

Monday, February 11, 2008

Plumbing

Oh my God, everything needs tightening, replacing, ripping out-the lot! An April start is not looking possible, but fingers crossed hey?

Friday, February 8, 2008

First Steaming

The new burner has been bolted in, the float chamber has been attached to the boiler (this makes the water level control automatic...it looks like something that's fallen off a spin dryer though!) and we have managed to raise steam for the first time!
Ian took great pleasure in being the first to blow the whistle on the Isle of Wight!
There seem to be leaks EVERYWHERE on the plumbing, that's tomorrows job to look at...can't help but think all of this was supposed to have been done already *slaps wrist*

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

refit

Forward deck is rotten, far too rotten to keep. Ian thinks that now the wood has had time to dry out it has shrunk. A big construction type person came aboard to have a look at the engine and it was bowing under his weight....it has got to go, and quickly. Debbie's other half, Dave has promised to relay the fordeck with fibreglass for this year-at least it won't rot again and will be safe for passengers!

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Refit

Debby and I have got the aft deck 'void' treated with anti rust paint and have cleaned out all of the duck mess, black goo and leaf litter that accumalated in every hidden part of Monarch. Bloody backbreaking!

Ian is working hard on rebuilding the wooden seating, deck and supports to replace what has been taken out. Luckily the aft deck plate came out in one piece so that a template can be made.

Barry, the cameraman is still here ever day-he reckons that he'll stay until the job is done as he thinks a half decent documentary could be made out of this...we'll see! He's a lovely guy, and he's got plenty of funny stories to keep us amused!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Refit

The aft deck, the lovley aft deck, the best bit of the boat, the only piece that we knew for sure would be ok to leave.......well it's buggered! The plywood substrate is totally gone and mould is hanging off of it like an amazonian spiders web.

Barry Jones, the ITV cameraman who came to film Monarch coming off of the ferry has been coming to see how work is getting on EVERY DAY!! Debby from Brent Marine has also been coming every day, can't really believe that she is prepared to help rebuild the steamer for free; to be honest we don't really know her that well but it seems as though she's been around forever already! She had bad news given to her the day we started ripping lumps out of the boat insofar as her Dad was found dead, I guess she's working off the grief-dunno, but she works like a bloody trooper and she is great entertainment!

Aft deck is ripped out now, as well as the seats and lockers, looks like a bigger job than any of us could have imagined!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Refit

The paddle boxes are buggered, we've srtripped all of the wood off and found loads of sodden car body filler. It looks like the foredeck needs some attention too!

Bad news on the burner-it doesn't work, I've been dispatched to find a new one.