Saloon Roof Finished

Marvellous news on the saloon roof, at long last and after rain, snow, sleet, heavy rain and severe frosts, we have been able to replace the rotten plywood and fibreglass roof with a brand new one!! It's been one of those week long jobs that has actually taken a month to complete owing to the awful weather.

Many thanks to Mike Rees for coming over from sunny (or should we say snowy/flooded) Somerset to help lay the fibreglass sheathing with good military style. Another visitor of note was a nameless lady from Wales who is also a member of the paddle steamer preservation society. She came on a rather dull day in terms of work to be done and cheered me up immensely with her upbeat and positive attitude. I don't know about anyone else, but there is nothing like the welsh lilt to brighten up y'day!

Work now begins on the hatches and saloon doors to make the whole structure sound and watertight before we start on the long hard job of cleaning the bilges and reinstating the boiler and ancilliaries that make the old girl chug along!

If you're still waiting for the volunteers pub get together, panic not ye olde steam fans, we will get invites out shortly-just as soon as the boat is ready for you to attack with mallets!

Attached to this post are photos of the manky old roof being removed and the brand spanking new roof going on!

Cheery Bye for Now,

The Skip

Nearly Volunteer Time

The saloon roof's off and the boat looks appalling, but we reckon she's lost a HELL of a lot of weight, which will improve performance no end! Basically there was not one part of the roof that wasn't entirely rotten so it's a great thing that it's finally gone.
Work has not been progressing very well of late due to the awful weather that we've been having and all concerned are very narked off that we haven't had the chance to get our teeth stuck in as normal. Never mind, I'm assured that re-roofing is a simple and straightforward job, albeit weather dependent and fiddly...good job I'll be on tea duty as the skip and woodwork do not mix!
The parts necessary for the boiler will be purchased this coming Tuesday, and so we should be looking to crane the lumpy old beast back in very shortly. Once the boiler and roof are back on then we can finally let the volunteers come aboard and lend a hand-until then it is just too dangerous to allow strangers to the boat on deck.
Some more great news is that Monarch will be going on holiday in May to the Portsmouth celebration of steam-she won't be gone for long though, just the weekend....so here's hoping we don't book a charter in by accident in the meantime! As always, thanks have to go to Rob Kingswell for being on hand for haulage. Fab as Monarch is as a sea boat, any rough chop and she'll be stuck in Pompy so it's a trip out by low loader again!

Until next time steam fans,

The Skip

Grim News in the Saloon!

Not only has our carpentry king got the paddle boxes and deck to make...he now has to effectively rebuild the saloon! After much digging and poking in preparation for the new engine room housing, a lot of the supporting posts have been found to be rotten and beyond repair. Therefore we have decided that there is no choice but to bring the renewal of the saloon roof forward-it must be done as soon as possible if we are to stay on target for an April start to the season, oh eck missus!
Volunteers are really starting to pour in, and if you're reading this and I haven't got around to talking to you yet, I'm trying to contact everybody individually at the moment and it will take a long time as most of the day is spent on the good ship.
As soon as we know where we stand with the saloon I shall let you all know on here, lets hope and pray for fine weather as I can smell epoxy in the air........... ;o)

The Skip

Layup Going Well Despite the Cold

Well, the bottom of the hull has been treated to 5 coats of primer and 5 coats of black tar varnish before Monarch gets covered in her new bright red antifoul so there shouldn't be any rust on her for a good few years now! It's funny how much smaller she looks out of the water, but I can assure you that there is still a lot of her to paint!
I have been busy down in the bunkers cleaning out 25 years of slime, grease and unmentionables ready for painting and I hope for this to be finished very shortly. It is very dark and cramped down there, a most unpleasant job but well worthwhile. This season's layup is all about securing her future and carrying out preventative work, so I shouldn't complain really...it could be worse!
The boiler inspector is coming on the 15th Jan and work on the modifications is about to start courtesy of Len Pullinger from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway who will be overseeing the manufacture of a taller steam dome and lines to prevent the engine from priming...something that has plagued us during the 2008 season. Len really is an unsung hero for Monarch, when we considered bringing her to the Island we asked him if he would look after her should things go horribly wrong and I don't think that anybody could have ever forseen just how much assistance he would eventually provide!! Sometimes it's just a couple of hours workshop use at the railway, others a comforting second opinion and then the occasional bit of total hands on craftsmanship by him!! I would urge all readers of this blog and users of the Monarch to support the railway, especially as the boiler fund for Calbourne has been started up again. By supporting Len and his crew you are in some way helping the Monarch as well!
There are a few Friends of Monarch coming through now, but we need more!! If you only feel able to pop aboard for an hour a week and do a bit of polishing or want to go the whole hog and join me to crew the boat-you are most welcome! To be honest, you don't even have to DO anything by being a friend, just join up and let us annoy you every now and then with an update on the boat and get invited to 'exclusive' (!) get togethers in the pub!

Until next time,

The Skip

Monarch to get new forward deck!

Hoorah, I'm pleased to announce that sufficient wood has been sourced to plank the forward deck! Regular passengers will, I have no doubt, appreciate that the original (temporary) GRP deck was, although safe and sound, not the prettiest aspect of the boat.
I look forward to seeing the results of the new decking next season!

The Skip

The hull is now almost totally primed and we're just waiting on Dave from Brent Marine to work his magic on fairing the hull...something that takes him just a minute compared to anybody ese's frantic efforts! Apart from one slightly leaky weld which showed up after the sandblasting, everything is looking good for work to progress to the next stage which is yet more preparation before topcoats are applied-I'm told it's going to be worth the wait!
We're lucky enough this year to have obtained sponsorship from Teamac who manufacture some of the finest paints that I have ever had the pleasure of using. Last year we used a market leading brand (which shall remain nameless) and apart from it falling off in clumps we were dragging a green beard behind us bushier than Alistair Darling's eyebrows. So this year we decided not to use any old muck on the hull and we hope that the new paint system will stand the punishment that Monarch will no doubt inflict upon it!
The leaky weld that I mentioned before has been ground out and re welded by Andros Engineering. I was relieved to see that the area in question was only the redundant/never used hull pocket condenser on the port side and was a seam which might have affected the actual hull plating. We shall monitor issues such as this on a regular basis, but all surveys and professional advice so far tells us that the overall condition of the hull is excellent....phew!
Fingers crossed now that we come across a sufficient quantity of Mahogany to plank the foredeck so as to mach the aft deck in time for the 2009 season; we really do want to see that aspect of the project completed as it will add so much to the presentation of the vessel.
Nothing much to report on the remodelling of the engine room as yet, but we do hope to begin the rebuilding within the next couple of weeks.

One request please to those who have been trying to visit the Monarch whilst she is laid up for the winter. The boatyard is a working environment and there is heavy machinery moving around all of the time. I know that for supporters of the boat it is very interesting to visit and see the work that is underway-but please don't! Try and wait until next year when she is returned to the water as this is safer for everyone. If you want to see her in the meantime, the only way would be to volunteer some of your time and help us get the work done on time.

Until the next time old chaps and chapesses,

TTFN

The Skip

Latest News

Well, we've sandblasted the hull and everything looks fabulous! Now that Monarch is nice and smooth the painting takes far less time and the finish will be amazing!
Work starts now to re-fair the hull and begin the laborious task of 5 coats of primer, followed by 3 coats of undercoat and 4 coats of topcoat....plus a good 6 coats of black tar and antifoul below the waterline! As you can see....rust aint welcome on monarch!!

We have taken down the wall in the switchroom to make the engine room more accessible and visable for passengers, a new wall will go into the saloon with larger windows to make the steam engine far more of a centrepiece as until now she has been mainly ignored by many of the punters!

More wonderful news is that a small ships telegraph...or more precisely an engine room repeater is to be installed for the 2009 season to give the boat a lovely ring-a-ding-a-ding sound!!

2009 passengers will see a huge imrprovment to the previously rather tired engine room and wee look forward to some feedback from it.

I notice that the blog is being read by quite a few people now, and would really like it if some of you would introduce yourselves by replying to my posts...it would make writing these things far more interesting from my point of view!

Ohh, and if you want to volunteer on the Monarch for next year's season, please send your details through to info@medinamonarch.co.uk and you can be added to the list!

Hope to hear from you all soon!!

The Skip

Season ends abruptly

The new bearing that we put in for the layshaft looks a bit dodgy....do we take it out and put the boat to bed or do we risk it? Basically the oil seal has come away exposing the ball race-last time the layshaft played up it broke the bearing housings, bent the pump shaft and caused us to remove both feed and air pumps from the system for a while...not something that we want to repeat! Seeing as we take paying passengers we have to be sensible, even though it will involve letting people down.

Had to cancel one charter as a result, felt very bad about it as it was going to be a total surprise birthday present for her husband. We'd rather cause a bit of upset than be the cause of a drama though!

The bearings supplier has been very reasonable though, it agrees that it is just a dodgy piece of kit and a replacement is winging its way accross. We think that the boat is telling us that she's cold and wants to get out of the water now, so plans are being made to get that done.

This winter we need to plank the foredeck, tidy up the saloon and have a bit of a rethink of the engine room. We've just taken off the float chamber and converted her to manual feed water control to stop the engine from priming when the boiler is slightly over full-this seems to be working well.

Newport is by far the best place for us to operate from and come next year we will be basing ourselves there permanently-ok so it's tidal, at least we'll have extra time for maintainence...plus there is an awfully good pub near the harbour; yum yum.

Also, stop press!!

Lots of punters have been coming up to the boat and giving us donations towards running costs-great I hear you say, except that we're not a charity and it does look rather bad to be accepting gifts such as that without being one. Therefore, as if by magic, a new charity is to be formed...Ta Daaaaaah!

Friends of Monarch will administrate the capital expenditure required to keep Monarch in steam, will help market the boat and also help improve access to the river on which she operates. At last, something legitimate for donations to be given to.

Our first campaign is quite boringly a new boiler fund, we need more and dryer steam with which we will be able to run like a banshee down the Medina with frightening reliability! We are looking to raise £16,000 and any donations or offer of assistance will be cheerily received!

And now we stumble again into the winter layup work....I wonder if they make mulled beer yet?

Monarch and Waverley

Amazing, after a good long time of Monarch running smoothly and with no problems we've managed to get out to sea!!

Who would have thought that after this miserable summer we'd have such glorious September weather! The sea was flat calm and we pottered around Bramble Bank for a while with a full load of passengers waiting for Waverley to appear.

I had a few tears at my position on the wheel as we blew whistles at each other with more than a faint realistion that our whistle is louder than theirs!!!

All had a great time, hope to be able to do it again!

Cowes Week

How disappointing, even after a big splash in the county press no one wanted to come on a paddle steamer for cowes week-in Newport recently we have been getting full boat loads, but down here there just isn't any trade. Lots of pictures taken, but without punters we may as well stick a diesel engine in Monarch and leave it at that.

Alan Titchmarsh

Hooray for us!!

OK, so she didn't work immediately......

Our High Sheriff, Alan Titchmarsh (not a namesake....the actual one) was booked to join the Monarch at East Cowes Marina with some of his other civic chums to launch the Isle of Wight Walking festival. We couldn't get the blinking boiler feed pump to prime after fitting a super duper new filter to the feed line. Luckily Richard Morris from Thetis Taxis passed by and bought us some time by offering to pick him and his mates up and bring them to Island Harbour-if we managed to get Monarch working by then then they could jump off and join us, if not then he would take them into Newport. Guess what......

WE DID IT!!!!

Much whistle blowing and excitment from Carol (our MP's other half) and we landed our precious cargo at Newport Quay. We didn't tell them it was our first time as we think they'd have abandoned us!!

They sauntered off to make speeches and be posh, and we made preparations to leave.

She broke down again.

Luckily, Richard came up to Newport for a bit of a nose and he gave us a tow back to Binfield. Alan was making a speech so I don't think anyone noticed!!!!!!


Work continues.......

Problems Problems

We've gone for several runs during which we have had the layshaft bevel gears come free (they were never tightened up in Kent), the water pump filter get blocked which gave us a low water situation resulting in burner cut out (thanks to Sally Taxis who helped us out whilst we drifted for a bit during which time Ian cleared the filters and pumped the boiler up by hand....he's good at that) and everything that holds water leaking.
We'll never be able to carry passengers at this rate!!

We've already had to cancel a couple of charters.

Work goes on....

Electrics

To put it mildly, I have been miffed. The electrical control box melted the other week and I have rewired, and slightly redesigned the way the Monarch works.

The builder came down to help a little, which is what he did and we seem now to be back online. Was very hard work as we were working at odds to each other, I wanted to improve the circuits whilst he wanted them as they were....all ended amicably over a pint in the Anchor!

We've moved the control box out of the engine room which I think is a great improvement-it did used to look a little like an old fashioned coin operated electric meter, one might wonder if the paddles would stop turning if the 50p ran out!

The Launch

Well the press launch went very well, we had a couple of guys down from the radio, one from ITV and the team from Cowes Online. I've spoken to the Editor of http://www.cowes.co.uk/ quite a few times, but have never met him-so it was nice to finally put a face to a name (was hard to see his face I must admit; he's about 8 miles tall and I just about come up to his knees!). The Austin 7's car club came out in force, and a small locomotive was on display courtesy of IW model engineers. All lovely, except for the bloody wind which killed the marquee and any chance of sailings....indeed the awful weather prevented the boat from being fully finished in time either! Hopefully we'll get out in her soon!

boiler test 2

After much silver soldering on Ian's part and lots of tightening, repacking and servicing (all of which we were told had been bloody done) the boiler finally passed. Not with flying colours I must add, as there were still some minor fizzles from a couple of new joints but we'll let them cool down and tighten them a little tomorrow.

At least we've got a certified boiler before launch day!!

Weather is looking appalling for the event itself though!

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!

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!

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!

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....

Plumbing

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

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*

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!

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!

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!

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.