A few days ago another ‘blast from the past’ hit me.

An email winged its way into my post box from a chap who had read something about my meeting John Prime’s cousin aboard the Edith May last February. John owned the spritsail barge Gipping during my childhood and I’d met him when May Flower was in Maldon for repairs in 1964.

http://nickardley.com/barges-a-small-world/

Anyway, I’ve since put the two ‘lost souls’ in contact. And too, John wishes me to make contact. I would have been a boy of 9 at the time of our temporary home in Maldon. I have always remembered the barge: she was a sailing home, like our own home.

Most of the other barges were largely freshly rerigged and used as yachts – the charter trade hadn’t really started at that point in time. Some others had been in use as pleasure vessels for a little longer, such as Ardeer, Marjorie, Millie, Maid of Connaught and Saltcote Belle. Another, the Anglia, was also a sailing home too.

Only one of these names survives. She is the Marjorie… And in fact the last survivor from the 1962 Thames and Medway barge matches!

Happy Days!

My good mate has been on a post retirement (it being a short while since, now…) exercise in looking at things stowed away in the loft… Working on the general theory that stuff that gravitates to that section of one’s abode, hasn’t any real further use, that is, except for boating stuff that is in winter storage!

I have to admit, some boxes that found their way ‘below’ contained items dating back to my college days. Wow! There’s more to sift through…

Going through a box of trivia, the mate’s, we came across some old pictures. Why they were stowed where found will always be a mystery however. They fell from an envelope and fluttered to the deck… They were of Whimbrel dating back to our first season.

The pictures were taken by a group of people on a boat waiting to go through Kingsferry Bridge at the same time as we were. I seem to remember that they were sent, long after I’d returned to sea after my leave period. This goes back to my time with the Royal fleet Auxiliary…

Later, at Queenborough, the group rowed over and asked if they could have a look at the boat: she was barely two months old at the time!

Whimbrel in the Swale in 1984… Note the lack of kicker to stop boom lift. This was dealt with by end of season, and my season ended when I was called back to sea…

One chap wanted to know why gripfast nails hadn’t been used to fasten the boat up … instead of copper clenched fastenings. I tried to explain, but even to this day I can remember it all being lost on the poor soul! It was then that one of the group promised to send us some pictures, which he kindly did…

What is interesting about all of this is the bucket. We didn’t have a VHF in our early days and still relied on ‘old fashioned’ methods of communication. At Kingsferry the time honoured means of making your intentions known for a transit was the humble dip bucket. In days further down the line that bucket would have had other uses too!

When Whimbrel was young…

There are many places where time honoured systems were used … one wonders how many still are, and too, how many of today’s sailors know of these old tricks.

Thinking of this I wonder if all pilot books still make a note of such methods: there will still be water users without a VHF … the mobile phone has by-passed some of those needs, but do they know how to do it…?

My father used to tell me about using the dip bucket to get Benfleet Bridge to lift … of course now it is fixed!

Hey ho…

Last week I went went over to Faversham  with the good mate to board our good ship and bring her home. Our ‘boy’ kindly delivered us on the Sunday afternoon.

After the boat’s launch there had been a leak, but it had ‘gone’ the yard told us, and that appeared to be the case…

We spent the afternoon getting the mainsail back on and sorting out various things. The mate had another wipe round below too whilst supplying mugs of tea.

Then on a bright Monday afternoon we departed … setting sail as we left.

Sailind down past the old hard below Iron Wharf…

It was a pleasant trip out, with only a little engine needed at times. We spotted two wildly waving people, a Finesse friend and his partner, on the sea wall near the Shipwrights Arms, a little above Oare Creek – they were taking pictures!

Negotiating the Nagden bend…

Whimbrel photographed from sea wall by Tim Mulcahy & partner – lovely!

And out into the open…

All seemed to be well as we sailed out of the creek and jogged down against the young ebb to a buoy, by then under mainsail alone. The mate expertly lifted the line aboard as I luffed up to it. Nicely done, after our ‘long’ break away from such things…

Some while later, whilst pumping up the heater fuel tank, I realised we’d taken water. Earlier there had been a little dampness … I pumped it out. It was obvious that we had a little trickle at the back of out centre plate box, down by the rabbit joint. Too late to call the yard… Clearly mud had filled the seepage, stopping it. Movement had washed it away.

Sunset…

In the early hours I was up, twice, giving the bilge a pump out.

As early as I thought best, I called the yard. The yard, without hesitation, called us back in!

Then we sat out the morning in the cold instead of heading out round Shell Ness bound for home. It was a windless Swale, so, whilst awaiting that tide, we couldn’t even go for a warming sail!

The good little ship is now out of the water, today: she’d been neaped, with her box sides off again…

When I get the full reason as to why, I’ll post: this will surely be of use to all Finesse 24 owners, especially.

During the week our good little ship was gently lowered down the slipway at Alan Staley’s yard in Faversham. The mast was up with just her shrouds needing to be tensioned.

We had been over to take the final bits needed for our passage back home, when the weather permitted! I must say, it was a good feeling to see the old girl looking this way: we have all missed those winter sails … boat, mate and me! An old boy down my sailing club made a touching comment last week too: he said, “We’ve missed you down here…” Ah yes!

Cabin ready for sea…

The shipwright who did the donkey work inside the boat sidled up and nattered about his respect for the Finesse 24’s structure, he added, “She’s a fine boat … very well built” He has been astounded at the single lengths of timber used in her structure – something Alan Platt (builder) prided himself with…

Another of the yard’s staff, a lass, enjoyed a Finesse 24 some time back when her family owned one. She grinned with delight being aboard one again: it was her job (apart from me getting in the way…) to carry out a bilge inspection.

So, here are a few shots of Whimbrel’s first yard launching since her build in 1983 and launch in April 1984.

At the top of the slip when we arrived…

About to go…

Going in…

Nearly there…

Afloat…

And riding nicely…

She leaked a bit, but within a day has gone tight, Alan has told me …  “…she didn’t need any pumping this morning…” he’s said. Shrouds have been set up (they’ll need retensioning surely: they’re new) and boom is fitted.

All being well she’ll be sailed back to the south Essex shore early next week: there seems to be a week of ‘fine’ weather coming, how apt is that after the windy winter, so far…

I’m sure the creeks around have missed her swishing by, the bit between her teeth and with a trail of foaming bubbles in her wake… The brent geese better beware!

Copied from The Sea-change Trust Site…

Contract awarded to build new sailing barge

The Sea-Change Sailing Trust works with young people with learning difficulties, vulnerable adults, those suffering social exclusion as well as young people interested in learning traditional sailing skills. We are a RYA Training and Sailability Foundation Centre and an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

In order to further widen the range of activities available we have been fundraising to build a new steel sailing barge. She will be a replica of an original named Blue Mermaid, which was lost during the Second World War and was the last sailing barge built during their heyday, in 1930.

The contract to build the hull and deck has been won by Polruan based boatyard C Toms and Son, a long established builder of steel vessels and construction will start during the next few weeks. Following this she will be towed to Maldon later in the year for rigging and fitting out.

Blue Mermaid will enable us to offer more sea time than is currently available with the barges we rent. She will be engine less so will operate in a very low carbon environment. She will additionally have the ability to carry cargo under sail and to offer trainees the opportunity to consider maritime careers.

Sea-Change appreciates the support of both the Rt Hon John Hayes MP, Minister for Transport and Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

See: http://www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk/

And: http://www.ctomsandson.co.uk/

All I can add is my, and the mate’s, sincere good wishes for the new ship’s good future, may it be long and fruitful: she’ll be doing a job  essentially outside the original barge’s design expectations in that she’ll not only carry cargo, but do so with trainees aboard, bonding and achieving something constructive together…

Well, wonders will never cease: my kid sister, a pleasing young lady of good disposition, called and asked if I was gong to the London Boat Show… She was going up with friend Steph for a chat with two flotilla organisations, in readiness for September and next year when my little sister hits 60 too! Yes, that’s right, I went too…

The good mate came along too, only because she could have a bit of a natter to the girls: on the whole, apart from a few stands she couldn’t see what it was all about, there again, neither could I really.

I did go aboard a couple of craft – one is shown below. She’s a modern skimming dish with one of those keel types that are currently under investigation. I didn’t like the chine … or the fit of a bow thruster: the hull pad sat proud of hull line with a ‘gap’ all round – a turbulance spot, surely! You can just see it in the picture…

New boat, I don’t think so. On the way aboard, over an opening wide enough and close enough to the double wheels, just right to accidentally jettison a hoard of little children, I showed my bilge paint marked hands to the little flipity gibit holding the fort – she asked what we had … I explained … then about having ballast keel bolts done… My mate, in the background called out, “She’s a proper boat…” Well, what could I have possibly added!

The girls were looking at this boat because they have plans to do a bit of scampering around the British Virgin Islands again… The company they’ve used before uses this class of boat…

On the way to this stand we’d stopped off at a retailer flogging GPS machines. Now my old thing has been problematic in that the back connections are ‘iffy’ and it goes dead just when you don’t want it to. Sailing oboard my friend Richard’s fine Westerly 34 in the autumn on a run down from Woodbridge, I was impressed with the contraption he has mounted by his big stainless steering wheel, especially when the world closed in during some heavy drizzle… So I’ve been doing a bit of homework – mate seemed happy…

We wandered, here and there, but generally to a plan worked out over a coffee before we went in. We passed a number of pretty little motor boats – little potterers.

This is an Intercruiser 28 – didn’t have a price tag on view, but looked the business for river and estuary pottering.

Now this little thing with a simulated clinker seemed made for our son, his aunts confidently stated, giggling a little!

It was about this time that we ambled away from the mass of shining plastic to find a wee libation, just one, I hasten to add. I was asked what I thought of the GPS’s I’d had a play with… “Still thinking…” I said, grinning.

On our wander round towards one of the charter desks we passed a few lovely sailing tenders and day boats … I had to stop and take them in: here were a few real boats, even if some had GRP hulls – they were oozing with varnished wood and sex appeal.

Tofinou 9.5, I believe. What a super looking thing. Just the job for a geezer looking for a return to a little of his boyhood thrills again – with a younger crew, what a thing to play with…

Ah, now here’s my sort of thing entirely – part of the crabber range, so expensive! She’s a 12 footer or was it a 14… The Crabber 24 was around £95,000 – think I’ll keep my trusty Finesse 24 which does actually have decent accommodation, including a separate toilet compartment!

Now this is a thing of beauty. She was on the same stand as a Dauntless Motor Boat (No connection to the old Dauntless Company – just the yard). She’s an International 12, constructed of Larch on Sapele with a sapele top plank. This boat was available for £7000 – a boat show saving on the normal price of £9250…

Here is a cracker from Anglia Yacht Brokerage – The Roach Dinghy… She’s 3m or 10′ with a nice lug sail – not unlike my own tender. Loved it! At £2950 inclusive of the VAT, for the basic boat she’s good value. There were various extras including floorboard and oars… This is where it starts to rack up…

Oh yes, that first stand. I did go back and today a little parcel arrived…

Mate got in (just now) and said, “Oh, I see your new toy’s arrived…”

In my last post I raised some keel bolt thoughts: Whimbrel is currently out of the water at Alan Staley’s yard in Faversham, Kent, undergoing some planned maintenance.

http://nickardley.com/keel-bolts-sobering-thoughts/

The boat’s centre plate box casing and plate are now in…

Starboard side of new casing…

Port side of new casing…

We spent last weekend cleaning, sanding and cleaning again before priming and painting the bilge under saloon floor boards, as well as doing a few other jobs.

The bilge prepared ready for bilge paint…

Above, bilge painting nears completion…

I’m told by Alan that the yard will have completed all their work by end of this week, apart from moving boat out of shed, raising mast with its new stays and launch her… So, as my mate said, whilst patting the rump of the boat before departing, “…you’ll soon be in the water … and we’ll take you home…” Very touching indeed, brought a tear to my eye!

Centre plate in place … below, close up of riveted lifting wire pin.

I’m looking forward to sailing again too…

Keel bolts whether there to hold a boat’s structure together, as with a traditionally constructed vessel, or in the fashion that most now think about as for many modern yachts are an area of our craft that must always sit in the foregraound of our thoughts: at some point they need to be inspected.

Keel bolts are a subject of investigation in the marine world at present, especially after a much publicised event out in the N. Atlantic last year. That event, the loss of the Kiki Rifiki and her crew, set wheels in motion at ISAF. They instituted a study into why this is happening. So far a database of 72 cases of keel failure has been built up. Unfortuately this sadly includes the loss of 24 lives at sea.

So many modern yachts have deep ballast keels slung from the underside of what is essentially a skimming dish – far removed from the traditional world. How often is thought given to these bits of metal holding the ballast keel to the GRP hull?

In traditional craft, owners tend to operate on the principle of ‘best practice’ based on time worn principles…

I was told by Whimbrel’s builder that I’d not need to worry about these bolts for around thirty years! I actually started a programme some fifteen years ago when boat was around fifteen years old. The engine was out, so I took the opportunity of doing the two aft most bolts holding the ballast into the keel structure – bolts are bolts, and ill supported ballast could cause a problem!

At a later date, I did a further bolt towards the forward end. The two aft bolts were pretty good, however, the nuts had been wasted and corrosion had seeped downwards with bilge water! The forward bolt was in a good condition… It was renewed all the same. I ‘set’ the bolts in roofing paint – liquid bitumen. There is probably liquid in the crevices still!

This last summer I noticed weeping from two of the wooden capping plugs on bolts around my centre plate casing – it was time to investigate.

Note: weeping from capping in ‘top’ of picture by aft end of floor board.

Unfortunately, on one side of the casing the side structure sat over the cappings … thus the side needed to be removed. Do one side – do both.

During a summer stop-over in lovely Faversham, I spoke to Alan Staley who has his yard in the creek just above the Iron Wharf. Yes he could do the work. The boat went into his shed at the end of November 2014…

Up on the stocks in Alan’s shed … Alan dresses all ‘his’ boats for Christmas!

Along the centre plate slot of a Finesse 24 there are four sets of 5/8″ galv bolts, in between these there are three sets of what are termed ‘centre line’ bolts which are there purely to sandwich the wooden parts of the keel structure, as do those forward and aft of the ballast, through the deadwoods etc…

The four sets of 5/8″ bolts. Fwd set are to lhs.

There now follows a series of photographs with explanatory notes, of interest not only to Finesse owners, but many others too, I’m sure…

The removed casing from port side of box – after 32 years the paint coating remains intact under a thin coating of mud.

The diagonal scoring across the inside face is a mark left by the top of the centre plate – actually the lifting wire lugs, see picture of centre plate below. These were no more than a milimetre or two deep … my plate is up and down when sailing … like a…

Note the box was not conventionally glued but had a ‘painted’ seal – it is going back the same way, Alan has firmly stated … I agree. It never leaked before and won’t after…! Note too the rabbit at bottom of casing, this can be seen below too.

Looking down at the two posts. Middle of three holes on (port) side is one of the ‘centre line’ bolts – not disturbed…

Close up of aft post – there was no indication of any rotting to any of the structural parts, which is entirely constructed of iroko.

Many owners of earlier Finesse 24s have found bad news in this area, however, earlier boats were of mahogany construction. By the mid 1970s Alan Platt (the builder) had changed to iroko for all his boats.

Looking down on the box structure which has been cleaned and preserved.

Bolts are back in and plugs fitted. The bolts were coated with tar varnish and inserted wet, heads set on grommets. In the above picture the shipwright can be seen securing the seal plate over forward end of slot. The seal plate over this area is technically an outside plank and is sealed down. Note transverse fastening bolts – these sandwich the three parts of structure including posts. See also first picture where a bolt can be seen to edge of floor board. Bilges yet to be painted…

New centre plate awaiting to go in…

Whimbrel also now has a ‘new’ winch which the owner of her sister Josie (No.63) gave her. The old one had a loose spigot shaft – originally shrunk into base housing, this may not be repairable, cost effectively.

The winch, cleaned, greased and ready for assembly … a little job at home over Christmas…

The casing is currently being put back together. We have made a start on bilge painting, having completed the forward end and under the galley… The boat is due to go back into the water into the water by end of January…

My good mate hard at it whilst I take pictures (actually having just fitted winch) finishing the area in loo compartment and under locker … boards down for ease of movement!

See also: http://nickardley.com/wimbrels-keel-bolts-near-complete/

The year has ticked round to its last day and foremost in many peoples minds is the upcoming London Boat Show.

The ‘great and the good’ will be talking sales speak, spouting off the virtues of ordering a shining new craft with smiling sales personnel lurking ready to clutch at any interest a punter might show…

As you can tell I do not have a lot of time for boat shows … in general! I think I last attended a proper show around a decade ago, maybe more tides have ebbed and flowed: I cannot really remember… I know, many find them interesting, a day out in a boaty world during the depths of winter when sailing seems a long way off…

This year has seen a large number of craft come onto the market, much of it of from the more expensive ranges, well beyond the ‘starter’ boat, yet many of those craft may well have been someones first foray into cruiser sailing. Headlines have been made in the yachting press with stories of 100K boats going for a song: it is a buyers market… And here is the nub … there are a huge range of smaller craft ripe for picking too.

One only has to peruse the pages of the online sellers, such as Apollo Duck, or wander around yards, either those attached to marinas or a proper boat yard itself… I did this on a gloriously sunny day, one of the many enjoyed this summer on the east coast, while appreciating the delights of Woodbridge.

As I wandered through the compound of Andy Seedhouse, I was amazed at the number of simple affordable cruisers of up to around 26′ or 8m there were for sale. See: http://www.andyseedhouseboats.co.uk/

For anyone wanting to find a craft to get started; to do all the silly things in; to find out if the sailing life is something you want; and most of all, if it is the life that ‘the mate’ can fall in love with: oft as not it is man and wife or partner (being politically correct). So often the man jumps in forgetting the fact that the ‘other half’ isn’t so keen or has reservations… Here some nurturing may be needed… Yes I know, sometimes it is the other way round, but it’s less often!

Outside the usual glossy looking sales outlets you will find that many of these craft require a little tender loving care and attention, but with a little work a splendid little ship can be had… I started out this way, many moons ago. I taught my mate to sail and from there she gained a love of salt, marsh & mud … the rest is history.

So here are a selection of craft seen during my visit … in the yard a number had ‘sold’ signs attached and some of these pictured may well have found new homes, with an excited crew getting down to some of that tlca and looking forward to the spring…

Dinghies Galore… Andy Seedhouse always has a collection of handy craft on his ‘shop’ front. Most seemed ready to go, if a little ‘rough’ round the edges, but nothing a bit of elbow work couldn’t fix in the winter…

Tarka, a carvel built mahogany long keeled sloop, awaiting a new lover… She looked sound enough.

Alongside Tarka was a Vivacity 24 – this again should find a fun loving young family aboard…

A double ended Cromer Crab boat for the more traditional day sailor…

A Leisure 22 – quite old now, but a capable river cruiser…

Here is a little sports type boat, with accommodation fior 2 + 2 children, say… Ideal for pottering in the river learning the ropes and large enough to take down to the Backwaters in good weather…

This lovely clinker motor boat looked quite fetching, provided there aren’t major leakage problems she would likely take up…

Your boating need not start up at the top of the range – marinas are full of those. The RYA and marina organisations are having to give time and effort to get some of those static craft moving, laudable, but a sad reflection too… Don’t join them!

Look at: http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/ There are others too… And yards to wander around where that little gem is waiting for you…

Happy sailing.

A Happy New Year to all my readers too…

The Essex based charity that works with disadvantaged, less able and socially excluded young people, as well as the wider maritime industry, is about to achieve its first aim in the furtherance of its excellent community work – that is the build of a new spritsail barge hull. This, once fitted out, will allow whole year round work.

Watch this space: http://www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk/

Talking to Don Ramsay, Trust Administrator, recently, he said,”We’re very excited about this … a press release will follow the formal signing of the hull build contract…” he added, “I can say that the new hull will be built in England … upon completion she will be towed to Maldon for outfitting and rigging…”

Don also made the point that building the barge was the first phase of the pathway and that and the second phase of rigging her would not get in the way of the Trust’s core work with their clients. The barge funding and core work funding are kept separate. Core work is largely supported by many individuals and large organisations keenly interested in the Trust’s concepts.

This is an exciting time for past clients, Trust members, patrons and supporters.

Some while ago I wrote an article which was published by Anglia Afloat last autumn. Within, I wrote of meeting a returning barge with its young crew. Aboard were two lads, both had had huge problems, yet working through the programme, with returning periods afloat, achieving joint aims with the barge, they had turned themselves around – this is what it is all about.

The crew after a week running a barge without use of her engine (apart from last leg up to Maldon’s Hythe, mooring up… The crew were real chuffed!

Talking to Don about this, he said, “Yes, one of those two still comes along for a trip, as a hand, but he’s moved on now. He has a steady job and is happy…” He added, “It sums up our aim … to help people go off, stand on their own feet and succeed in whatever they choose to do … the other lad did too…” As have many more people.

All gathered for the post trip wash-up. This is an important aspect and both the barge’s crew and clients take part… I was particularly taken by watching and listening to this activity.

Don went on to tell me about a young lady who’s aim is now to qualify as a barge skipper. I wish her well, both in her journey for well being and her personal goal.

You can help this young lady by visiting the Trust’s web site and donating someone a Christmas gift, perhaps to yourself even…

God Bless.