Archive for January 2004

Who pulled the plug?

14/01/2004 by Mark.Whalley.

Wednesday 14th January

On what is usually a very still canal, when I got back to the boat, I noticed bits of flotsam and jetsam were slowly moving past the boat. Not too concerned, I thought nothing of it. However, by 03:00 I noticed that 1) the boat was very still (not even the slightest sway), 2) the pontoon, against which the boat is moored was making noises it usually doesn’t and 3) I was listing by about 20 degrees (I hadn’t fallen out of bed, but was now sleeping tight up against the wall! My feet weren’t wet (implying I hadn’t sunk), so someone must have stolen the water!

A quick phone call to the British Waterways emergency number where Pat reassured me that the call had already been raised and an engineer informed. As I am the only ‘resident’ on this stretch of canal, I did wonder who would have raised the call. Pat also informed me that occasionally water is siphoned off the canal to feed one of the local reservoirs. This is usually done when the water level on Titford Canal, being in turn fed from the Titford Pools, is high. They would usually lower the water level by about six inches and then the sluice gates would be closed. Unfortunately, it would seem that someone forgot to close them before they went home for the night, for when I went to work in the morning, the water level was down by about four feet!

With the level down so far, the boat was left resting on the canal bottom with about one foot of water in the centre of the canal and inches on the sides. Matters were made worse with a hard frost. This made the wooden-decked pontoon with shiny aluminium edging, also now resting on the uneven canal bottom, a very unsafe structure to walk along. Needless to say I walked very gingerly from the boat to the car in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It being Thursday, I would not now be returning to the boat until Monday. I was therefore hoping for some rain over the weekend to replenish the canal and refloat the boat!
 

 

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A memory like a …

12/01/2004 by Mark.Whalley.

12 January 2004

A memory like a … thing with holes in …? If I don’t write down what I did within two days, I forget exactly what I did! At least I didn’t cut my finger off this time! This week I’m aiming to get the new floor down – or at least make a damn good start on it.

One of the problems with a small working space, and no immediate storage to hand, is how to juggle things around to be able to work and live. After some careful thought, I decided to convert the bedroom into a temporary store and to use the shower tray for some items. All the wood, PVC trunking and stove pipe fitted neatly across the two bedside tables. The stove slotted down the side of the bed in front of one of the tables. The large pack of polystyrene blocks sat in the shower tray. I then removed all the carpets – now paper thin and put them in the skip. The shelving and small cupboard on which the TV set was dismantled and the TV / video now positioned on the Black and Decker Workbench next to the divider between the galley and saloon. The hifi sat on top of the work surface under the hanging glass cabinet. On moving the sofa bed, I discovered how to remove the cover – again, this was bagged and packed in the car to take home for washing.

The lino floor and aluminium edge strip was removed from the galley along with the under-cupboard plinth and half-height bulkhead between the galley and saloon. It was my intention to fit the new floor underneath the fridge and oven and as far under the kitchen units as possible (without actually removing them).

In the main part of the saloon I removed a single ply sheet from the floor to carry out a further inspection of the ballast.

 

Removal of plyboard to reveal ballast

 

Sections of concrete walling

 

and steel reinforced fencing

 

ditto

Although the ballast in the bedroom was poured concrete, as can be seen in the photos above here we have a variety of different materials.

 

Loose concrete moved away to reveal bottom plate. Dry and relatively rust free.

 

 

 Date stamp of ‘Oct 82′ - which means the original fitout must have been after this!

 

After taking the photos, I replaced the ply board and planed one of the edges that had previously been squeaking when walked over due to the tightness of the adjacent board.

A good evening’s work so I cleared up, showered (not with the polystyrene slabs, but in the Pumphouse!) and had the only ‘Sunday lunch’ for this week - pork chops with veg.

 

Every bit of space is precious - even the shower tray!

 

Earlier in the evening I took some photos of the BW truck parked in the yard. On it were a large number of supermarket trolleys, obviously recovered from the canal. I have always wondered what happens to them now?

 

BW van full of supermarket trolleys (sorry about the poor quality of picture)

 

On returning from work, and whilst it was still light, I noticed that the top lock and pound had again been emptied. On talking later with Kevin, he was also unsure why, although there clearly was work being carried out on the towpath.

During our brief chat, I discovered that Kevin was a Scout Leader with 1st Quinton Scouts. Clearly his group (and those around) were very popular and well attended. This contrasted to our Scout Group (1st Pennard) which struggled to find leaders and was reduced to just running a Cub Pack. We also discussed the Birmingham Canal Navigation Society (BCNS) whose headquarters was located in the Pumphouse. It turned out that they were having a committee meeting the tomorrow night (Tuesday), and although these were not always well attended (approx. 10 people), the Society as a whole had over 700 members, including one from Australia!

 

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Fish pie and a snowy picture

07/01/2004 by Mark.Whalley.

The first night back on the boat after Christmas, and my new ‘home’ – Tat Bank / Titford Pump House, and there’s lots to do! I soon met up with Kevin and had a longer chat with a quick tour around the Pump House and the very well appointed BCN meeting room. I connected the mains hook-up to the post closest to the boat and attempted to insert the left over power cards from Ocker Hill. Unfortunately, each one I tried reported a FAIL message. I therefore presumed I would need to get some news cards as these were possibly not compatible with those at Ocker Hill – a job for tomorrow. In the meantime, out with the Honda generator, which fortunately being a dry evening meant that no protection from the elements was required. I then connect my aerial lead to the bollard and installed my new TV digital box (Christmas present from Bev). Unfortunately it appears there was no TV signal! So to summarise, the electricity meters (or the cards) are not working, the TV aerial socket is not connected to an aerial and the water tapes have been decommissioned as they are against EU regulations. At least the little light on top of the bollard works!Never mind, I at least have the generator and the telescopic aerial. Unfortunately, with a snowy picture and weak signal, the digital box refuses to work.

I then did the only thing I dislike about boating – emptied the toilet in the Elsan disposal in the Pump House – it looks as though I was the first to use it!

Back on the boat, as suggested in the survey, I decided to cut an inspection hatch in the main body of the boat. I chose to cut a square hole under the drawer of the bed. At least then it would be out of site, but still easily accessible. After removing the mattress, bed base and drawers, I removed the drawer rails from the floor. I then marked the square, with one edge running along the edge of the sheet of the ply floor, and drilled corner starter holes. I then fitted a blade to the jigsaw and started to cut the straight edges. Unfortunately, the blade kept slipping out of the quick release mechanism as soon as any pressure was put on the saw. After refitting the blade about ten times and cutting only 2” of ply (and almost taking my middle finger off!), I decided it was time to pack in for the night.

I took the bed back together, took a free, hot and powerful shower (far better than the electric showers at Ocker Hill) whilst my fish pie (made on Saturday) warmed up in the oven.

Phoned home (with a full mobile signal – never had one of those before!) and watched a snowy TV before retiring for the night.

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Tank cutters

06/01/2004 by Mark.Whalley.

Several false starts this morning. Leaving the boat, I closed the stern hatch and doors, then realised that the lock was still hanging in the engine room. Opened the doors, reached for the lock, closed the doors and locked the boat. Then I walked to the car, opened the door before walking over to the car-park gate. I then realised that the key for the BW padlock was on the boat. Of course, all this would only happen when it’s raining and I don’t have my coat with me!

I’m sure I’ll soon get into the routine, and I must organise the keys better.
Later in the day I completed the BW license application and made a photocopy of the original before sending off to Watford.

At lunchtime I drover over to Limekiln for some gas, four bulbs, two Trilights, another cork key ring and a copy of Waterways World (nearly as good as Penthouse).
Back at Tat Bank (via Wednesbury’s B&Q), I have a longer discussion with Kevin. Having reset the master circuit breaker for the bollards, I tried the two card meters in the bollard closest to the boat, but still to no avail. I then decided to try the next bollard along the pontoon, and low and behold, it worked! As I would still like to keep my position on the pontoon, I moved just a few feet further up towards the second bollard, and used the now fully extended hook-up cable. Now at least I would no longer need to run the generator, nor would I require the spare fuel I had just bought! I then marked the outline of the flush-mounted electricity hook-up point and cleared the T&G and insulation from inside the engine room. As it was dark, and the hole that needed cutting was on the waterside of the boat, I decided to leave the actual hole cutting until another day.

Using the new jigsaw bought from B&Q on the way back to the boat, I managed to complete the cutting of the inspection hole in the floor under the bed. Now at least I know what the boat’s ballast is made of – concrete! At least I know there’s no water down there!

I then fitted the two Trilights in the saloon, to replace the dim surface-mounted lights. As both units are independently switched, as well as wall switched, I decided to fit all three tubes in each light – Blackpool Illuminations or what!

To make more room in readiness for the new floor, I loaded the 2nd chair into the car for storage in the attic at home.

Having previously bought two tank cutters, I then discovered that the smaller of the two did not fit the same drill attachment that fits the large cutter. Another trip to B&Q required.

When I returned to the boat this evening, both car park gates were wide open. Talking to Kevin about this later on, he said the the BW staff and contractors often left them open. However, he had hoped that now there was a boat on site (i.e. Tastoma), they might be a bit more thoughtful – obviously not! I had also spotted a number of lads, in typical ‘hoodies’ trying to demolish the marine ply fence put up on the tow path for sealing off the engineering works. Again, Kevin mentioned that a short while ago, one of the open-top BW barges was moved off the mooring. It apparently made its own way back to Tat Bank just yesterday! Thinking that the kids had shimmied around the railings at the far end of the Pump House, Kevin had now put some grease on the bars to make entry more difficult. Let’s hope that it works!

A much later finish tonight – 10pm. I showered, shaved and enjoyed yet another Sunday dinner of lamb. Unfortunately, I had no mint sauce or gravy – must put that on the next Tesco / Sainsbury shopping list!

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Off we go to Titford Pumphouse

02/01/2004 by Mark.Whalley.

Having spent a really enjoyable New Year’s day with Mum and Dad in Rhayader, we (Bev, Daniel and me) set off to Ocker Hill to move Tastoma to Tat Bank.

We arrived at Ocker Hill at about 11am, and after doing the final preparations, set off slowly past the other boats at the mooring. A floating boom tied between two BW barges blocked the entrance to Ocker Hill. This was easily moved to one side to allow us to pass before replacing it. Two butties tied together and listing into our path made exiting a little more difficult, but not impossible.

When we got to the entrance of Ocker Hill, Bev left Dan and me to take the boat onwards, whilst Bev took the Landrover to meet us at the next set of locks. On arriving at the first flight of locks, Dan and I managed the first three together before we saw Bev in the distance. She then took the boat through the remaining locks whilst Dan and I worked land-side.

After completing the eight locks, Bev left us once again intending to meet us at the two locks at the end of the Gower Branch. With approximately 1 mile to travel, we arrived at the locks quite quickly. Whilst at the locks, we met up with a gentleman who informed us of his plans for a new boat to be delivered sometime between May and June this year, and that he was also hoping to be moored at Tat Bank – what a small world! With the two locks now complete, we had just over two miles to run before reaching the six locks at Oldbury. This time, Bev got to Tat Bank in plenty of time and met us on the towpath under the M6 flyover just before the Oldbury / Tat Bank junction. Just before Bev joined us, I noticed a small narrowboat engineering yard (Oldbury Boat Services) selling both gas and diesel -–I will need to check them out.

When we arrived at the final lock, we were approached by a family of five plus a small dog, who asked if they could ride with us as the towpath was blocked off at the top lock. If they had to walk around, it would have taken them quite some time. The mother and youngsters got on the boat and stood in the bow section, and thoroughly enjoyed going through the locks. Unfortunately, the little dog did not take kindly to the sound of water rushing through the lock gates and had to be held by the father on the towpath. After clearing the top lock, the father, with dog in tow, jumped aboard whilst we passed the 8’ marine ply board used to block the towpath. On clearing the obstruction, the family alighted to continue their walk towards Titford Pools. All were very grateful for the ride, and for saving them a much longer walk home.

Arriving at Tat Bank just after 4pm, we had completed the 7 1/2 mile, 16 locks in just over 4 hours. As previously had happened, the engine had cut out under load a couple of times. Although I am sure there are no blockages in the weed hatch, I will still check this out before our next journey, as well as getting the boat serviced.

During the run to Tat Bank, other than the handful of boats moored at Oldbury Boat Services, we did not come across a single boat. As we started to reverse into Tat Bank, we met Kevin – the resident from the flat at the top of the Pump House.

As there were still no other boats moored on the pontoon (other than the BW barges), we had the choice of moorings. I decided to opt for the first mooring on the pontoon, as this was well lit by the Pump House floodlights, streetlights and the high-mounted lights on the heating-oil fuel tanks running alongside the canal. It also meant I would be relatively close to the car park and other amenities. With a 3 hour drive ahead of us, and the light of the day already lost, we quickly made the boat secure and set off home, arriving at just after 7.30pm.

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