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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 28, 2017 17:53:56 GMT 1
Mumbles "McBelle" One comment was that I was turning Belle into a burger bar with a "drive through" sliding window to distribute the Big Mac's It isn't one of my better carpentry projects, being a curved window it doesn't fit flush in a flat surface, but it wont be going anywhere in a hurry Steve Bryant scraped the barnacles off the hull, & fitted new anodes on the rudder, the pintel, & on the starboard side he cut off the "stainless" (hahaha) bolts that were holding the barely recognisable pear shaped anode on the starboard side. This has been renewed with a brand new one which should last another few years. I still need volunteers to anti-foul the hull before she goes back in the water, as I still have loads to do before she gets lifted back in. Carl Isaac is going to make some brackets to support the ballast & battery boxes that I have had to cut to drop under the deck. Ok she wont be any faster, bigger, or more stable than before, but with all the work that's been done she will be a lot more "User Friendly" & I hope this will be reflected in the number of anglers that use it.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 29, 2017 14:22:18 GMT 1
Rain stops play! Not much I can do in the rain, there isn't a lot of "inside" work on a boat I still have the starter motor to remove & service, & I want to fit a new alternator drive belt, & there is still the connecting up of the batteries to be done, & stowage of the removed ballast, but that cant be done until the supporting brackets for the boxes have been fitted. Its only been a week since she was lifted out & once the new anode has been fitted & the bottom anti-fouled the rest of the work can be done back on the mooring. I have taken so much stuff down to work on the boat, that there is limited room to do any interior work until I take it all back home A quick hose down of the gunwhales & the seating is all the preparation needed prior to a coat of quick drying white gloss from B&M. I still have some stuff to dump that was in the forward locker, but most of the "spare, spare" stuff has gone, you only have to throw something off the boat onto the pontoon, & if it doesn't vanish before you take it up to the skip, it vanishes if you leave it by the side of the skip there is always somebody who reckons "that will come in handy one day" . I am looking forward to getting back to fishing now after a long enforced break. We now have a much greater uncluttered deck area to fish from, & the sliding window will stop the assault course over the engine carrying tea/coffee to the anglers in the bow. I intend to change tactics during the early season & target the smooth hounds & rays, rather than trying to avoid them seeking other species that haven't arrived yet. I suppose a good scrap with 3-4 smooth hounds & a smelly old ray or two is better than sitting waiting for plaice & bream that are not there yet. So its time to go through the freezer & find the "past its sell by date" fish, & bait up the crab trap ready for the smoothies, at least it gives a reason to spend more time making coffee & rolls rather than putting up with the antics of some crazed 10lb "growler" on the end of my flatty trace!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 30, 2017 16:55:41 GMT 1
Don't be shy! There is work to be done anti fouling Belle before she goes back in the water next Monday/Tuesday, the barnacles have been scraped off, the stuffing box has been greased, anodes replaced, the masking tape is on ready , if you go there & there is nobody aboard, the anti-foul (2 tins) are on the seat at the top of the ladder, there are brushes in the plastic container in the bow, & first thing in the morning I will put some roller trays & another roller in there as well, so no excuse all I need is your presence I don't think there is much out there to catch but I fancy taking her out for a spin asap, go & see if there are any whiting or codling left, or if they have been pushed out by growlers & smooth growlers, & I am dying to find out how successful the modifications have been (if at all)
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 31, 2017 20:34:18 GMT 1
Here comes the cavalry! I was buried in the engine today when I heard a voice say "Do you want the anti fouling done?", I thought I was hearing things, knowing that the other 50% of the crew (Steve Bryant) had already been, done a shift, & gone, but no this was a new volunteer in the shape of Paul Eaton, who was quickly equipped with a roller & tray, a paintbrush, a tin of antifouling paint & pointed in the direction of the bow. Very shortly after yet another volunteer appeared Hayden fro SA1 also wanted to join in & he was also presented with a roller, a roller tray, & a brush, & pointed in the direction of the stern! I carried on trying to remove the alternator, so that I could get at the nuts that held the starter motor, I managed to remove the alternator, & one of the nuts holding the starter, but the second one was a nightmare, luckily Paul had done his anti fouling & being more supple than me he fitted part of himself inside the engine bay & removed the dreaded 2nd nut. We both examined the starter & solenoid for OBVIOUS problems, but could see none, so I will take it to our default auto electrician to examine, & get his input. However the jobs are being ticked off & the rest of what's being done can be done back on the berth, so I will try to arrange a lift in for Tuesday when hopefully the starter will be fixed, otherwise I will need a tow back to the berth, all that needs doing before she goes back in, is the orange hull having a wipe down with Jif or Mr Muscle or similar to remove the bloom, then she will be back to her normal scruffy self
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 1, 2017 10:53:47 GMT 1
I doubt she will be running! When the deadline runs out for her to be dropped back in, so I will have to organise a tow back to the berth. To remove the starter motor for testing I had to remove the alternator first, it seems that the power unit is so basic that on the rig it would be far more simple to lift the engine out & put it on a bench to work on it. Lying on the floor in a confined space, with your hands & arms down between the engine & what used to be the seating for 50 men is not easy Anyway the starter & alternator have been removed, & the starter motor goes for checking tomorrow, I hope they find a problem that was causing it not to start otherwise the only thing left is the starter switch itself, but there is no way of knowing unless you go through the process of elimination! I will be glad to get the junk removed from the boat, at the moment it looks like a floating workshop, with all the extra space I have created being occupied by junk needed for the refit. Roll on the comparative peace & quite of summer, when the changes made, should produce a more user friendly experience when we are sat off Langland in our shirtsleeves fishing for bream.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 2, 2017 16:26:11 GMT 1
She goes back in Wednesday morning at 10.30 & "Oystercat" will tow me back onto the berth, where I can start to throw lots of the rubbish wood off, stow the ballast weights, & generally get her "shipshape & Bristol fashion" over the next few weeks, ready to make a start on the 2017 season in our new "user friendly" boat. We should be in time for smooth hounds & rays (if that's your pleasure) or we can hunt for returning pan fish, until the summer species arrive, we could even take a run to St Christophers Knoll if we pick the right tide, & make an early start, anyway start getting your blinged up plaice drifting rigs sorted, & your 2 up 1 down Wessex rigs sorted out for the bream, its all ahead of us
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 3, 2017 15:30:29 GMT 1
Slow progress The jobs are being ticked off 1 by 1 but there are some major items that are needed before I can move on, I need the starter motor back (or a new one) & once I have the brackets for the under deck boxes I can button that area up too. I need to create some "cages" under the stern to hold the displaced ballast weights from the now modified ballast box, but I can make those at home on a rainy day. Today we witnessed another petty rule enforcement from the marina beauracrats "Is that your motor scooter there" "Yes" "Can you move it outside the yard please" "Why" "Because vehicles are not supposed to be inside the compound" "What about all the cars, Land Rovers, service vans, trailers etc in the yard ?" "They are working one boats" "What do you think I am doing you bloody Jobsworth" "Are you having a go at me because I am doing my job" "Not really but your bloody employers who send you out to particularly pick on me, whether its my scooter, or a box on the pontoon its always me" " No sir it applies to everybody" " Right then you get that Network Yacht Services van, the PJ Marine Services van, the Mercury Marine Services van, the Range Rover with the trailer, & those other 2 cars moved, then I will move my scooter" They make me sick if I put a plastic bucker on the pontoon its a H&S hazard but big yachts & gin palaces can have horizontal 6ft lockers bolted to the pontoon & not a word is said! John Elvins expect a call from the marina complaining that one of their staff has been given a hard time, but he came to the wrong bloke at the wrong time!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 5, 2017 16:22:59 GMT 1
Uneventful drop back in Well apart from the fact that we had to bail about 50galls of water out of the bow, because without the batteries connected the automatic bilge pumps don't work, so that is another incentive to get the wiring finished & get those running again. Thanks to Dean & the crew for the tow back to the berth, all went to plan, & I can now carry on with the jobs that need doing before we start fishing again. It appears that the auto electrician cant find anything wrong with the starter or the solenoid, so I will replace everything & let him check it out when its back together & see if he can sort out this click, click, click that I get when I try to start up. I have perfected ways of starting it using the "emergency start" facility but that is only meant to be a last resort, & not the normal starting method.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 6, 2017 16:11:44 GMT 1
Alternative pumping strategy Seeing as the electrics are disconnected, there is no automatic bilge pump working, so Steve Bryant has taken an old bilge pump home (not working automatically) & is setting it up as an emergency bilge pump, & I have repaired the drill driven pump for the same purpose. After yesterdays discovery of just how much water can get in, & how quickly, so it pays to be prepared I haven't been down the marina today despite the weather & the amount that needs doing, but I was threatened with physical violence if I didn't cut the "lawns" & throw out last years tomato & cucumber plants ready for this year. I have just finished & I am knackered. I have had no word from the auto electrician on the state of the starter despite him saying he would contact me yesterday, but seeing as it isn't critical I will give him some time. Next job will be fit the new support brackets under the stern floor & get the batteries & ballast stored away to clear the stern, then when the rest of the problems are solved, remove the entire contents of my workshop/garden shed, from the boat, back to my workshop/garden shed, & clear the bow area ready for John Jones (who claims to be a painter) to paint the inside, while I watch!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 11, 2017 13:37:45 GMT 1
Flu like symptoms? Not been down to the boat for 2 days because I have had what resembled flu (chesty cough, sore throat, aching limbs etc) but I had a flu jab in October so it cant be flu? Last time down I filled the ballast box under the new deck in the stern, & secured the 56lb weights I couldn't get under the deck, under the stern deck retained by a cage of 8mm stainless all thread (it aint gonna move) lol. The auto electrician visited the boat & looked at the engine & the way it was wired & said that a replacement starter of the same type would be VERY expensive (if one could be got) & recommended that we replace the starter with a "reduction gear starter" I have no idea what one of those is, but I told him to go ahead anyway, seeing as I have no idea what he was talking about He says he thinks that there is probably something wrong with the wiring from the ignition/starter switch to the starter, so he will be chained to the pontoon until all is working before he is allowed to leave. Once he has fitted the starter & all is working again I will power wash it down & hand the paint, roller & tray, & brushes to John Jones (who confessed to being a painter) & he wont be allowed off until he has finished it. I expect to be ready to take the boat out after 23rd April by then all should be finished, unloaded, painted ready for 2017.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 12, 2017 15:17:58 GMT 1
The problems continue The word from the auto electrician is that his supplier are out of stock of the starter motor we need, & that the new one needs to come from Belgium? I am glad that it isn't middle of the season otherwise I would be around the scrap yards looking for a replacement. Apparently the old one was damaged beyond repair & to replace it "like for like" would be expensive, so he has suggested a more modern & cheaper replacement a "reduction gear starter" as opposed to a "direct drive starter" which the original apparently was. What it means though is that with the boat "powerless" there is no way for the automatic bilge pumps to work, so whenever it rains "Muggins" here has to go down on his scooter to empty the bilges manually with the emergency pumps Steve & I have created. If you don't know what its like to ride a scooter in the rain let me assure you it isn't comfortable, & to avoid being soaked to the skin you have to dress so that when you stop you have a job to walk! With Easter coming up fast I can see this starter not being fitted until next Wednesday at least, & with other things to do once we have power, the first trip is liable to be another week after that. Not that there is much to catch out there, but I enjoy taking your money off you regardless
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 14, 2017 19:22:14 GMT 1
Seeing as its standing idle Until probably Wednesday or Thursday I may as well empty it, lift the duckboards, & hose, or pressure wash, the seats & decks ready for painting. Me? not on your sweet life will you find me painting, I have done enough over the past few weeks somebody else can paint the seats & decks, I will give the duckboards a splash over with Creocote, but that's my lot! Health wise over the past week or more, my health has been up & down like a brides nightie, on Wednesday I felt ok, yet on Thursday I was unwell again & I even missed Club Night which is not like me at all, & today I feel as though I have been hosed down & run over by a HGV! Tomorrow I have visitors so it will be Sunday before I get down the boat, I will remove the duckboard & probably give then another coat. Thursday looks to be a good day so I will ensure everything is off & stacked, & that the boat is washed down ready for painting, anybody who wants to spread some paint, then Thursday morning will be a good time to fulfil your fantasies!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 15, 2017 12:11:04 GMT 1
Visitors have cried off But I am not going down the marina today, I don't think we had enough rain yesterday to warrant a panic, so I will leave it until tomorrow & combine the pumping, with the removal of the duckboards, & moving whatever is in the way either into the wheelhouse (if there is any value to it or room for it) or onto the wheelhouse roof, to clear the decks for painting. Oystercat has been struggling the last couple of weeks having to settle for lots of small thin dabs in Oxwich, & lots of rays off Porthcawl (neither of which are within our comfort range), hence me not being in a frantic dash to get Belle through the locks, even boats with speed & distance at their command are still struggling to catch anything, so don't despair because we are not going out. Keep your money in your wallet & your bait in your freezer until there is something worth catching out there. I am down the marina most days & I get the scuttlebuck on what is, & what isn't, being caught, & if we go out too soon the only thing being caught will be you!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 21, 2017 14:54:08 GMT 1
Only the deck & engine cover left & that is the painting finished, mind when I lifted the duckboards to clean before painting, it looks like somebody has emptied a skip under them! Found beads, swivels, hooks, along with the general rubbish of long mortified worms etc, but a dustpan & brush got rid of most of it, however the deck needs washing down before painting, but without a pump to pump out the bilges I cant do that, but I hope my repairs to the drill driven pump work, if so I can finish the painting, then its only the starter & the alternator to be refitted then we are back in business. It would be nice to get out next weekend & target the smooth hounds that have apparently arrived, & it might be prudent to drop a worm baited "bling" trace down to see if the plaice have returned with them? I have to report that the gallon of "International" white gloss that was given to me by the "0ystercat Mafia" (& that never dried because it was a 2 part paint) never dried even with the 2nd part added! I am pretty sure that it was "acquired" because the labels on the tin are in Russian, Polish, Dutch, German, Italian etc, etc, etc but nowhere is there any English? Anyway I added part 2 to part 1 & painted it on with doubts in my mind, & 2 days later, if you touch it you are stuck to it, I will have to wait for the sun to bake it like last time Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, & any "buckshees" from the "Oystercat mafia" I intend to have a relaxing afternoon on Sunday fishing Alan Duthie's charity match on Swansea Beach from County Hall to Brynmill Lane, I will be in the area of the Slip Bridge so if you fancy wetting a line then come & join me its for charity so force yourselves.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 22, 2017 16:38:47 GMT 1
Only the engine cover left to paint now & that will be the painting finished thank God, I hate painting! Then its just fitting the new starter motor & alternator & its away to go again. It's been a long hard slog to make all the changes I wanted to make, & some of it has been much more time consuming than I anticipated, hopefully it will improve the fishing experience on Mumbles Belle. Unfortunately because of the red herring I was given (in the shape of brilliant white gloss which refuses to dry) the first couple of trips may be "Standing Room Only" Until the sun bakes the paint dry. It is probably for spraying on in a heated booth as a 2 part pack, but my greed means that it dries at a "gentleman's pace" so be careful you don't get stuck to it like a fly on a fly paper! Given that the hounds have arrived I baited the crab trap this morning & already had a couple in it before I left so by next week there should be enough to have a couple of rods out for them, while I fish for the table. I hope to take a trip on Saturday or Sunday next week if the weather is ok, but dont forget to bring your rubber gloves!
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