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Post by pilgrim17 on May 20, 2018 19:41:58 GMT 1
Well we are now using Belle regularly now that the new wheelhouse is operating & the electrics have been sorted. Trevor fitted a new split diode which turned out to be the cause of the batteries draining, if I accidentally left the isolators switched on, now that is done the batteries are charging & holding their charge perfectly. There are still things to be done, I need to refit the navigation lights, anchor light cabin lights etc but seeing as we don't work in the dark there is no rush, the electronics & the VHF are working which are the important things. I made the mistake of putting a plastic box with the lights wires fittings etc in it in the bow with a rubble sack over the top to stop the rain getting in & I held it in place with a spare 5ltr can of engine oil, well either the cap was loose or it vibrated loose & when it rained, the oil & water ran down onto the deck, into the anchor locker & made everything like a skating rink. Luckily I had Phil Cryer on board (who is a boat owner of many tears standing) so with Phil using the winch to recover the oily-water soaked anchor rope, & me taking us ahead slowly to take up the slack we managed to get the anchor aboard, DESPITE THE OTHER 2 ANGLERS STOOD LIKE LEMONS WATCHING HIM STRUGGLING UNTIL I ROARED AT THEM! Anyway the following day I went down to wash the anchor rope in soapy water, & spread it down the pontoon to dry, & washed out the anchor locker & the deck with detergent to degrease it. Whilst doing this I was obliged to move the 2 folding canvas chairs I put on board for angler's comfort, & the plastic buckets I have scrounged for then to have water to wash their hands etc during the day. Whilst moving the chairs I found empty bait packets & dirty rags stashed underneath, & there were similar items in buckets which had other buckets inside them, sheer laziness, so the chairs & buckets have gone, to be replaced by a waste bin, & also I found lots of pieces of mono & braid on the deck where they had been discarded! Left where they were they would have washed into the bilge & no doubt would have found their way into the bilge pump stopping it from working! Of course nobody was responsible for it, it must have been "Mr Nobody" again? I am sure some people are incapable of forward thought, well from now on nobody gets the fob to leave the marina until I am satisfied with the condition of the boat, some people seem to enjoy austerity! I am sure that some anglers think that the skippers & crew are employee's of MMBFC & are paid for their services, instead of us paying the same as them, apparently one angler asked a crewman on Oystercat to take his fish off the hook because he was crew Methinks he might have been swimming home, had the crewman not seen the funny side of it. Done our "annual works outing" to Oxwich on Belle yesterday, it was a lovely day out but a waste of space as far as fishing was concerned, Sam had the right idea of how to treat the conditions!
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Post by pilgrim17 on May 11, 2018 11:56:39 GMT 1
Been out again since the last report,k we went looking for bream down Langland but never had a sniff of one, we had masses of dogs & huss, conger, pout, whiting, & a small codling. We drifted on the way back to the bay for Pollack but again nothing, we ended up in the moorings where we had more dogs & small dabs. Going out again next Monday 14th hope to fish the muddy stones if the tide run isn't too strong. Trevor & I fitted a new split diode to the boat & after leaving the isolators switched on for 48 hrs (normally 2 flat batteries) the batteries have held their charge & she has started on the button straight away, it seems that "The Oracle" has solved the long standing electrical leakage on the Belle. Now I wont have to switch everything off when we are fishing in case she wont start again, or carry spare batteries & jumper leads, so nice one Trevor
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 30, 2018 16:28:42 GMT 1
Took the boat out on Saturday with only 3 of us aboard, but it was good to get out after so long, the boat went well, everything was fine & the new wheelhouse served its purpose. I still have jobs to do like wire up the lights, but the essential electrical stuff, plotter, sounder, VHF are all working fine, although I am still concerned about current leakage if I leave the isolators switched on, & I switch them off now when we are anchored up just to make sure. The new wheelhouse width makes moving from stern to bow to get to the anchor etc much easier & now the practice of laying rods on the seat shouldn't result on me walking on them anymore We didn't have a spectacular day in terms of fishing, we had a lot of dogfish, quite a few dabs (some keepers) small pouting & whiting, & George lost "something big" on his sprat bait (which we reckoned was a smoothhound). Kept the engine at ~2000 rpm & in the 6-7 knots area which seems to be the most economical setting, in fact I have to dip the tank often to make sure it is using fuel at all Maybe we will be a little more adventurous next Saturday when we are next out. I am still short of storage space on board & I am going to have to decide very soon just how much "necessary" junk I carry, & be like most other boats & take the minimum of "essentials", & rely on other boats, or the RNLI to get us back home if things go wrong. Maybe 4 anchors, 3 anchor chains, 4 anchor warps are too many? Maybe the folding canvass chairs can go? reduce the size of the toolbox, etc, etc, etc
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 23, 2018 20:41:30 GMT 1
Not posted on here for a while, but Facebook & here gets to be a pain in the bum. The new wheelhouse is on the boat & screwed & bolted down, new windscreen fitted because the old one was too big for the new structure, but managed to salvage the port & starboard windows which have been installed, I have reinstalled the VHF, Chartplotter, Fishfinder all appear to be working fine & the engine starts first turn of the key, & the batteries are charging well @ 13.6v. I have yet to refit & connect the running & anchor lights but they will only take minutes to screw on, so basically we are ready to rumble! I was considering posting a trip for the coming weekend, but the forecast is for brisk SE wind which is no good to man nor beast, so the return of Mumbles Belle will be delayed I fear, it will give me chance to finish all those little jobs that need doing, all of them are 5-10 mins (until you start on them) then its an hour or the rest of the day I am going to have a good clear out of stuff I carry on board that is never going to be used, but I keep, "just in case" I have more spare anchors, chain & rope than Force 4 I think, some of it needs to go regardless of "Just in case". You may notice that there is a slight list to port on the boat, well there isn't, its the new wheelhouse that is listing not the boat! Measurements were taken many times from the old wheelhouse & transferred to the new one, unfortunately the sections were "dry fitted" together on a level floor, & all the vertical measurements were done at 90 degrees, well Mumbles Belle isn't level nor vertical & the new wheelhouse fits where it touches . I have "fettled" as much as I can, but I think I will have to move some ballast to "split the difference" between hull & wheelhouse to reach a middle point halfway between hull & wheelhouse being both a little bit out Keep your eyes on the booking calendar if you want to take a trip on Belle, because as soon as the weather is suitable I will be taking her out to try & get back into some fish!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 14, 2018 19:24:29 GMT 1
As I predicted, the square & vertical wheelhouse doesn't fit on an out of square, out of vertical boat! so I am going to put the wheelhouse together as it should be, clamp all sections closed, sealed, & squared, & make Mumbles Belle fit her new wheelhouse! Whoever made the boat must have used an elastic band or a wellington to measure with, & a corrugated sheet as a level! Nothing, but nothing is symmetrical , no two supposedly identical parts are related, let alone twinned. The only things I find that are square, symmetrical, vertical, are things I have made & fitted, & wondered why they never fitted properly, now I know why There will be "Nips & Tucks" done here & there, stiffeners bolted in screwed to, & fibreglass mat & resin will be used to fill gaps, & seal any gaps there may be. With the forecast looking good for next week,I am hoping to have her up & running by next weekend, all shipshape & Bristol fashion, looking forward to getting afloat again. The only hold up could be the "Heel Test" that Trevor feels needs to be done because of any "structural changes" that may have been made? The weights are similar (rotten ply weighs about the same as healthy air dried larch) the structure is much stronger than the original, & the dimensions are very close to what the original wheelhouse measured, it is about 6" narrower but I don't think that will make it weigh much different. The remaining sections should be delivered down to the marina on Monday morning (provided Colin's pick-up passed its MOT) & I will assemble the remaining sections together place it into position, & then saw & grind Mumbles Belle into shape!
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 11, 2018 16:40:07 GMT 1
Cleared the last remnants of the old wheelhouse yesterday & started to erect the new one today, & discovered that there is going to be a lot of "fettling" to get it to fit, both boat & wheelhouse will need a "nip & tuck" to get it to fit properly but nothing too serious, & the few gaps that are showing will be glassed over to keep the rain off poor little me! One of the adjacent berth holders asked why I never made it into a forward wheelhouse, & I could have kicked myself for not thinking of it, the control cables & hydraulic pipes would have had to be extended, but it would have taken less timber so it was swings & roundabouts. Maybe I will do some measuring up & designing once we are up & running, maybe a project for next winter?
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 8, 2018 18:26:20 GMT 1
Well at last the new wheelhouse is completely finished, even down to the new nameplate, I attached the fiddle rail to the roof this morning, & apart from screwing the nameplate on its complete. I have taken the roof off the old one (or should I say that Brian of the William James attacked it) & after falling through the hole where the skylight used to be, he wrestled it off I went down on Saturday & cut the sections down into pieces small enough to bag up. Having the correct saw blade helps & the one I had for cutting wood is a cheap & cheerful "come with the saw" & it soon blunted & bent, & the other one which is supposed to be for metal, struggled through any "semi rotten" ply still attached to the fibreglass. I have ordered some new "aftermarket" demolition blades so lets hope they will be a bit better. Having asked for, & not received, any help in dismantling the old wheelhouse (apart from Brian) I have decided that I will show a similar response when we are up & running, & that a "regime of austerity" will be introduced, where if you want a hot drink when you are out, then bring a flask with you, & if you want hot food. This is a blessing in disguise, warming rolls & pies & asking people what the want on their roll "Brarrrrrrn saws wiv a tach a mustad" etc, & "tea black no sugar & leave the bag in the cup" etc was getting on my nerves, so dropping the food & drinks will make things much easier for me, I wont have to get pies, sausage rolls, bread rolls, milk etc, & I wont need griddle, frying pans, plates, cups, & washing up liquid etc, things will be a LOT easier for the skipper & give more room in the wheelhouse which I sorely need.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 4, 2018 18:16:32 GMT 1
Well my reciprocating saw has arrived, along with the transfer name for Mumbles Belle (it has a slightly oriental style about it which I like) I have made a wooden plaque for it to be stuck onto & when it is painted & the transfer applied I will give it a coat of lacquer to protect it. Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow & I can start carving the old wheelhouse down with my new toy, it certainly worked well in the workshop making sort work of some 2" x 1" I had lying about, so demolition should be quite quick & painless. I would like to be up & running before the end of this month, & provided I don't hit too many snags it should be ready before that, once the old one is removed & I can se where I need to make bearers etc it should be easy, at least I don't have to keep going down to Cilonnen daily, the journey kills me after a while.
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 3, 2018 20:24:16 GMT 1
Just finishing dotting the I's & crossing the T's, today I sorted out what timber I hadn't used, & stacked what was left in a tidy pile for possible use on other projects (not much left because I measured quite accurately) but there is enough to perhaps make some timber storage boxes for the lifejackets or similar. I made a "Fiddle rail" to go on the roof to store nets, gaff, brushes etc & it will also be suitable for spare rods, TO STOP THEM BEING LEFT LYING ON THE SEAT WAITING TO BE STEPPED ON AS I MOVE BACK & FORWARD TO THE ANCHOR!!!!!! I have given it a coat of clear Cuprinol & I will give it at least one more coat before I paint it, because it will be the most exposed part of the wheelhouse, & I don't want anybody grabbing hold of it & doing a "torpedo launch" as an angler did one trip last season luckily he fell into the boat on top of one of the other anglers for a soft landing. That was the straw that broke the camels back as far as making the new wheelhouse was concerned . I have treated myself to a reciprocating saw (which arrives tomorrow) & once I have that, I will start dissecting the old wheelhouse & putting it into heavy duty polythene bags (courtesy of Colin Owen ) so I can dispose of it when he brings the new wheelhouse down There is bound to be a fair amount of "fettling" to get the new wheelhouse to fit, & I may have to bolt some bearers onto the engine bed to support it, & if necessary I may have to fibreglass some joints that not as I intended (the boat is not square, horizontal, nor vertical, so I may have to strain it slightly diamond shape to fit, because my wheelhouse is square & vertical but Mumbles Belle isn't But having created it, its going on, even if I have to trim both to size with my new reciprocating saw
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Post by pilgrim17 on Apr 1, 2018 15:41:37 GMT 1
Carried on stripping the old wheelhouse this morning, took off all the carpet that was stuck to the inside & holding the black mould (I will probably end up like that Russian spy with all those spores ). Took most of the trunking & electrical cables down & marked them ready for replacing. The commodore made a lightening visit, saw no coffee was being brewed, was given a lesson on what a gland nut was, & then he left . The guy on "Sally B" offered to give me a tarpaulin to go over the area once the old wheelhouse is gone, which will keep the rain off the electrics & the engine until the new one is erected. I need somebody to take my Workmate down to the marina for me to use as a sawbench, I can also use it to reach the VHF Antennae & the anchor light which are above my height. As I was removing the electrics the commodore made a comment on the state of the plywood that was crumbling in my hand, because I am sure that there are people in the club who think I changing it as a fad, as if I was wanting to create something of my own design, well they will be disappointed because I have followed the old one in almost every aspect, (except for that "ducks arse" that stuck out over the back of the wheelhouse) that has gone to allow casting from the stern, & it is 6" narrower to let those with fat arses walk from back to front without turning sideways, or climbing onto the seat. I have stuck to the hot orange paint for the roof so it can be spotted from the air
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 28, 2018 17:43:49 GMT 1
I can almost smell the finish of this perishing wheelhouse, I knew it was going to be a difficult job, but I didn't realise HOW difficult! Getting to it has been a major headache (especially in bad weather) the scooter is fine on a fine day, but when it rains its miserable, cold, & dangerous. I have Richie & Colin to thank for giving me lifts in bad weather, so lets hope it fits & does the job. Today I went up & put 2 coats of orange gloss on the roof panel, & Colin is going to give it another coat this evening when the 2nd coat is dry, that's it finished then & ready for transporting to the marina. So tomorrow I will be down the boat removing the trunking & wiring ready to dismantle the old wheelhouse, hopefully the old wiring should fit straight onto the new one (seeing as the new one is a copy of the old one). It's a pity the old one rotted away because it was a good shape & served the purpose well, if only it had been waterproofed properly . Never mind this one is made of sterner stuff, made from 1" solid timber planks & sealed to stop the rain getting in, & if any rain SHOULD get in it will simply run down white gloss painted planks & drop into the bilges. Don't expect any quick trips to be posted, I want to make sure everything is bolted down & working before we start the season, & I need to decide what Belle is capable of providing without turning it into the "chuck wagon" it has been, space is always at a premium & I need to utilise that space better, & I also need to work out how to avoid everything rattling around & tipping over when the "Birmingham Navy" roar past 30yds away at 25knots, that may involve some sort of "gimbal ring" table like they have on yachts (working on that lol) We have to have a fresh "heel test" seeing as we have carried out "major structural changes", to convince the insurers that we are not going to capsize at the first wave, I have no worries whatsoever about that. If it passed the initial heel test with "3 bags of chippings & a kettle full of water" it will certainly pass it now it is properly ballasted. Otherwise we are ready to go, I have been running the engine regularly since we have been laid up, & it starts first time, the batteries are charging normally, & the readings from the alternator are fine now the Trevor checked the system out, & it shows a healthy charge rate through the voltmeter, & the oil pressure remains stable so mechanically we are fine, all we will need to do before we go is give the stern tube gland a twist of grease & we are away. Keep watching the Booking Sheet we wont be long now
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 27, 2018 19:33:56 GMT 1
Well it did warm up enough for the resin to go off, & the glass mat was duly applied, & several more coats of resin & catalyst applied so now it is as waterproof as a turtles shell, & as rigid! Today I gave it a couple of coats of white primer & tomorrow it will get its first coat of orange, & hopefully its second coat as well, then its all down to the marina to get assembled. Still got a few jobs to do, make a couple of fillets to fill in between the roof & the cabin top, & make a fiddle rail to stop anything from rolling off the roof (like nets, boat hooks etc). Getting the old one off now is the main job, & what to do with all the gear on board is a problem, I really must start getting rid of some of it but its "all useful" I will have to start prioritising stuff to stay & to be stored ashore, I could be with a container in the car park For example I have a toolbox on board about the size of a small dinghy that will have to go in favour of something with a few essentials (not enough to change the engine) I have 3 frying pans, a griddle, & 2 saucepans on board, all but the griddle can go! I have more sauces than McDonalds so most of them can go, I have cushions inside for the geriatric invalids who get a sore ass sat on the hard seats (they can bring their own in future) I have a big plastic container full of hot dog sausages, burgers etc, they can go, along with 2/4 dustpans & brushes, bottles of washing up liquid, scrubbing brushes, Dettol?? I'm sure somebody puts them on board at night? I don't need a battery charger or 2 sets of jumper leads, nor 4 identical short extension leads, nor a wheelbarrow inner-tube for somebody's piles? Time to turn over a new leaf, & put Mumbles Belle on a more disciplined footing, no more Mr Nice Guy more like Capt Bligh, more deck swabbing & plank walking is in order I think, & then maybe not
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 25, 2018 16:46:40 GMT 1
This bloody wheelhouse is endless, we are now down to fibreglassing the roof panels to make it waterproof, the problem is that with the temperature as it is the resin doesn't want to set, so its maximum hardener/resin ratio to get success! It is working now that we have worked out the problem, but I thought the first coat would never go off Anyway it has now had the matting layer applied, & Colin is going to apply the final coat this evening, then it will be ready for the traditional bright orange paint I don't think there is much out there to catch but I am dying to get back out there to try, April should see the return of the plaice & dabs, & later in the month we should see bream & maybe triggers returning. Unfortunately it is also the time of year for hounds & no doubt our first trip out will yield a few of them nuisances. I am still slowly deconstructing the old wheelhouse, my biggest problem is keeping the electrics dry as it is being demolished, I think I will have to disconnect the batteries to prevent anything shorting out, I cant remove the batteries because they power the auto bilge pumps, & I cant leave the boat with bilge pumps. I can see it having to be a concerted effort to get all the electrics disconnected & made safe, & covered with a tarpaulin so as not to leave the boat powerless. Then after the new wheelhouse is fitted I need to recoat the floor & seat duckboards, the work on this boat never ends
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 23, 2018 19:47:08 GMT 1
I am currently splitting my time between finishing the new wheelhouse, & "deconstructing" the old one. The new one needs the roof fibreglassing to ensure it stays waterproof so I have been looking for bargain prices on resin & glass mat, but they are thin on the ground. "Economy of scale" seems to be the policy in the fibreglass world with "economy" size 20kg at ~ £43, where as 10kg is anywhere from £52???, the 5kg we need is about £44? & only available online??? So I might as well buy the 20kg "economy" pack locally, for £1 more than the 5kg I need, & either put about 10 coats on it or leave it hoping it doesn't go off before its needed next. I am sure I can find something that needs fibreglassing, the wooden "tables" in the old wheelhouse for a start, they will be much easier to wipe after we have been "buzzed" by some 35ft "offshore" cruiser & the coffee has been spilled Richie has been a godsend the last week helping to turn panels for painting, & doing the painting while I mess around with the carpentry, the only problem is he is like a wildman when you put a roller in his hand, put something down & turn around, & by the time you turn back its been painted everything I have touched is covered in wet paint. I have decided to go with a white wheelhouse with an orange roof (for visibility from the air), the inside will also be white gloss paint so that any condensation will run down to the bilge & get pumped out, the old wheelhouse had a carpet material stuck on the walls which absorbed any moisture but encouraged black mould to form on the plywood which must have been most unhealthy! Last time I saw black mould like that was on one of these expose programmes on TV where 20 immigrants were living in a damp basement, I am sure Mumbles Belle has taken 5 years off my life Hopefully we will have a long hot summer to dry my lungs out which will avoid severe compensation setting in! Attachments:
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Post by pilgrim17 on Mar 20, 2018 22:10:06 GMT 1
Today we cut the roof panels to size & shape & completed the roof, it is now on the workshop bench after having been painted yet again by Richie (if you put anything down & go for a pee when you come back its been painted) It is quite a good fit, given that nothing on a boat is square or vertical, lets just hope it still fits when we erect it on the boat I still need to fabricate a "fiddle rail" structure for the roof so that nets, gaffs, brushes etc can be put up there without falling off (I put my spare rods up there cos I'm too idle to strip them down) It appears that toughened glass cant be cut so we will have to have a new windscreen, but I was determined to give us more room on the starboard side where we move from stern to bow, edging sideways to get to the anchor was doing my head in, now it should be easier, also by lifting the door up, you can walk into the wheelhouse without smashing your skull on the door frame. The next job is to continue "deconstructing" the old wheelhouse ready for the new one, I am not sure how long that will take but I am hoping that if the weather stays fine it should be ready to swap in a couple of days. I have had a volunteer to fibreglass the roof, Phil Carroll bless his cotton socks claims to be something of a virtuoso with the old mat, resin & hardener & so he can be my guest, I also need to make a nameplate for her & I reckon I will do that with stick on letters from a motor factors & varnish it over. We don't need much identification really our engine noise & colour give us away, announcing "Here comes the REAL fishing boat"
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