Its that season again........

Nothing to declare, in fact Wildrose has been emptied out and floor boards taken up due to excess water finding its way into the bilges !!!! fortunately I do know how and the problem has been sorted, phew!!!!!!!
So here's a blast from a past cosy winter on the ice

wishing the world a peaceful New Year, sadly little hope of that eh!

However am looking forward to a launch sometime in 2013

All posh like

 A couple of mini gearstick nobs .Ha  just the job for the controls
and an EXCELLENT job done by Ian of KINVER CANOPIES for the new back deck tonneau cover. Well done fellas..

I do struggle with the pictures trying to get them to tile  ah well, anyway had a bit of a disaster last week when the front tarpaulin blew off resulting in 2 inches of water, fortunately patchy, in the bilge.... My own fault really because I haven't replaced the water tank filler which is in the centre of the front deck ( a 2" diam hole!!!!!!), hence the continuing need for a tarpaulin........

Anyway it was a good excuse to see how easily I can get to the bilge and dry her out so 2 car loads later Wildrose is completely empty again and I will take the opportunity to have the base plate checked for thickness. I know its good but it will be helpful when I do get her certificated..

The water tank filler is now being fitted by the expert welder, phew.... and a front tonneau cover ordered from the excellent Kinver Canopies... Ha

New nuts and a quick lick !!!

After a long break due to lots of work finishing off the house, a couple of days on Wildrose saw the engine removed, cleaned off and painted, with a set of new stainless steel nuts all round ha!

Beginning to get to know it well

Love the yellow flywheel eh!

Reconditioned the fuel injectors at RM Engineering Wolverhampton by a very helpful Bob. Many thanks, this will hopefully get a smoother and slower tickover when she is tickingover !!.

I have to say, what a difference a coat of paint makes, Engine looks a beaut.....Beaut Bertha ha ha

Exhaust ing

Much time off, couldn't miss any of the Olympics and much rain stopping play since. However the exhaust has been fitted and connected with the Bowman, and she was heard running again. Less exhaust smoke thank goodness but very much noise !!!!!

Oh what fun eh!









Of course once its all in place its all coming out again for cleaning and painting.

Many thanks to Steve at Stationary Engine Parts for all the advice and supplies.. Original colour engine paint Light Brunswick Green, new exhaust gaskets arrived in the post today along with some other bits I am totally unable to describe !!!!!  just to say they are part of the connecting engine to gearbox bit. Will need to use the better camera for small parts .........

Next thing is to make a mock up for a custom made fuel tank that will fit neatly down one side under the back deck with about 30 gallons capacity. Was thrilled to be able to use a spreadsheet to find optimal size and shape Ha Ha I always did enjoy a good spreadsheet ........

Whats this then ??

Much excitement this week because the Bowman exhaust gas heat exchanger  was tested and collected from Birmingham this week and it just fits  .... phew..
It's that long silver cylinder with the red ends on the left. At a meter, its the same length as the engine and gearbox combined. A simple but very effective system that heats water as the exhaust gasses pass through it
Got this because as the Petter is air cooled and any heat transferring has to be done via the exhaust system rather than using the radiator effect from a water cooled engine. This is exactly what the Bowman will do when the engine is running.....this means when that travelling in wet/cold/damp weather (which lets face it has been the norm this year Ha Ha) anyway it will produce hot water and with a pump will heat the boat without the need to light the a fire (from  much experience when on the move the smoke from the chimney really does get in yer eyes !! )

So now the engine is sitting in place we can start to see how things will fit together. The Bowman will sit snugly along one side on the bottom so its well out of the way.  The gearbox is having an extension so that the control cable is at optimum curving but that may have to go around the back of the engine... Removed the exhaust manifold (in front of my right foot, gosh are they really clean trainers .... must have been Sunday Ha Ha)
The Aquadrive support  brackets arn't in yet and before any painting (it will all come out for that), it need to get in everything that has to fit in the compartment and make sure it does....and when it does it can all still be got at ...... Jim would be doing a CAD in 3D !!!!
Another extra for the air cooled Petter BA2, is to have a couple of bilge blowers fitted under the deck..
I feel the need to make a list ..........
Hm .... but so far so good.... and thrilled to see this part of the refurb unfolding

Engine on board .. just

Can't believe its happening...pushed the engine to the boat on Jim's sledge, made to move the telescope ... "everything should have 2 purposes" was another of his motto's
                                                                                               
well its the closest this pair have been together so far

Hmmmmm,  !!!! its down there and needs to be up here. Block and tackle borrowed, found some webbing and ....












up she goes, nice and easy, bit of a tilt but no problem ...

Gantry just high enough we thought.  But a bit of levering did the trick











Clever roller-bearing device glided sideways
















and she sits on the back deck whilst the fittings and mounts are double checked





                                                                                                              

Gosh    I am almost speechless  ... it all fits in a treat, but I always knew it would..


We did connect to a battery and start her up and I am still choking arghhhhh ..but no spare hands for pictures.

its all marvelous

Another reminder

of just how far Wildrose has come on since her return.  I remember being unable to take many photos at first. It was just so sad to see her all neglected and in such a mess. I think if I had looked too hard I may never have started. But here she was less than 3 years ago....

Found hiding away, still at Bumble Hole where she was built and lived in until 1996. How could we abandon her? well we did and there you go, all these choices and decisions.  But anyway, I didn't look closely and just remembered how lovely she was and started thinking about how loverly I can make her again now that I have the time, inclination and hopefully the energy !!!!!!!

 The roof could have be mistaken for dancing ledge on the Durasic coast. Never seen so much pitting it looked really orrible. But the man selling me the filler assured me that as it was used for chieftain tanks, and it would do the job for me.....
and it did too

The water must have just sat on the top under the tarp but the water would run off so the sides and base plate were in much better condition ...  phew

 The sludge was at least 12 inches deep and was shoveled out in bucketfuls. The shoveling seemed to go on forever yuk........This was when my hair turned brown for a year Ha Ha...Kept thinking I had a suntan but it all went down the plughole !!!! Haven't been so dirty since we dismantled the Riley Kestrel and at least that was dry and indoors....

Large tin of filler badly needed ha ha !!

 The engine compartment was just full of  wires and pipes and rubbish and lots more rust .... the fuel tank was rusted to a wafer thickness.

 Just arrived at her refit home, I was very nervous then to take off the tarp, not seen her revealed

On the low loader ready to roll, placed expertly with a forklift truck !!!!











Inside my camera flash wasn't working, but you may just be able to make out the battery balancing above the water with the bilge pump attached....pumped it out for ages !!!!!!!






Looking towards the back deck, there's the kitchen again from the other side of the two bulkheads....which I have decided to not replace and leave the interior as open plan ...saves a lot of work too

 Off come the covers, slowly.  Painting and patterns still there and her faded glory revealed Ha Ha

 Looking in from the front deck, just dark and horrible...She  was a delight inside once .... and will be again ....

 Took a long time to get to this even. Thank goodness for the workshop hoover .....

So looking at Where I Have Got to, my goodness hasn't she come on well eh!!!
Today we erected a sort of gantry over the back deck with help from Bells Steel and rolled the engine up to where we can attach it to the block n tackle ready for the first lift.... tomora ???? depends on the weather.....oooh la la ... pics in tomoras update if it doesn't rain Ha Ha not holding breath eh!!!

Keeping cosy by the fire

Then all of a sudden things are happening... The helpful Ian of Kinver Canopies came over to check out Wildrose and decided that some extensions to the side safety bars would be needed in order for them to fit the canopy framework. They recommended a welder and he has done a cracking job. Doesn't look like an extension at all and is a good safety feature also.

 With a little help from his dad, who used to have a narrowboat himself.

Parallel bars,  to be painted blue with a red top rail. A good job well done.


AND he appears to be not just a pretty face but is a mechanic/engineer by trade.  ahaaa I thought as I showed him the engine with fingers crossed behind my back, and as luck would have it I am now pleased to report that he has agreed to take on the job of installing it and getting the whole engine, fuel supply and, well, everything needed to getting her up and running.  "A refreshing change from working on crappy cars"  he said.  So this week has seen us dragging the engine into the light ... whoopydoo ....

Lots of discussions now, finding everything, the manuals, drawings, lists of things to include and bits n pieces.  ?? Where is the Aquadrive ?? (phew glad I have already got this as it had to be specialy machined to fit), Where did we hide the diesel tanks ??  
Gosh I hadn't expected this.  I had actually given up and was going to leave it till she was back on the water then just hope.  
So, lets see what a couple of days from a professional will bring.  
P.S. apologies to anyone reading this who has a crappy car, I hav had a few and they got me about and did the job and every one of them I loved. 

Just to remind me ....

How far I have got

 Outside she is looking great.  Still to do >>>  another layer of bitumen all round with extra at the back that I haven't been able to start on yet. Waiting for some cutting and welding to be done.  2 more brass mushrooms on the roof. chimney lid. Silicone round the windows (but cant do that until the wood paneling is found/measured/cut/fitted ... so that will be a while !!) 

Inside is quite cosy now carpet down and its been a delight just sit with feet up and a cuppa tea listening to  radio 4 and ignoring the next lot of things to be done....

I even dozed orf trying out the 'sofa bed'. It has a single mattress under the cushions and is comfy enough for me ...... the sink is just visible half way down on the right. Found a good condition small ceramic butler ( or is it Belfast?), probably from a school lab. anyway for 25 quids its a great buy.
Beyond the fire, the rear half, will be good for workspace when I start on the plumbing and internal woodwork 

HOWEVER the engine compartment still needs a lot of work before the engine can be installed. I think it might be wise to check out how to make a new back deck because this one is plate steel and I certainly won't be able to budge them once they are back down .... much thought is going to have to be put into all this bit ... Hm 






But for now am giving her a rest and catching up on a bit of gardening at home. The next post will be getting her measured up for her new covers, fore n aft, from the very helpful Ian of Kinver Canopies, Kinver. Looking forward to that, there really is only so much I can do now and it will be great to sit back a while.... 

and just to remind me how the engine sounded when she was first started up, here's the video Ha Ha
Oh what fun ...

Somebody stole my birthday ... again

Yesterday .... many moons ago .... coronation day ....we had one of those brown 9" Bush tellys with magnifying panel on the front (electronics has remained magic to me ever since)   All the neighbours came to our house and they were glued to the unfolding ceremony... I spent the day behind the sofa drawing pictures on the plaster caste on my broke leg !!!!!!!!.......and playing with the model Coronation coach and horses which I have still got somewhere...... not in its box though Ha Ha, trust me to play with it....
Never much gone for birthdays ever since Ha Ha...... HOWEVER how fitting this year to have all the boats out for the river pagent ......Thank you whoever organised that....
Having another 'clean day' with cosy fire at home making list out for what to find and see at the show tomora at the Crick Boating Festival.


And I couldn't resist including a few stills from the telly of the quite fabulous spectacle, quite stunning ...... in parallel universe, WildRose would have been there ....

The fabulous bells "They make me deaf you know"    

 The fabulous horse

 The Royal Barge ... Phew ..... thank goodness WR isn't this big !!!!!! would take more than 2 at 5ltr tins of bitumen and 2 at 8ftx4ft sheets of ply for the floorboards !!!! ....

 Smashing to see the narrowboats ... I doubt if I will have the bottle to attempt a river when I get afloat, but here the Thames Barrier was up and so there was little current and they glided along delightfully decorated and so colourful..
Dudley represented by President from the Black Country Museum.


Even a 60footer I think would be too big for me to have tackled, so WR at 35ft is just perfec.

Beautiful Barges ... seen lots of these in Amsterdam, lived on and all so different...........

                                                    

Then at Crick I met with a very helpful Ian of Kinver Canopies and he will be measuring up WildRose for her new deck covers in the not too distant future ...whooopydoooo ..... 
In the meantime I had better tidy up the workshops and find everything ... again Ha