Wildrose Reborn

The crane just managed to lift her, missing the roof by a few inches, feeling very nervous now, what have I not done ???? 

crumbs, the day of reckoning, is the ballast in the right place? is the grease packed into the greaser? ropes in place? diesel in the tank? water in the heating system .......all on board as soon as she sits in the water to check for any unwelcome water ......

But all seems ok, she sits pretty level, all dry inside the engine compartment. Master switches on, Alt on, in neutral, full throttle and press the button and...........blooming marvelous

   And what a delight to at last feel the movement on the water.. It was noticeably still all the time I have been working on her and she just didn't feel right. Now she feels at home and doing what she was meant to do....phew. Never really thought I would get there, several hiccups this year were overcome and the electrics safely in place.
The horn still works, well I say horn but in actuality it's an air raid siren from WW2 !!! and a pretty fearful sound to match, but there is a way to make it not go full throttle so some practice away from civillisation will be needed.
Now she has her own electrics cupboard, master switches, fuses, a split diode, batteries boxed and fastened in and other useful things.
I did the exhaust pipes lagging, well done me lol

and well done to all who have contributed in time and effort.

Coming out of the Parkhead lock on the way to Merry Hill on her inaugural cruise.

Hooray

That went on a bit too long !!!

Mainly because of the XP situation and my machine refusing to recognise my phone pictures Harrumph Harrumph

So its been almost 12 months since my last posting. this doesn't mean that I have been skiving off because it gives me great pleasure to announce the successful  launch of  the rejuvenated Wildrose on 10th July ....phew
and just relieved she floats, engine runs a treat and she starts up with just the push of a button. gosh and am going to try to insert pics from my phone direct so here goes..

Thank you to COX's Cranes of Oldbury. Did a marvelous job taking her back to the nearest place we could put her in the water and she cruised back to her original moorings like a dream. No leaks, slightly high, well 2inches up in the water so I need to get more ballast sorted out. 2inches on a 10 tone boat is I think quite a lot of it.....that should be fun and will continue to keep me fitt-ish

Back home at Bumble Hole, and a misty morning at Merry Hill Waterfront on her first trip out, 3 hours, 1 lock and 5 fishermen (10 minutes in the car ha ha) but a magical journey through the narrows of Netherton

Nice new wall to moor against, Thank you Stan. A black cat and a heron appeared the day she arrived and so did the owner of her sister narrowboat, Wild Musk. So thats how we ended up having a 2 day stayover at Merry Hill Waterfront. Four boats and excellent company. Sitting outside Weatherspoons in the evening looking across the water at the boats and the sky was just unbelievably beautiful. Who would have thought, I have been there many times but never really looked around but it was as good as any waterfront on the Med...

Yes thats us Wildrose in the middle, moored outside the Copthorn Hotel (nice toilets) lol. AND the Bowman exhaust gas heat exchanger has worked a marvel, I can recommend for any air cooled engine. Will be able to say more after a winter cruise

WOW back on the water, what were the odds
and now to just enjoy
Whilst cracking on with the garden, somewhat bigger than before !!!