Ow exhaustin! - part 27

Before we proceed wiv dis week's blogpost I fort I tell you now .. I love mud .. there job done!

So as you will remember from last time, we have the anchor in place, the chain in place. Dad bin doing a lot of work to ensure the engine is ready for firin up an the generators are good as we edge closer and closer to our journey to our new moorin. Course, one fing wot be vital for the engine to run properly dus be the exhaust.

Guess what? This don't work like a car exhaust as you probaly worked out ;). We had build a new exhaust because we had taken the old one out when we were building the galley area (which was the upper engine room). Dad had ordered a lot of large round steel pipe that he would weld togeva to go from the bottom of the boat right to the top! Here's the pipe goin frew da galley (well ... what will be the galley). This will all be insulated and boxed in when we startin the fittin out.

Here's one of dad's most trusty tools - his mig welder! What's a Mig welder? Well is a weldin machine wot welds Mig of course pftttt ;). No but seriously tho but ...... there be free (as in da number) main types of weldin . Mig, tig and Stick.

Tig welding dus be for light steel an fings like stainless alloys, aluminum, titanium an copper. We dussnt do much of dat yet but we will when we doin the handrails.

Mig welding is for big steel and uses a reel of weld . prefect for fabricatin fings.

Stick is great for small welds, outside weldin, hard to reach places and for when you dus need to be portable
Dad has run the weld around the pipe at the bottom as you can see in this photo. That so he can put supports in to stop it moving about an of course join the pipes togeva coz it ain't one long pipe you know.

Dad had already cut the holes before we put the pipe in place an they were all correctly lined up (mum was involved but not doin any measurin ;). Look at that seam weld!

I was called in to quality check. Err .. yes yes that all looks fine dad, please continue! Blimey I was quite slim back then!

Here is the pipe at the next level (wheelhouse). That is the back wall of the new wheelhouse there with the pipe goin frew to the roof. The back wall isn't welded in place yet as you can see. That will come later, along wiv a door.

Here's the pipe comin frew to the roof.

Here's the little two smoke stacks on top wiv their lids wot lift and drop when the engine goin so we don't get smoked out!

A view of our glamorous mooring! Annuva step closer to being ready to move to the new mooring! Yay! 

Oh, ere's me avin a bit of fun in da river too.

See you next time .. for more on Operation New Mooring. Bye

Chain and anchor and no! dat is not rhyming slang - part 26

Last time, I was tellin you how we started preparing for our trip to our new moorin. Dad reckoned we would definitely av tos moor up overnight somewhere. Wifout chain and anchors we would drift and end up who knows where, so anchor and chain installation began.

In the last post, dad had built the chain locker and mum an dad started working on getting all the chain into the bow and the lockers. They used the crane to lift the chain and then lower it into the bow.

Dad put rope on the final chain so it could be lifted up later and taken through the winch. Here's the chain in the locker:

As I mentioned in the last post, dad built the chain lockers out of some old steel and scaffoldin we ad knockin about. Dat is recyclin at its best! heehee. We gots to paint the chain locker once all da works is complete and it will be spray-foamed too when the time comes. We will do that in the future when we don't need to worry about moorin and can remove the anchors for a while. Here's a better view of the locker:

As you can see there are two lockers wiv chain in. Hmmmm - I wonder if you can guess why? Hahaaaa that's right! Coz there are two anchors, so two chains, two lockers!

Here's a pic of Atlantis's bow before work starts on the cutting work for the anchors on a misty cold morning:

Dad started cutting the holes on each side of the hull to house the chain. 

Close up as dad cuts the port (landlubbers: left) side of the hull.

Testing that the chain fits frew the hole well:

Testing the chain wiv the first anchor. Don't even ask how we got that there! Ok - you can ask! Well we magically shrunk it and pushed it frew da hole! No? Ok, we used the crane to lower the anchor. Using the crane to hold the anchor in place, we then used a shackle to attach the anchor to the chain and released. Hey presto! One anchor thank you very much!

Here's the chain inside the chain locker, As you can see it fits through the hole well. The hole had to be just right - too big and there's a risk of too much water coming into the bow, risking a flood. Too small and the chain wouldn't release, so no anchor.

Here's the view from above. The angle had to be jut right. Which, of course, it was! Clever

Ok, so, hole cut, chain through, anchor attached. What next? He then welded in steel tubes (fabricated by im) so that the anchor has it's housing to sit in.

Then .... testing of course! Here's a video showing how well everyfin worked:

Here's the anchor in the raised position:

This photo shows the anchor in it's final resting place once the anchor is fully raised:

This photo shows the chain locker with full chain. 

Right pay attenshun! Here dus be geeky bit. The anchors weigh 350kgs each! Each section of chain is connected by shackles. The chain section between the shackles is called the "shot" and usually measures 90ft. So, we has 9 shots on board .. meanin we as 810ft of chain! And we had to hammer all the rust of each link "by hand" and checked every single link! I say we, of course, I mean mum an dad! I can't ... no thumb you see?

Well dat is for now, see you again soon. Hope you enjoyed dis update.

Chain, chain, chain!!!! - part 25

Hello!! Last time I was tellin you bowt how we decided to move to a new mooring. Well before that cud appen dad had to sort out some chain and anchors in case we had to stop any time during the trip! As you may remembers, Atlantis never had no chain or anchor, mainly coz when she was a fishing vessel she used her fishing gear and nets when she stopped. Well that and she probably never stopped much!

Mum and dad had already stripped out the galley so that dad could get to the front wall. This would get him access to the bow which is where the first step wud appen. Installation of the chain locker! There is a lot of chain to be stored! This the wall wot will be cut away.

Next dad cut two holes in the roof of the bow which where the two chains would come down from the bow. He wud also cut holes in the bow but that wud come later coz he had to work out the right angle for the chain. Ere dus be the first hole:

Ere's the uvva hole! One for each chain. we have put some chain frew to make sure it fits and can slide in an out wivout too much trubble. That chain dus be heavy and mum an dad had to knock all the rust off wit hammers first! Talk about popeye-arms and that's just mum! heehee.

Dad starts by building the locker for the chain. He dus be using steel from the walls that he had already taken down from the galley! Good recycling eh? Here's the first of the walls on the right. He also used some old scaffoldin we had holdin up the bow roof (no longer needed I hasten to add) to make the frame for the locker.

He starts welding up plate into any areas where there are holes. This locker has got to be strong and well built to keep the chain in its place. 

Here are some further walls added. The holes are above so the chain will come into the locker when the winch operates (ooohh!!) - all electronically of course ;).

Now, we dus go all well posh and dun a video! Ere's dad dussin some weldin (warning: contains bald head and some flashin stuff).

Dad plated over an old out-of-use hatch too. He as asked me to point out his very neat welding! Ok dad - here is some very neat welding please take note:

I have decided to pay a visit and inspect proceedins as is my right as ship's dog! Yes ... all seems in order, carry on dad, carry on.

Welding sparks! Ohhhh pretty!

And, coz I bin such a good doggie and dad was gettin a bit stir crazy in his little locker, a trip to Old Felixstowe for some fun on the beach!

Next time, more chain, more holes and ..... anchors!!! hurray!

Didn't there used to be a kitchen ere? - part 24

Well hello again ma pals! Ow fings? Last time I was ere I dun telled you about ow we did av to get some anchors in so we cud sail Atlantis and err ... well ... stop if we needed to! Before any of dat cud appen, mum and dad had to strip out da galley so dad cud get access to the f'o'c'sle (the what!??) heehee. Well in da olden days it was called da forecastle but is pronounced folksal.  Bet you landlubbers didn't know dat eh?

As you can see from these pics mum and dad continued to strip back all da walls, kitchen cabinets and sink down to the frame and the rockwool (dat dus be fibreglass stuff wot you puts up for insulation - it is rubbish tho). When we did see what the insulation was in da galley, it explained why it was always so cold. Plus, da rockwool itself was soakin wet from all da condensation over the years. Yuk!

You can see the damp in this pic - see how the rockwool was stuck to the steel walls! Scraper time! I wonder who got that job? heehee - mum of course! I wasn't allowed in the room much. You can see from the pics that there was loads of fibre glass dust flyin around the room. Mum and dad were coughin a lot, eve tho they was wearin masks.

Here's some more of the nasty fibre glass - mum scraped all dat off the walls! She was coughing like she'd beein avin sneaky cigarettes heehee!

Ere dus be dad doing the 'I'll carry it for you dear, you carry on scraping' trick!

The room started looking a bit cleaner and less dusty as more and more fibre glass gets removed. Dad was clearing the ceiling panels (dat is wot he has in the photo above dis one) while mum works on tidying. Can you see the pattern? heehee.

Dad nips off below decks to av quick check in the lower bow to make sure the pipes dad had disconnected from the old sink were not leakin an pourin water into the lower bow.

Mum says goodbye to the orrible cooker wot she dus hate. Only one ring worked on the top and the oven door wud not stay shut. There was also no tempritcha fing in da oven so anyfink cooked in there had to be watched in case it burnt! Soooooo ... plenty of burnt lasagne ;)).

Watching all dat work as made tired! Fink I shall have lay down by the rusty pipe!

Now the kitchen is completely stripped out and mum even tidied up some tools into a little pile for dad! heehee.

Tune in next time to see how mum an dad put in da anchor and chain for Atlantis's voyage to er new ome! Fanx for readin pals!

Goodbye galley - hello house!?? - part 23

Well hello again! Is me Lexie. Ow fings? Fanx to da magic of the interwebnet and clever use of the time space continuum we is still in 2009. Big event for mum that year was goin wiv er very great friend Jaclyn to a AC/DC concert at the O2. 

Wot is the O2 Lexie I hear you ask. Well apparently it was a white elephant wot cost da taxpayer loads of money. But then it became a concert venue and is great! I av no idea wot all dat means but it makes hoomins very annoyed.

Anyway she was working in London in Waterloo at the time so decided to take the Catamaran Ferry to the concert. Ere dus be a photo of The Houses of Parliament:

Ere dus be the London Eye. Wot is a very big wheel wot goes round wiv some lozenges on it wot you can go in. Mum as bin on dat too. Looks a bit scary to me.

Ere is Tower Bridge wot dus be called a bascule bridge (comes from the French for see-saw) and was finished in 1894.

An ere dus be where mum went to see AC/DC in concert. Dis was second time she seen em live - first time was in 1979 when she was a headbanger heehee.

Anyway ... movin on swiftly back to Atlantis. Mum and dad ad found a new mooring in Essex back where they used to live so it was time to focus on gettin Atlantis sea-worvy for da trip. Like most trawlers, Atlantis didn't av no anchors because the fishermen used the fishing gear itself as the anchors. Dad telled us that she had to av anchors for her trip to Essex because we cuddn't make it there in one tide. 

For that to appen we had to pull out the galley he announced. But why? We arks him. Well, he says, because I need to get frew da front wall of the galley to the bow to install the anchors and build the chain locker! Oh ... right .. yes well we knew that of course ;).

Ere dus be a outside view of Atlantis wiv her new wheelhouse. You can see is really takin shape! For future reference, please note lack of anchors at the bow for the moment!

So, wifout furva ado, dad started rippin the galley out. Dussnt panic tho pals (remember galley is boaty-talk for kitchen) coz mum an dad did av plan up the sleeve of their tops for where we gonna eat and that. 

Ere is da first bit of work dad did in the galley. He removed the old tables wot he cut out wiv the plasma cutter. You can see, was very smoky in there!

The walls ad to come down too an as you can see ere there is a wooden frame between the wall and the outer hull. This pic shows the outer hull wot looks like it is covered in brown paper. That was insulation .... fibre glass only. Oh! No wonder it was so cold in winter ;).

Ere dus be dad workin at the front of the galley near the bow - he's cutting away all the wood ready to cut a big ole in the wall. On the left there is wot is left of the kitchen cabinets and sink.

Mum started clearin out the room as dad was working to demolish. She found old Atlantis bags wot they used to store the scallops in! Ewww memories of the fish-hold came floodin back.

We burned all da wood on the shore (which we was allowed to do). There was a oooge bonfire wot lasted for days. Mum seemed to enjoy that a bit too much dad said. Nice side view of Atlantis here wiv her new roof takin shape too. 

Now I was sitting wiv mum on da shore wondrin ow we gonna eat! Wot we gonna do for a place for relaxin coz that was always the galley. Mum telled me not only has she got a new job in Essex but we dus all be moving into a house for a while *thud ... faints* What! What??!!! She said, dad is gonna commute to Atlantis and come ome weekends and we gonna stay in da howse and go down at weekends. Pfttttt ... speechless. An then she say, it has a garden where I can run around. Ere it dus be:

I like it! An i as a nice step wot I can sit on to look around at fings. I sees cats, squirrels and some geese. This place is great! We has beds, heating, rooms, a barf, some kitchen, carpets an lots of room. We can even switch loads of fings on at once an it doesn't trip the power. Cor!

Work continues on the galley removal an mum has the great job of removin all da fibreglass wot dus be very itchy if you gets it on your skin. I was banned from da room. Ere is some fibreglass:

Well, more soon ma pals! Hope you liked ma posty today. Fanx. Byeeeeeee!!!