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Tudor Reformation


Timbo

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7 hours ago, JanetAnne said:

That Timbo has got it easy, all Royal Tudor needed was a freshen up and a lick of paint.

Now this one is more of a challenge....

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:default_biggrin:

 

3 minutes ago, ZimbiIV said:

Is all that wood chip the rest of the boat, ready to glue together?

paul

It's one of those kits for the super nutter, grow your own boat, just an oak and a mahogany seed with some compost. Or he's gone a bit daft with the belt sander!

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15 hours ago, Hockham Admiral said:

where do you get the patience to keep going despite all that's thrown at you?

If I'm really honest, patience I think is something that I've had to learn to rebuild the boat. At the minute I have to say patience, along with money and time, is something I'm rapidly running out of. Fortunately for me, I have friends and family around me willing to allow me to chase my life's dream, to teach and encourage me and give up their time, days off and holidays to allow me to do what I'm doing.

In reality, there is a whole host of people that support me in what I'm doing. Dave (Janet Anne) always ready with advice, Mike and Pat (Chameleon) provider of tools and always got the kettle on, Pauline (Polly) available on the telephone with a ready knowledge of who's who in Broadland and Griff offering support and advice.

My family provide a lot of encouragement, advice and physical help. My future father in law Ben Gunn is always ready to advise and push me forward. My brother in Law Watson giving up his time to come and help with the actual labour and his wife Carol giving up time with her husband (he works away from home so a weekend spent with me means he doesn't see his wife for two weeks). Two people above all have really meant that Royal Tudor will get back onto the water.

Without Doug (Brundall Navy) I would still be sat 'booing' on the back of the boat in a state of utter despair at the enormity of the task ahead of me without the finances to pay someone to do the job and without the skills and knowledge to do the job myself. But with Doug, it goes a bit further than that. It's the quiet and calming way in which he teaches, supports and encourages that spurs you on. The texts and phone calls when he knows I'm working on the boat on my own, making sure I'm OK and not collapsed in the bilge, fallen off the ladders (done that) or nailed my hand to the deck (not yet anyway). Above all, it's the knowledge, skills and guidance that Doug provides that I find 'enabling'. Five years ago, if someone had told me that I would know my way around a mortise and tenon, dovetail or box joint I would laugh outright.

Finally, there is my better half Ellie. Ellie works in the background, giving up her days off and holidays to look after the beagles. Supporting and advising me she also bears the brunt of my frustrations. Most importantly she allows me to take the risk with my health and puts up with the aftermath. A weekend working on the boat means I'm laid up for two days sleeping and recuperating when I get home. A couple of days of being back to normal and then I'm back down to the boat.

So why do I do it? Well, since my first holiday on board Captain XII in 1972 I have dreamed of owning a wooden Broads Cruiser. In later life, it was something I could have in common with my Dad, Uncle Albert. We were never close even though I became his main carer. Royal Tudor provided a means for us to communicate. We couldn't talk about a whole range of subjects that needed discussing, but we could talk about the boat. It also means I can leave something to my daughter. I'm not a wealthy bloke but Royal Tudor is something tangible, something I put some effort into. There is the prospect of finishing the boat and Ellie and I enjoying a more relaxing lifestyle floating around on The Broads. Of course, we are planning on buying another boat as Watson has become 'hooked' on boating. And finally...

I'm told that as soon as Royal Tudor is finished, Ellie and I are getting married. I'm trying to work out if that's an excuse to slow down or encouragement to finish the project? The latter I think!

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You've always been patient Tim, an Archeologist without patience is as much use as a chocolate tea pot. Wooden boat owning whether one has deep pockets or acquired skills is, or rather, becomes an obsession. Just this next thing , then just this one more thing, then what is the next thing?   

 

RT will be magnificent and both Fiona and I can't wait to cruise with you and your better half, hopefully RT will have lost her bash / idiot / oxygen thief magnet status by then too.

M

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  • 2 weeks later...

True Grit

Sand, twiddle sand, thump, tap was the rythmn of this last weekends trip to Royal Tudor. After an excellent breakfast at the Wayford Bridge Inn I headed to the boat shed. Douglas was already there working away cutting the new deck section.

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First things first, kettle on and catch up while I carried in my attempts at making new bucket rails for RT's windows. These were tricky to make on the tablesaw with a variety of angles to be cut to house the window glass yet not allow any moisture to collect in the groove. I think I need to strip my table saw down and check everything is aligned properly, the blade, the fence and the riving knife.

While Douglas got on with the deck my first job was to continue removing the bin iron from the gunwale on the port side and finally the gunwale itself. To quote my Grandparents from Doncaster I 'framed like a man med' o' band'. As you all know I'm left handed and my left hand has no strength or dexterity. So removing a range of old screw fixings mired in an accumulation of paint and varnish took some doing. Eventually I got the knack, but Doug still had to help me out with several stubborn fixings!

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At long last the gunwale and bin irons were removed. While I had been pratting about, Doug had cut all of the deck, fitted new hardwood planking in the starboard bow and was now preparing the timber for the new cabin side on the port galley.

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After lunch I got down to sanding while Doug continued to laminate the new cabin side. With the gunwale removed I could clearly see the original layers of paint used on Royal Tudor. The bottom layer of original 'cream' colour was very much more yellow than that we are using this time around.

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I chipped away at old mastic and filler where the gunwale had been and sanded everything back on the hull and areas where we had used resin to fill cracks in the cabin sides.

By the end of the day I was half way through sanding back the second fill on the hull, but due to a sudden cloud burst it was time to nip back to the campsite and check on my night's accommodation. A beautiful clear moonlit night and as the temperature dropped quickly I appropriated a second fire pit so that I could keep both my back and front warm as I sipped hot coffee and stargazed.

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Sunday...it was raining. So I struck camp in my pyjamas which were soggy from my early morning trip to the loo. With the tent down and everything packed, I nipped for a shower and changed into my dry work clothes and headed to Wroxham to settle my bill with Tim Collin for lumber. Breakfast at the Wayford on the way back and then straight to the boat shed.

More sanding, working my way down the port hull and cabin sanding back the filler. I also removed the old vent for the old gas fridge as it is now surplus to requirements. RT's new 80 litre fridge is electric. We will fill in the hole with a hardwood patch.

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To give my arms a bit of a break I gave the new deck quadrant a couple of coats of cream top coat. This means we wont have to get into awkward positions to paint it in the cabin.

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With the new sections of the bow cabin removed it was a chance to get some shots of the original lights and fitting still on board Royal Tudor. I don't want to lose these and could do with finding a few more to go into the galley and cockpit!

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With only fifteen minutes to spare before I was due to head for home I started to apply underwater primer to all of the bare wood. This is just a base so that we can see anywhere we might have missed filling and that is not flush. It will be sanded back once again when we go back for third fill. This is Watson's speciality, detecting miniscule blemishes and filling them flat. Hopefully he will have his sanding arm at the ready soon!

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'To give my arms a bit of a break I gave the new deck quadrant a couple of coats of cream top coat. This means we wont have to get into awkward positions to paint it in the cabin."
 
Define Deck quadrant ?
 
A very productive weekend Tim I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, or is it Polly bringing me more work    :default_biggrin:
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Timbo

Our 80ltr fridge generates huge amounts of heat when in full swing in the summer. We left our old gas access hole and this summer made it bigger with a brass grill over it as it simply wasn't big enough to let all the heat out and the fridge went a bit mad trying to keep up when it was sunny weather. We have the snug fit surround which may be an issue but if the hole into which the fridge sits isn't very well ventilated your'e going to have issues if the heat can't escape into the cabin or galley.. We even go so far as to not moor with that side into the sun and so on. An 80ltr fridge going bonkers in the sun also eats domestic battery amp hours like chocolate bars too.

 

Admitedly with teenagers cruising the provisions and keeping wine chilled and making ice it is a strain on the batteries especially if we stop early doors and the kids constantly opening the fridge door and sometimes closing it, the poor thing doesn't know if its comming or going. BUT It's what its designed for after all. 

 

Just my two cents.

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  • 8 months later...

Timbo - Coz I'm feeling proper left out, would you be good enough to let me know about 'R.T's berthing rope requirements?

Thank you, sir, you are a gentleman, better still a Yorkshireman! Never worry we'll get you 'roped in' too

Gentleman - Debatable,  Yorkshireman - Agreed, happy to be roped in.

So is that a Yes Please or No Thanks?  I have some 14mm 8 x braid soft Polyester in Navy Blue left over from when I recently renewed 'B.A' mooring lines.  I have been trying to sell the surplus onto a gullible fool ever since but with no luck.  I know why though, Oh yes indeed Sir.  You see, splicing that 8 x braid stuff is a veritable nightmare and the work of a Lady Devil herself as I found out to my cost.

If you answer is indeed a 'Yes Please' then against my better judgement, I'll take a deep breath, brace mysen and then I will get out my trusty hot knife, coloured sharpies, gaffa tape, fid then commit mysen to hours n hours of frustration on your behalf.

Having discussed this with Doug, he recommends the following:-

 

1 x bow line at 25ft, back splice and a 10" eye splice

1 x Mudweight at 20ft, eye splice incorporating s/steel eye and a back splice

2 x Stern ropes at 14ft, 6" eye splice / back splice

 

Now Timbo, RT is yours to make the decisions on.  Assuming you want them, - Is the above correct or do you want to tweek them somewhat?

Ball your court, or paddle in your puddle

Griff

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I'd have thought two bow lines so that a second spring can be used when needed.

I was always told to make the bow lines to end  two foot short of the propeller so that, should the line fall in the water un-noticed when underway, it wont foul the prop.

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Griff...that is very much a yes please kind sir!

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

I will get out my trusty hot knife, coloured sharpies, gaffa tape, fid then commit mysen to hours n hours of frustration on your behalf.

RT did have two mudweights ...for the fishing...I have one at home that Uncle Albert was in the process of splicing when he was taken ill I don't know where the other is though.

Anyone that knew Uncle Albert knew he hated 'old folks centres' having been a social worker specialising in the elderly. But he would regularly attend the 'old dear's knitting club' at one home in Gainsborough every week. Picturing those old ladies knitting away and Uncle Albert sat in the middle with a coil of rope and a marlin spike often makes me chuckle.
"Ooh 'ant he got strong 'ands Ada!"
"Ere...Aggy he says I can touch 'is fid!"
Of course, according to Uncle Albert, he hated it...but he still turned up with a coil of rope on his zimmer frame and sit next to Ada and Aggy.

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1 hour ago, JanetAnne said:

I'd have thought two bow lines so that a second spring can be used when needed.

I was always told to make the bow lines to end  two foot short of the propeller so that, should the line fall in the water un-noticed when underway, it wont foul the prop.

Yep that’s why they are 25ft lol. We talked about 2 bow lines but I only have 3 mooring lines and just take the one from the stern to use as a spring, given the difficulty in splicing this rope we settled on just one.  :default_coat:

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  • 2 weeks later...

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