Independence - Updates | Maintenance & Care

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Back in London now - excellent and productive weekend (through little effort on my behalf).... I did however learn my 1st bit of Yorkshire rhyming slang. "It's a bit George Micheal in here"......It took me a while!

temperature not quite right LL?

[Londonlad1985]

45 minutes ago, Jayfire said:

temperature not quite right LL?

Aye it were a bit wham.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Londonlad1985 said:

Aye it were a bit wham.

Suppweir? Any road, be rate, yer brews mashin tha knows. 

 

[LondonRascal]

Another successful trip out and a lot learned - but before we talk about the social side of things, lets talk about the continued work side of matters.  As you are aware Picca the RIB was sorted out finally and now runs smoothly with her new oil, and spark plugs fitted. It was now a case of getting a bunch of things ticked off the list for Independence herself.

Friday 8th June:

To begin the remaining 240v electrical sockets needed to be changed from the previous un-switched single or double 'small marine' versions to domestic type models in brushed stainless steel. The issue being that every old socket that came out meant some work was required to make the physical hole larger in the Teak to accommodate the new socket. Pete (our Wizard Carpenter) got on to this but with about 9 to go it was going to be a long task.

While Pete was on with that,Charlie and I were going about at the top of the list with the most pressing items. This began with changing the float switch in the aft sea chest so the sink and shower from the master cabin would drain correctly and automatically overboard and not require me to keep manually turning on the pump at the DC distribution board. Once that was done it was up with the forward cabin deck plates to inspect and clean and change the float switch in the forward bilge (which worked) but in rough seas would stick in the 'up' or on position - this was both a worry when a bilge pump comes on and stays on and then when you realise it is a stuck  float switch the hassle of getting to it to reset it - something Charlie got used to during the delivery trip.

We replaced the wipers and springs - but these continue to frustrate us not being quite the right type and not putting quite the correct pressure on the wiper arms as should. There was a host of other small tasks to complete but the one that was most bizarre was the test to see how small of a hole you can get a Yorkshireman into. If you look at the outside of a Trader you will see the flybridge area has a steep slope just ahead of the helm - this is a large area you can get into but along the sides of this are tiny voids - and Charlie managed to get into these to clear debris from water drains, and tidy up cable runs - something no body had touched no doubt since she was built.

As the day wore on we met with Shaun from NYA who popped over to top off the hydraulic tank and helped us locate some 4mm diameter flexible hose to replace the washer jet hose from the centre wiper arm which was the only casualty from our last very cold winter. By about 8:00pm Pete had completed the sockets and cleaned, sanded and coated some corrosion on the centre fuel tank outlet in the engine room, Charlie had found the primary oil filter was a quarter of a turn loose, and we had identified what size and type batteries to replace (230Ah each) so you can imagine they are big things at over 55Kg each.

Andy (LondonLad) duly arrived as did Shiela and I called time on works to get to the Yare before last food orders. By 10:46pm Howard had also arrived at the Pub and we had our full compliment of 6 crew.

Saturday 9th June:

The chaps we up and eager to get going, so off to Co-Op for booze and food and shortly after returning we readied for departure. Having successfully turned and proceeded down the fairway in the Marina we should have perhaps headed to Brooms for fuel (something we still need to do as we are now showing just into the white areas of the gauges this means we are into the hundreds of pounds worth of Diesel used category) but I had imagined being the season they would be open till a good hour on Sunday so did not worry.  We instead headed downstream, for Reedham with the outgoing tide.

Upon arrival at Reedham we found a pretty empty quay so turned to come in agaisnt the tide and moored up. All secure, the lads set about on the task of paying all of the anchor chain out - then measuring it all before paint a mark every 6 feet (or Fathom) on to the chain.  Turns out not including the anchor itself we have 216ft of chain. This weights in at 133Kg with the Anchor another 27Kg on top of that. This is serious stuff and would not want to think the cost of that alone and another indicator just how big everything on Indy is.

With this done it was time to head off to the Nelson for beers - after all, we had to wait for the tide to turn.  I walked up later to the fish & chip shop where I found them very reasonably priced and all the chips and fish fried in Beef dripping. Not to everyone's taste, but it was to ours and we loved it. We headed back to the boat and waited a little longer until I was happy with depths and departed Reedham Quay, having had the bridge swing for us it was a case of heading down the New Cut with the tide helping us gentle along. 2.2m depth reducing  to 1.2m just past the Hadiscoe Bridge where there is  ridge.

But it was not the depth we had to worry about this time, it was the height of the bridge. 25ft was indicated on the height gauge, something only sailing boats need really concern themselves with, but not with us. We would have to lower our three aerials and this brought out airdraft down to 23ft 6" - Charlie took to the top of the Radar arch/structure (a bit like the crows nest) and proclaimed with had about two and half foot of clearance as we passed under the road bridge at Hadiscoe.

Onward we travelled and I was surprised now on the Waveney we had more water under us than on the Yare. However, once on Oulton Dykle this began to reduce and by the time we were crossing Oulton Broad we had between 1.8 and 1.5m of depth. We came to the Yacht Station to find the pontoons all taken up with what I think was a gathering of the Broom Owners Club - certainly a lot of boats there were Broom.  We came in for a stern moor with a difference.  Drop the anchor some way out, then go astern paying out chain as we did.  This was the first stern on mooring I had done and without use of the thrusters too with a bit of a cross wind I was so pleased at how sure footed and predictable Independence is. She has masses of windage but also her sheer weight and amount under water helps counter that.

One we were about a foot from the pontoon I stopped and held the boat while the anchor chain was pulled in taught. Lines were then secured on the pontoon and between them it held us securely with our swim platform and fendering never touching the pontoon, having completed what was effectively a Mediterranean style mooring we naturally used the Passerelle  for the first time.

We then spent the evening in the Commodore Pub - nice food there, great place with a real vibe and I must choose my words carefully, but you might get a stiff neck keep looking at more and more very fine ladies wearing rather less than one may expect turning up.  Back to Independence for a night cap and a classic Bond film.

Sunday 10th June:

We decided to head over to the Wherry for breakfast, all you can eat affair for £8.95 which turned out to be very nice with fresh brewed coffee. By the time we got back on the boat and readied for departure it was a good time after 11:00am. While this meant we had more water under as Oulton, the tide would be ebbing at Yarmouth and soon at Reedham. By the time we entered the New Cut we passed over the 'bar' with 0.7m depth and we had an orange bath tub meander about ahead of us. Independence suddenly handled very 'oddly'  and I had to concentrate a lot for this stretch just before the road bridge, not helped having to go in and out of gear and then run most of the cut itself on only one engine. It has a 5MPH limit but the boat ahead was at times in just tick over.  They knew we were there, it would have been helpful had they let us pass but with respect to them and the 'rules of the road' they did nothing wrong and it would have been wrong of us to have asked them to do anything contrary. I just worked with what we had and on one engine at tick over Indy will do about 4MPH. We had between 1.6m to 1.8m of depth along the Cut once past the 'ridge' at St. Olaves end.

Emerging at Reedham the bridge was shut, 20 minutes wait for next swing so we moored at the waiting pontoon, with now what was a fast ebbing tide. The bridge duly swung and we got under way once more - passed the quay in tick over still on one engine as now with this current rushing past her hull even keeping to the speed limit caused an enhanced wash. At each mooring we would do the same and this was appreciated by several people - unlike the boat ahead of us who carried on regardless and we noticed a boat moored grab their camera film them and make note of their registration number passing Cantley. I got a wave and Thumbs up from a passing Ranger later as we neared Rockland. 

We made it back to Brundall which seemed to come all too soon, and found Brooms closed. Oh well, back to the Marina and by now it was low water - at places less than a metre of depth and since Indy displaces so much water as we passed boats down the fairway all you hear is mooring lines creek as they take up the slack. We came into moor and another outing was successfully over. Time for my guests to pack up and head off for their respective homes, having all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I think I have found one major problem with Independence though, it is the fact that people come and don;t want to go and wish had more time in their diaries to spend longer exploring places lol.

 

 

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Here's a view one doesn't see very often

Griff

 

 

[TheQ]

On ‎10‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 08:13, JennyMorgan said:

The ability to be able to give at least a one gun salute does have a certain attraction!

Come past Horning sailing club, 08:00, each day  30th July to 3rd August and your wish will be given..

[FairTmiddlin]

2 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Here's a view one doesn't see very often

Griff

Griff heard your comment about when you were a lad there was a swing bridge there. The guy who used be one of the bridgemasters was our next door neighbour.

[grendel]

the bridge was mentioned in Arthur Ransomes Coot Club, when the twins were passing along the new cut on the thames Barge - Welcome of Rochester

[Vaughan]

It wasn't a swing bridge, in fact. It was a double draw bridge.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

It wasn't a swing bridge, in fact. It was a double draw bridge.

I have a childhood recollection of passing under a bridge on the broads and paying the bridgekeeper by putting half a crown or whatever the charge was, into a large net he held out as we passed. Was that the bridge? 

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, Philosophical said:

I have a childhood recollection of passing under a bridge on the broads and paying the bridgekeeper by putting half a crown or whatever the charge was, into a large net he held out as we passed. Was that the bridge? 

Would this be the bridge you are thinking off? Interesting to see the new one under construction in the background

 

[Guest]

51 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

Would this be the bridge you are thinking off? Interesting to see the new one under construction in the background

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=V8%2fiwOiq&id=D676D27BA25730463E01D0C5311B03A8268B4E46&thid=OIP.V8_iwOiqLq1n7bhbTra6FgHaFh&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2f736x%2f8f%2fd9%2f62%2f8fd96251b60bb6460443aee414dbb98b.jpg&exph=549&expw=736&q=haddiscoe+old+bridge&simid=607990320053095690&selectedIndex=1&ajaxhist=0

 

If it was still operating early 60's, it could well have been.

[Meantime]

8 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

If it was still operating early 60's, it could well have been.

This picture of the new bridge being constructed was taken in Aug 1960, so the old bridge would still have been there early 60s.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4298785

[High6]

Guess it's this one:

at 6:50 in.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

This picture of the new bridge being constructed was taken in Aug 1960, so the old bridge would still have been there early 60s.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4298785

 

 

30 minutes ago, High6 said:

Guess it's this one:
 

 

at 6:50 in.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app
 

 

Wonderful at 6:57 there is the bridge keeper with his net

[ChrisB]

Terrific footage.

[Vaughan]

That brings back some memories!

At 3.20 in, you can see a hire yacht "dropping down" stern first through the Vauxhall bridge on a mud weight.

 

[scaniaman]

Did you find out how small the hole was to get a yorkshireman in?

Did you throw a pound in to see how many yorkshire men you could get in the hole?

[grendel]

I wondered how yorkshiremen trained ferrets to get into small holes.

[Londonlad1985]

10 minutes ago, scaniaman said:

Did you throw a pound in to see how many yorkshire men you could get in the hole?

 

7 minutes ago, grendel said:

I wondered how yorkshiremen trained ferrets to get into small holes

LOL 

[Guest]

Worth remembering that Yorkshire is the largest county in England , there are thousands of us n we don't forget , anyone who has ever been there will know all too well Yorkshire men and women are far from tight , they will help you m matter what the problem day or night , sure we have ferrites n pigeons which are intelligent animals in their own right 

[grendel]

I had an uncle who was a yorkshire miner, married my aunt and moved to the southern coalfields (kent)- I never understood a word he said.

[scaniaman]

Sorry but i`m from t`other side o pennines, couldnt  help it even though i`m big leeds rhinos fan

[VetChugger]

Rhinos????  Now that is terminal, my sympathies! Cas are THE Yorkshire team!

[ranworthbreeze]

10 hours ago, Ricardo said:

Worth remembering that Yorkshire is the largest county in England , there are thousands of us n we don't forget , anyone who has ever been there will know all too well Yorkshire men and women are far from tight , they will help you m matter what the problem day or night , sure we have ferrites n pigeons which are intelligent animals in their own right 

Hi Ricardo as you know we are not tight, we are just very careful

Regards

Alan