Happy Christmas 2019

[Hylander]

On 24/12/2019 at 14:43, Vaughan said:

A very happy Christmas to you all, with thoughts of the season to come!

I am sure the background in this picture is Postwick Grove, on the Yare, where there used to be a sandy beach.

No doubt Peter (JM) can comment on the rest of the scenery on view!

Very best wishes to all on the forum, for Christmas and the New Year,

From Vaughan and Susie.

Bit late I know coming to this conversation but here goes,   I too recall that sandy beach.    What ever happened to it or is it still there but buried under the reeds.

[Boaters]

Wishing all a great Christmas  anaNew Year  Diane and Roy

[marshman]

Hi PW and to Vaughan too!!

That could well be Postwick Grove - but artists employed a huge amount of licence when it suited as you all know! The beach was however very real and is one of my first memories ever!! In those days I, and the family, used to spend many hours with Nobby Clarke of Bungalow Lane fame and we had  a 16' old lifeboat to which my Dad built a little cabin just after the war - wood was in short supply then so I have no idea where he got the wood from!! He built it in the front garden of our house in Cecil Road Norwich and I remember the day when a little crane came and loaded into one of those BR three wheeler trucks (Scarab?) and it was launched  at Jewsons by Foundry Bridge. How did he know these people???

Anyhow the point is that before we had our own boat, we rowed downstream one sunny Sat/Sun from Nobbys to that very beach for a picnic - probably only about 4 then but thereafter began my affair with boats.Still finding excuses for my "affair"!!!!

Like Vaughans comments on the colour of wherry sails - I am not sure what to believe as there are so many "variations " on that theme! The truth will of course never be known but Vaughans view is plausible - possibly originally the colour was as the old Thames barges or earlier estuary boats, and of course the fishing vessels. Why "invent" a new substance when there was already a very durable one available? The darker black sails that seemed to come later, were probably  from the coal tar - a well known by -product of the production of town gas. This started up in very early Victorian times and as the wherries took the coal up river, I suspect the old wherrymen just got the stuff for free out of the back door and decided to slap it on the sails - I suspect fish oil stunk a bit, but the coal tar would have been messy too but seeing as they stuck it on the boat, they also did the sails too!

Sad in a way we have to "guess" so many things about what was so commonplace,  but who on earth would have ever bothered to record what squit was painted on the sails and why???? 

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, marshman said:

Sad in a way we have to "guess" so many things about what was so commonplace,  but who on earth would have ever bothered to record what squit was painted on the sails and why???? 

I have a feeling it is mentioned in the book "Black Sailed Traders" but we certainly used it as an excuse for a few years in the 70s!  Albion needed a new sail and the trust was rather short of money at the time, so we felt it would be longer lasting - and cheaper - to choose a synthetic sailcloth which was made to represent canvas.  I can't remember the company's name but they made sails for most of the old Thames barges, Brixham trawlers and other vessels in preservation.  They didn't do it in black, as all their other customers had brown sails!  So whenever the public asked about the colour, we just had to say "Well, she probably had one when she was built"!  

[marshman]

The last sail was made around 20yrs ago by Jeckells of a synthetic canvas called black Clipper canvas and came from company near Barnstable called John Heathcoat & Co  - they are still around but no longer produce the canvas. We keep our fingers crossed that the existing sail will continue for a bit longer but it is heavy and although it goes up and down a lot, it is still in excellent condition.

Jeckells have it every winter and continue to renew bits as and when but by and large its doing well!  If we have a difficulty, its with the rope work and in particular, the main halyard - that is around 75m and is of 2 differing weights - the shorter bit is 18mm and that is joined to a longer 22mm length.

The shorter piece goes onto the barrel first and lifts the gaff jaws until the luff is tight and then the gaff starts to lift, around the join to the heavier rope, carrying the sail as well. Traditionally the joining slice is what known as a tapered long splice, where each end is "thinned" or tapered and then spliced together - thats a skill that we are finding problems with individuals able to do it. A proper splice is about  4 -6' long but thats hard to do!  We could use all the same length the same diameter but want to keep some old ways alive!!

[JennyMorgan]

As MM has alluded, what would have been available must have been a factor. Norwich for coal tar, Lowestoft for fish oil and coal dust, both byproducts of the fishing industry. Good post Marsh, more of the same please, even if it does upset the balance!

[JennyMorgan]

It was lovely first thing but when the sea breeze came in at midday it brought with it the the rain, we were walking out on the marsh with nowhere to shelter, nothing a hot toddy and mulled wine couldn't cure though!

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, marshman said:

Traditionally the joining slice is what known as a tapered long splice, where each end is "thinned" or tapered and then spliced together

 

Here you go!

 

Scan from the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship, vol 2.

I should be able to remember how to do it, if I can be of any help, in the spring? The last one I did on her was over 40 years ago!

There is a bit of a knack to it, I must admit, and it must only be done on natural fibre rope, as the strands of synthetic fibre tend not to grip enough to give it strength. I assume you are using Manila rope?

 

[marshman]

Theres the rub!!!

It is more difficult to get old fashioned hemp or manila these days - sadly in this modern world even "modern" hemp ropes are largely synthetic and we currently use 3 strand hempex or polyhemp - look and feel like hemp but taste differently!

And more importantly have a significantly higher breaking strain - even so we change it every other year to avoid unnecessary degradation. I take your point about the length of the splice, but in practice I am not overly concerned about that as the lead section of halyard is well on the drum by the time we get to lifting the gaff, when the real weight comes on and that is all taken by 22mm rope  with a breaking strain of around 6500 kilograms, more than ample.  The other benefits of this modern stuff is that it does not stretch, does not absorb water and is much more stable.

You could ask why we bother as even the 18mm is ample to take the whole weight, BUT we try to do as has been done previously, and continue with the old traditions until we are forced to change!

P. S. Sorry that this has turned into a conversation between Vaughan and myself and of little general interest to anyone else!!!!!

[grendel]

its of great interest, i love these little details

[JennyMorgan]

I wonder if these good people could make a traditional tapered wherry halyard for Albion that wouldn't need splicing? 

https://www.insider.com/how-traditional-rope-is-made-chatham-dockyard-ships-ropewalk-2018-11

[WherryNice]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

P. S. Sorry that this has turned into a conversation between Vaughan and myself and of little general interest to anyone else!!!!!

Not so! I also find this kind of detail stuff very interesting, especially when it comes from such reliable scources.