Water Rail Out And About - June 2021

[grendel]

More swans

[grendel]

work at Burgh Castle

[grendel]

grebe

[grendel]

Duck and ducklings at Acle

[grendel]

More Polkeys Mill sunset and roosting birds

[grendel]

I have yet to look through the video I have shot

 

[LizG]

I just love seeing WR out and about and in good hands 🙂

[SteveO]

A lovely holiday tale and great photos. Thanks Grendel!

[grendel]

I do have some video, unfortunately wind noise has affected almost all of it, so I havent had a chance yet to post it.

In other news, I did find Water Rails Mast, it was while looking at it that I noticed that the mast holding bracket was missing, its been replaced with what I can only guess is a bracket to indicate the high point of the boat, the mast isnt in that good a state, and I do intend building a new one sometime, but really before that we need a bracket to hold it, so over the last couple of days the measurements and ideas I had have been transforming into reality and a mast bracket has been fabricated from some aluminium sheet and angle. 

when I do look at making the new mast, I will be looking to re-use the old brasswork from the original, as that is just too pretty and would look nice cleaned up and on new timber.

[LizG]

Okay the story of the masts! Originally WR had the single pennant holder which amazingly I found one day in a locker.

Early on in father's ownership, he decided he wanted navigation lights and asked Herbert Woods (I assume) to make mark I which is the one that Grendel found.  It had a wooden fitting on the cabin roof.

These photos were taken before 1970.  At some point in the 1970 I made WR a set of code flags and it was probably around then that father made a much taller mast with a small mast which sat on the rear cabin roof.  I suspect these were  fitted so that the flags would not get tangled up with the cabin roof?  It was a pretty ugly contraption! I don't have a photo of her with the later mast.  Plenty in the house at Horning though.

When I took on custodianship, I think the second mast went in a skip but the original I retained but soon found out that it was falling apart.  So some repairs took place - in addition I think when she had a new cabin roof the old mast fitting was removed.  My brother quickly made up something from that white plastic.  The problem was that it only need a slight breeze and it fell over - so I rarely used it.  Usually when on guard ship to fly the guard ship flag and very occasionally when moving WR in the dark but then it would often just sit on the deck.

When it was out on hire, the mast didn't even go on the boat at all.  Since it wasn't an original fitting, I didn't always want it being used.

 

[grendel]

Thanks for that wonderful bit of history Liz, the bracket I have made from aluminium is just to replace that bit of plastic, which I could not figure exactly how the mast stepped into, I doubt the mast will get regular use, but for trips such as the wooden boat show it will be a good place to tie the bunting, and as said, for navigating after dark it is essential, I am looking to replace the bulb with a low power LED version as it currently does not work. The choice really is Daves to make whether we keep a mast or not, I think its about options, with a bracket that works the option will be there for all who use her to make the choice., certainly it is a useful place for a navigation light, and to hang an NBN Burgee.

If we do decide to make a new mast, I have a lovely piece of greenheart here that would do nicely, horrible stuff to work, but I have been using some outside for over 20 years with absolutely no preservative on it as a planter and it doesnt show a sign of decay.

[grendel]

I see from the first picture that in the 1970's she had a flat disc mudweight, I believe that is still down in the engine bay doing duty as trim ballast, I did use a small mudweight as a stern anchor that was down there during my last trip

[LizG]

43 minutes ago, grendel said:

I see from the first picture that in the 1970's she had a flat disc mudweight, I believe that is still down in the engine bay doing duty as trim ballast, I did use a small mudweight as a stern anchor that was down there during my last trip

First picture is around 1966/1967

I had forgotten about that old mud weight.  Quite often if out especially at Barton Regatta I borrowed one of my brother's mudweights off his sailing yacht!

[grendel]

it almost looks as if your dad nicked the plug out of hickling broad,to use as a mudweight

[grendel]

On 07/07/2021 at 09:45, LizG said:

Early on in father's ownership, he decided he wanted navigation lights and asked Herbert Woods (I assume) to make mark I which is the one that Grendel found.  It had a wooden fitting on the cabin roof.

I have just heard back from a fellow modeller who is currently making a model of delight 1, he reports 

Quote

Yes I can confirm HW had his yard send her off into private hire with a decommissioning pennant, to achieve the lift of the pennant, he had the foremast constructed as a God bless to his hire fleet lady. 

so it looks as though the mast was a parting gift to the new owner I wonder How many Yards would do the same when parting with a boat nowadays. this of course makes the mast we now have, to be part of the history of the boat and a HW original.

[LizG]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

so it looks as though the mast was a parting gift to the new owner I wonder How many Yards would do the same when parting with a boat nowadays. this of course makes the mast we now have, to be part of the history of the boat and a HW original.

Sadly I don't think this tale is true as on the 24th August 1967 father was sent a bill which included:

Making up and fitting mast with masthull and port and starboard navigation light wiring to suit.

Also for information Delight 1 was lost in a fire in 1953. Delight II is Jacqueline and III to VI went to Ireland

My records state: The log entry states ‘ship totally lost burnt out Saturday 23rd May. Advice recited by owners.’

[grendel]

thanks, I think the model maker must have talked to people whose memories may not quite be as good as they could be.

I will pass that and the other information on to him

[JanetAnne]

Delight 2 is indeed Jacqueline although, as Liz will confirm, I actually bought her as Delight 1 only to discover later through Liz that she wasn't! 

 

[grendel]

Which registration number does she have?

[JanetAnne]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

Which registration number does she have?

A839

[grendel]

Ah, so the broads number for Delight 1, though its not in the sequence as theoretically it should have been B71

[JanetAnne]

Ah yes... however, Delight 1 (or 2 lol) was sold to Martham boats who remodeled her into their own style before putting her into their fleet as Janice 1. Hoseasons didnt like the differences between her and the other Janice's so she was called Jacqueline and then marketed in her own right.

A lot of Martham fleet had A numbers (A840, the next in sequence to Jacqueline  adorns a Juliette for example?

[JanetAnne]

About 10 mins ago I was presented with this. Someone reading this thread thought we could make good use of it for WR

It's beautifully made comes with its original base.

Some sympathetic stripping back to bare mahogany and a few coats of varnish should make a decent job of it.

Shall I put it in place for Beccles Peter and then you can take it home afterwards and do it justice?

[grendel]

1 hour ago, JanetAnne said:

Shall I put it in place for Beccles Peter and then you can take it home afterwards and do it justice?

yes please do, I think we do need to keep the other mast as it is also part of her history. and thank you very much for whoever donated it.