Water Rail Out And About.

[kpnut]

Is that about right for driving from north east Kent, Grendel? I have to go from the boat to Margate in September. I thought it would be quicker than that. I suppose the Kent stretch from the Dartford crossing is quite a long distance. 

[grendel]

its normally about 3 1/2 hours, from Margate up to the Dartford Crossing will be about an hour (then depending on how long the queue is at the dartford crossing (anything from a few minutes to half an hour is normal) then for Stalham, I would use M11, A11 as that is dual carriage way all the way to Norwich, should be just under 200 miles (its having to drive west from kent to cross the thames that eats up a lot of miles- Margate to dartford is nearly 60 miles) technically I live less than 20 miles from southend, but its a 70 mile drive.

my main advice is dont aim to hit the dartford crossing at about 8.30AM or 5PM (as that is the worst time for holdups.)

[AndyTBoater]

Saw WR at Beccles on Monday. It looks like there is a bit of a list to port. Chine rail is half Underwater on port side and 4 inches above on the Stbd. 

Am sure there is nothing to worry about but thought I would mention it. 

[Aboattime]

3 hours ago, grendel said:

its normally about 3 1/2 hours, from Margate up to the Dartford Crossing will be about an hour (then depending on how long the queue is at the dartford crossing (anything from a few minutes to half an hour is normal) then for Stalham, I would use M11, A11 as that is dual carriage way all the way to Norwich, should be just under 200 miles (its having to drive west from kent to cross the thames that eats up a lot of miles- Margate to dartford is nearly 60 miles) technically I live less than 20 miles from southend, but its a 70 mile drive.

my main advice is dont aim to hit the dartford crossing at about 8.30AM or 5PM (as that is the worst time for holdups.)

Avoid the Dartford crossing on a Friday,its carnage,i live a couple of miles away from it and its a night mare. The loss  of the toll booths have made no difference to the congestion from Kent to Essex,even on a good day its very poor often tailing back to junction 3 or 4.Ive tried the Blackwall Tunnel a few times and thats not much better, rumour has it the London Mayor wants to put a charge on that as well.

[kpnut]

I have to be in Kent on a Thursday by mid afternoon, so hopefully about the quietest time for Dartford. I’ll make sure I have a good cd to listen to in case of a wait. 
I remember the Blackwell tunnel, last time I went through was New Year’s Day 2000 i the early hours on my way to the alps. 
years and years ago, did I used to be a ferry as I remember going by ferry to visit a relative in Dagenham from Sussex. Dad used to like finding obscure routes, or maybe that was the normal way to go in those days, the 60’s. 

[grendel]

3 hours ago, AndyTBoater said:

Saw WR at Beccles on Monday. It looks like there is a bit of a list to port. Chine rail is half Underwater on port side and 4 inches above on the Stbd. 

Am sure there is nothing to worry about but thought I would mention it. 

water tank is on stbd, and empty, fuel tank to port is full

[ExSurveyor]

We normally aim to come from Norfolk to Medway  around 11am on a sunday. A good run is 2 hours 20. A bad one is over 3 hours. Margate is a further 3/4 hour run from Medway.

Leaving Norfolk after 6 pm would give a good run. It tends to be a better run Norfolk to Kent rather than Kent to Norfolk.

Edit,

Just read your post, leaving 10ish would get you through at a hopefully quiet time and you would still have time for an ice cream on the beach.

[kpnut]

The relative I’m visiting lives right on the beach at westgate on sea, it’s a truly fabulous view from her first floor flat. So if raining, I could still get the icecream and we could sit on her balcony and watch the angry sea 😁

 

On the return to the boat, I was going to stop in a travelodge on the way to Dartford on the Saturday as I’ll have had a long day, Margate to Brighton, mum’s ashes ‘do’, family lunch, back to Margate. But maybe I’ll be better just leaving Margate about 6pm and getting straight on. I’ll think on it a while. Would rather not get stuck in a queue at the tunnel next morning. Be just my luck it’s brilliant sun and I’ll be wasting good boating time!

[grendel]

so, as I mentioned above i had decided the plastic brackets I had made were going to be replaced with brass ones, so my next issue was how to make 2 decent 90 degree bends 10mm apart, in opposite directions, this requires some special clearances in the bending tool.

I tried my small vice bender, no good, bending in the vice with a hammer left rounded corners, so while I was looking around my eyes alighted on my little fly press, so out with some 1" steel bar and a tool was turned on the lathe and the flats of the V milled out (an exhausting process with the mill removing 0.05mm per pass). then it was time to make the bottom die- hang on I thought, the V block has all the features I need for that- so one of my small v blocks was selected and bending began, we are still only partway through the process, as I have yet to find an easy way to do the even smaller clips for the cables. so the basic bends have been formed (the tool took longer than it took to bend the parts) next will be cleaning up, cutting the legs of the brackets to length, drilling the fixing holes and rounding the corners.

[Smoggy]

Neatly done Mr. G.

[grendel]

I also have a bead roller that I am looking at its capabilities for the cable clips, the only issue is it doesnt do a wide enough single channel (or deep enough in the correct width) but investigations are under way to see if I can print a fly press die that will stand up to the use.

bear in mind that the majority of the brass sheet I have in stock is 1.2mm thick, its not the easiest of stuff to bend (but will make decent strong brackets.

the plastic press tool (top and bottom) and the double radius roll

the biggest single radius roll, but is it big enough for a 6mm cable?

[grendel]

Well the good news is the  plastic die works, longevity  is not a problem as when it wears out I can print a new one

[grendel]

[ChrisB]

[grendel]

Well the clips are almost done, some plastic film to remove, and some hand filing to smooth them off still required

[Graham47]

Deleted. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Graham47
Copied twice.

[Graham47]

Deleted.

[Graham47]

On 25/07/2023 at 22:21, kpnut said:

The relative I’m visiting lives right on the beach at westgate on sea, it’s a truly fabulous view from her first floor flat. So if raining, I could still get the icecream and we could sit on her balcony and watch the angry sea 😁

 

On the return to the boat, I was going to stop in a travelodge on the way to Dartford on the Saturday as I’ll have had a long day, Margate to Brighton, mum’s ashes ‘do’, family lunch, back to Margate. But maybe I’ll be better just leaving Margate about 6pm and getting straight on. I’ll think on it a while. Would rather not get stuck in a queue at the tunnel next morning. Be just my luck it’s brilliant sun and I’ll be wasting good boating time!

There is a Travelodge 5 minutes from the Dartford Crossing. Saves getting in a long queue if the tunnel is busy. Address - Charles Street, off Crossways Boulevard, Dartford. Tel 08719 846025.(Also 10 minutes from Bluewater Shopping Centre.)

[grendel]

And finally after fettling and  polishing

[grendel]

got some 0.8mm brass sheet today, so started making a few spare cable clips.

 

[grendel]

Well I am back, arrived quite late due to a lorry fire on the m2. So the tale will start in the morning 

[YnysMon]

Beccles boat show? Have a great time! 

[grendel]

Pleased to see the battery charging at 6am this morning in  real world  conditions. 

[grendel]

Replacing black plastic clips with nice shiny brass ones

[grendel]

Cruised down to Oulton Broad arriving 11.30am (after a quick stop  for a pumpout at WRC )

The rest of the day was spent chatting  etc then once the heat had died down I was able to  swap out the plastic clamps for better onesg