Finally the day came to bring this old girl home .The weather perfect although zero wind was forecast and the sea was flat , Alarm went off for 05.30 boiled the kettle and off we set. Jake awoke just after leaving the berth , the sun was just rising as we headed out towards Berry head and the scene was set for the rest of the trip . Engine was ran at just 1200rpm and we were making 5.9 knots - every hour i checked the engine , Coupling and shaft seal just in case , remembering this was the first outing that Roys Joy had made in almost 3 years . Passing Berry head we were on spotting duties for the pot markers one of which even i had missed . By now Anna had awoke and we realized we only had enough milk for one coffee . The plan was to take a wide berth of Start point with its well known messy seas when the tide was running although today you could see it was flat so we passed within 2 miles of the shore catching the tide a little bringing our speed down to 4 knots and saving a good bit of time and fuel . Just as we were passing 3 miles off Burgh Island we spotted some porpoises off in the distance and after a little time they were playing at the bow 2 at a tie and we had the rest of the pod swimming along side . They followed us for a mile or so till they parted company and swam away . Lunch consisted of the prawns we had caught the night before and a cuppa with the last of the milk .
Engine was running perfect although we would of liked to get the sails up , the wind was on the nose at only 2- 4 mph so there was no chance of that . Plodding along we spent ages spotting jellyfish , more porpoises , and a variety of sea birds feeding as we passed the water was so clear we could see the cormarants swiming under the surface chasing the fish .Then the crew started to drop like flies - Jake dozed off quickly followed by Adam leaving me and Anna to keep watch for the pot markers and enjoy the sun . I decided to top up the fuel tank to see what we had used , I only managed to get 35ltr in and she was full again which reintroduced the knowledge that the fuel gauge actually worked [Something i had my doubts about. As we were approaching the Mew stone just of the mouth of the Yealm the wind veered a little enough to get the head sail out which brought our speed up a little to 6 .5 knots keeping the engine at 1200rpm Heading in to Plymouth there was a mass of other boats after coming all the way from Brixham only seeing a dozen or so other boats it was a little crowded as we entered the Eastern side of Plymouth Breakwater . The decision was made to stop off at Mayflower marina to stock up on milk and stretch our legs , We woke the kids and headed up to the marina shop & Anna thought it would be good to pop in to the bistro / bar and get a few cokes £7.80 later I nearly had a heart attack . We let off the lines again and headed up just above the Tamar bridge to anchor up and to cook dinner while we waited for the tide to change so we could make it up over the muscle beds . The last stretch was only a couple of miles to our home mooring where relieved but also so happy to have her 2 minuets from home - We had made it . 58 nautical miles and 11 hrs motoring later we were home and Roys Joy had made it without fault and without issue but a few sleepy crew members .
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So the original plan was to get to the boat Friday evening around 10pm [after the kids weekly sailing club meet] and leave Saturday early am . Although we would have to rush about to get ready as still had a few jobs to complete before untying the lines . So we have put Saturday down to a prep day getting the new fuel supply pipe fitted and changing all the fuel filters , fitting the new impeller and face-plate to the pump and lastly making sure we double checked the old fuel in the tanks and rigged up a backup supply . Once all this is complete its time to go for a last sea trial and re check everything . This is where things started to go a little wrong - we dipped the starboard tank and found it to be fully contaminated - although on initial checks was coming through the supply line clean - this meant this tank was totally out of use , then we dipped the port tank and thankfully found this to be ok [ a little off color and minor floating scuds but nothing to serious . So more fuel was needed apart from the 60ltr on deck as a backup , we popped to the marina office to see how it all worked with the fuel dock only to find we had 15min till it closed . The marina radioed the dock and we were told to be quick the attendant is waiting for us , So run back start her up , untie and head over . To get to the fuel dock we had to turn a 180* and back in while backing in i used the bow thruster to keep her straight as these Watsons dont like to do what you ask of them in astern , then the bow thruster died and filled the boat with the dreaded burning electrical smoke {Shit we are on fire was the first thought} thankfully the motor had burned something out and nothing was alight . After a little forward and back we got her along side , Filled up the starboard tank and the last 20ltr can we had and a massive thank you to the attendant . We spent a little time trying to get the thruster working again with no luck so headed back to the berth for the night . First main job was to replace the dripping fuel delivery hose - i had had one made up at the cost of £59 but this one was a flexible hose and also rubber so where it was located should not be prone to the odd splash of salt water and the rust but the last sufferd . So the last job was to change the 2 usable fuel filters , First was the Starboard tank filter and water trap . This was complete within 25mins giving it all a good clean out and check over . Next came the main engine filter this was changed over and complete within 15mins , The system was bled through and engine started "sorted" i thought . There was a slight seap of fuel coming from the engine fuel filter bleed bolt so a minor re tighten and it snapped off spraying fuel all over me and the engine room [Oh Shite] , engine off and a major head scratch had me in the spares box of everything to search for something to replace this bolt with - other wise we aint going no where . First issue was to remove the old thread - this was achieved with a drill bit and cordless drill in reverse - Came right out . I managed to find one bolt with the correct thread in the odds box although too long it just needed a little packing to get it to work - so 2 x 12mm nuts and some thread tape for good measure had it sealed up better than the old bolt which must of been cracked or at point of failing anyhow . 3 hrs later the engine was started and all running sweet - no time for a sea trial today .
Day 2 the crew slept in so i left the berth at 6.30am and Anna awoke to get the first line ashore at the pad then went back to sleep - the kids slept right through till 9am ish , Mutiny already ?? I set up the barrel from the boom this time and added better fendering as the hand rails were a little too close yesterday - lines were set better and she stayed where i needed her without any intervention as the tide receded . She took the ground perfect then it all went wrong !! the rear fender lost a load of air and as she lent over the buoy rolled up the gunnel into the port rear stanchion ripping out the screws and cracking the capping timbers apart from this it left Roys Joy on a rather uneven keel which was a little unnerving while getting the kit off the boat . Oh well the is ok just a little job to add to the list and a good excuse to get fish and chips for lunch due to the list . As we had already scraped off the hull the day before it was the case of a simple scrub off with the broom and let her dry while we walked over to the Harbor office to pay our dues. £70 all in for the 2 days use and electric connection not bad considering how much many places charge for a lift out !! A hour or 2 later and she had dried off well - on with the paint while i cleaned out the crusty deposits in and around the bow thruster - an awkward and fidly job that was . Jake sanded back the propeller and Anna painted the hull . In less than 2 hours she was complete - so food was orderd and on went another load of parking fees £10 per day [paid more in parking the last 2 weekends than to use the pad] . Once the tide started to come in Adam decided to go for a swim to cool off as the sun was out in force and again we all went off for a well deserved shower at the marina while we waited for the tide . As she righted we do the usual double checking that there is no water getting in for any reason and nothing was found .
I fired up the engine and braught in all but 2 dock lines and prepared to go out for a quick run to properly test the engine out . We headed out and passed the end of the breakwater , it was perfect conditions and super hot , engine was fine - auto pilot working as it should and nice to get her away from the berth she had been sat at the past 2 years . On returning to the berth I again checked over the engine and found a badly corroded fuel pipe hiden under the water cooling pipe , this was dripping diesel and there was also a salt water drip from the pipe - something i hadnt noticed before . So 2 water pipes removed and the fuel pipe to get all replaced , it looks like the water leak had been there for a long time which is the reason for the fuel pipe to be so badly corroded. Next was to work out what we needed to do before comming back to the boat hopefully next week end to bring her home to Plymouth . List for next time Replacement fuel pipe - x2 water pipe bends - windlass control - chartplotter [not yet orderd] - fuel filters - fully dit the fuel tanks and spare fuel- lifejackets . 3 days off and the tides are right the weather is good and we have all the parts at the go , the pad was booked and a tow was lined up - what could go wrong ?? We arrive Saturday midday and speak to the staff who are going to tow us over to the pad this afternoon , yes thats fine was the reply just give us a shout 4pm ish , GREAT . So while we wait for the tide and tow i crack on with getting the new coupling fitted and r&d flange fitted [to prevent the prop rotating in tow] 2 hrs later and thats that job ticked off the list . Lunch and a few bits and bobs later and up to the marina office to see about that tow - "Sorry we have had a meeting and its too windy today we can tow you over tomorrow 9am [although the tide will be 1/2 out as high is 05.30 !!! GRRRRR. So thinking cap on and shall we just motor her over under her own power - nope the seal will literally rip open if we do that - Que light-bulb moment > Thinking over the situation and the main issue is the seal would twist when the shaft turned - all i had to do was prevent this So a 13mm spanner and 2 jubilee clips was in order - clamp them either side of the seal and hey presto - no twisting , RESULT So moving Roys joy is put back to 6am Sunday morning and we are going under our own power . [as they say if you want the job done properly do it your self]. 6am Sunday engine is a go - last check on the spanner fix and we are off , this is the first time we have motored Roys joy but she handled so well and the quick 200yd motor was uneventful - We didnt crash we didnt sink and she sat perfectly along the wall. While mum and the kids got on with scrubbing and painting the hull i cracked on with getting the coupling back off and removing the old seal . The seal was properly stuck and the only thing i could get in there was a screwdriver to free up the 30 odd years of non movement . The seal came off in the end , i then used some fine wet and dry to smooth over the prop shaft , cleaned up the stuffing box and the new one cut to size and fitted snugly - the new "Hy Torque" clamps were not good as they tried to grate the new seal - the old ones were in good condition and were smooth on the inside which prevented this so they were put back on . Next job was to check and double check it all and re grease the stuffing box . Off to help on the hull next only to find the kids playing in the mud catching eels , what can we say !! Once port side had been painted - we scraped off the starboard side ready to paint tomorrow . We then had a 3 hr wait till she re floated off the pad so food was served on the quay side and a quick walk about town to waste some more time . we left the pad at aprox 5.30pm to head back to the marina and to pop her back in the berth for the night - first time getting her in and tied up like pros - Jake was on the stern line and nailed it second try for the cleat - Mum was on the bow line and after Jake had the stern tied he jumped off to grab the bow - Perfect That evening we headed over to Brixham breakwater to try for a mackerel or 2 . When we arrived the other anglers where hauling them a couple at a time but we also spotted to 2 seals trying to take them off the line on the way in - you goto be quick one said . First cast Jake had some on and managed to get them in - we fed these back to the seals and repeated this along with the other anglers in fascination watching the seals chase the escaping mackerel off . After feeding the seals the days catch we headed back used the showers in the marina and to cook up the Prawns we had caught the day before and to get ready for day no 2 tomorrow on the pad .
As she has been sat for so long there was a build up of bilge water the whole length of the under sole area this left a stale and oily stench throughout the boat and not what we wanted staying aboard.
This also made ideal conditions for damp and added to the condensation on board with the hot weather daytime's and cool evenings. It took about 5 hrs to pump the oily residue out and cart to the local oil bank swill out de-grease and scrub - then on to the saloon and fore-peak. This is where we found the through keel drain ran forward and that the engine room bilge water had drained to the fore-peak bilge starting the process again . For this we are going to add a new bilge pump up front and seal off the drain opening as the last thing we need is oily water making its way in the kids room and where the spare anchor warp will be stored . The easiest area to clean was under the saloon sole this was the highest of the bilges although someone had fitter the shower drain through the drain hole preventing the flow of water - this will be re plumed to a separate sump with pump at a later date . The last area to clean out is back under the gear box although we have a load of work to do back there so have just removed the oily stuff and given a quick clean out although once all the work is complete this area will get a good going over . So the biggest and most urgent job on board is the replacement of the shaft seal ,not to hard in itself but to replace this we need to remove the shaft coupling .
This itself has probably never been removed since the boat was built and is now rusted to high heaven after being sat in bilge water for the past 30 odd years , so i thaught i would pass this job to the professionals to sort while i can crack on with the other needed jobs on board . This is where it all started to go wrong , the engineer on the phone said he can do it but needs to see it first so we booked a day and time to have him look at it , we spent 1/2 the day waiting for him to arrive to find out he then didn't have time that day but would be over the next morning. Next morning he arrives and starts to tell me we need to cut off the coupling and all the bolts and maybe the prop shaft and that he also cant do it till the end of the month and at min the labor would be £400 !!! This wont work as we have to use the harbor scrub pad to do the seal the tides are not right for then and that means another 3 weeks of waiting for the right tides and many more £ to stay on the marina so probably totaling up to near £1000 to get the job done - sod it i thought book her in for the pad and do it my self . The other issue is because of the seal we cant motor the boat to the pad [300yds away] so needed a tow over . We spoke to the marina to see about a tow - "yes thats fine just let us know when and where to and we will tow you over " was the reply . Great so pad booked which was easy thanks to the very helpful harbor master now lets book that tow !! Back to the marina office to book in the tow " sorry there is only 2 staff on that day - ohh the weather sais it will be too windy that day - we could tow you over after 9am but that depends on what the staff say on the day" bla de bla . Well the tide is 7 am so 9am wont work GRRRRRR So stuck with the pad booked for 2 days a tow for low tide and engineer for 2 weeks later - fantastic - now to put head in to gear and get it done DIY style .
So we are the new owners of Roys Joy.
We have loads to do to her but mainly we have 3 weeks to get her from being left 2 years ago on her berth to operational , the reason for this is that the berth is paid till the end of the month and after this it is £400 per month to keep her there . Jobs to do are mainly going over the engine - repairing the starter motor and replacing the flexible shaft seal and checking over the rig . most of which can be done on the water but we need to dry her out to carry out the shaft work and hopefully get some fresh anti foul on her bottom. Initial checks on the fuel tanks are looking good - both were left full and seam to be free from contamination so far , backup fuel supply is being arranged for the journey home to Plymouth . replacement fuel filters and spare are on order and a new impeller / seals and face plate for the water pump have just arrived. scrubbing pad is booked just need to get time off to crack on with her Follow us along our journey as we get the poor old girl back to ship shape and travel the high seas |
AuthorOne family renovating a Colvic Watson and preparing for an epic adventure Archives
April 2018
Categorieshttps://www.facebook.com/hambleys/
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