30th August 2013
This is the promised update from our last post. If you missed it, click here.
I genuinely believe that the crisis point that Python reached when she was taking on water at Alvecote could possibly be one of the best things that has happened in that old boat’s life; read on ….
The good people from Narrowcraft at Grendon Dock have done a grand job of doing a sturdy repair to her shoe plate and she is due to come out of the dock on Saturday (31st August). Now I know a lot of you will be thinking that is the end of the story and Python will continue with her plans for the year but that is not the case.
While Python was in the dock Laurence Williams advised me that the historic boat sharing the dock with Python “Stour” was due to be surveyed by Mike Carter. Mike is an authority on historic boats and they wondered if we wanted Mike to survey Python while she was in the dock.
The shiny new plate
Robin Stonebridge spent some time talking to Mike and very quickly realised that he is not only an authority on historic boats but he has Python and the Trust at the forefront of his thinking. Mike did not have time to carry out a survey on Python but he wanted to cast an expert eye over her hull so that he could give us some pointers for the future. He wanted us to get Python back on home waters where our own volunteers do not have too far to travel in order to carry out work on her before she had a “controlled docking”. He wants to work with us to form a proper 10 year planned maintenance schedule for Python and to assist us with applying for grants from the National Register of Historic Ships towards the costs of restoration. Even further proof, if any were needed, that ultimately historic boat enthusiasts have the welfare of the boats at their heart – they have a wealth of knowledge and are extremely supportive of any attempts to save an old boat.
Thursday arrived and Mike cast his skilled eye over Python’s hull and called me. He said that he has concerns that there might be significant problems with Pythons chines.
Time for another lesson in “The Anatomy Of The Josher” for those who don’t understand the terminology. (Those of you who do – please be patient and scroll down a bit). The chine on a boat basically refers to a meeting of two planes, in this case where the curved sides of the hull meet the flat bottom.
As I have mentioned before, Python originally had a wooden bottom, but this was replaced at some point with steel – probably when BW shortened her in the 1980’s. It is usual for the steel base plate of a boat to protrude slightly around where the curved sides of the hull meet it. (See the photo at the foot of this article.) The protruding metal serves to protect the vulnerable curved lower edge of the hull from wear and exposure to sharp items on the canal bed. On Python the replacement bottom simply fills the space where the original wooden bottom had been and so this protrusion does not exist. This means that, over the years, her chines have been prone to wear, especially at the stern where she is most likely to end up on the bottom.
While Mike was at pains to state that the chines are no worse now than they were 2 weeks ago, and so there is no reason to believe that she is in imminent danger, it is also worth remembering that no one has x-ray vision and so, until such time as a proper survey takes place, it is impossible to say just how weakened they are. It is therefore prudent to get a full hull survey done soon so that we can deal with the findings rather than waiting for the next crisis.
His suggestion was that we take Python to “home waters” or as close to home as is practical, where there is a skilled contractor, preferably experienced with historic craft, that we are happy to have working on Python’s bottom. Once there, we can dock her and a detailed survey can be carried out. He will then discuss with us and our chosen contractor what needs to be done and ensure that it is done in an appropriate way. Obviously what Python needs is a contractor who is experienced with historic boats and what we need is a contractor who is close enough to home that our volunteers can still attend to some of the less skilled work required on Python so we can hopefully save some money along the way. If we were also to find a boatyard where the owner was accommodating enough to allow our volunteers to come on site and help out, then we may well have a plan. After the huge amount of assistance, great advice and hospitality that has been extended to Python and her crew at Paul Barber’s Boat builders in the past it was not a difficult decision as to whom to approach first
As you will imagine, the following few hours were a blur of communications between numerous Trustees, Paul Barber and the Surveyor. My heart did a little flip when Robin called me to say the lovely Mr Fox (Treasurer) was supportive of our plan.
So where do we go from here? Firstly it is with regret that Python will not be attending the event at West Stockwith or be back on the Chesterfield Canal for her volunteering duty with CRT. A great shame, but it is better that we grasp this opportunity we have had put before us.
On 10th September, Pythoneers will move her up to Paul Barber’s yard on the Erewash.
In the mean time, I am going to be working with Jim Bower & Bev Hunt to look into the possibility of getting a grant towards the cost of her survey.
Towards the end of the first week of October, she will come out of the water and her hull will be cleaned off.
Mike Carter is booked to carry out a survey on her hull on 9th October.
We will also be working with Mike Carter to draw up a 10 year programme of planned maintenance for Python
What happens next will depend on Mike’s findings. Paul is unable to commence remedial work immediately, but he has room for Python to stay in his basin, on an electric hook up if required. It is possible that Paul may need to do some temporary patching if the survey leaves her with holes. We hope this will not happen, but Paul is aware it might and will ensure she is OK to go back in the water until he has time to complete the full repair. He expects to be able to commence whatever work is required in the early part of next year. We hope this will give us time to apply for a grant towards the remedial work that is required. Paul has suggested that whatever work is found to be required he will be able to have Python finished no later than March so she will be ready for us to start another season.
Photo courtesy Alan Fincher
We will schedule in a crew meeting for a date as soon as possible after the survey so we can all get together and discuss what each and every one of you can add during this winter to ensure we all make the most of this wonderful opportunity. There will be something that everyone can help with. We will still need to raise a lot of money as the grants will only cover around half the cost of the work at best (assuming we get them).
So, I hope, after reading this, that you feel as confident and positive about Python’s future as I do. The future does indeed look bright … almost as bright as those orange overalls I was wearing when the crisis unfolded last weekend!
Jan Warsop.
You can see on this boat the protruding bottom plate all the way down the side.
Python’s bottom plate does not protrude in this way, so her chines are more vulnerable.