Roof Joists On

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of June 2017

A good weather weekend ( Light drizzle Sunday ) and I managed to buy lots more material -
So - I set about finishing the roof joists.

All twenty joists are now in place - one noggin central and two screws at each end.

All neat and tidy - but I still have four joist to trim to length on the front right hand side.

Derby Timber Supplies didn't have enough CLS timber for my order and so gave me tanalised instead - very good quality !

The joists are all set level - to give me a level ceiling and so now I have to cut and fit graduated fairing pieces to each joist to give a 1 in 80 fall front to back.
That nicely works out at 5mm less on each joist starting with 95mm at the front - showing the first one set in place on the porch overhang.

I still have to fit all the cross bracing ties to the new joists and I will have to get a few more to finish off - a lot of nailing !!

I also ordered all the external wall sheathing - 17 sheets of 11mm OSB2 but they were short of that stock as well - I got 5 sheets with the balance to follow.
When I fit that to the outside of the walls it will stiffen up the whole building which is a bit wobbly right now.
OSB2 is not water proof and so I need to keep it covered until fitted - then install the Tyvek Housewrap as soon as I can.

This is the nearly full roll that I collected last weekend on Our way to Essex.
A great bargain at £25 instead of £120 !!

It is very strong - thin - waterproof membrane plus vapour control - clever stuff.

More info at -

http://www.dupont.co.uk/products-and-services/construction-materials/tyvek-building-envelope/brands/tyvek-breather-membrane/products/tyvek-housewrap-breathable-membrane-for-walls.html

Other jobs completed - We removed a fence panel behind the workshop and cut back the boundary hedge - a big job - lots of cuttings to shred and take to the tip in my poor little car - but all done.

I plan to remake the fence behind the workshop in a way that has polycarbonate clear sheet windows above the fence sealed to the roof that will overhang the fence for rain water run off into the hedge / ditch that used to there and I believe once led into Chaddesden brook !!
That will give dry storage behind the workshop for garden tools plus keep the back wall of the workshop dry in the prevailing wind - note - that's what rotted the summer house back wall.

Another purchase last week - a Romesse pot belly wood stove - £50 on ebay - starting bid win.
It is probably 60 years old but in great shape.

It is made from, stack together, parts that match my stove in Sheffield which has parts that are worn out.
I can mix and match the best bits from both and sell the rest of it.
The grate alone is nearly new and they cost £100 I am so pleased to have it.

The part I really want is the top section - that is a flat top on my original stove and has worn / rusted to be very thin - NOTE - the flat top version was for signal boxes and were flat on top to boil a kettle.
This one is the traditional shape - no kettle facility !!

Good progress all round - Next weekend we are busy helping Fiona move back to Derby and Zoie is having another fund raising event so - maybe little or no progress perhaps.

Mike.

More Workshop Framing

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of June 2017

I started on Saturday with a very tight chest - maybe a cold coming on - but I plodded on with the frame.

Both long walls framed - nice and plumb - a good day.

All set to start the roof joists.

Sunday

I woke feeling like a cold starting - tight chest - coughing tired.

I made a start and worked all day - slowly - fitted only four joists and made two small errors - no big deal.

I cut the joists long enough to take the fascia board when really they should be flush for the first cladding board - no bother - I will just saw them flush where they are.

I notched the canopy beams and they don't need notching - again - I can trim them.

The arrangement is for one central noggin plus two sets of cross straps for each joist - nice and solid.

So - slow progress this weekend - but there is no rush - it will be the end of the month before I can buy more material.

I did have some luck - I won a half roll of Tyvek house wrap on eBay for £25 - I will collect it on our way to Blazer next weekend.

Mike.

Concreting the workshop base at last.

15th of May 2017

The base former had sat empty for four and a half months - waiting for the funds to pay for the concrete and the pumping company.

Finally on the 15th of May I went for it !!

Cempump  - from Ripley did the job - a site visit to check my calculation - ( spot on ) and to work out how many straight pipes and flexible ones he needed.
They ordered the concrete from a company with a mixer truck - they mix as much as you need - so that you are not short or left with a lot to dispose of.

A rainy day but it stopped for us to pour the base.

The pump is a very simple device - rollers inside squeeze a rubber tube and push the concrete out - all mounted on a small truck - great.

Three guys came with the pump including the owner !
I supplied a bag of cement to prime the line and a 16 foot long screed / tamping board with handles.

The pump had been out of action prior to my job due to the engine blowing up which meant that the pipes had some hard residue inside - this caused a couple of blockages but they soon sorted them out and away they went.

We laid heavy duty polythene in the former before pouring and raked it into place as it emerged from the pipe  - easy.

The pumping itself took less than half an hour but with the blockages and cleaning up they were on site a couple of hours.

Virtually no mess - no big effort - no waste.

We screeded it twice - no floating - it looked good.
The mix was C35 - a really strong concrete that they make bridges out of !

They cleaned the pipes by pushing a sponge ball through with compressed air - I had rigged up a big polythene sheet on the fence to catch the splash as the ball came out - just as well - it was a bit of a bang !!

They cleaned up and I paid up £730 all in - great ! - exactly four cubic metres pumped - ( 10 tons !! )

After they left I collected all the overspill and made a rough path between the base and the back fence - there was just enough.

I covered the base with a huge tarp and it started raining !!

I left the former for two days - then stripped it off easily - recycled the plywood for firewood.

The weekend saw me clean up about 5 barrow loads of concrete bits and hardcore - we laid weed membrane and replaced the slate chippings around two sides of the pad and removed the dog barrier.
All clean and tidy for Jackie.

Looking good - our granddaughter Maddie modelling on the base - finished size - 24 foot 4 inches by 14 feet - 5 inches thick.

At the end of May I had enough funds to buy the timber to frame the walls  3 x 2 CLS timber and I got set up straight away.

I set up my big chop saw with thirty feet of timber to support the timber to be cut.
I set a stop with a G clamp to get every piece the same length.
I used the base as a bench - used two 6mm x 80mm screws at every joint - put in with my new / used impact driver - wonderful - so easy !!
I even set up a sawdust catcher to stop the big saw chucking stuff over the fence into Neils garden.

Jackie kindly bought me 13 roof joists for my Birthday. !!

Over last weekend I managed to frame up 46 feet of wall before I ran out of uprights - not bad.

I collected the remainder - 70 in total - on Monday - just need some fine weather now.

The construction is simple - no internal wooden floor - the base is the floor - it will be dry because we put in the polythene.
The wall sits right on the edge of the base and when clad on the outside the water will drip off onto the slate.

Uprights every 16 inches, with a double top plate for strength.
Corners framed up to form lap joints.
The bottom plate screwed to the base with plastic plugs every 16 inches.
The walls will have an 11 mm OSB cladding outside - 50mm acoustic insulation and 12 mm plasterboard inside or MDF if I have it.

The outside will then be wrapped in construction film ( Tyveck ) or similar then 2 x 1 treated uprights nailed on to the main uprights and then a decorative outer cladding onto that ( to be decided ).

The roof will be 6 x 2 CLS beams at 16 inch centres with restraining straps to hold the roof on in a gale - 60 sheet steel criss cross straps instead of noggins to prevent the joists twisting.
Plasterboard ceiling - 50 mm of acoustic insulation - 18mm OSB top ply - sat on graduated fairing strips to give a fall of 3 inches front to back.
The roof will be covered in two layers of torch on bituminous felt - no gutter - the roof will overhang the back fence and will be made water tight to the fence to keep rain off the back wall.

Not a cheap construction but will look great.

All for now ( 8-6-2017 ) - Mike.

The Last Two Legs

Friday 6th and Saturday 7th of January 2017

Up at midnight Friday - all my warmest gear on - 5 layers ! + a hot water bottle inside my one piece suit !!
Set off before 1am - called the lock keeper - straight into the massive lock - nicely floodlit.
The routine for handing in the gate key fob was to put it into a box at one end of the floating pontoon - which end did I tie up to ? - the other end !!
I had to walk the full length of a  frosty wooden pontoon without handrails as the lock emptied - tiny steps and slowly !!
I made it and set off in the pitch black night for Ramsgate.

The visibility was good - no traffic - just cold.
I set the genoa and we were doing well with the tide pushing us along nicely along a route well out to sea but about a mile outside the shipping lanes, which were busy - lots of shipping.

The reason for the big distance off is the Dungeness headland  which can have rough seas close in - like last time I did this trip and a big wave broke my tiller pilot - but today - not bad.

Daylight crept in from 6 am and the tide still pushing - great - the daylight helped to sort out all the ferry's - going in and out of Dover - I had to change course to avoid one - no problem.

After Dover we headed for the Goodwin sands near Deal in Kent - a big sandbank that has claimed the lives of hundreds of sailors over the years - that's why I like having two navigation plotters plus a separate GPS plus paper charts and compasses - a belt and three pairs of braces !!

The route up inside the Goodwins is well buoyed  which makes it easy.

We arrived in Ramsgate at 13.30 - twelve and a half hours not bad.

The visitors berths were empty apart from one other boat - no one in the office - I don't like Ramsgate !
I tidied up and then straight to bed.

I checked the weather and Saturday looked good with ideal wind and no rain - but Sunday was high winds - so I decided to set off on Saturday about 10 am to get sufficient depth of water over the sandbank that I cross to save a lot of miles.

Saturday - set off in misty weather with visibility of about one mile - the AIS working well.
Up past North Foreland and out across the Thames estuary.
My plotter showed us passing the UK's biggest wind farm - The London Array - but I never saw it in the mist.
After the wind farm we crossed a major shipping lane with traffic - the AIS saw it all including  one heading straight for me about a mile away at 19 knots. !!!
I usually turn around when this happens but this time I grabbed the VHF radio and called him - the AIS gave the ships name.
I calmly asked if he had seen me and he said that they have me on radar but could not visually see me.
He must have then checked his AIS and seemed concerned that it showed a collision was indicated.
He said that we should both turn to starboard - which we did and he passed behind me - not even close!

After that, I negotiated  an anchored Gas Transporter and headed for a passage through the sand banks called Fisherman's Gat and another wind farm - we were making good speed with the genoa set and I double checked the depth of water over my sand bank short cut - 2 metres plus the charted depth of 1.6 metres - plenty - Blazer only draws 1 metre.

We started crossing and the depth instrument showed the correct depths as we passed over - then as we were almost over the depth started dropping  - 4 metres then 3 metres then 2 METRES !!!!!!!
The water surface changed to agitated as though it was very shallow - only 3 feet under the keels.!!!

Then gradually the depth increased and we were over - PHEW !! - very close.
The far side of the sandbank had changed since the chart was drawn - probably by a gale.
I will cross it at higher tide next time - WOW .

It gradually got dark but the mist had lifted and it was easy to see the buoys in the Whitaker Channel past yet another wind farm and into the river Crouch.
I turned into the river Roach and stopped in the Quay Reach anchorage - I set the anchor in 7 metres of water - I payed out 30 metres of chain and dug the anchor in well - lovely.
It is no good trying to navigate the river Crouch in the dark - the upper reaches has buoys that are not lit - better to do the last 10 miles in daylight.

I set the anchor ball to show other boats that I am anchored plus my LED anchor light all strung up half way up the mast at the bow.
I had a peaceful night and woke to a lovely calm morning- prepared a huge stew for lunch so that it could be slow cooking while we are sailing up to Fambridge - then spotted a seal bobbing around at the back of Blazer - lovely.

I raised the anchor and it came up with a big lump of mud stuck to it - it was well dug in - great.
On the run up to Fambridge I saw lots of birds that you never see in France - Oyster catchers - Greebs - and a sky full of geese - wonderful.
I tied up on the visitors pontoon at 1 pm - TRIP OVER - Approx 300 miles in  12 days.
A big tidy up - pack - and then home to Derby by train on Tuesday.

Back to working on the workshop as funds allow - so - no blog for a week or so.

All for now - Mike.

Preparation for the next leg

Thursday 5th of January 2017

Two nights here in Eastbourne due to strong winds and then Northerly wind but on Friday good sailing wind from the South.

Caught up on sleep and good food - this is a luxury marina - the best - which means expensive £ 27 per night !!

I studied the route to Ramsgate - 65 miles - about 13 hours if I set off at one am - that will give me seven hours of dark + six hours of daylight - if I set off later the trip will take much longer due to tides.

I marked up the paper chart with the route and course to steer - fuelled up to the brim + 6 gallons in reserve - fixed the nav light that went out on the last leg - topped up the engine and gearbox oil levels - we are ready.

I should be in Ramsgate by 2 pm - good - the high wind starts again at about 6 pm.

I checked wave heights - good - less than one meter - I checked for fog - the met office inshore waters said - visibility - good to moderate occasionally poor - might be mist !!

All set - now trying to sleep when I'm not tired !!

Mike.

Yarmouth to Eastbourne

Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd of January 2017

I studied the tides, the weather and route and came to the conclusion that the best all round solution was to leave Yarmouth at 21.00 Monday - the wind was due to go down in strength and the tide would give me a fast passage - but if I stopped off at Chichester, to anchor for the night, then I would be stuck there, in strong Northerly winds in an open anchorage - not good - so I decided not to stop and to do the next two legs in one go.

It would be 80 miles - 16 hours - mainly at night - I have never done that before - WOW.

A concern was the first 2 metres !!

Someone had parked a £million + yacht right behind me - as I let go of the line the strong wind would blow me backwards onto him, even if I ran to the cockpit to hit the power.

Solution - To power forward before I let go, with enough power to overcome the wind and current in the marina. - I spent a long time arranging the lines ready for off.

I went into Yarmouth town - had a good lunch - then back to Blazer to get some sleep before the off - No Chance !! - I was too wound up - Ha Well !!

I was ready for 9 pm - let go - it worked - thank goodness !!

As soon as we left the marina the tide pushed us along at around 7 knots - heading for Cowes and traffic - lots of it - a massive bulk carrier - a car transporter - then a very garish cruise liner, lit up in multicoloured lights and flashing strobe lights - I managed to stay out of there way OK.

The wash from the car transporter was huge but luckily I saw it coming and held on tight - wham !! it knocked us over - things crashed about below but no damage.

It was forecast to be a clear night - no fog but bitterly cold - I was wearing my warmest gear - 4 layers plus a balaclava and ski gloves.

We turned East and plodded on through the main shipping area of the very busy Solent - numerous smaller ships all around - my AIS working well - showing me which way the ships were going and how close they would get to me and when - fabulous.

Nearly all the ships turn South on the Eastern side of the Isle of White past the Nab tower - heading for the Channel shipping lanes - I had to negotiate the ships and loads of channel marker buoys - all lit - no problem but I had to look out all the time.

After the South bound lane things settled down and tide slowed down - pushing us less and less - then it started against us - I knew it would and it can't be helped on such a long trip - but my fantastic computer program for sailing said that I was doing it at the most efficient time.

It got colder still so I filled a hot water bottle and shoved that inside my sailing suit and put on another hat on top of the balaclava - better.

A few small ships passed  me going the other way and about 3am I saw a lot of lights approaching from the South - I couldn't work out what it was or how far away it was - I needed my radar for that and it's broken.

My AIS didn't pick it up either.

It got bigger and bigger heading straight for us, I thought, then it started to turn to go the opposite way to us. us - it was MASSIVE - a huge cruise ship all lit up with white lights - then my AIS woke up and said it was QUEEN ELIZABETH - the biggest liner in the world !!  

We pressed on - a bit monotonous - I passed the time making hot drinks and eating snacks from my goodie coolbox lashed in the corner.

About 6am the sky started to lighten a tiny bit and the wind picked up from behind - I had the Genoa up nearly all night doing very little - but now it helped the push us along a bit plus the tide had turned again and it started to help us along again too.

As it came light I spotted a Wind farm under construction - not on the charts!! - Massive - I consulted the Internet and found it to be the Rampion wind farm - 116 turbines - 3 £ billion project.

I turned South to pass it on the seaward side at that point we were 17 miles off shore.

A bright, clear and sunny morning but still bitterly cold.

One or two big fishing boats  around but not in our way.

We were off the South Downs heading for Beechy Head - our turning point for Eastbourne. 

The wind picked up a lot more now and we started sailing proper - heading in towards Beechy Head - lovely !!

I planned to be tucked up in Sovereign  Marina well before the forecast gale came in and the coast guard kept telling us it was due !!

We found the safe water buoy outside the marina no bother - called them on the radio and they gave me instructions for entry into the big lock.

Safely moored up on D pontoon at 2pm  - 17 hours WOW !!

I sorted things out and crashed out in bed by 4pm and slept through to 7 am - I was tired.

The weather is not ideal for the next couple of days so it might be Friday for the next leg to Ramsgate.

All for now - Mike.  

Blazer goes back to North Fambridge !!

Sunday 1st of January 2017

I decided not to renew the annual contract in Trebeurden due to the high cost and poor rate for Euros lately.
It is also expensive to travel there and 900 mile round trip to drive.

North Fambridge on the river Crouch is almost half the price and much easier to get to - there is also a station and cheap rail travel with a senior rail card.

Also - I haven't learned much French and not speaking the language is getting to be a pain,

So - we are on the way back !!

I checked the weather regularly and there seamed to be a window of a few days last week so when Fiona drove home to Cornwall on Wednesday, having had Christmas with us, I hitched a lift.
James very kindly drove me to Plymouth ferry terminal with my sack barrow and three holdalls.

I booked a cabin and slept really well - we docked in Roscoff on time and I took a taxi to Trebeurden marina - 140 Euros !

I quickly set Blazer up for the trip in warm sunshine - planned the first leg to Guernsey and set off the moment that the gate opened - 3 pm

Part of setting up was to be sure that the engine cooling system was clear of blockage and to test run the engine to prove all is OK - so I was shocked to find the temperature gauge right at the top straight away !!!

I used my infra red temperature tester to check the engine and it seemed fine so I pressed on.
It soon got dark - no moon - very dark - we passed the seven Isles then I set a course for Guernsey a total of 70 miles !

The wind picked up from nothing to 5 knots so I set the Genoa to help a bit.
Then the High temperature alarm started sounding - I tested again - Still OK - but I had to do something.

I left Blazer on autopilot and sail - switched off the engine and stripped the engine covers off and dismantled the cooling system - no problem found - so I fitted a brand new pump impellor - took out the thermostat and clamped the bypass hose to force all the cold sea water through the engine.

We were doing OK with the genoa and tide helping a bit - 2 knots in the right direction.
I restarted the engine and the alarm went off again !!
I retested the engine temperature - cold !!
It must be an electrical fault - I took the wire off the temperature sensor and the other alarm stopped sounding ?
It was then that I noticed the lights flickering just a tiny bit - I must have a bad connection somewhere but this was not the place to look for it !!
We pressed on - and on - I kept busy checking the two plotters - they both agreed and I kept adjusting the autopilot to stay bang on course.
It was strange not seeing anything outside the cockpit - lit up by the glow of the plotters - even with night setting switched on. The wake from our bow making a regular noise -rippling.
Then at about 2 am there was a big SPLASH !!
Then another - I couldn't see what it was but it kept doing it - then I heard it - a Dolphin breathing !!
They were on both sides - probably attracted by the stern light.
They stayed about 5 minutes then it all went quiet again - I never saw one - just the splashes - a bit scary!!
At 4am I lined up with the Little Rusell channel - crept up to St Peter Port - called control and he gave directions to get into Victoria marina - I was moored up by 5am - tired out !! 14 hours !!!

I crashed out and slept until 1pm - a lovely sunny and hot day - amazing.
I walked into town bought an almanac for next year - then planned the next leg to Alderney via the notorious Alderney race - the strongest tidal current in the Northern hemisphere especially at spring tides like today !!

We left as soon as there was enough water over the sill and it got dark straight away - the North going current built up slowly then faster and faster - we were doing 10 knots over the ground at one point.

Then I spotted an AIS target on the plotter - half a mile away doing 37 knots !! - I hope they have seen me!
I do have an electronic radar enhancer to make Blazer stand out on their radar - but they have to be looking.
They hurtled past about half a mile away and shot off into the dark night - amazing.
It must have been the fast cat from Cherbourg to Poole - Quite scary !!

I plodded on past Alderney then turned West towards Bray Harbour - our speed dropped from 10 knots to ZERO !!
I put the engine to full power - nothing - then we started moving slowly - BACKWARDS !!!!
I turned a bit towards North and we started to move forward slowly and then our speed built up bit by bit.
I had turned too soon - into the full force of the race - as we moved further from the corner we picked up more speed and I was able to reduce engine power - WOW !!
It was very lumpy as we moved towards Bray Harbour - I had to hand steer - then I lined up with the leading lights for the run into the harbour - they guide you in - clear of the submerged breakwater on your right and rocks on your left !! - we quickly got to smooth water inside - then I had to find one of the 90 mooring bouys in the pitch dark !! - I found no. 45 grabbed the strop first go walked it forward and dropped it onto the cleat - Another WOW !!

Straight to bed - crashed out again - woke at 3 am - felt OK - got a weather report on my phone - good - so we got ready - made a big flask of boiling water - checked the engine - dropped the mooring strop and set off for Yarmouth Isle of Wight - 70 miles away.

I used the leading lights and both plotters to follow the tight line out  tidied up a bit - looked around in the pitch black and saw it - a green light with a white light in front of it - off to our left - quickly worked out that it was a big ship going across our path soon - I was trying to decide what action to take when I saw rapid flashes from the bridge - it is not in the book but it means get out of our way NOW.
I grabbed the helm hard over and turned round back into the approach channel for 5 minutes then I spun round back onto our proper course he had gone !!
Just a feint  stern light in the distance - that was close !

We settled down to normal  and the current built up pushing us towards the shipping lane - no fog again - so lucky - no moon - clear night - I could see the lights of Alderney for hours.
I had hoped that it would start to get light as we approached the shipping lanes but no - we were making fast progress.
My radar is defunct and my AIS is working but does not pick up distant targets - not easy - I peered into the night and saw a glow in the distance and decided to run parrallel to the lane - just outside.
The glow turned out to be a group of 4 ships that were soon passing us - good move !
After them I turned back to cross and the sky started to lighten up a bit - it made a massive difference.
I negociated 5 big ships - no problem then nothing for about 2 hours when we got into the west bound lane - again no bother - the ships were well spaced out easy in the sunshine - lovely.
The tide pushed us along right up about 15 miles off the needles - no wind so I set course to do the Needles channel.
It took forever to get there against the tide and it was just getting dark as I started to hand steer on high power through the very lumpy water and tight pilotage of the channel - hard work - but much better than last time in 30 knots of wind - massive swell !!

We were soon in calm water for the run up to Yarmouth - we turned in and found the marina full of mega yachts - here for a big firework display at midnight - NEW YEARS EVE !!

I was invited onto the 50 foot yacht next door - got cleaned up - walked into town - bought very - very nice bottle of champagne - had a bite to eat on Blazer - fell asleep - missed it all !!!

The weather is too windy for the next few days so I'm stuck here - no bother - I will catch up with my sleep and find that bad connection - its a great place to get stuck - the town is right here - next to the harbour.

No post for a few days until we reach Eastbourne.

The plan - Chichester - Eastbourne - Ramsgate - North Fambridge - with a stop in the River Roach on anchor - if I get to the river in the dark.

I am about half way on the 300 mile trip - doing really well.

Mike.