I know that these Forums are largely aviation related but I thought that my recent experiences merited a mention about boating. Jim you might be interested because I know you love boats.
I’ve just finished a friends boat. A slightly unusual vessel in that it is a 28 ft. fifty year old, cold moulded ply power boat called a Dell Quay Ranger. A much sought after model – as they say in the car trade. You can imagine that after fifty years this boat has seen better days. However, a lot of skilled work – not all mine – has brought it up to an acceptable condition.
My part was the refurbishment of the front cabin – new side and head linings and the making of templates for the shaping of ply boards plus one or two other contributions towards making this cabin somewhere where you could be comfortable and would want to spend time on a cold, windy, wet Sunday afternoon somewhere on your annual cruise.
Some of the work done in the past was done without much due care and attention. And because of this, my thoughts went to the kind of abominations that owners or their agents perpetrate when trying to make good the ravages of natural wear and tear.
Years ago, the Daily Mirror had a very accomplished journalist on their staff called William O’Connor who wrote under the pen name of Cassandra, the Prophetress of Doom. He did not like men with beards and such was his ire that he proposed an Act of Parliament which he called The Hirsute Practices Act the intention of which was to prevent men (and maybe a few women) from wearing a beard by law.
I feel the same about some of the abomnations carried out by boat owners in the name of DIY. Nails and screws hammered, yes hammered into bulkheads. Wiring, carelessly run through areas of the boat subject to movement and abrasion without any protection. Bulkheads wrongly positioned and then poorly ‘glassed’ in. And so on. I intend to petition my MP – who doesn’t appear to do much anyway, to propose a Private Members Bill to be called ‘The Prevention of Cruelty to Marine Craft’ measures 2013.
I do hope I can count on your support Jim, it might be just you and me so we could struggle a bit/
By: Lincoln 7 - 3rd October 2013 at 10:51
Hi John. Thanks, I wish I could meet all the fellow members who would have “A pint lined up”, should I visiet their area. Nice to have good friends on the Forum.
Could easily become an alcoholic if I did the rounds..:D
Jim.
Lincoln….”Hic”….7.
By: John Green - 3rd October 2013 at 10:30
If you’re in the mood Jim, go to Chichester Marina and park there. Walk down to the lock gates and cross to the North side. There’s a very scenic and pleasant riverside path that leads from the Marina straight to the pub. Distance about half a mile.
You can drive to the pub from the A27. I think that you would be coming from the West. Come up to the roundabout signposted ‘The Witterings’. Continue along for about two miles until a right hand turn signposted ‘Dell Quay’. Go along until you run out of road and there will be the home – or one of them – of a mis-spent youth.
Baz and I will have them lined up !
By: Lincoln 7 - 3rd October 2013 at 08:27
Thanks Baz.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: bazv - 3rd October 2013 at 07:02
Just south of Chichester Jim
Just north of Chichester Marina !
If you google map Dell Quay it should take you right there !
Rgds Baz
By: Lincoln 7 - 3rd October 2013 at 00:30
Baz and John, where is this pub, just as a matter of interest?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: bazv - 2nd October 2013 at 20:46
Earlier this year i managed to ‘just happen’ to do a couple of bike trips up what is now the saltern way and had lunch /drinks there.lovely spot : )
By: John Green - 2nd October 2013 at 20:39
Baz
Tucked my lips round many a pint in there !
By: bazv - 2nd October 2013 at 20:30
Dont know anything about the boat John but the pub at Dell Quay is in a lovely setting and of course right next to Appledram/Apuldram ALG 😀
By: Lincoln 7 - 2nd October 2013 at 19:40
By your side anytime John. Dell Quay, used to make a very good boat called a Dory, very Seaworthy, but being only about 13 ft in length, used for “Just offshore” fishing.
Owning any boat, and I have had one or several, is not to be taken lightly,even a brand new one requires dedication, indeed, I once collected a “Lute Stern” Whitby Cobble, little did I realise, until I started a complete re fit, just how neglected this boat was, but d’ya know, after spending many, many hrs on her, I remember putting the final coat of Marine Varnish on her, standing back, and thinking, “She was worth every bloody blister”. The only thing I never did myself, was to have her name painted on each side by a professional chap. She was my very 1st boat, her name?. “Pipedream One”. Thereafter, each one was 2,3,4,etc, My advice is, be prepared to be cursed when you buy a second hand boat, as the old saying goes, “A lick of paint covers a multitude of sins”. Look after, treat her better than your wife, and when at sea with a Hooley starting up, with a following wind and Tide, she will look after you.
Thanks John for bringing this subject up, brought back many happy memories.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
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October 2, 2013 at 7:10 pm