Drydock Prep

I thought I would put up a quick post as its been awhile.

Emilyanne is due to go into drydock on sunday (14th) and his to have her engine and boiler removed over winter also. The drydocking will include full reblacking, new sign writing, battery compartment, resealing of leaking deck and cabin fittings, a new water pump, and a full replacement of the steering cables.

Progess!

I feel its time for a new post.

Emilyanne is now on the leeds and liverpool on the main level into liverpool. Due to the issues with water supply to the leeds and liverpool, particularly down stream of the wigan junction where canal spits off to the bridgewater we were keen to get onto the liverpool leval as soon as possible to avoid being late for our passage into the docks.

The boat is due to pass through the liverpool canal link on the 16th, and will be moved upto bridge 9 (limit of free navigation) ready to be escorted down the day before hand. Then we just have a five day wait untill the 21st when we cross over the mersey and enter the shipcanal too elsemere port.

The trip from prestonbrook was suitable uneventful, passing through lymm, sale and worsley and passing boats parbella and spey we got to liegh for the evening of the 5th and rose early to get to leigh swing bridge for 8am when it was due to open, passing on through poolstock and getting out of the deep lock onto the liverpool level at about half one after the bw staff kindly waited for use to lock down. (locks where due to close at 1300h due to the water shortage issues).

IM not in loughborough enjoying my last week or so at a student here, working on the kitcar, repairing and painting the motorclubs container, and various BBQs and nights out with coursemates and friends.

To the Mersey!

Breaking news, a space has opened up on the IWA trip through the new Liverpool link onto the Mersey and over to Elsemere Port.

Ellesmere Port

Cracking weekend away at Ellesmere.

Unfortunately by car as having raised steam to make the trip from anderton a fortnight ago a number of previously unseen areas had sustained frost damage and the trip had to be canceled.

However non the less for it, with a very interesting and positive time being had.

YWBS, the young working boat society fielded a around 8 members including myself and had a number of great networking sessions, talking with Hazel Mayow of the 'waterways action squad' group, as well as the group of young people who have formed around the running of tarboat spay, the museum staff and BMS, who allowed us to take out there fishclass boat Shad, as well as doing a run in Liams own boat Ariel. Thankyou to all involved.

First Steaming

Its been a bit quiet here, sorry, but today EmilyAanne raised steam again, for the first time this year.

There as been a little bit of frost damage this year, perhaps a combination of a rushed drain down and particularly cold winter.

The manual boiler feedpump was known about and is a repair job hopefully, however also the non-return valve for the engine driven boiler feed pump has seemingly failed and although a spare is held on board as the union is boiler side of the isolation valve it was not possible to change with the boiler in steam and as it wasnt found until the boiler was in steam and the engine run it wasnt possable to effect a swap. There is also a leak on the communication pipe on the side of the raw water circulating pump which will need to be repaired.

All in all a slightly frustrating day for some i feel but there little i could have done if i where there and less i can do from sunny Loughborough.

Tom hopes to fix the issues tomorrow and steam again on Tuesday hopefully.

The wheelhouse roof is also still in our workshop waiting for me to finish repairing it (ive done about one of the required three days work on it in the last three months :S) so we're on the 'winter roof' with a tarp over it!

Daniel