Ms Grizz has a habit of springing little surprises on me.
This morning she said at about 07.00 when I started waking that I needed to be ready to face the cold and leave home by 09.30.
"Just be ready" she said when I asked why.
Anyway, we drove toward Catham docks, and when she made me pull in where some old restored tugs and a longboat lay, "I got it "
Her older brother works for JP Knight, the tugboat people, he works 3months on and then some time off in South America as a tugboat skipper.
Her dad had also had his fair share of marine history, being a retired certified welder etc.....
Anyway, she had organised a nice guided tour for me/us on a 1948 tug, The "Rochester" Which has a national heritage number etc..... was sold to the Trust for £1.00 a few years back.
Anyway, this is more a photo report of a mechanical beast, and if the mods feel the need to pull it, then please do, but I hope some of you like what I saw as well.
Launched in January 1948, built out of spare MOD steel etc, it has a Direct reverse engine, this is the last working one of its type.
Basically a 2 stroke engine producing 880hp @ 280rpm from its 5cylinder engine said to be of around 300litre capacity.
No sump, but has mechanical cylinder lubricators.
Pics.....
First off, a smaller sister ship, still used in the Chatham harbour area. Worth about £28k , this is the reserve bank for any major repairs the Rochester may need, ie: head job - £20k
Three's company.
For sale @ £250k, a 2 cabin former prawn catcher, later a roofing reed harvester, with 2 inboard anchors, or pins, used to harvest reeds used for roofing contracts, converted to be a home more recently an for traveling European waterways, some more pics later. Built in 1928 in Holland.
Back to the Rochester.
Captains quarters.
Galley/Kitchen.
First engineer, my guide.
Mechanical lubricators for the pistons.
Spare piston and conrod.
Nokia N95 for perspective.
It runs a couple of auxilary engines for various tasks, including fire pumps, generator duties (50Volt DC) and both bilge pump, and auxilary coolant pumping, should the motor overheat.
Complete switchboard, fitted much later than the original build, lighting etc, used to be parafin.
5 Cylinder..... Hmmmmm, VW/Audi eat your heart out
Pressure cylinders, used to start the stroke of the engine... weird science ?
Up on deck again, These old tugs want constant attention, so on a trip to Ostende, it takes 16hours of manual steering, thanks captain.
Ching ching..... Full speed ahead.....
Keeping the direction, bad photo of a beautifull piece of equipment.
Compass.
Inside the old 1929 Prawn catcher, looking into the kitchen/galley and lounge area from the 2nd "bedroom, full bathroom and laundry " which is situated toward the front of the boat"
TOASTY ! ! ! In the corner of the lounge..... heating and fire.
Where it happens.
All in all a great day out, and once again, thanks to Nicola for feeding my petrol head tendencies.
Hope you all enjoyed, and are OK with a non roadgoing bit of retro mechanics.
Parting shot.
This morning she said at about 07.00 when I started waking that I needed to be ready to face the cold and leave home by 09.30.
"Just be ready" she said when I asked why.
Anyway, we drove toward Catham docks, and when she made me pull in where some old restored tugs and a longboat lay, "I got it "
Her older brother works for JP Knight, the tugboat people, he works 3months on and then some time off in South America as a tugboat skipper.
Her dad had also had his fair share of marine history, being a retired certified welder etc.....
Anyway, she had organised a nice guided tour for me/us on a 1948 tug, The "Rochester" Which has a national heritage number etc..... was sold to the Trust for £1.00 a few years back.
Anyway, this is more a photo report of a mechanical beast, and if the mods feel the need to pull it, then please do, but I hope some of you like what I saw as well.
Launched in January 1948, built out of spare MOD steel etc, it has a Direct reverse engine, this is the last working one of its type.
Basically a 2 stroke engine producing 880hp @ 280rpm from its 5cylinder engine said to be of around 300litre capacity.
No sump, but has mechanical cylinder lubricators.
Pics.....
First off, a smaller sister ship, still used in the Chatham harbour area. Worth about £28k , this is the reserve bank for any major repairs the Rochester may need, ie: head job - £20k
Three's company.
For sale @ £250k, a 2 cabin former prawn catcher, later a roofing reed harvester, with 2 inboard anchors, or pins, used to harvest reeds used for roofing contracts, converted to be a home more recently an for traveling European waterways, some more pics later. Built in 1928 in Holland.
Back to the Rochester.
Captains quarters.
Galley/Kitchen.
First engineer, my guide.
Mechanical lubricators for the pistons.
Spare piston and conrod.
Nokia N95 for perspective.
It runs a couple of auxilary engines for various tasks, including fire pumps, generator duties (50Volt DC) and both bilge pump, and auxilary coolant pumping, should the motor overheat.
Complete switchboard, fitted much later than the original build, lighting etc, used to be parafin.
5 Cylinder..... Hmmmmm, VW/Audi eat your heart out
Pressure cylinders, used to start the stroke of the engine... weird science ?
Up on deck again, These old tugs want constant attention, so on a trip to Ostende, it takes 16hours of manual steering, thanks captain.
Ching ching..... Full speed ahead.....
Keeping the direction, bad photo of a beautifull piece of equipment.
Compass.
Inside the old 1929 Prawn catcher, looking into the kitchen/galley and lounge area from the 2nd "bedroom, full bathroom and laundry " which is situated toward the front of the boat"
TOASTY ! ! ! In the corner of the lounge..... heating and fire.
Where it happens.
All in all a great day out, and once again, thanks to Nicola for feeding my petrol head tendencies.
Hope you all enjoyed, and are OK with a non roadgoing bit of retro mechanics.
Parting shot.
