A bit of Bank Holiday boating and some painting

Mike Partridge undercoating the
fore end bends (Photo: KD)

Back to Mason's Deep Red
but still some tidying up
to do

On the Saturday of the Bank Holiday Sculptor was taken down to the A508 and winded. The plan was to leave her facing north outside the museum.  On the way down (at Lock 15) we met a gentleman who had been born on the butty Angel and who lives in Deanshanger.  He would like to join the Sculptor crew so hopefully we will see him again before too long.  It was decided not to moor facing north but rather to visit the winding hole by the tunnel and do a bit of gardening - many thanks to Rob Westlake who clambered around the winding hole and cut back a huge amount of undergrowth - it's not finished yet but will be soon we hope.

Sculptor was taken down to the A508 again on the Monday (no crews available for the Sunday) and a very nice quiet trip it was.

The fore end bends have been glossed in white and now undercoated (kindly by Mike Partridge) in order we can put a top coat of Mason's Deep Red to finish things off.  Many thanks to Mike.

Volunteer hours 18 (total 804 to date)

Sculptor Day

Sculptor with the top planks up

We enjoyed a Sculptor day on Saturday 16-May.

We had the pleasure of the company of Iain and John from Ellesmere Port.  Iain talked about the proposed maintenance schedule for Sculptor in the latter part of 2016 when she will go to Ellesmere Port for ongoing maintenance specifically, but not exclusively, looking at the gunwales along the full length of the boat and the keelson.  John is a 'heritage' carpenter who will oversee the work on Sculptor when she is at Ellesmere.

In the afternoon the side cloths were rolled back and the top planks raised and some cargo removed.  Thanks to all who helped.

Volunteer hours 25 (total 786 to date)

More CAATS Assessments

There was more CAATS assessments carried out on Saturday 9-May with the remaining crews who put themselves forward for assessment enjoying a day going to the top of the Northampton Arm.  Everyone who has put themselves forward has now passed the assessment.

Volunteer hours 20 (total 761 to date)

Collecting timber, CAATs assessments and some VIP Passengers

Loading the timber for the
interpretation project

Rolling back the clock a little were were asked to collect the timber for the Stoke Bruerne Interpretation Project recently.  That involved going down to wind at the A508, reversing through Lock 18 and coming alongside in Lock 19 in order that the timber (11 pieces of 9x9x60 - inches - of Oak) could be loaded easily. We were amazed that we should arrive at Lock 19 and the same time as the lorry which had come up from Devizes - the timber remains in Sculptor as the best (and probably safest) place to keep it.

The Sculptor crew with Ben Gordon
and Vicky Martin at the Northern portal

On the same afternoon we had the pleasure of the company of Vicky Martin (the new South East Waterways manager) Ben Gordon (a new trustee for CRT) and Louise from the museum on a trip through the tunnel.

Heading off for CAATs assessment

The Friday heralded CAATs assessments for four of us with Mike Dalzell from CRT.  We undertook a couple of pirouettes at the winding hole and then it was off through the tunnel to the top of the Northampton Arm and up and down Lock 1 three times followed by a return to Stoke Bruerne - a long day.  We understand we passed.

Richard Parry and Rob Westlake
bringing Sculptor through
Blisworth

2-May was the celebration of 200 years since the Northampton Arm was opened which was celebrated by an event at Gayton Sanitary station.  A good do all round put on by the IWA with a number of senior CRT people present including Richard Parry on his return from Canalway Cavalcade in London.  There had been some issue with the trains (it is a Bank Holiday weekend) and Richard was keen to delay his return home so we had the pleasure of his company from Gayton to Stoke Bruerne on Sculptor.

Volunteer hours 38 (total 741 to date)