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NB BCN 1645


stagedamager

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Hopefully there will be more posts to follow this.......

I purchased BCN 1645 in Feb, 2012, from Middlewich, where she had been advertised under the name 'Leviathan' See Thread (previous owner's) . After a horrific journey back to Langley Mill, involving lock jammings, missed tunnel times, unlisted stoppages, more missed tunnel times we eventually returned. Upon arriving she was immediately docked. This is what we knew:

 

She had spread to 7' 4" at worst.

Alot of knees were dis-attached from the hull

the original gunnels had been 'Gas axed' off and replaced with 10mm walled 125 x 75 angle spot welded on.......

The hull had been filled with at least 3" of (badly mixed) concrete...

The centre 25' of hull had been replaced by BW whilst in their ownership and we believe rebottomed, again we think in 6mm steel.

The Stern post has been bashed to an inch of its life when used with a push tug.

The footings are horrifically thin, and went through on the journey back.

 

Some work is needed...........

 

So you may ask? "Dan why the hell have you bought an iron colander?"

 

Well the answer (in my eyes) is simple. As a family we are restoring the Keays Tug 'Judith Anne' and i felt she wouldn't be happy unless she was towing! A GU or Josher butty would look slightly out of place so i sought a BCN boat, which discovered me........ (because all boats find their owners.....don't they?)

 

 

Around May time i clothed her up as we intended to use her for storage and a workspace whilst work on 'Judith Anne' progresses. This is how she has been left, for a few months, whilst other bits are worked on at home.

 

Now, as much as I am keen on restoration, there is no practical way I could restore her to being just an open day boat, as I have an expanding family (2nd one due 2nd April) so I looked at various ways of sympathetically restoring whilst giving us the accomodation requirements.

I have settled on a short forecabin for the kids, and a back cabin for me and Vikki and a sheeted hold. This will be laid out as a camper (taking inspiration from 'Banstead' and 'Meteor' when my parents ran them as campers) so in the event of change of use, it can all be stripped with ease.

 

Sounding good so far?

 

So, the next job was the rudder, as i could do this at home and take it up afterwards and lift it on. Before we start, i feel i should inform you i am not a metal fabricator by any stretch, and this is my first real soirée into metal work. After doing much research, in styles, build materials etc..... it became apparent that there was no set style and, with them being similar to long distance boats, I started to hatch my plan.

I opted to build in steel as i had some lying around, so as to save a bit of money.

 

Having measured the stern post, i worked out a rake of 9 1/2 degrees, which fits with a CAD drawing i was kindly sent.

 

I started with the stock. now i know it's a bit oversized, but got some 10 x 6 tube really cheap as it was in 2 bits, so started with that and worked out the taper required. I decided that over 4' 6" it would lose 5 1/2" so chopped out a wedge and re welded:

 

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So the next bit is the top of the rudder stock and the curved profile. i opted for some 168mm tube, and sliced in half and pinched in with clamps to give a slight ellipse.

 

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After that we worked on the blade. I purchased an evolution circular saw, this is a great piece of kit, capable of cutting through 12mm steel, and would throughly recommend to anyone needing to slice metal sheet. This saved alot of time and the two sections of blade were cut in a matter of minutes. The top of the blade was profiled with a jigsaw, and the scalloped corner brace was made of one piece (as it wouldn't fit out of the piece of steel i had!)

 

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At this point it is worth mentioning the detailing on the rudder stock. The majority of the BCN rudders i have seen had the owners initials or company initials carved in. This is not practical in steel... however, i had been sent a picture of a Hickman day boat with the Stewarts and Lloyds initals on the stern. Now, knowing the size of a rivet, i was able to scale off the drawing, and recreate the logo in Autocad. After many hours of checking and re checking, i sent the file of to a Laser cutters who sent me back some beatifully cut sections to inset. They also sent me the letters aswell....great service.

 

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So the holes are cut in the stock to accept this, and the insets are positioned to check

 

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After spacing out to accept an outer strip of 40 x 5mm flat bar (because thats what i had!) it was time to attach to the rudder stock. This took some time, as much as I had the blade and stock centered, the blade could still flap around, so with careful measurement and tack welds so as not to distort the blade too much under heat, the two pieces were finally united.

 

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And now its taking shape!!!

 

I managed to blag some 150 x 100 box from my brother, but it wasn't quite long enough to make the top floats, but i managed to get some from a local stockholder. The corner radius was different, but with a light heart and a rough grinding disc, it doesn't look too bad!!

 

Once welded, the insets were added, and she ain't looking too bad:

 

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The lower floats were formed from a piece of 120 x 120 box, with a slit cut in to accept the blade, and welded into position, and then came the mad dash of seam welding everything, and grinding and flap discing to within an inch of it's life. There's a few odd bits if you look closely, but overall, i'm quite chuffed with it.

 

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All thats left is the pintles, and the wedge socket for the tiller ( which i have, rescued from a boat years ago) and then it's good to be fitted!!!!

 

 

Stand by for more updates, she is due to go on dock soon for a bottom transplant!!

 

There is a page for all who have surrendered to Facebook HERE!!!

Regards

 

Dan

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Nicely done.

 

Have you tried lifting it yet? :o

 

If you're not a regular worker in metal, as you say, are you confident that all your welds are watertight? If they're not, with the slightest weep over time it'll get (even) heavier.

 

Tim

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I can just about lift it!! I'm not overly confident about some of the welds but I'm gonna plug it into a compressor line and listen out for hisses!

Dan

 

Seriously, if you have a hole big enough to insert some paraffin to the inside, do so, then paint the outside with whitewash. Even a pinhole will let the paraffin through and stain the whitewash.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

  • Greenie 1
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Diesel is just as good :)

 

Why don't you fill the cavity by injecting foam in to it?

 

Just a thought :huh:

 

It's a very good idea, but really needs a 2-pack foam.

 

Tim

 

Edit to add - I did build a steel butty helm 20+ years ago, & despite trying to use what I thought were minimum sensible steel thicknesses it was at least 1.5X the weight of the equivalent wooden job.

Edited by Timleech
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All thats left is the pintles...

Are you making new ones or looking for old?

 

If old is this any good to you? It has had it's thread chopped off but you appear to have the skills to make this not an issue.

 

 

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I have no idea what it's off or even where I acquired it from but as it has sat in my fireplace for the last 6 years doing nothing you are welcome to it, if it's any use to you.

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Hi Carl,

yes i was going to make from new, but that may solve the problem, so i would be willing to take it off your hands, in exchange for some beer tokens????

Dan

 

It's a very good idea, but really needs a 2-pack foam.

 

Tim

 

 

I assume a two pack foam would be closed cell, and therefore waterproof, and i assume it would add some buoyancy? but would it expand enough into any little fissures crap welds and seal them??

 

Dan

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Hi Carl,

yes i was going to make from new, but that may solve the problem, so i would be willing to take it off your hands, in exchange for some beer tokens????

Dan

 

 

 

I assume a two pack foam would be closed cell, and therefore waterproof, and i assume it would add some buoyancy? but would it expand enough into any little fissures crap welds and seal them??

 

Dan

 

It would stop the voids filling with water, I can't see it actually sealing any welds though.

 

Tim

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