School Days - Day 01

[ronnietucker]

After many months of Googling and harassing members of this forum, and Scottish Canals, I finally took delivery of my new (to me) boat: School Days. Here's the story of Day 01.

She was meant to arrive late on Friday, but due to some selfish swine crashing on the A1 and causing a traffic jam for over 4 hours the boat pulled into Rothesay Dock at around 10pm on Friday 11th Aug.

Saturday I was due at Rothesay Dock at 11am. As I roll in (on my bicycle) Keith (the owner of the dock) was steam cleaning the hull of School Days. She was hanging by two large, hefty, straps, on a ginormous four wheeled device.

Keith (very helpfully) pointed out that the sealant around the planks on the bottom of her was crumbling and advised I should seal them before launching. I could still launch, but it's something that does need done. Do it now cheaply, or do it later and it'll cost a wad of cash to fish her out.

I make haste to Screwfix to procure six tubes of sealant and a caulking gun.

I head back and begin the task. I take out the caulking gun and get ready to put the first tube in. I press the trigger rather firmly and the blasted thing snapped! The little trigger thing just split across and flew off. Screwfix? Screw YOU! I manage to borrow a gun from a kindly gent who was fixing up his boat in the yard.

I can tell you that it's very frightening to stand under a hanging boat weighing one and a half tonnes.

I apply the six tubes, return the borrowed gun, and we're almost ready for launch.

Keith lowers her down onto wooden blocks and I board her for the first time. It's a bit of a mess as everything had to be tossed inside the cabin for transporting. Keith (again, very kindly) drove me to the nearest garage where I bought 20L of unleaded petrol. We return and it's time to test the engine. Just briefly.

Now we're ready for launch.

I'm in the boat while this giant four wheeled behemoth slowly trundles along towards the water below (the River Clyde). I've got my life jacket on and I'm pretty damn nervous.

I'm down! I'm in the water! The straps are off and I'm floating freely. It's time for the first real test of the engine. She starts beautifully, and first time. I gently reverse back and begin to turn away from the safety of land and into the dock area (which is still technically the River Clyde). So far so good! I'm moving around and all is good. I decide to do some reversing again.

Uh oh. Engine cut out!

As I'm bobbing around to and fro I realise that I haven't fitted the fenders, and now isn't the time to do it! I manage to get her started again and potter around some more. That was pretty scary stuff.

After around an hour of practice, I phone the Clyde Estuary to inform them that I will soon be on the River Clyde. No traffic. No problems. Good!

It takes me about an hour to reach Bowling Basin. I was in no hurry. I was not about to push my luck in the middle of the River Clyde. I'm not going to lie. It was pretty terrifying at first. All my thoughts were on what I was going to do if the engine cut out again. No engine would mean me drifting whichever way the Clyde wanted to push me. I did have an anchor (and a spare) just in case. Thankfully I didn't need them.

As I go under the Erskine Bridge I call Bowling Harbour Masters to tell them of my imminient (if slow) arrival. They'll get the lock ready for me.

Just in case you're not familiar with Scottish Canals: you are not allowed to operate the bridges/locks. They must operate them for you.

I approach Bowling Basin and I'm looking for red signs to tell me which route to take on the way in as I know there's a lot of submerged wreckage here. I can see figures on land. Both (the harbour masters it turned out) are waving at me to go left. Go left!

I go further left and make my way in. I'm in! I'M IN!!

What a relief.

As I approach the entry lock the two harbour masters (very friendly chaps) inform me that I must have stepped in something before getting on the boat. I was off course on the entry and came in over the wreckage!

It turns out you can only see the entry signs when entering from the North West. I came in from the South East.

I also, at this point, realise I've no mooring ropes attached to the boat. But the harbour masters throw down two lines, let the water in, and I'm in the first lock. On my own. Very tricky!

I exit the first lock and the harbour masters tell me to make my way to the next lock and they'll get me there. I do just that.

As I get myself lined up to go in the egine cuts out and I can't get it to restart. I'm drifing into the lock nose first and the water is pouring onto the nose of the boat. I'm not going to lie. I was panicking at this point as I was worried in case the boat (which I'm not entire familiar with at this point) might take on water and sink or something. It doesn't. And I'm continually pushing the boat away from the walls as best I can while bobbing around like a ping pong ball.

The harbour masters arrive and wonder what the hell I'm doing. I explain, and they throw down a line and pull me back away from the lock.

Phew!

The board and look at my engine. They keep telling me I've no fuel left and I tell them I definitely do. I keep trying to start it, but it's not even trying to start. Eventually, after much trial and error, they manage to get it started. It turns out that the thruster sometimes doesn't click nicely into neutral. And this was the case here. Like some people do in a car. You need to put it into neutral and wiggle it a bit to make it click into place.

I now pass through my second lock and into Bowling Upper.

Under a makeshift tunnel (renovations?) and I'm through into Bowling Helenslea.

I see a space, but I'm not sure if it's mine. A helpful couple shouts to the harbour masters and they confirm it is my space, catch my ropes, and pull me in.

So, finally, I'm parked up.

I can tell you this: I wanted a stiff drink after that, but I had none.

It was one hell of an adventure for a maiden voyage. Definitely scary at times, but still an experience I can look back on with a smile.

I'll give it a week/two before any canal adventures. For now, it's all about getting the boat tidied up and cleaned.

[cuthound]

Glad you survived your maiden trip.

Welcome to the wonderful world of boating Rinnie. 

[Rob-M]

Sounds like quite an initial cruise but you now have some experiences to look back on.

[Iain_S]

Nice looking boat 

When you say "planks", does that mean wood construction? (If so, looks in REALLY good nick!)

 

[ronnietucker]

10 hours ago, Iain_S said:

Nice looking boat 

When you say "planks", does that mean wood construction? (If so, looks in REALLY good nick!)

 

 

It's just two thick wooden beams that are attached to the fibreglass hull of the boat. Not sure why they're there (to be honest) but I also didn't want to take them off.