Another friend wanted to take his boat out, and I took the opportunity of slipping Wud on the trailer to try to finally resolve the leak that has been plaguing me ever since I had bought her. As soon as she was out I saw the bottom was covered in slime, much more than when she had been in the water for 2 years. This was only on one side, and a quick scrape revealed an almost perfect underside, so must have been due to running in the weed on the bottom on the Kyme trips, so only a quick application of bitumin was required. Once back in the water she still leaked however, so I made some wooden patches for inside, and with plenty of bitumin paste she actually stopped leaking for the first time a couple of days later.

Taking the boats out

Shortly afterwards I was going to go on a long trip back to Leicester for the Dawncraft BBQ. My friend Martin was going to accompany me on his boat for some of the way, and if I could get help I hoped to take Wud to Foxton Locks, as this is the furthest south I can go with a boat over 6ft 10inches wide. However this was not to be. I got to Lincoln ok, Martin had also come with his boat the previous evening, so we set off for Torksey around mid morning, with an hour to spare for the shortish 11 mile trip.

We set off for Torksey for a perfectly timed tide, that was going to save a days travel. All went well until we got to Saxilby. I stopped to get petrol for the small outboard I carry for emergency use, and Martin waited just though the village. I caught up to him, only for his boat not to start. The trouble turned out to be the main battery lead had come out of the terminal on the starter motor. An easy fix once found but we had lost more of our spare time. Tides don't wait if you're late. Setting off again we had only gone a few yards when Wud lost drive. A quick look showed the driveshaft had pulled out again. With time now against us I undid the taper lock bush and refitted the shaft, but it would not stay in, so Martin towed me back to Saxilby. Obviously the trip was now off, however we salvaged what was left of the day, by a few pints in the pub, before another excellent guitar session in the evening. Such a pity there was no one else there to enjoy it.

Little did I know that this was to be the beginnings of the end. The next day Martin towed me back to Lincoln, and I spent the following two days bodging the old original coupling to get me back to the temporary mooring at Southrey. Roy had moored Storm there, the boat he bought when it sunk at Bardney in the floods the year before, and had refurbished it. We were planning the first Boston trip, again with the company of Martin on his boat, however dog sitting commitments meant Roy couldn't go, so I had a steady trip to Boston with Martin, where we had another great guitar session in the evening.

A few days later I managed to get a new taper lock bush. The coupling had allowed the shaft very slight sideways movement in the bush, which had finally worn to a point it could not contract anymore, due to coming into contact with the engine flange, therefore not allowing it to grip the shaft. Although this arrangement was not perfect, it had lasted for more than 2 years, and well over 2000 miles. So the new one should last the rest of the year, allowing me to make a new coupling over the winter months, that should sort out the problem for good.

However a week later, when I had another trip to Boston, this time with Roy with Storm, I was bitterly disappointed when it failed half way back. Also Martin couldn't come with us, as his wife had become ill. I came back to Southrey with the small outboard yet again, and soon found the problem was the new bush had not been hardened properly. It had worn out more in the 15 miles to Boston, than the original had in over 2000 miles.

I set out to try to resolve the problem making a complete new setup, using a rubber doughnut to allow some movement. Well I can honestly say it was the toughest engineering job I have ever had to do. Nothing went right. Rick helped me take Wud to Bardney to do a small bit of welding on the adapter plate I had to make. On arrival I got another telling off from someone who is usually friendly. A mix up of names had resulted in him getting a phone call asking him why he had told me not to moor at Bardney, so he was understandably upset. Once this was resolved I did the job and came back with Rick's help.

There was nothing wrong with the adapter plate I had made, and in fact it ran true within a few thou; the next problem though proved my downfall. I had been given a propshaft coupling for a one inch shaft, although it turned out to be metric, which is slightly smaller. So I had to grind a little from the diameter of the shaft, using a hand angle grinder. This was difficult to do, and would only add to the out of alignment problems, but it was the best option, without major machining work. However worst of all it was made from cast steel, not steel as I had thought, so I could not weld the lugs on that were required to bolt it to the doughnut. Out of time yet again, I tried trapping it with washers for the next Boston trip, this time with Roy taking Storm for its first proper trip. This worked find for the trip there, but on the way home it started vibrating. I now know this was because the stiff rubber was not allowing enough sideways movement, and the stern tube had worked slightly loose. This in turn had caused the bolts to work loose, allowing the shaft to hammer the coupling on each revolution.

The lock-keeper at Boston had asked me to tow a boat he was getting from Lincoln, in fact the hull of Macanor, which had been stripped out and was going to be scrapped. I took Wud to Bardney and then to Lincoln. Sonia helped me with transport, finally coming to Lincoln with me, so she at last got to have a trip through Lincoln on a boat. It was funny at the time as she got drunk and was fun going through Lincoln, however the evening was to end in tears (as often happens).

Short video of the trip with Macanor, and the Sealine.

Wud's Last Trip

Nauty Cal - The Sealine

The next day I walked down to Wud, again moored under the road bridge just at the start of the Fosse Dyke and motored up to meet Sam. We soon got underway, and in glorious sunshine on a calm day, perfect weather for towing, had a fairly good trip to Bardney. Wud could managed a respectable 4mph or so, but was vibrating badly. I had taken my camcorder with a view to making a video of the trip, however when we arrived at Bardney we discovered the top screw of the stern tube had come out, hence the severe vibration. Sam screwed it back in and we eventually set off once again, only this time at little over tickover. It was going to be a long day.

We took turns at steering arriving at Tattershall Bridge around 5pm. Sam was going to treat me to a meal, but the pub wasn't doing meals that day, so we had a couple of pints and set off again around 6.30. The two hour journey to Boston was going to take about six. Sam retired for a sleep after passing Chapel Hill, and the boring straight took the best part of two hours. It was light when I started and dark when I got to the other end. Never again will I complain about it LOL.

We arrived at Boston around 12.30. Sam had to bail out his boat, and Wud was leaking badly again, as the engine had shaken the spar loosening the rivets. All my good work earlier in the year, when I had at last stopped her leaking was ruined. So at 1.30 Sam went home and I tried to get to sleep. 7am till 1.30am, not a bad days boating I suppose (grin).

The next morning we discovered the coupling had broken, and the bottom screw had come out of the stern tube, with no way to screw it back in, so that was that. How to get back to Lincoln, we discussed several options, including going on the bus, however who was it said one good turn deserves another. The people I had helped rescue from the riverbank at Kirkstead were there, and kindly agreed to give us a lift back to Lincoln in their nice Sealine.

I took Wud back to my friends mooring at Chapel Hill where I would have to leave it for the time being. Little did I know this would be my last trip with her. Using the small outboard we made reasonable time, and joined the others on their boat. They've turned out to be really friendly and nice people and we had another trip back in good weather. After helping them through Stamp End and thanking them profusely, I walked home with Barney.

What should have been 2 great days boating had again been spoilt by circumstance. Wud was telling me something; she needed a rest, in fact a change of owner. The work was just too much for me to do, so after a week or two I advertised her. A few weeks later someone who lives not too far away contacted me and, long story short I've sold her. I did effect a temporary repair by repairing the adapter plate and making a propshaft coupling. This will work for the time being and had I done this originally may have still had her, however hindsight and all that.

Next year I might get a small 20ft GRP boat, just a scruffy one as all I'll do is go to Boston for a night with Roy no doubt. When I do those trips I only sleep on Wud, so don't need anything very fancy. Also Steve had bought a trailer for his boat, and has somewhere to store one, so if there is any mooring problems, as I've had this year, then we can simply take it out on the trailer.

So, the end of boating, or not? Time will tell. I'm still getting trips on friends boats so not missing out, and I'm certainly not missing the hassle I've had this year, which for the first time has not been enjoyable.