Well it seems I am still to be 'a boater'. With the summer season fast approaching, I was 'given' a small old boat. I had the mid 80s 20hp (12hp post 1989 rating) Tohatsu outboard, which I bought last year when my last boat developed serious drive problems, and I thought about using an outboard, instead of the inboard diesel.

Clic pic to see photos of the makeover...

My first thought was to give it a quick lick of paint and bodge up, so it met my meagre requirements, yet I had a boat I could leave anywhere, and was no loss if something happened. However my good friend Steve had other ideas. He has been boating for years and has a large stock of old paint, hooks, clips etc. in fact everything I needed to turn this old wreck into a nice little cruiser. He even gave me the sheet off his trailer, and the paint to make it a proper canopy.

At first I had little enthusiasm, with little motivation and lack of ability, due to doing little but stay in the house over the cold winter. I visited him one day to get the paint, but seeing my 'state of mind' he kidnapped me LOL. He came with me, said I'd no need to come home, as he had everything I required, even a boiler suit as I'd decent clothes on. That afternoon he sanded and painted the hull, cutting off the rotten wood surrounding the boat. What a great start. With his capable help I had the start of a nice looking boat.

I pottered about for a week, not really making much progress, Until he came again the next week, and between us we fitted the perspex in the windows, and he painted the top half. There was just the wheelhouse roof to cut and fit.......what a difference already. I had my first real inspiration that afternoon, realising what was wrong with the wheelhouse. The rear windows should not be there, and it transformed an ugly wheelhouse into one that looked part of the boat.

At this point I rediscovered my skills and motivation, returning the next day to fit the roof to the wheelhouse, and making a proper start. Over the next four weeks I went most days and by the end of May, had a tidy boat with new BSC and licence. It was launched just after the start of June. Thanks to help from an online forum, I had come up with the name Alyson Beems, a quaint happy name for a nice, if odd boat. Amongst the many things Steve had given me were a considerable number of tins of good quality old paint, hence the colour scheme. I don't mind in the least not having the common white boat, in fact prefer the colours it has been painted.

Alyson Beems

Click the link to see the video...

At first I was to use the small Tohatsu outboard that I bought new a few years ago, but still had little use, and was as good as new. This proved to be sufficient to move the boat at a respectable speed, however with no proper controls, except the steering, which I had connected to the wheel, it proved difficult in anything but calm condition.

With a minimal budget of only £50 I had been forced to find a 'free' boat. However with the great help of friends, mainly Steve I had ended up with a tidy small cruiser worth an estimated £800 to £1000, but had only cost me £58. This did not include the fuel for transport to do the work, nor a few tools I had to replace, nor phone calls, but did include the large 20hp Tohatsu, and the token sum I paid for the boat, making me the undisputed owner (grin). Quite an achievement as I'm sure you'll agree.

The boating

My first trip to Boston was with my small 3.5 Tohatsu. On a short trial when I first put Alyson into the water, she performed quite well, giving a respectable 5.8mph as checked with my hand held GPS. However on the afternoon of the first proper Boston trip it was very windy. Just as I was about to set off a large widebeam barge appeared.

I doubted the sanity of untying the ropes in this wind, something I was about to experience LOL. I thought I'd be ok once I was moving, but with this large boat appearing I rushed to set off. I started the engine, moved the wheel to steer into the river, and was prepared to put the engine into gear, however as soon as I took the rope of the post, the wind instantly blew me around. I had no choice but to try; with the prop in some weed. With the larger engine this would have presented no problems, but the small 'dingy' outboard would hardly move the boat. So far from setting off in front of the other boat, the only moving boat for days of course, I chugged off at a little over 2mph, only just enough to maintain steerage.

I had no ballast on the boat at this time, and she sat in only a few inches of water, so the wind blew her about like a leaf. The other boat did come past, with me struggling to stay on my side of the river. When it had passed I carried on hoping the weed would soon clear. I could not stop as the second I left the wheel the boat was blown sideways heading for the bank. This usually presented no problems, but weed had already grown out from both banks. Had I got stuck in this weed it is doubtful I could get out with the strong wind keeping me there, so a difficult journey lay in front of me.

I had to top up the small petrol tank on the outboard at least three times before getting to Boston, also tightening the nut on the bolt of the small bracket I had made to attach the outboard to the steering cables. Letting go of the wheel I had to make several quick attempts to do each of these tasks, going back to steer the boat before it veered into the weed at the sides of the river.

Do to the still strong wind I was unable to stop at Chapel Hill to wait for Roy and Gavin, having to carry on to Boston. Thankfully when I arrived the wind had dropped to a breeze from a gale, so mooring up was not the difficult task I had envisaged. The next day was much calmer, and I had an almost enjoyable trip back to Chapel Hill, leaving it on Roy's bridge mooring, and then coming back with them to Southrey in the car.

Later that week I brought the boat back to Southrey to fit the larger outboard I had by now repaired. At the weekend Steve came up on his boat and helped me change the motors over. He also suggested I add some ballast to the boat. I ended up doing this by using sandbags from Wicks. A cheap and easy solution, and one that has transformed the handling of the boat, making it much more stable and driveable. A few days later I took it back to Chapel, and the next week I returned to make a simple mooring from Breeze Blocks and rope. This is on the Witham bank where my proper mooring is. Because of this, boats have to have a license, unlike on the EA Kyme, so the owner is not yet charging for mooring on this bank, having yet to construct proper ones.

The next Boston trip was to meet Steve, who had been out into the Wash for the day. The ballast and larger outboard with proper controls had transformed the boat, making it much more enjoyable. I returned from Boston with Steve and another couple of friends on their boat, to spend a pleasant night on the riverbank, a short stretch downstream from Chapel, a tranquil spot.

Next was another Boston trip with Roy and Gavin. This time I took the camcorder and made a video of the trip.

Boston Trip - Part One

Boston Trip - Part Two

Boston Trip - Part Three

Click the link to see the video...

Another identical trip was a bit of a disaster, as Gavin lost his keys, his boat being at Southrey at his time. Thinking they would come later I set off from Chapel as usual, but he couldn't find them so they never arrived. Due to always being in the company of others, or at moorings with facilities, I had deliberately left Alyson as basic as possible. I simply do not need any kind of provisions, except for a couple of cans of drink for the hour and a half trip.

When I arrived at Boston it was almost deserted, so after a few moments chat I returned to my boat. It was quite late before I learnt the other weren't coming and I was too tired to walk to Asda. I had eaten earlier before leaving home, so decided to wait until morning. I slept ok, but woke to rain. Not wanting to walk half a mile and get soaked I decided to come home. So arrived back in my house at 9.00am having had nothing to eat since 4.00pm the previous day, and only a couple of cans of beer to drink LOL.

The last Boston trip was enjoyable and uneventful, and a few days later I brought Alyson back upstream to Southrey. I had intended a trip though Lincoln to take a video of the trip by river, as I had yet to do this The next week I accomplished this task, accompanied by my friend Sonia. She likes boating, and drinking and was no trouble, having a sleep on my comfy bunk on the trip from Stamp end and back LOL. I left the boat in Lincoln, walking home and returning alone the next day for the trip back to Southrey. People and workers were at Bardney Lock, causing me to forget the pics of Alyson in the Lock. On the trip to Lincoln Bardney Lock is the first lock I have been through this year with Alyson, so glorious weather the next day was enough of an excuse to return and remedy the lack of photos. I had a lovely short trip, repeating it a few days later to make a video of how to take a boat through a lock, just for fun.

The trip though Lincoln

How to take a boat through a lock

Click the link to see the video...

My friend Arnie came upstream and I travelled the short distance downstream the following week to Kirkstead to meet him, again in very good weather for October. He returned with me to Southrey, and as it was such a nice day I decided to have another trip to the lock before mooring. I was enjoying boating again, with everyone being nice and friendly to me. About time I suppose LOL.

I had another short trip downstream when I took a friend to see Alyson, and she said she'd like a little ride. Early in November I took Alyson out of the water onto the trailer for the winter.

So all in all I've covered approximately 200 miles in my first 'non boating' year, not bad at all. Next year I hope to get in the water at the start of April, to enjoy the relatively clear waterways, and take a Kyme trip at least once. With lower airdraught it will be fun to see if I can make cobbles lock and get a pic of Alyson, as I did with Wud.