The Steamboating Forum

Well Pete I've taught a lot of people how to drive trucks[lorries] and the first thing I say is "the trailer will always follow the truck!" no matter how many trailers or how long they are. Backing up boat trailers should be done with someone out back guiding you because the most expensive part overhangs the trailer and will come in contact with the back of your garage first! not good! Paint some lines on your garage floor to aid you in backing in,place a stout timber on the floor so your trailer wheels will strike that rather than backing thru the wall. And use your mirrors or look over your shoulder but don't do both because opposite things appear to be happening when you switch between the two.And if you make a mistake don't worry -Everyone will be watching! I've always been perfect at backing up when no-one is there to verify it! It's easy just practice. I've been learning to drive for 42 years! Den

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Another trick is to turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.

TAKE IT SLOW

Thanks for the advice folks! The limber truck looks really scary, but your Canadian roads look as narrow as ours, Den. Perhaps it will all work out in the end...

Regards

Pete

PS Wildest Cheshire had a covering of white yesterday - hailstones and the louest thunder storm we have had for ages. Central heating came back on. Perhaps these Climate Change warning have some foundation.

Hi Pete,

A front hitch on a Defender 90 or Discovery is great for confined manoeuvring, such as at Ferry Nab, the slipway at Chester on the Dee and at assorted marinas on the canals. I take the hitch off when travelling normally. I also use an extension bar rigidly attached to the trailer because although Landrovers are supposed to wade up to 20", I was able to get water up to the driver's seat at Chester before the boat floated off and at that level you are supposed have the wading plugs in.

John

John, Thanks for the compliment..

I haven't had time to update the website lately (It's very time consuming in and of itself), the hull is now welded fully on the outside. I've struck an agreement with the neighbor to flip it with his crane. I'm going to build a steel structure/foot off of the transom, then we will lift it from the boweye up and over on it's bottom. I'll strap some temporary cradles fore and aft. I'll post a movie of the flip.

I'm anxious to see her setting on her keel..

She will be known as "Iron Chief" ( I think)

-Ron

Hey Ron I like the proposed name! It sounds right!! Den

Hydro tested the VFT boiler on Saturday to 300 PSI. No leaks, held the pressure just fine for a few hours. My buddy Gary stopped by to lend a hand. Still working on flipping the hull. For those of you following the website. Updates have been sparse lately. The reason for that is the software I use "Yahoo Sitebuilder", it asks if I want to just upload changes, I say "Yes" and it proceeds to upload the whole #@%&@ site again. Taking a few hours. I will update it, just have to do it before I go to bed and let it upload while I sleep.

-Ron

Ron,

you might want to move the images to a separate directory, and then embed the images as complete links.

Thus you would only have to update the html pages, and not re-upload the images.

I'm not sure if that software will allow you to do this though, i'm not familiar with it. I'd love to come and see her when she's in the water! Detroit isn't that far from Toronto!

I had a question as well. When hydro-testing a boiler, how do you stop the safeties from going off?

Steve

Hi Steve,

For Hydro test, the safety valves are removed. With the boiler completely full of water, there is no danger of explosion, water will not compress. It's just a strength test of the vessel.

I'll try that moving the pics deal you mention.

Sure, Toronto isn't that far. I'm just right outside Detroit, feel free to stop by if you're over this way..

Now knowing the boiler is safe to fire up, It's making me a bit more anxious to get done with it.

-Ron

Flipping it today.. finally!