A quick catch-up from the SDC team

by: Ian Moody

The regular Tuesday and Thursday volunteers have been doing sterling work tackling the bankside vegetation upstream of Wallbridge, supported by workboat Jasper.  A small team have been over at workboat Flea at Saul junction, taking advantage of the postponed launch date to get some paint on her.

Last Wednesday we had a visit from Severn Trent Water, the first of four visits over the months.  They parked so many STW vans at Brimscombe Port that the Port manager worried that there was a major water incident on site!  Scrub bashing at Gough’s Orchard was the task and, despite some truly appalling weather, great progress was made.

Last weekend we had the first of various weekend visits at Whitminster from WRG and WRG-affiliated groups.  This time it was Newbury Working Party Group. Once again, the weather was appalling, somewhat different from the “scattered light showers” in the forecast.  The visiting groups are continuing the work from two years ago, clearing any trees and vegetation that are obstructing the line of the canal. 

Unfortunately we did not manage to get workboats Jasper or Stuart into the water in time for the weekend so we had to make do with a quite unstable backup – a sailing dingy hull. No t great, but better than nothing.

Now for something completely different 4

by: Andy P.

Weds Nov 7th

We tried several times to make a start on clearing the bank but were driven back by the rain.  Eventually we had to have a go.  The soil behind the old fence was dug out and put behind the new fence.  A very strong and very stubborn pillar was final broken up but the disc cutter died in the process.

The old fence came down along with the collapsed wall. Lots of debris to clear out again from the bank.  The remaining fence panel was collected by depot folks and was fitted in place.  That just left the odd sized end panel to sort out but Will arrived and has a plan.  Parts of the top bank were tied back and all the loose stones moved to the bottom of the slope to help form a drainage layer.

Dino the big dog, spent all day in its kennel-sensible.  The neighbours came out to check progress and all seemed delighted, so at long last we have made progress.

Pat Testing

Today, we continued our testing plan which commenced two weeks ago, albeit just for a short period.

Before any dredging is attempted, it is important that we understand the optimum deployment of the legs, before, during and after use.  From this the operating  and training procedure can be developed.

Without hydraulic drive to the legs, it is possible to pull the levers and let them descend under their own weight to the canal bed.  This is a good way to discover the profile of the canal bed beneath you.  Having done that, they can each be driven a little harder into the silt/clay.

During slewing deployment of the boom, the rocking moments of the great metal mass tends to dig the feet in further.  This needs compensating for during the first four or five traverses.  It is a case of being aware of the rate of tilt movement once the boom is angled away from the craft.  Eventually, the footing becomes more secure and further boom swings can continue with confidence.

The feet on Patricia can be rotated 90deg to point outwards from the hull.  This effectively makes the craft about a metre wider.  The above tests were repeated with all four legs in this configuration to compare stability.

The improvement is quite noticeable, especially if it is necessary to slew the boom at right angles to the boat.  It can be a bit fiddly deploying them, especially if the canal bed is quite close to the boat bottom.  We have an idea for a far better tool for doing this, which the lads at WD could fabricate for us some time.  A drawing is needed first though.

Lifting the feet has to be done carefully.  If one has become a bit buried, then it will not come up in a hurry.  Applying a slight pull and letting the buoyancy of the boat work against the mud slowly extracts it without any drama

One thing that we needed to do to assist in the next phase of testing actual dredging, was to point Patricia facing east as that will work more conveniently with the activities of No.5.  Mid afternoon we headed down Ryeford Double Lock and managed to turn her at the widest point just by the landing stage.

Shortly after departing the top lock, the heavens opened to the cacophony of thunder and for a few minutes the decks were pelted with hail stones. 

As time goes by, we get to spot small improvements that can be made, when time permits.  A productive and satisfying days work, punctuated at the end by a shot of grease to the prop' shaft..

Now for something completely different 3

by: Andy P.

Tuesday Nov 6th

We returned on Tuesday to try and finish the fence, with 8 posts to be fitted. The evil post machine constantly tried its best to spin Bob around the bushes. Trying to dig holes around trees, bushes and favourite clematis plants, on very uneven ground, proved slow and very hard work again. More bank clearing, old fence removal, old wall discovering and trying to keep things level kept us going all day.

Dino the really big barking dog only broke from its chain once today and was quickly re-tethered after only a few playful nibbles.

Some holes were really tough to get the correct depth, due to the amount of big stones deeply buried. Exhausting work.  No idea how many loads of concrete were mixed, wheeled and hand shovelled, but it was a lot.  Finally, to the accompaniment of trumpets, the last post was sounded and installed through a bed of rubble which still fought to the very end.

The 2^nd gravel boards were lifted up high and slid into place and then the final wood panels were fitted, just before darkness set in.

Agh, we were 1 panel short, as we had managed to create another gap along the twisty road from hedge to hedge.  Mighty pleased that was done.  Just tonnes of soil now needed to back fill the garden.  But that’s for another day. Weary bodies need to rest.

Oh and not a barge, dredger, hopper, tug or any other floating device has been used or modified for this work. One will be needed later.

  

Thanks again to Bob, Maurice x 2, Duncan, Mathew, Andy

Dredging / Garden Removal and X team Collaboration.

by: Andrew Rendell

A couple of weeks past and the east end of Ryeford pound is growing on the surface. What a difference.  Dry Dredging team started first to prepare the field and get the tow path side to 2/3rds across the canal looking better.  The wet Dredging team with Warp and Weft, Dredger no5 and Annette2 started clearing weeds from Ryeford locks to what has become known as 'The Dog Gardens- No. 47.

This week an early call to Wookey to clear shrubs, aged brambles and all manner of things saw her arrive within 45 mins.  Lengthy chain saw, strummer and rakes to hand cleared 40 metres in 2 hrs.  Then serious reed and silt bank into the bank was removed and hoppers loaded fast.  We thought no tug we thought but Margaret arrived, Weedie too arrived.

It looked so busy. 

Wednesday was a different day as all who were out.  of boat team were sent home as weather was poor, heavy rain nearly stopped the  Dry boys cancel but no! We decided to make best use of time and battle on.  Not many pedestrians as horrendous rain and cold.

3 brave soul on the boat team waited for the call from dredging site. Another experience and some discussion the Tug team tried another method.

Dredging went well but a warning, if you step off to bank west end of Dog Garden there is what looks like decaying grass cuttings but to my near miss of swimming I stood in what can only be called a cow pad of dog poo and nearly went A O T into canal. 

Now we are finding the tow path side blue clay to set width, not straight forward as path in wrong place here.

A good week and thanks to all Four teams working in such varying conditions, well done.

In amongst all this boat inspections carried out with a few faults to sort.

Trial survey also last Monday was so fascinating 3/4 hr, 4000 points a metre apart to accuracy of 2 mm depth  and 6 mm latitude accuracy has set the Dredging team a challenge to raise their skill level. 

Patricia is still not fully up to speed although sitting near Ryeford locks. Trials and modifications still needed. 

Now for something completely different 2

Monday Nov 5^th

The very old mixer was brought back into life then promptly died, maybe forever, so the petrol cement mixer was brought into use.  All the concrete had to be manually shovelled and carried down into the sunken garden and around bushes, to the under pinning holes, but was completed in the morning.

A hired petrol post hole drilling device was put into use.  Mmmm.  Made up ground and big stones and slabs often won the battle.  A wrecking bar, along with manual digging, did manage to get down the 3 feet needed to concrete the 9 foot fence posts into place.  Then 2 of 6x1foot concrete gravel boards were fitted, before lifting the 6x4 wood fence panels, to finish off each gap. 3 completed with a host of very tired and weary folks satisfied with our progress. Duncan made progress on completing the 2 high block wall at the bottom of the slope and clearing the vegetation from the canal side. 

The summer house had been moved again to its final resting place and a recovered bird table repositioned.

Thanks to leader Bob, Duncan, Maurice, Mathew, Vic, Derrick, Andy

Now for something completely different

by: Andy P.

Now that the weather has turned cold and frosty we finally have got the go ahead to start on the Ham Mill Landslip and to commence with the garden restoration and remediation.

The initial 'let us measure up', lasted over 5 hours as we cleared the undergrowth of brambles, stingers, an old broken fence, metal stakes, paving, a bridge, 2 wildlife ponds and carried out an awful lot of pruning.  We moved all the 40+pots, trees, planters, several horses and found the missing goose.  Afraid to say the otters did not survive.  The dove house and support was returned so that Will and Ray could spruce up this delicate and rather faded item-however Mrs Davies was very pleased.

At the next visit we brought the mini digger, emptied the shed, and attached a big rope, screwed in supporting wood pieces, laid slabs, as the digger gently persuaded the shed to move forward a meter or so away from its delicately balanced position.  Thank goodness it all moved and stayed in one piece. Gulp.

A mini army of little helpers arrived from the depot and somehow managed to lift and move the somewhat buried summerhouse back into daylight, on to the top of the non subsided part of the garden.

Shuttering was made for the concrete to be used to underpin the wall and fish pond which fortunately was only tilting at a reasonable angle down slope.  The fish were still happily breeding you will be pleased to note.