I have just arrived in port.
I am known on YBW, SBC and the Sailroom Forums as "Oldsalt".
With a Friend I have an interest in a Maurice Griffiths 27ft "Cockler"
He bought the Boat off eBay over last Christmas / New year for the princely sum of £205.
She had sunk on her mooring at Farmoor Oxford on the river Thames and was almost full of mud
Here are some extracts from post I have made elsewhere some of you may have seen them already.
Any help in identifying her or her history would be very welcome.
23/12/07
We went to have a look at her to day a 7 hr round trip from Manchester amazingly we made good time on the M6 and M40 both ways all though there was a lot of traffic.
She is is in surprisingly good order nothing seriously broken or sprung just a few little soft spots here and there.
The forward part of the coach roof planks have lifted and de-laminated and one of the starboard side stanchions has been ripped out leaving a rather large hole in the ply deck. So a new side deck may be in order.
Fortunately she has suffered no vandalism having been in a very quite spot on the river, just been left and neglected possibly by a long gone owner. The seller is the land owners agent and is drawing up the appropriate paper work to complete the sale and transfer to her new owner.
Every where is full of mud and she really only needs a though clean out scraping down and re painting nothing that time and effort won't put right.
Our biggest concern is the engine bores, but even that can be sorted with a re-bore and new stones.
We have not been able to find any name or number but it is early days so something may turn up.
First we constructed a trolley to put her on so she could be moved out of their way at the yard also it can be used to launch her down a slip.
Then my 1968 Ford "D" series wagon had to have ramps and steel work worked on to turn it into a transporter.
The deal being with my pal he would pay for the steelwork to make the transporter and I would bring her up to Cheshire for him.
We would then have a wagon that would be able to move both our boats when needed.
Never thinking it would end up taking some 5 months to complete with the phone calls to Swansea and then the re-plating and MOT.
Well thats all done and the MG is now safely ensconced at a friends farm.
Now the work on her really begins, Mast off, Her Engine out and a good jet wash out side.
The the inside still has about 1/2 ton of Tames mud in her.
Then it's set to and repair the bits that need attention.
Here is a pictorial of the events so far.
The steel work for the wagon.
The wagon ready to roll.
Testing the ramps 2.25 tons this was as far as we could get the Horse Box up the ramps as the tow bar was scraping the ground. but we thought it was a fair test.
Loaded up and ready to leave Oxford.
On our way
Unloading at Home.
Well it's like this you can see all we need to is!!!
Cheers David.
