January 2021
The current pandemic has taken its toll in many ways and the regularity of news updates has been affected accordingly. That being said, after the initial lockdown, when work and visits to Kerne were limited to a single person ensuring all was well but little work carried out, clarification and relaxation of the rules over the summer have meant that projects have progressed encouragingly.
The boiler maintenance programme continues with 30 stay tubes out of the 60 requiring replacement now threaded in place and awaiting expansion.
This is no mean feat as the distance from the after boiler tube plate (in which one end is threaded) to the bunker bulkhead is less than the length of the tube itself. Judicious removal of parts of the bulkhead has been necessary in order to facilitate the fitting of the tubes.
At 8 feet (or nearly 2.5 metres) long and of particularly thick section, it takes two people to lift each tube!
17 more tubes have been delivered and await fitting.
In August, Kerne was towed across the Mersey to the slipway at Carmet Towing for slipping and inspection. The hull was pressure washed and assessed by both visual and ultrasonic means, to determine any repairs necessary, which were then addressed. New Anodes were fitted and the hull given several new coats of Hempel undercoat, topcoat and antifouling as well as detailing and the name repainted.
Opportunity was also taken to do maintenance on hull valves and the stern gland.
By mid August, Kerne was back on her berth in Sandon Dock.
While work below decks proceeds, so does the work on the outside of the vessel.
The new wheelhouse continues to enjoy attention with chart stowage and a new, folding, chart table fitted and painting completed. The new decking in the wheelhouse has been painted and stained where appropriate.
A lot of the steelwork has received attention with the starboard side deck, funnel, forward cabin hatch, and boiler room lids being pressure washed, descaled and repainted.
The brightwork in the areas of the forward and aft cabin hatchway doors and tops, the aft rope grating, the ensign staff and the mast have been sanded, primed and painted or varnished as appropriate.
There is a full list of jobs to keep us busy in the foreseeable future with further refreshing of the boiler and engine room casings and finishing touches to the wheelhouse to complete.
While the end of the pandemic is hard to see, the work on board continues and we’re hopeful, even optimistic, that it will be over soon.
This year sees the Golden Jubilee of the vessel's rescue from the breaker’s torch and subsequent preservation. To mark the occasion, the Golden Jubilee Appeal has been set up to help the vessel to continue into the future. Please see the separate sections on the website regarding this and please consider a donation. Any amount will be gratefully received and will help Kerne continue to thrill and impress.
Finally, we’d like to wish you all the best for 2021. May it bring what you wish for and a return to normality for us all.
Stay safe.
The boiler maintenance programme continues with 30 stay tubes out of the 60 requiring replacement now threaded in place and awaiting expansion.
This is no mean feat as the distance from the after boiler tube plate (in which one end is threaded) to the bunker bulkhead is less than the length of the tube itself. Judicious removal of parts of the bulkhead has been necessary in order to facilitate the fitting of the tubes.
At 8 feet (or nearly 2.5 metres) long and of particularly thick section, it takes two people to lift each tube!
17 more tubes have been delivered and await fitting.
In August, Kerne was towed across the Mersey to the slipway at Carmet Towing for slipping and inspection. The hull was pressure washed and assessed by both visual and ultrasonic means, to determine any repairs necessary, which were then addressed. New Anodes were fitted and the hull given several new coats of Hempel undercoat, topcoat and antifouling as well as detailing and the name repainted.
Opportunity was also taken to do maintenance on hull valves and the stern gland.
By mid August, Kerne was back on her berth in Sandon Dock.
While work below decks proceeds, so does the work on the outside of the vessel.
The new wheelhouse continues to enjoy attention with chart stowage and a new, folding, chart table fitted and painting completed. The new decking in the wheelhouse has been painted and stained where appropriate.
A lot of the steelwork has received attention with the starboard side deck, funnel, forward cabin hatch, and boiler room lids being pressure washed, descaled and repainted.
The brightwork in the areas of the forward and aft cabin hatchway doors and tops, the aft rope grating, the ensign staff and the mast have been sanded, primed and painted or varnished as appropriate.
There is a full list of jobs to keep us busy in the foreseeable future with further refreshing of the boiler and engine room casings and finishing touches to the wheelhouse to complete.
While the end of the pandemic is hard to see, the work on board continues and we’re hopeful, even optimistic, that it will be over soon.
This year sees the Golden Jubilee of the vessel's rescue from the breaker’s torch and subsequent preservation. To mark the occasion, the Golden Jubilee Appeal has been set up to help the vessel to continue into the future. Please see the separate sections on the website regarding this and please consider a donation. Any amount will be gratefully received and will help Kerne continue to thrill and impress.
Finally, we’d like to wish you all the best for 2021. May it bring what you wish for and a return to normality for us all.
Stay safe.
Comments
Post a Comment