June 2023

Whilst Kerne may be ‘holidaying’ in Canning Dock, it hasn’t been entirely been time-off for the volunteer crew, given that the somewhat unexpected good weather gave us the opportunity to do some serious painting aboard. As with most paint finishes, the gloss dulls over time and the superstructure was certainly overdue for a bit of sprucing up, particularly as the repainted funnel in Ukrainian colours provided something of a contrast. So, it was time to break out the 2-pack Hemel polyurethane gloss and work down to the buff boiler casing, forward and aft cabin scuttles to the red engine room casing and decks all which made quite an improvement to the vessels’ appearance. Still on deck, work has progressed towards the final installation of the new wind generator. As with most jobs aboard a 110-year-old vessel, the apparently simple jobs turn out to be anything but, and in this case, it became apparent that the stainless-steel stays supplied with the kit that support the tubular column into which the wind turbine itself is located were too short by some margin. Longer stays have now been sourced and we hope to have the job boxed off in the next few weeks whilst bearing in mind the manufacturers recommendation that erection should not be undertaken in windy conditions. Obviously, they didn’t have in mind the prevailing weather conditions by the Pumphouse in Canning Dock!! Down in the Engine Room, good progress has been made in the installation of the ‘new’ Hayward Tyler General Service Pump which now only needs a few made-to-measure pipes and fittings to complete. Moving aft to the galley/cabin, over the last few weeks we have been aware that the operation of the Whale Gulper Pump which empties the sink had become sluggish – this has now failed. It seems to make all the right noises but the contents of the sink stubbornly refuses to move! Another job to add to the list. Mention was made in the last bulletin of the situation with our coal supply, and to add to the list of problems/costs of alterative fuel, we now have another issue to add to the list -SOOT!! Previously we could happily operate throughout the season and only need to sweep the boiler tubes for the winter lay-up, but with Columbian coal we have realised to our dismay on opening the smokebox doors that our single short steaming to Canning requires a full sweep of the tubes. This is not just a filthy job but such a build-up of soot seriously affects the efficiency of the boiler which then needs more coal to maintain pressure, which generates more soot…..!. On the issue of efficiency, it was reported previously that new boiler lagging had been purchased. The crinolines onto which the lagging is mounted are nearing completion so we can get the lagging installed when we return to Sandon. During our time in Canning, we have been canvasing opinion on the most effective way to ‘spread the word’ about Kerne, and it is clear that hand-outs, brochures and the like are outmoded in the 21st Century, social media being the favoured method of communication. We already have an effective Facebook page with over 2000 followers, maintained and regularly updated by Paul Kirkbride, which not only reports on news aboard Kerne but also contains many interesting and thought-provoking articles both current and historic. To this end we now have two large thermoplastic QR Coded information boards which fill the side windows of the Wheelhouse giving access to our website containing news, history, technical information and access to Membership Pages. These can be ‘read’ from the quay. We will remain in Canning for a little time yet, with working volunteers aboard most Saturdays and occasionally during the week. Why not come and have a look?