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More and more members are asking for moorings. Meanwhile Malcolm, the Moorings Officer, Norman, the Commodore and myself, Michael, the Membership Secretary and a former Moorings Officer, and other members talked about what was needed for these new members.

One of the new members is Geoff Pelly and he acted to take us past the talking stage. Geoff, through Radio Lancashire, found a source of composite railway wagon wheels and axles. After discussions it was decided that these weren't really suitable because we couldn't handle them or cut them up to make them suitable by which time the wheels would have been too light anyway. Through this contact though, Geoff got another contact in Derby at Adtranz. Geoff organized a consignment of 28 railway wagon wheels, with holes in them, already removed from their axles each weighing about 500 lb. This seemed too good to be true. Geoff had found the right place at the right time.

Geoff talking to the lorry driver who delivered the wheels. The lorry driver, a nice man, to look at was the spitting image of on e of Steve Bell's (The Guardian) cartoon 'fat blokes'.

I was the go between between Geoff and Norman, Geoff didn't really know Norman at that time. I persuaded Norman that we should buy £500 worth and we then persuaded everyone else that we had done the right thing. Malcolm was delighted, something to get his teeth into and make his job worth while. Geoff went ahead and organized the purchase and delivery. Colin, the Treasurer was persuaded to write a check for £500. Actually that would only have bought 26 but Geoff persuaded Adtranz to give us the extra two.

Welcome help from the Dock

Norman was up before dawn and waiting for the consignment, he was at the club at 0745 hours. Geoff was convinced the lorry would arrive early and he convinced us. Geoff and Lynne, his wife, were there too. Myself and Dennis were a little later, over two hours. The lorry arrived late morning. Norman had arranged for the Dock fork lift truck to unload the wheels and we were very grateful for their help. A very efficient unloading.

Transferring to the Apron

Besides unloading the lorry they put them on the apron for us, where they became a possible hazard to navigation, there are still some members who sail through the winter.

The tide starting to cover the wheels up

The wheels safely tucked away the problem now was to find some chain. Another new member, Jon Blackburn, had found a source in the midlands. A special meeting was set up with the Commodore, Vice-President - Brian Roberts, the Bar Controller - Dennis Marsden, and the Moorings Officer.

The 'moorings committee' met on the same evening that the wheels arrived and deliberated on where to lay the new moorings and how much chain was required. It was decided to extend the existing trot on the north shore by 3 moorings using some heavy chain that Malcolm had acquired, 300 feet. A further trot would then be laid inshore of the existing one. The Harbour Master has told us he doesn't want us to lay any moorings towards the centre of the river from the existing trot, because he needs the room to turn his big boats, ships, round.

 

The existing trot. A strong south easterly wind was blowing at the time which explains the pointing and list of the line of boats.

The large 300 foot long chain had been delivered to the dock side and needed transporting to the club. Below you can see the hard working regulars sorting it out. It had to be cut up into manageable lengths first. It was safely transferred to the club ready for laying.

 

The regulars working hard photo by Peter Johnson

Malcolm organized the 'setting out' ceremony for Friday after Christmas. We had to have an early start to beat the tide. Malcolm, Norman, Peter Johnson and myself went across to the north shore and laid marker buoys where the new moorings were going to go. Malcolm had it all planned in advance but we were surprised to find that we had room for four moorings before we linked up with Altair's mooring. We accomplished this before the tide came in but not without a little excitement. We forgot to keep an eye on the dinghy and I had to wade out in thigh depth water to retrieve it, sensibly we had anchored it.

We managed to mark out the moorings on the same depth contour as the existing ones, that's why they are in a curved line (I know all straight lines are part of curves).

After lunch, by this time we had been joined by Dennis Marsden and David Booth, Doug and Chris Gorton were also present, and we sorted out the chain that we are going to use and Peter cut it up into the designed lengths.

 

Marking out and cutting the chain. The late arrivals on Friday, Dennis Marsden and David Booth. I'm sat down knackered and I think it's Norman talking to me. photo by Peter Johnson

Malcolm had worked out how to use the chain and wheels, no doubt after receiving lots of conflicting advice from the 'experts'.

Work started work in earnest on Saturday morning before the tide started to flood. Peter and Adrian Johnson had again put their inflatable at the clubs disposal. It was still very cold and and the snow and ice were still on the slipway. Only a few people turned up today which was why it was hard work. Josh O'Grady made it from Saddleworth and Jon Blackburn from Macclesfield, so the roads couldn't have been all that bad.

At first the tractor wouldn't start but with the help of burning rags, flame throwers into the air intake and Norman's jump leads the working party eventually got it going. Great. But. The hydraulics wouldn't work then. After applying heat to the gearbox we gave up and almost postponed the whole picnic, yes it was getting a bit crazy by then. We were concerned that with the ice under foot we would have an accident. However with the help of an iron bar with three strong men at each end, we managed to manoeuvre the first wheel onto Peter and Adrian's dinghy. The photo below shows a wheel about to be towed across the river. After we'd done two wheels the tractor hydraulics stated to work. Peter and Adrian had rigged a jib on the lifting mechanism which enabled the wheel to be lifted high enough and far enough away from the tractor to allow the dinghy to float underneath it. Once the tractor had woken up things were a lot easier.

The work boats. You can see how cold it was by the fact that everything is blue. The wheels were supported on a door, provided by Malcolm, across the two side chambers of the inflatable. Photo by David Booth

A lonely fisherman. He got very frustrated too when the boats kept going to and fro, kept having to reel his line in. You can just see the boats, centre on the shore line. Photo by David Booth

The Rescue Boat was driven by Giles Ruel and crewed by Malcolm Thomason and Josh O'Grady. Peter and Adrian, the 'bomb crew', manned the 'barge' and tipped the wheels off the door under Malcolm's direction.

Ten journeys in all from about an hour and a half before high water to a couple of hours after, with out pause for a rest. At last, ten 500 lb wagon wheels, 250 foot of heavy chain, two and half tons, and 250 foot of 22 mm chain slowly sinking in the sand. Hopefully we'd be able to shackle them all together the next morning and make a trot for four moorings before they disappeared without trace. Dave Crowther took some photographs which I hope we'll see some time in the future.

We're confident now, loading chain as well as a wheel. Photo by David Booth

The shore party were Dennis Marsden, Dave Crowther, Norman Whewell, Brian Roberts, Jon Blackburn and me who all had a break for lunch, a superb stew cooked and served up by Jo Marsden, but the boat crews sailed on dodging the pilot boat and a Rhine Barge, Elm, David Booth taking over the tractor.

We all assembled for 0900 hours on Sunday morning, New Year's Eve. Ian Hutchinson asked to be excused as he was in bed with flu, I was supposed to give his apologies to Norman but I forgot, sorry. Tony Gregory, Dave Riley, John Glynn, Jim Cruise and George Chorlton swelled the numbers today, Carruther's didn't make it out of his bunk in time. All in all four of the members on the waiting list helped: Jon Blackburn, Josh O'Grady, David Booth and George Chorlton. Brownie points are due to Geoff Pelly, who got the wheels, and extra points to Jon (Jay Jay) Blackburn who sourced the 22 mm chain. Malcolm acquired the larger chain. We now have four new moorings with a connection available to Altair when her new mooring goes down. It should be possible to extend the moorings beyond Altair now.

Jim used his dinghy as well as the Johnsons' but several journeys were still needed to get us and all the equipment across. All the wheels were visible although another tide and we'd have lost two. Saturday's 'bomb' party had done exceedingly well, much better than the RAF and USAF over Yugoslavia and as far as we were aware, no depleted uranium. All the wheels were within a metre of the marker weights, note within exact positions.

Sadly one of the marker weights had been moved by the tide so we had to 'wheel' two of the wheels about three metres to get them into position but we were all amazed how easy this turned out to be. The wheels actually rolled over the sand without sinking in more than a few inches, in fact someone commented that it was easier than on the slip. For once "many hands made light work" and "too many cooks didn't spoil the broth".

Whilst waiting for the 'ferry' back I walked across the river to the King Orry trot. It never went deeper than 33 inches, my inside leg size, and round the trot it was a bit less. I could feel the stones underfoot most of the way so I was on the river bed.

For the next trot we plan to ferry the wheels and chain out on an early tide and connect them all up later in the day, when the tide has receded, so as to reduce the danger of losing any wheels or chain. Before the season starts we should have another fifteen new moorings, inshore of the present ones, and at least three extra ones on the old trot, the King Orry chain. This means that there will be a mooring available for everyone on the list. I'm not sure how they will be offered to the waitees but I would guess that the size and type of boat will come into it, provided that everyone has paid up of course.

On behalf of you all I'd like to congratulate Malcolm on a good job well done and to thank all the members who turned up and gave their all.

Sunset. The end of the year, actually this is a Ravenglass sunset in August 1999 but I like it