File and Print

A few more random pics from the Dad Camera; another empty chamber in Dad's old work place, the "F's and G's" to those to whom it means anything. Next up the belly of SB Cambria with a goodly coat or two of anti-foul on it. Stay away youse barnacles! And finally a shot of the newly built main windlass of SB Cambria, all be it without any windy handles or anti-reverse 'pawls' yet.

Dad's been into work today, as it happens, for a 'quick job' which ran to 5 hours plus, moving the main File and Print server from the old site to the new. The 'techie and systems' bits of this turned out to be the easy, non-problematic bits; it was everything around that which held them up. First the engineer's black lab had had a minor stroke at 0600 yesterday and had been kept in at the vet for observation even though he was, thankfully, none the worse apparently, so the engineer had been allowed to collect him this morning. Then there were problems with keyboards and shutting the server down, and then the length of the rails which were supposed to take the server in the cabs at the new site.

Poor old boy, he missed a delicious (reports Mum) venison dinner to which they had been invited by an ex boss of Mum's but was at least offered some cold roast potatoes and cold meat when he arrived to rescue Mum.

Never mind - he's all buzzing again after a favourite programme on TV, "Country File" showed some Thames barging, a little mock race between SB Wyvenhoe and SB Cabby (one CF presenter in each). If you want to see this (and find out what makes Dad tick) you'll have to go to BBC1 i-player, Country File and look at the final 15 minutes of the hour-long programme. If you don't, Dad will probably write you off as a Philistine and take you off the Christmas Card list.

Deefs (We watched it, avidly, Dad!)

Sheerness Docks

Ever unpredictable, this blog tries to keep the reader on their toes. This is presumably also the intention of the makers of Pringles. Mum likes a Pringle, and the flavour of coice is usually the green tub, sour cream and onion. She barely noticed but as she picked this one up in the local co-op it is actually a St Patrick's Day promotional pot. 2 months out of date maybe, but still in date-code, so we're guess they are trying to clear some stock.

We never see these on St Patrick's Day, and I suspect that as this town is not known for its Irish community (all be it there are some very significant Irish folk living here!) they are probably not shipped here in great numbers. Nice though.

I give you, too, a nice pic of Greta moored alongside Raybel. We think they may be waitingon the Medway barge sailing match which is coming up soon. Normally by now Greta would be resident in Whitstable and doing her chartering. She is also, we know, engaged in the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the Dunkirk evacuation. Skipper/owner Steve Norris takes the barge over with some WW2 Dunkirk veterans as passengers.

Finally, there is a picture for Mr S. This is a genuine sailing barge windlass, as used until 1970 for winding the big powerful winches on the SB Cambria's decks to haul up the masts, raise and lower sails, raise and lower leeboards, and drop and weigh anchor. Just to get you all nostalgic, Mr S.

Regards

Deefski

Bitts and Pieces

Various up to date barge shots to catch you up - you are actually more ahead than the readers of Dad's barge-blog at this point. You are honoured. The big metal fan thing is called a "leeboard" - it's like a keel that the barge crew could swing down the leeward (down wind) side of the barge to prevent a side-wind sliding the barge bodily sideways. You couldn't have a permanent keel as these boats needed to get up shallow creeks and inlets. It is, in case you are interested, 21 feet long and 8 foot six across.

The other two pics show the big bits of wood which go through the front deck and support the big front winch (windlass) which was used to raise and lower the masts and rigging to go under the Thames bridges. These bits of wood are called (unimaginatively) "bitts". The outer two are called the windlass bitts and the central one, which holds the central non-return ratchet mechanism ("pawls") is called the pawl-bitt. So now you know.

At last the dry April with its chilly breezes, has given way to a bit of useful rain and the garden and the allotment are breathing a sigh of relief. The timing's not great, the rain happening just when it's bank holiday and Mum was intending to get amongst the goosegrass and general weediness of the orchard garden, but she doesn't mind. It's warm. She dons wax coat and wellies, and arming herself with her new big purple horse-feeding flexible bucket, goes and gets amongst it.

Dad, sadly, is on call this weekend, so spends a good deal of Saturday at work, and then chilling with the papers, which is no good to us, but we are tired from helping Mum. That's when we're not distracted by cats and squirrels, of course. What do you do when it's teeming with rain, and you can see a squirrel mucking about in the Paulownia tree at the bottom of the garden? Stand on the threshold with your nose sticking out of the door, whimpering, that's what.

Have a great Bank Holiday

Deefer