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Oakdale, can she be rescued?The last wooden flat bottomed Mersey sailing barge  Rate Topic 
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Posted by Robert: Mon Apr 13th, 2020 16:46 1st Post
This thread is split from an earlier thread about the sinking of 'Oakdale', an historic, the last surviving, flat bottom wooden Mersey barge owned by Dave.

Dave is convinced Oakdale can be saved and a fund has been set up for that purpose.  I am keenly interested because I know Dave well, I have photographed Oakdale on many occasions, sunsets, storms and as a foreground for star photography.

Well I went on a recky this evening and caught up with Dave.

The condition of the boat is worse than I was expecting, yet Dave is confident he will have Oakdale floating again by autumn.  "It only needs seven planks." Dave assures me.  Mmmm, we will see.  It would be great if he can revive it but it looks bad.

I am planning to venture down tonight, aiming for a single, long, time exposure to the North with the fisheye.  Planning to include the ruder prime central at the bottom of the image and most of the boat and rigging including an anchor rope, Polaris and star trails, with the Lake District mountains hopefully in silhouette.  Moon doesn't rise until 03:15 so I won't have any help (or hinderance!) there, the high tide is at 04:24 which will mean about a Metre of water where I plan to stand... So I will have to be back to the shore by about 02:00 or so. Oakdale is sat on sand, about 7.2 Metres above tidal datum.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Mon Apr 13th, 2020 17:42 2nd Post
Seven planks - I'd be in there! Send him some moral support!



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Posted by Robert: Mon Apr 13th, 2020 17:49 3rd Post
I will take some pix in the morning (daylight) I think seven planks is optimistic in the extreme.  He is planning to drag the boat at least it's length further up the shore, reducing it's depth by perhaps a Metre, The stress of that will probably finish her off. He wasn't clear if he was expecting to move her before or after the repair.

It really is an amazing structure, the craftsmanship and the way the planks have been bent, twisted and shaped to create the contours of the boat are really something to admire, it really is worth  preserving but I honestly feel it's gone too far, I'm not the only one, most of the boat savvy chaps I know here say the same.  The sea is so powerful that a boat of it's size endures a real beating in a heavy sea. It was caught by a heavy wave, broadside which rocked it hard and burst the side open near the stern, Dave had to shut the diesel bilge pumps down to prevent them from being wrecked when they sucked in water as the boat sank.  When the tide went out, it burst the forward compartments, which were by then, full of water.

The batteries are charged, I'm off out at 23:05



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Robert.



Posted by Robert: Tue Apr 14th, 2020 14:27 4th Post
Well I got one usable image last night, well, actually two 15 minute exposures grafted together. I will post it in my Night Time thread.

I just found this article on-line which outlines some of the history of Oakdale. Newer than I expected.

https://bobratcliffeupperm.wixsite.com/mersey-flat-oakdale/detailed-history-of-oakdale

I have taken some daytime images which show some of the damage to the hull, I will post them later when I have processed them.



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Robert.



Posted by Robert: Tue Apr 14th, 2020 15:03 5th Post
Here are the images of Oakdale which I took this afternoon with D3 and Nikkor 24-120 f/4, ISO 400.

#1  I just noticed the 'Dust Bunnies'!


Click here to comment on this image. 

#2 Starboard Damage


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#3 Closer...


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#4  Towards the stern, showing the amazing way the boat is constructed, those boards are two inches thick.


Click here to comment on this image. 

#5 The rudder and the pumps on the stern deck, lifted from the engine room.



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#6 The port side.


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#7 This is where the hull burst open when it was full of water as the tide went out.


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#8 The forward damage.  You can see right into the innards of the hold and engine room.  The tide line at this side was the last 10.2 Metre tide mark from last week, while she was sat on the bottom.  When she went down the water level was washing over the deck but it had a force 10 gale behind it that day, a very heavy sea.


Click here to comment on this image. 

I can't see seven planks fixing that.  It needs a very large pond liner sliding under the hull and wrapping round her.



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Robert.



Posted by jk: Tue Apr 14th, 2020 15:51 6th Post
#3 The cat is watching you with suspicion.


I cant see that 7 or even 17 planks are going to fix this but what do I know about this type of work.  Biggest one I have built is 10ft long.



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Posted by chrisbet: Tue Apr 14th, 2020 19:00 7th Post
Green oak planking is relatively easy to work and many of the damaged planks are straight, so if he has the finances then repairs should be fairly straightforward. Depends of course on the condition of the ribs, being part in steel they may be rotten but the fixings have remained in place despite the timbers being torn away.

I'd be inclined to trim away any rotten edges and temporarily fix softwood planks to fill the holes and cover with tarred canvas to keep the water out of the hull. Then work from bottom upwards removing whole planks and replacing them properly, doubling up the frames with new steel angle - if the boat only floats at springs then the neaps should give enough time to do it plank at a time.



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Posted by Robert: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 02:13 8th Post
Sounds like a good plan Chris but given that I don't think there is a sound plank on the hull and the bottom must be as bad, we are talking about re-cladding the entire boat, at which point in my view it ceases to be a viable proposition.  Re-cladding the bottom must be a dry-dock job, which was the original reason she was heading for Glasgow about 15 years ago, until she was forced to take shelter in this estuary, else Oakdale would probably have been wrecked at St.Bees or the Solway if it had made it that far.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 03:52 9th Post
Her bottom is greenheart, a very durable timber, especially in marine environments. The side planking is oak which is notorious for rotting where water meets air. I would not be surprised if she has rotted out from the inside where the oak has been damp from rain / condensation over the years.



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Posted by Robert: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 07:43 10th Post
Yes the inside of the side planks is worst, which makes it worse because they look not too bad but in reality most of the side planks are soggy rotten.

If the bottom is greenheart then it may not be so bad.

Yesterday evening: D800 with Nikkor 18-35 3.5-4.5D, bracketed and HDR'd from 5 exposures out of nine in the set.



Click here to comment on this image.



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Robert.



Posted by jk: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 08:26 11th Post
Excellent work Robert.



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Posted by Eric: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 16:57 12th Post
Excellent moody image Robert. Lovely atmospheric lighting.

Couldn't resist (sorry ) cropping the right side of the image (which imho draws the eye away from the boat) and it gets the ropes, ladder and bow closer to a stronger thirds position. Oh ......and I lost the contrail. :thumbs:






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Eric


Posted by Graham Whistler: Wed Apr 15th, 2020 18:23 13th Post
Super lighting great picture well done Robert!



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Graham Whistler


Posted by Robert: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 04:01 14th Post
Eric wrote:
Excellent moody image Robert. Lovely atmospheric lighting.

Couldn't resist (sorry ) cropping the right side of the image (which imho draws the eye away from the boat) and it gets the ropes, ladder and bow closer to a stronger thirds position. Oh ......and I lost the contrail. :thumbs:






Thank you Eric, I agree the image is much better after your adjustments, that was the first aeroplane trail I have seen in weeks!!!  That was why I left it, we may never see another... LOL :doh:   Normally there are at least three or four at any one time, day and night, it must be the M6 of the skies above us here.

Another reason I guess, is I am pretty exhausted I am so busy doing stuff that I really didn't have the energy to wield the axe.  I had actually intended to include The Old Man of Coniston, which is as far to the East of the Lake District mountains as we can see from here but I agree your crop is much better artistically.

I was intending to do something completely different but I was misled by my security camera system which I had been watching intently, waiting for the right moment to catch the light, the image gain is so good that the image remains bright until it switches to IR so I get an entirely false impression of the light.  So when I did eventually rush down to the shore the sun had set and the colours had subsided considerably.  I set my heaviest tripod firmly in the sand and whacked off 9 bracketed frames, thinking if that doesn't get something then there is always tomorrow!

It never fails to amaze me what the D800 can produce from the dark shadow areas, combined with Lightroom's ability to extract that information, detail and texture.  What the D850/Z7 can do must be even better.

Chris, Don't know what has happened here it's all in bold???   NOT intended to be all bold...  The same thing happened with my caption for image #2 in post 14, I tried to correct it but couldn't.



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Robert.



Posted by Robert: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 04:04 15th Post
Graham Whistler wrote:
Super lighting great picture well done Robert! Thanks Graham, I am fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world!  Every time I look out over the estuary I see a different picture.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 04:15 16th Post
It's an occasional glitch with the comments thing - it just occasionally puts the end of the link in a different place.... I am working on it.



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Posted by jk: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 04:18 17th Post
Chris, sent PM to you on this.



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Posted by Robert: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 05:47 18th Post
chrisbet wrote:
It's an occasional glitch with the comments thing - it just occasionally puts the end of the link in a different place.... I am working on it. Thanks Chris! :thumbs:



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Robert.



Posted by jk: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 06:01 19th Post
Looking good.  Thanks Chris.



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Posted by chrisbet: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 11:03 20th Post
Contrail? I thought it was Dave having a barbeque :lol:



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Posted by Robert: Thu Apr 16th, 2020 13:34 21st Post
chrisbet wrote:
Contrail? I thought it was Dave having a barbeque :lol: It had occurred to me to clone in a chimney to 'emit' the apparent BBQ smoke... but for once sense and reason prevailed! :lol:



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Robert.



Posted by blackfox: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 08:14 22nd Post
in the words of the great dutch boatbuilder count Otto van Der dyke  the boat is what's known as gerfuckendee . . or in engleesh a non viable repair :devil:



Posted by chrisbet: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 09:37 23rd Post
Define "viable" - sometimes something is worth saving even though its resultant value is much less than the cost of the thing.

E.g. some people will spend £1,000's on a pet that is replaceable for £100's.

In this case even if, like grandad's hammer that has had 7 new handles and 4 new heads, much of the original planking needs replacing and many of the frames also, it is still the last Mersey flat and worth saving.



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If it is broken it was probably me ....


Posted by jk: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 09:59 24th Post
chrisbet wrote:
Define "viable" - sometimes something is worth saving even though its resultant value is much less than the cost of the thing.

E.g. some people will spend £1,000's on a pet that is replaceable for £100's.

In this case even if, like grandad's hammer that has had 7 new handles and 4 new heads, much of the original planking needs replacing and many of the frames also, it is still the last Mersey flat and worth saving.
I agree.

It is like the current economic fascination/fixation about GDP.
The Gross Domestic Product measures the value of economic activity within a country. Strictly defined, GDP is the sum of the market values, or prices, of all final goods and services produced in an economy during a period of time. ... GDP is a number that expresses the worth of the output of a country in local currency.

There is also a significant thought that says "GDP is vanity, sustainability is reality!"

Of course to current greedy capitalism and its followers this is heresy but this latest COVID-19 has demonstrated the fragility of globalism and the value of localism.  Somewhere we need to find the balance.



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Posted by chrisbet: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 10:08 25th Post
Just looking at the facebook page and there is a photo of one side where the rotten planks have been pulled away to the top of the first plank after the turn of the bilge - this plank looks to be in reasonable condition and may be the last of the bottom greenheart planks.



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If it is broken it was probably me ....


Posted by chrisbet: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 10:17 26th Post
jk wrote:
Of course to current greedy capitalism and its followers this is heresy but this latest COVID-19 has demonstrated the fragility of globalism and the value of localism.  Somewhere we need to find the balance. I have long been against centralised services - yes they may be economical but they are not flexible - viz the distribution of centrally held PPE stocks, why on earth weren't the stocks held in the places they are used??

I would much prefer to live in a place where local producers sold local products to the local people and supported the local community. I do wonder if we would be so much better off if the small hospitals had not been axed in the name of cost - that bridge between major hospitals and care in the community could solve many of the problems we have now.



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Posted by Robert: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 13:29 27th Post
chrisbet wrote:
Just looking at the facebook page.
Dave has a Facebook page??? Really?

How do you access that then?  Seems very improbable that Dave would have anything to do with a computer...  I know almost nothing about Facebook.



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Robert.



Posted by jk: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 13:32 28th Post
Cottage hospitals for 'care in the community' rather than 'forced care' at home or as the alternative is a hospital bed is hugely preferable.
People in cottage hospitals get trained nurses to look after them and it can be used as a training place for student and new nurses.  It also provides a training place where people who wish to work in the geriatric area can go an learn in a supervised setting, rather than working for minimum wages in a private company who may or may not provide them with additional training.

Vital hospital beds are not taken up for people who are largely just in need of care and attention rather than medical help.  Of course medical help can be easily called for as and when it is required.

The people there also get an opportunity to socialise in a safer environment.  Those older and able patients that wish to stay at home can do so but the movement of elderly people into a safe environment also has the benefit of freeing up housing stock.

There are numerous advantages but unfortunately accountants only understand balances and spreadsheets.  
Best not get me started on this as I feel very strongly having seen the situation in the latter years of my father's life.



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Posted by chrisbet: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 14:57 29th Post
Not Dave but his mate I think - I found 2 pages

facebook oakdale 

MORS

you will have to register to see the pages - if you don't fancy doing that then this is the photo i was referring to



Click here to comment on this image.

Also on Facebook -

Askam & Ireleth Information page
13 March ·

Funding Appeal - many of you will know that during the very high tides yesterday the Oakdale suffered massive water ingress and damage. Thankfully Dave and his pets were rescued by DIR although all personal posessions were lost.
The Oakdale is the only one of its kind left and without financial support it may not be possible to repair and save it.
A bank account set up and this will accept bank transfers and all cash donations will be paid into it Sort code 11-00-28 Acc num 12494069
Donation point at Angel Stores.
If you feel you can help please contact this page. Please share far and wide.



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Posted by chrisbet: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 15:04 30th Post
jk wrote:
Cottage hospitals for 'care in the community' rather than 'forced care' at home or as the alternative is a hospital bed is hugely preferable.
People in cottage hospitals get trained nurses to look after them and it can be used as a training place for student and new nurses.  It also provides a training place where people who wish to work in the geriatric area can go an learn in a supervised setting, rather than working for minimum wages in a private company who may or may not provide them with additional training.

Vital hospital beds are not taken up for people who are largely just in need of care and attention rather than medical help.  Of course medical help can be easily called for as and when it is required.

The people there also get an opportunity to socialise in a safer environment.  Those older and able patients that wish to stay at home can do so but the movement of elderly people into a safe environment also has the benefit of freeing up housing stock.

There are numerous advantages but unfortunately accountants only understand balances and spreadsheets.  
Best not get me started on this as I feel very strongly having seen the situation in the latter years of my father's life.
You and I both! :lol:

We have seen not only cottage hospitals but care homes closed due to government cuts - now all we have are private nursing homes and people waiting to get out of hospital that are medically fit but lack a care package.

My mother went in for a routine check up which took minutes to do and then we had to wait for hours for the social services lady to arrive to "assess" her care package before we could leave and she wasn't able to grasp the simple fact that we had private care arranged for her!



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If it is broken it was probably me ....


Posted by Robert: Sat Apr 18th, 2020 16:46 31st Post
chrisbet wrote:
Not Dave but his mate I think - I found 2 pages

you will have to register to see the pages - if you don't fancy doing that then this is the photo i was referring to



Click here to comment on this image.
Mmmm, not sure I want to add to Facebooks membership, I might get a virus or something...

Thanks for posting the image, I was down there about half an hour ago, having watched yet another sunset, the place was deserted.

Looking at the planks I think you are right, the sound one below the loose plank seems in much better condition than those above it, same both sides.  Somebody has been marking the 'cut points' on the remaining oak planks near the bow and stern.  Several of the heavily bent planks have fractured where they are constrained by by the spars or ribs. The biggest cause for concern is the port bow corner, which almost pulled off in the 2012 gales, that is why that corner is very slack on the mooring ropes, when she yaws it puts immense strain on the moorings and of course the hull.  Sixty odd tons yanking like that time after time for days on end takes it's toll.

Reminds me of welding up rotten MG Midgets and B's, like welding cobwebs, just on a bigger scale and with wood.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 03:35 32nd Post
Yes - a bit like that but nicer to work with wood I think!

I have transferred the FB page over to my server, you may be able to read it here - Oakdale - the links on the page will probably take you back to FB and complain about login etc. but you should be able to scroll down the central column and read the posts.



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If it is broken it was probably me ....


Posted by Robert: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 05:15 33rd Post
Thank you Chris for taking the time and trouble to allow me to see the Oakdale Fb page, without the associated issues of joining Fb which are personal and not obvious.  I was able to glean a better understanding of Oakdale history.

A more extensive history and photographs than I have been aware of previously.  Most of what I know is what Dave has told me in person, my memory of such conversations can be slightly unreliable...  I have been on board and been into the cabin - engine room below deck some years ago.  Sadly I didn't take any photo's below deck.  If I get a chance I will go aboard and correct that.

I think I will ask Dave if I can take some historic record photographs early this week while the tides are still low. Duddon Bar Tides 

As a side note, sadly, Jodie, Dave's white Alsatian died last week, Jodie had been suffering with cancer.

4th March 2016 Dave and Jodie making their way to collect their coal delivery.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 05:53 34th Post
We have 3 alsations and lost our old boy to cancer over 5 years ago now, Dave is really having a rough time of it at the moment and my heart goes out to him, though obviously we have never met.

Bono used to be my constant companion and would lie in the back of one of the MGs while I worked in the garage ...



Click here to comment on this image.



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Posted by jk: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 12:29 35th Post
Robert wrote:
Thank you Chris for taking the time and trouble to allow me to see the Oakdale Fb page, without the associated issues of joining Fb which are personal and not obvious.  I was able to glean a better understanding of Oakdale history.

A more extensive history and photographs than I have been aware of previously.  Most of what I know is what Dave has told me in person, my memory of such conversations can be slightly unreliable...  I have been on board and been into the cabin - engine room below deck some years ago.  Sadly I didn't take any photo's below deck.  If I get a chance I will go aboard and correct that.

I think I will ask Dave if I can take some historic record photographs early this week while the tides are still low. Duddon Bar Tides 

As a side note, sadly, Jodie, Dave's white Alsatian died last week, Jodie had been suffering with cancer.

4th March 2016 Dave and Jodie making their way to collect their coal delivery.

Great shot Robert.
I love the fact that the dogs is moving.  The whole image is very evocative.
Very Game of Thrones like!



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Posted by Robert: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 14:06 36th Post
Thank you JK, I only took two or three shots that morning, each very different.  That was by far the best, Jodie was quite a performer.  She used to jump onto Dave's back so he could carry her up the ladder onto Oakdale, wrapped around his shoulders like a scarf!  When they reached level with the deck she would jump off  his shoulders onto the boat. I think I do have a picture of Dave carrying her up the ladder but I don't know where it is exactly.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Sun Apr 19th, 2020 16:18 37th Post
Lol - on the website - Picture



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Posted by Robert: Mon Apr 20th, 2020 04:09 38th Post
chrisbet wrote:
Lol - on the website - Picture Errr, something downloads to my computer but it does not open the file.

The file is called '49a367_8ddb4ccd2e3a4bb08b078c546aafa548.webp'  All I get an empty tab and "about" in the URL box when I try to launch the d/l



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Mon Apr 20th, 2020 04:25 39th Post
Looks like my pc is cleverer than your mac :lol:

Here is a screenshot of the image.



Click here to comment on this image.



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Posted by Robert: Mon Apr 20th, 2020 06:45 40th Post
chrisbet wrote:
Looks like my pc is cleverer than your mac :lol:

Here is a screenshot of the image.



Click here to comment on this image.
Can't argue with that...

I can't wait to get my proper Mac back in action.  Yes, that's standard way on and off the boat.  Thanks for posting.



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Robert.



Posted by Iain: Tue Apr 21st, 2020 13:53 41st Post
He's going through it at the moment. Hope things change for him soon.



Posted by chrisbet: Thu Aug 20th, 2020 08:16 42nd Post
Time we had an update Robert!



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Posted by Robert: Thu Aug 20th, 2020 17:53 43rd Post
Will try to get some info and photo's this weekend.

Am extremely stretched at the moment my ex wife's dad died recently and I am helping to clear his yard, a life-times collection of junk wagon, digger and car parts, 4, 40ft wagon bodies, stacked to the roof with stuff, some extremely interesting things and quite a lot of rubbish, all to sort through and re-house at fairly short notice.  Including an historic Leyland lorry and a 1980's Bentley, the latter is attracting little interest, being far too modern.

The boys don't have the experience to spot parts of a set which have become separated and bring the parts together to recreate the set. Like the search for a missing item like a special tripod which should go with the builders dumpy level and staff, which we HAVE found.

Tonight I emptied a draw full of nuts  and bolts, probably in excess of 100Kg in one draw.  It will take me weeks of spare time to separate each thread type, British, unified and metric and by size and integrate them into my stock because nobody else wants them.



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Thu Aug 20th, 2020 18:14 44th Post
My heart ( what's left of it) goes out to you - I have a similar task to do with my own collection - two blocks sitting on the shelf but only I know that one is worth £50 and the other £750.

I am ruthless with the small parts, only keeping those that are special or pristine - anything else goes to the scrap man. Even so, I have many boxes of parts sitting on the shelves.



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Posted by jk: Thu Aug 20th, 2020 18:18 45th Post
Sounds like you have a big job on your hands Robert.
Can only suggest.... Quick sort into good and rubbish. Final sort later at your leisure, winter time activity!



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Posted by Robert: Fri Aug 21st, 2020 16:46 46th Post
jk wrote:
Sounds like you have a big job on your hands Robert.
Can only suggest.... Quick sort into good and rubbish. Final sort later at your leisure, winter time activity!
Initially I had a quick zoom round, gathering the gems then progressively less productive sweeps taking me through the process of trying to complete sets of parts and things I knew existed but couldn't find...  The taps and dies disappeared before I had chance to rescue them, (I have seen one tap hiding in a box with some bolts) and I can find no trace of any reamers, which I know existed.  Fortunately I was able to rescue a very good welder and an old but very nice pillar drill.

My children are the beneficiaries and I am trying to ensure the more valuable assets are not sent to the scrap yard.



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Robert.



Posted by Robert: Thu Sep 17th, 2020 17:10 47th Post
Not of Oakdale, but Dave and his new puppy...

Hope to get some of Oakdale tomorrow...

Taken by Christopher my son, Nikon D3300, using my 'rough duty' 18-105 VR which has a very badly scratched front element and is held together with duct tape...

Click here to comment on this image.



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Robert.



Posted by Iain: Sat Sep 19th, 2020 16:45 48th Post
Robert wrote:
Not of Oakdale, but Dave and his new puppy...

Hope to get some of Oakdale tomorrow...

Taken by Christopher my son, Nikon D3300, using my 'rough duty' 18-105 VR which has a very badly scratched front element and is held together with duct tape...

Click here to comment on this image.
Glad he has got another dog. When one goes its best to replace it. It will never fill the paws of the old one but fills a gap.



Posted by chrisbet: Tue Nov 3rd, 2020 05:00 49th Post
All very quiet on the (North) Western front - how is Dave getting on?



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If it is broken it was probably me ....


Posted by chrisbet: Fri Sep 17th, 2021 05:29 50th Post
Gleaned from facebook today -

Latest News;
Oakdale will be 70 years old on 15th September 2021.
A charitable trust is being set up for her preservation and restoration. (Oakdale Mersey Flat Trust)
A Liverpool Charity (MAST) is interested in taking her back to the River Mersey for full restoration and then for use as a floating classroom for young people. (Funded survey due late September.)
Local volunteers Tom & Steve are already working regularly with Dave Keenan to clear the decks ready for repairs to start afresh and get her protected for winter. A 360 degree 3D laser scanning survey was conducted on and in the boat this week by Barry Bassnett. Special thanks also to Tanya and Caroline for the delicious cake that was brought down to the boat yesterday!
If you're interested in getting hands on and volunteering towards any aspect of her preservation and restoration, simply drop me an email to martin.dewhurst@me.com
Voluntary tasks include; Shipwright Skilled Labour, Restoration Skills for Fixtures & Fittings, General Labouring for Winter Preparation, Fundraising, Social Media, Marketing & PR, Accounts & Book-keeping, Public outreach, Videography and any family or anecdotal history you have of these boats is also of great interest.
Thanks on behalf of Dave Keenan



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Posted by Robert: Sun Dec 5th, 2021 14:23 51st Post
Hi all,

Not been well recently but feeling a bit better now.  Given I have been avoiding going out I have been tidying my bedroom/study and have restarted my MacPro. The temperature in my room has risen a full degree since I started her up a couple of hours ago!

Yesterday we had a big blow, very strong winds and a full 10+ Meter tide.  I struggled against the wind and managed one half decent photo of Oakdale sitting on the bottom under a full high tide. The spray and rain drenched the D3 and Nikkor 80-200 f2.8 lens, so non of the following images were viable.  I had to brace the camera against the lifeboat station to stand any chance of getting anything usable.



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I am sure I have included this image in a previous thread but I include it for comparison, the tide must have been much higher, maybe a meter and a half?  Judging by the amount of the pier which is submerged. The camera locations has to be very close to that of the above image.



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Robert.



Posted by jk: Sun Dec 5th, 2021 17:47 52nd Post
That doesnt look good.
A Spring tide with some wind will result in her being covered.



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Posted by novicius: Fri Dec 17th, 2021 02:00 53rd Post
That looks worrying, hopefully no-one is aboard,and,good to see you Robert .



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Posted by Robert: Sat Dec 18th, 2021 09:50 54th Post
No, nobody aboard.

Dave lives on a little boat nearby with the dog and some cats.  It's pretty cold down there at the moment, the tides are not as extreme now so the is more low tide time.  The views are amazing right now with the morning mist, which has just melted in the last hour or so.  I must get the D800 out and capture the scene tomorrow.

This is an ideal subject for time-lapse, I have replaced my broken MH-25 charger with a new genuine MH-25a latest spec charger from eBay.  I also got another EN-EL15, non genuine, supposedly a 'c' type battery with slightly higher capacity, I found it in Germany, again via eBay. Genuine batteries seem to be vey hard to find in the UK, not to mention exceedingly expensive.

If the weather is good tomorrow (just checked forecast and it should be) then I will try to set up a time-lapse to make a short movie with Oakdale in the foreground or possibly from on Oakdale herself, using the fisheye... Mmmmm...



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Robert.



Posted by chrisbet: Sat Dec 18th, 2021 17:22 55th Post
Work continues on Oakdale - from their facebook page -



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