Fairey Bulldog - Diesel Duck.

[Ben]

An article in the forthcoming Fairey News explains how I came to own this Bulldog, the really exciting thing is that she is one of a very small number of twin engine ones, the less exciting thing it that the engines are dead...

She is in the excellent Harold Hayles Yard in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight.

[martinh]

Ben... 'the less exciting thing is that the engines are dead' .... why is that?

[Ben]

Ben... 'the less exciting thing is that the engines are dead' .... why is that?

I don't exactly know.

I believe that they did run after the sinking as there is a video of her under her own steam arriving at Trafalgar Wharf. I'm not sure how long she has been ashore.

Port - builds oil pressure, cranks ok, delivers fuel to the injectors, tries to fire and makes the most unbelievable clonking noise and refuses to run. I suspect sea water has siezed the piston rings into their grooves. There is also a highly suspicious hole in one bell housing.

Stbd - injection pump does not deliver fuel, inside the cover plate is full of brass filings....!

They are Leyland 4/98. Marinised by Lancing Marine. They were in her in 1999 when she went to Scilly to operate as the Bryher Ferry. They've done well, doubtless the sinking didnt help!

They are to be replaced with a pair of Cummins 4b 80hp NA motors.

[martinh]

Thanks for that info.

[Ben]

Ready to come out

[Ben]

Eurgh! What a mess!

They are out, took 30 mins to lift them with a telehandler.



There is several inches of oily sludge at the bottom.

Next job clean out all the oil, then a cockpit cover.

[Ben]

Work on the engines continues, I now have all the parts I need, except gaskets and bearings, one starter and 2 alternators, I also now have a pair of down angle gearboxes that will allow the engines to be installed level. Nice.

Matters unravelled a bit when I wanted/needed to paint the cockpit floor, I found the ply to have suffered and some extensive rot underneath. Given the plan is to make the boat good for 15 years, I decided to rip it up.






Aside from the rotten plywood floor, along each side, right on the waterline, was three 2" cockpit drains and 4 smaller ones, a few inches up was a pair of big scuppers. I felt it was a lot of holes low down that didn't really need to be there. If she was just a couple of inches low she would fast have been overcome....

The scuppers were plywood boxes and a bit grotty, so today I went banjax with a multitool. Never used one before, what a fab bit of kit.

[PeterCharleston]

Good work Ben, "The Multi Tool" !! whoever invented that needs an OBE ! some little holes to fill, i had a few of those !!

[Ben]

A day of demolition and vlesring away old rubbish.

Filled 63 screw holes in the wheelhouse roof.





photo upload site

[PeterCharleston]

Some work on there Ben ! boat Restoration, who would entertain such a challenge !!

[Folly Reach]

There is a saying.
A bad day on a boat is better than a good day in an office..

[Ben]

There is a saying.
A bad day on a boat is better than a good day in an office..

Totally.

What could be better than a day goofing around in a boatyard.

[Ben]

Update!

I have filled 67 holes in the wheelhouse roof, mostly screw holes for a plethora of cable glands.

The wheelhouse roof is now painted rescue orange and the rest of it white.

Two windows are now refurbed, the front ones, 10mm thick glass.

Glass is spaced into place with bits of rubber channel,set in arbo BR and finished with black silicone. Side windows with sliders next.

Hopefully in the next few weeks we'll get the windows in and the canopy up, that will give me a covered space to sort out the floor.

[mps]

Good to see all the pictures Ben. Gracious me what a lot of work it is, well done for keeping at it. That workshop looks very useful!

[robin3boats]

Another low maintainance plastic boat then?