A Year on the River Lee 2014

To tempt you to a trip or holiday on Challenge during 2015 take a look at our short film of activities last year.

We are happy to talk to you about any combination of trip, holiday or special event. call us on 07511 622747

New Bunks & Bench Seats for Challenge

When the technicians at British Ship Builders embarked on the construction of MV. Challenge, they must have spent many hours designing and building the configuration of bunks on the boat. They used top quality marine ply, some melamine faced board, and a whole load of timber. The main problem was the screws they used; they were a hot-potch of brass, steel, slotted and cross head. Something you’d get from your old screw jar.

The most dismal area of the old bunks was the four-bunk set up at the rear of the cabin. It was a dark area shut in by walls and plagued by leaking windows and spiders.

In October 2013 we embarked on Operation Long Boat 5, the final part of our five year refurbishment plan for MV. Challenge

This phase of the project was to rip out the old and outdated interior of our central and front cabins and create a lovable warm environment. The key to this was flexibility, not easy when the volunteers were all set in their ways and extremely inflexible!!

 

Most of the walls and a lot of the timber was not recoverable and was sent for recycling. The marine ply was still in good condition so this was used in other projects.

 

Within a few days we had ripped back the bunks to bare steel walls so we could assess the problems and agree the reconstruction.
 

The first thing to sort was the leaking windows that had been badly fitted during the construction. We’d like to know where the supervisors where when the window holes were being cut?

Before long we had repaired the damage and refitted the windows with no leaks. Now it was time to start rebuilding, which included:

• A new stronger framework
• New insulation
• New moisture resistant board
• New wiring and light

Once we had clad the walls and fitted new lights we started building the new bunks/seating. For this we would need to call on the extensive widget whittling skills of our resident wood whittler George to invent some gadgets to hold the bunks in place.



We did some cladding on our new walls and windows and
started building the bunks



Both bunks are built, varnished and waiting
for new cushions



The final stage was to fit professionally made cushions that would give us years of service and double up as seating and mattresses. For this we called on the expertise of Foam for Comfort of Leeds who had previously made a bespoke mattress for our crew’s cabin.

http://www.foamforcomfort.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foam-for-Comfort/116766215141475

https://twitter.com/FoamforComfort

Once we agreed the design and materials it took no time at all for the new cushions to be delivered to the boat.

 

The top cushions and bunks were fitted with Velcro on the slats to prevent them falling forward when in the seat position.

 

All done and dusted and 4 fabulous bunks to sleep in

 

 As we said previously, they are just not bunks; they are also seats for our day trips and various educational events we hold throughout the year.

 

With the widgets removed and the top bunk lowered
they convert into fantastic bench seats

Don't forget to have a look at Foam for Comfort's work on the web site at

www.foamforcomfort.co.uk

 

The Lea Needs Some Extra TLC

Well we’ve seen it all this week, thousands of dead fish, black putrid water, aerators that are not aerators and now a river dyed green.

The dead fish – This is well documented in the thousands of tweets, conversations and on the telly. From our perspective the amount of dead fish is a disaster for the ecosystem of the Lee/Lea. The river system is already under tremendous pressure from pollution and any more incidents like this week’s could push it over the edge.

The black putrid water – This now stretches from the pool below Tottenham Lock down to the weir at Lea Bridge. I personally can’t ever remember seeing a stretch of river so bad. Even the industrial canals of my childhood were never as bad as this stretch of the River Lee.

We have inserted this short video to show you the source of the problem:

 

 

The Aerators - The solution to all the problems, in your dreams maybe! When we heard about these on the BBC News we were a bit confused. On the day they were supposed to be in place we left Lea bridge at 11:00 and they were not in place. We arrived back at 15:00 and they were not there. On Friday they were not there at 10:00 but were there at 11:00. unfortunately they were gone by 15:30. Most importantly they are just small water pumps sucking out polluted water and pumping it back in. A bit like peeing into the wind!

It needs a lot more than this to create a haven for fish or to have any real benefit to the system.

 

Dying The Lea Green - Okay guys what's this all about? Don't you have enough colour in the Olympic Park with all the overtight Lycra and fancy trainers. The Lea needs TLC not gimmicks. The only green we want to see is reed beds and Lillie's. Use your dye to colour the hair of the organisers if you want more green!

The Litter & Rubbish - On Saturday as we were entering the Limehouse Cut from the Basin we picked up a duvet cover around our prop. This stopped us dead in the water for over an hour whilst we cut it free. This is not the only thing we have to avoid on the river system. By far the biggest cause of frustration is the sheer amounts of litter left by users of the tow path or green spaces. Even when there are litter bins they rarely get emptied. most of the rubbish ends up in the river.


The saga of Deephams - This is fairly simple, the River Lee doesn't want your overflowing sewage. It has enough to cope with from litter, misconnections and pollution from the roads. Use the money you get from water rates or wherever to sort the problem before this river finally dies.

 

The 'Lovers of the Lea' have got their work cut out to get this river back on track.

 

 

New Gearbox for MV. Challenge

Our Gearbox Storyboard
Just as our 2013 season got going we were faced with a major breakdown with our old but reliable gearbox. On the way back from refuelling at Bow we started to loose forward thrust. At first we thought that this was something snared on the prop, but that was clear. As the weekend went on the situation got worse and we lost reverse thrust.

On examination of the oil we could feel small metal particles and smell burning. As such we had no option but to remove the gearbox for stripping down on the bench.

Gearbox and drive plate removed for closer examination

Once stripped down we found that a number of components were beyond repair and no longer available from stock. This would have meant rebuilding the gearbox with a combination of new and old parts, with no guarantee how long it would last. Also damaged was the drive plate, which is fortunately still widely available.

Our committee decided that the best course of action would be to fit a new gearbox, even though it was not a cheap option. Our gearbox of choice was a PRM 750, which was compatible with our prop and the pitch.

The new PRM 750 Gearbox is lowered into place

Also fitted was a new driveplate

 

 

Once the gearbox and drive plate were fitted all we needed to do was take Challenge for some sea trials to ensure the gearbox was working in unison with the engine, propshaft and propeller. 

 





The new gearbox works a treat

 

Want to help? See our box below on how to volunteer with Docklands Canal Boat Trust and participate in the excitement and joy of working on Challenge. You may even get your hands full of grease and sample our wonderful ‘Pottage de Challenge’, a patented soup developed in our galley for volunteers and supporters of our charity.

 

Volunteer & Trustee Recruitment

Have sleepless nights and get your hands dirty on MV. Challenge. We can offer you something  exciting and invigorating with very few perks and you’ll probably never meet a celebrity! However, what you will gain from joining us as a volunteer on Challenge will stay with you for the rest of your life and will bring joy to our numerous disabled users. If you want to consider becoming a volunteer or trustee then follow our recruitment drive on our Blog at http://www.mvchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MVChallenge   A full recruitment and information pack is also available on our website at http://www.dcbt.org.uk/publications.html

Why We Love The Lee Navigation



The last ten days has seen unprecedented communication on social networking sites regarding the litter and pollution on the River Lee Navigation.

Canoeist struggles with rubbish at Lea Bridge Weir

For a brief period during the 2012 Olympics the river sparkled as daily cleaning was undertaken before and during the games. Unfortunately this all stopped when the games were over. The river then became dirtier than we have ever seen it in the past 30 years.

When the original Trustees of the Docklands Canal Boat Trust set up our charity in the early 1980s, they chose the River Lee Navigation as their home as it was one of the nicest, vibrant and healthiest rivers running through London.


Our Boat at Lea Bridge back in the 1980's

Everyday, and particularly at weekends, the banks were thronged by anglers catching all forms of prize fresh water fish. The only anglers you see now are the un-knowledgeable who think the methane bubbles rising to the surface are actually fish. The fish have long gone!


Even today our clients love their cruises and holidays along the river, even though it is under such pressure from pollution.



2012 and our client still 'Love the Lee'

Let’s go back a few years to a different part of the country. As a lad growing up my local river was the Mersey as it flowed through South Manchester and Cheshire. Goodness me, that was a dark, uninviting and lifeless river that was virtually an open sewer. Back then it was classified as the most polluted river in Europe.

After 25 years of concentrated effort from all agencies they now have salmon back in the Mersey and it is a haven for wild life. Click or copy the link and download the Mersey Life PDF Booklet:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/wildlife/102362.aspx

The Mersey’s success is The Lee’s loss as it now as the unenviable title of the most polluted river in Europe.

To say the River Lee is on the brink is an understatement. It is being attacked from all quarters which has rendered it on a bad day an extremely unpleasant environment.

Follow https://twitter.com/TheoJThomas or https://twitter.com/Thames21 for daily updates on pollution and the work that is being undertaken.

Thames 21 Volunteers on the Lee

All is not lost as yet. We still have all forms of wild life on the river and numerous groups and individuals who are concerned about the welfare of the river and the Lea Valley Park.

Still plenty of wildlife on the river to build on

As a small charity that relies on disability groups for our income, we are concerned about pollution on the Lee and have our own environmental policy to ensure as considerate boaters we do not pollute the river.

We also have a long term plan to remain on the River Lee as it still has one of the most vibrant communities in London, is still a beautiful environment and a river we continue to love.

 

Besides, if t'people up t'north can get their river back than surely we can do it down here!

A Year on the River Lee in 2012 with MV. Challenge

As we prepare our boat ready for our new season we'd like to share with you some of the wonderful sights on the River Lee during 2012.

We are now taking bookings for your 2013 boating adventures on the River Lee. Book now to avoid disappointment. Email: bookings@dcbt.org.uk

Volunteer & Trustee Recruitment 2013

As January comes to an end and our 2013 season is fast approaching we are undertaking a volunteer and trustee recruitment programme.

Over the next nine weeks we will be preparing Challenge for the first of our residential cruises and putting the finishing touches to our winter refurbishment programme.

Volunteers are required to assist with this programme and join us as crew members to run our river boat.

We can offer a full induction and training to achieve nationally recognised certification.

What will I be doing?

This will depend on the role that you carry out but may include:

• Skippering the boat*
• Crewing the boat
• Providing hospitality to guests
• Fundraising
• Maintenance of the engine, boat and electrics*
• Marketing of the organisation and our work

*Depending on skills or training

Email us for a full information pack and application form at chairman@dcbt.org.uk