CCBM Training

Back last November we had a full crew on board as we held our last training day of 2009. Roll forward to June 2010 and only three intrepid sailors remain. Most of the others have dropped out due to the fear of hard work and missing the football!!.

Anyway, on 12/13 June we decided to take the boat up to Little Venice as part of our final CCBM training days. Needless to say it was blazing hot, all the locks were against us and we made the Islington Tunnel slightly larger!

On Sunday morning as we came back through Camden Locks it was like a bloody war zone. Cans, bottles, plastic bags and rubbish bins in the locks and canal. There had also been some serious pebble dashing of pavements and walls during the night. Still you're only young once.

If anybody out there has boating skills or a CCBM and you want to get involved with our charity, surf over to our website at http://www.dcbt.org.uk/ and give us a call.

At DCB T we were supposed to celebrate our 25th anniversary on 6th June. Unfortunately our President ended up in hospital, our Chairman came down with a nasty bug and the rest of the team wore themselves out during our refurbishment programme.

However, on 27th June Challenge returned to Three Mills to participate in Lee Valley’s open day. Fitting really as Challenge was officially commissioned at Three Mills back in June 1985.

During the day the boat was fully booked as we gave free trips up and down the river. So successful was the day we are discussing having a permanent presence at Three Mills during their monthly open days.

Operation Longboat

Operation Longboat is the name we have given to our extensive refurbishment project. although we have no money to do this work we have started in earnest as soon issues just could not be put off.

The boat has served the community well for the past 25 years but it is now looking tired and past its best.

Structurally it is very sound with just a few wooden areas that need replacing. Inside we have decided to undertake the following:

• Replace the front flooring
• Rip out all the fixed bunks and replace them with modern folding beds
• Clad the walls in pine
• Lay new flooring cover
• Build a new galley
• Create two day rooms
• Build a new wet room
• New furniture

Externally we are stripping back to base metal as best as possible and building up new paint layers. We are also:

• Fitting new front fenders
• New side fenders
• Revamping all the lifebuoys
  

We hope that the refurbished boat will continue to give years of service on London's waterways.

A Year on the River with Docklands canal Boat Trust

2009 was a great year for the new team at DCBT. During the year we were able to put in numerous training days for the team with Tony and roger our resident trainers.

We also ironed out a number of problems with the mechanics and electrics, which give us a good idea of our future maintenance requirements.

We also made lots of new friends on the river and set up some strong partnerships with Lee Valley Park, LB Newham, LB Hackney, British Waterways and Lee Valley Canoe & Cycle Hire. This year we are hoping to build on those relationships.

The video montage pulls together a number of photos taken during the year. We decided not to use Celine Dion's theme from Titanic!

BriDev

Update on Challenge

It's been a few months since we've had chance to update the blog. Every weekend we've been busy stripping out the boat for our 'Operation Longboat' refurbishment programme. We are now in the process of putting the interior back together.

I've posted a montage of Skipper Rogers photos from last year which shows what we were upto during our training sessions.

New Web Site

For more information about Docklands Canal Boat Trust and MV. Challenge, go to our web site at: www.dcbt.org.uk

It was only a few weeks ago that we were smiling about the boat that hit the Bentley in the River. In fact, an hour after it passed us yesterday heading down the River Lee, I ran over a dumped bicycle by Lea Bridge Weir.

Although there was extensive dredging in that area a few weeks ago, they now seem to have moved nearer the Olympic Stadium.

I think it’s time we threw a grappling hook in by our mooring to get rid of some of the big rubbish whilst the rubbish barges are still moored there.

On a more positive note we have nearly completed fitting new window boards to Challenge. Just a couple of more to do and we can start adding some art to them. We can also paint over the scuff marks I made yesterday!