During 2015 Philip Webster will be giving us a monthly update on his adventures in Banjo:
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For many years, the first week end of August has been reserved as a charitable event for those less able to enjoy water sports. Banjo usually does several trips with 4 or 5 guests at a time. All went well until the last trip, when a small party of rather heavy helpers came aboard. As we passed another of our fleet, I gave the obligatory whistle and lots of waves. My shirt was wet so , thinking the whistle valve had a leak I stood up to inspect it, and got a wet bum. The bilge water shone prettily in the sunlight as it proscribed an arc from the flywheel to my seat! A bit of baling and load adjustment cured the immediate problem, but a higher bilge pump outlet has been arranged. A Plimsole line might be another addition, or a set of quay side scales!
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Yesterday we enjoyed what could be our last pint at the Burney Arms. Situated at the inner end of Breydon Water it is really only of use to the passing boat trade. This, nowadays is sadly insufficient to continue trading so the owner has applied for change of use to private dwelling.
On our way down river we met the flood about a mile from Breydon. We also met two gin palaces who had enjoyed the unrestricted Breydon Water but had forgotten the speed restriction in the river!. Banjo sliced through the wash without hesitation, no green stuff over the bow this time. However, who should be following us, just around the bend, the Broads Authority patrol boat. To catch two speeders together made their day! If we had been in a canoe things might have been a bit fraught. Ironically our trip back to BSC was done in record time, with the tide flooding all the way Banjo took a little time to cool down at moorings !
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There are very few things that interrupt our regular Friday steams, but a bulging sick bay and a leaking roof are two of them. My part was the carport roof, built 30yrs. ago to house the mobile home, (now scrapped), it works well as a winter maintenance bay. The canopy can be winched up and stored while machinery is lifted out. I had used a sort of corrugated cardboard sheeting, a new product at the time, but thirty years proved well past it's usable life span. The galvanised replacement will, I am sure last me out. I now know the real meaning of 'a cat on a hot tin roof'!
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The last trip of the month found the Burney arms still serving. Another minor achievement this month was the control of cylinder lubricant. Flow from the displacement unit is controlled by a needle valve, until recently. The sudden excess clogged the infeed pump filter, as well as everything else. A 'new', larger valve from the 'stores' allowed a bit of modification. The spindle reworked to accommodate a spring which bedded onto a brass jumper, (courtesy of George's stair rods). The resulting adjustment features control to acceptable level.
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The Steam Boat Association of Great Britain