There she was - gone!
And now she is resting at anchor waiting for a tow, hopefully soon.









David Edwards Project Manager

Flashback

This is a Flashback to remind us of where we started. Some of these pictures are on the Website and if you have not visited there recently it would be worth another look.

Pictures here show the barge when in service with the MOD, then when we purchased her at Lowesteoft, then being towed into Portsmouth Harbour, then on the shiplift at Trafalgar Wharf and finally being pulled into the huge shed for superstructure to be fitted. There are no prizes for guessing which picture fits the description!

David Edwards Project Manager

Some things are posh and others are mundane. This blog could be the latter for some readers but others might be interested in the technicalities og fitting out.

The first picture is interesting as it shows the forward meeting room in use as a workshop. It has the ceiling in place and, yes, it is low. It was always going to be low and that is dictated by the original foredeck which could not be raised.

The plumbing in the plant room is approaching completion and, as expected, there is lots of it. This is because there are connections for the heat pump, the heating system, the hot water supplies and the solar panels, all designed to reduce running costs.

Then there are electrical control panels, one on the left for the waste water evacuation, the other for the heating system.

It is all coming together. It does not seem possible that it will be almost finished by the end of this month and then completely finished once the ship is moored at Chidham.

David Edwards Project Manager.

PS The new name for the ship has been decided. It is not the Enterprise so watch this space for an announcement. I will continue to use the name Project Enterprise for the time being to avoid confusion with contractors, subcontractors and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Some detail recent progress

Photographs on this blog show the aft staircase with open railing. This is in contrast to the forward staricase which is fully cased. Both comply with fire regulations. Also shown is the fire control panel being wired. This is immediately inside the aft entrance door. The fourth photo is the door between the aft entrance room and the corridor to the left of which is the staircase leading to the wheelhouse.

The pictures also show that the floor has now been screeded level ready for the vinyl final floor covering to be laid.

There is now only three weeks to completion before the ship is prepared for its tow to Chichester Harbour. Some finishing work will then be done for a final hand over which is expected to be at the end of November.

David Edwards Project Manager

A short Video

A short video of yesterday's events (please note this video has no sound)

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The big move

High tide this morning was at 11:32am - The GD was ready to go well before this, so as soon as it started to float, (about 10:30), 3 ribs, the jaffa and one large tug, pushed, pulled, nudged and generally manhandled the GD out of its mooring.
The exceptional high tide, floated to GD higher than most people normally see it, and with it moving for the first time in a VERY long time, many people had come out to see the spectacle. The next door sailing centre even put out a few armchairs on the sea wall to relax in, while they watched!

It had to be turned, so that it would go thru the gap in the mud bank, that had been dug in the last week.

With the tug pulling, and the other craft keeping it at the correct angle, it passed between the poles marking the dug out area, with no problems.

This is the view of the GD as it was pulled down the channel next to the footpath, on its way to the headland.

Nearly out of Bosham channel where it has lived for so many years.

The tug that was meant to take it round to the river Thames, broke down yesterday, so the harbour master had laid a temporary mooring in the deep water channel between "Fairway" and "Chalk Dock". The GD will sit here for a few days until the Thames tug is fixed and comes to take her to her new home.

Can you spot what is missing from this picture !?!

A view that very few poeple have ever seen!

There have been a few days gap since the last blog and this is due to some major events connected with moving the "Gerald Daniel" from its berth. That will be another story.

This blog continues the theme of the Galley with pictures of some more equipment arrivals. There are now two very large refrigerators, an
undercounter freezer and the loading and unloading tables for the dishwasher. The latter is a similar system to that used on the "Gerald Daniel" but with slightly less table space. So the galley is beginning to come together. It is a very important part of the ministry of CYE which has always specialised in good food, with second (and even third) helpings for the hungry. The galley has a door to the outside side deck for those sunny and warm days or just extra ventilation over the two extractor fans.

Watch this space for some truly remarkable events surrounding the exit of the "Gerlad Daniel" which is planned for tomorrow but has had some traumatic problems to overcome on the way.

David Edwards, Project Manager

The Galley has arrived! Or most of it so far. It is being installed as I write. All stainless steel and easily cleaned with no inaccessible areas. There are three sinks, one for food preparation, one for hand washing and one for dishwashing prior to entering the dishwasher. The ceiling is now finished. The floor was finished last week. The rest of the dishwasher unit and all the cooking appliances are yet to be delivered.

We have an Open Day tomorrow, Saturday 2nd October, on the ship at Portchester prior to decommissiong the Gerald Daniel with due ceremony in the afternoon and evening.

Might see you there!


David Edwards. Project Manager

The fitting out process is nearing completion but has slowed down a bit as the corridor panels will not be delivered until late October. Some finishing work may be done after arrival at Chidham after the mooring system is fully installed and the gangways are in position.

One photo shows one of the brackets which have been welded to the belting which will be used to attach a strut between the ship and the sea wall. There is one bracket near the bow and one near the stern.

Another photo shows the heat recovery unit on the Port side. This has a heat exchanger and two fans. Fresh air is drawn in from a vent in the hull wall and is preheated in the heat exchanger by returning warm, stale air which is extracted out through another vent in the hull. The whole system is repeated on the Starboard side. Each cabin is provided with a flow of fresh air, heated slightly in the Winter and stale air is extracted from each wet unit in each cabin. All the ducting is large diameter plastic and it should be relatively quiet in operation. The main source of heat for the cabins is hot water pipes buried in the floor.

The other two photos show one of the wet units with the washbasin and shower. The shower is temperature controlled to prevent scalding but can be turned cooler or even cold for the hardy.

David Edwards Project Manager

As well as all that is going on at Portchester in fitting the New Ship, there is a tremendous amount to happen at CYE site in Chidham. Tim Warner and Derek Garner are building the pump house shed. The channel has been marked for digging out mud to make a channel for GD to be slipped out on 7th October. Jon, Powerhouse and Norman spent all Tuesday morning in the mud! The GD has been sold and will be towed to River Thames to a new life. Norman Doney Executive Director