PILOT GROUP AND SHIP LEVELLING

Contractors are here this week jetting high pressure water at the mud and clay ledge that is causing Resolute to list a few degrees to port. This needs to be rectified to ensure all the drainage systems operate. They are making inroads and hope to correct the list over the coming weeks, working around the tides.

Last weekend RESOLUTE hosted the first ever residential group of 40 people from "Boiler Room" in Guildford. They had a great weekend and were very positive about the new facilities .

One on the way - three to go

Bore hole drilling commenced today (see rig in corner of the field) and over the next two weeks, three more will be drilled to provide ground source heat for the Ship heating system. Areas of the site are slowly being recovered. Trimline are back completing the snagging list, and by early next Monday all connections will be made, except the heating which will follow in a couple of weeks.

The stern gangplank will be fitted later this week, and the Jetty framework will be ready for the connections to run alongside.

Step by step we are getting close to completion.

The staff and Kogs have been working on the site, slowly recovering areas e.g. turfing the area shown above and proving hard standings for safety boats and at the entrance.

Norman Doney

Executve Director

Ship Photos

JETTY REPAIR UNDER WAY

The jetty repair is the main activity at the moment and you need to make a leap of faith to cross it!

Upcoming programme:

week of 17th January

- Jetty work continues

- drilling of 4x100m boreholes begins - 3 week programme

- Iso enery fit immersion heaters

- Stern gangplank attached
- Staff ground works programme

Week of 24th January

- Trimline return to work on snagging list to complete the ship

- final connections are made for water waste and electricity

First test group arrive on 11th February!

Norman Doney - Executive Director

T.S. Resolute (almost) Complete

Trimline (the interior fit-out contractors) finished work on the Resolute this week, so, except for a few odds and ends that need finishing off, the ship is complete, which is amazing news, and marks the near completion of a project that has stretched over 3 years, and cost over £1,000,000.

However, there is still a lot more work to do before the project is over, and the first group arrives in just over 3 months time...

• The site at chidham needs a massive amount of work completing, re-landscaping the sea wall, laying hundreds of square metres of new turf, and laying wooden decking on the side decks of the ship to name just a few of the Jobs.

• we need to fit the ship out with tables, chairs, bunks and all sorts of other items, which will make it complete
• we have raised about 90% of the cost of the project already, and have temporary funding secured to allow us to complete the ship in time, but still need to raise about £130,000.
• and much more...

If you feel you could Help us out finishing the project off, please get in touch, we are looking for volunteers to help us out with a wide variety of jobs, so If you'd like to get involved, whatever your skills are, whether your a photographer, a cook, a joiner or a physicist, get in touch with me at the centre on 01243 573375 and I'm sure there will be something you can get involved with, we will be running several volunteer days and weekends throughout the spring, or alternatively, if your free during the week, there are always jobs around that we would love the help with.

we'll try to get more pictures up here next week, but in the meantime, there's a slide show of the interior of the ship below, and if you can't wait to come down and see it for yourself, give us a ring and I'm sure we'll be able to show you round.

IT GETS WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER!

The jetty is now a challenge to jump- No one has tried it yet!!

Unfortunately we have found a seriously rotting cross member that needs replacing with a steel beam, which has delayed us. In the meantime we have turned to groundworks preparation including the entrance way.

The site has been badly affected by all the machinery and needs restoration

Alongside all this Trimline are finishing off the fitting out and contractors on all over the ship like ants.

The delay to the jetty means that the borehole drilling and service connections are pushed back to mid January.

We are still on target to have Resolute in use next season. although there is still an awful lot to do.

Norman Doney

Executive Director

JETTY REPAIR UNDER WAY

As if we weren't trying to do enough, alongside RESOLUTE works we are having the field to ship gangway section of the 40 year old jetty repaired. This section was indentified as in need of repair earlier in the year. We are very grateful to The Veolia Trust who have provided funds to enable this work to be done. The work will take us up to Christmas and will greatly extend the life of the jetty. All ship services will then be run alonside the repaired section in the new year.

Norman Doney

Executive Director

TS "Resolute" has been in her new home for about four weeks now, with the last two weeks properly moored. After the excitement of moving two ships and overcoming many problems in weather and tugs, the fitting out process seems almost mundane with not a lot to report.

However, it is proceeding apace and the doors are bing fitted to the cabins and possibly carpeting will go down this coming weekend. The cabins will then look really good and ready to fit the beds. I will try and send photos in a future blog.

Nearly all the ceilings are now finished. A lot of light fittings are in place. A big step forward today was a very successful meeting with the suppliers of the heat pump and solar panels where a big problem of location of solar panels seems to have been resolved. They will go on the wheelhouse roof where no-one will see them except the birds. Let's hope they do not decide to ... you know what. In addition to the activity on the ship, the jetty is undergoing repair which will take about three weeks and we cannot make all the connections until that is finished.

The ship looks like it is in the later stages of completion which, according to folk law of normal shipyards, looks in a terrible mess. In a very short time now, all will be cleaned up and ready to hand over to CYE except that nothing will work until the New Year because of the jetty work. Oh well, can't have everything.

In parallel with the fitting out of the new ship I am being fitted out with a new hip, but not by Trimline. So it is new Ship -new Hip. I will be not visiting the ship for a bit and Norman will be Project Managing until I can pick up some duties again.

Oh, forgot to mention the photograph. It may have been included in a previous blog but it is such a good one of her in her now home that I have reproduced it in slightly larger format on it's own.

If perchance you have photos of the ship, please send a disk to the Sailing Centre for the attention of Ben Ritchie.

David Edwards

Starboard gangway and electrical connection.

Today, electric power has been connected to the ship. It is a three phase cable and tracked accross the aft mooring strut. This will enable Trimline to re-commence fitting out with plenty of power for machines and lighting where necessary.

The last picture shows Kevin, our Maintenance Manager, putting the finishing touches to the ropes which hold the cable to the strut. It is low tide and the ship is on the mud. with a slight list to port but level fore and aft. The reed grass is covered every high tide and will be well over a metre of water at Spring tides. Once the jetty is repaired, the cable will be tracked back along the jetty and suspended under the new aft gangway (which can be seen on the jetty awaiting installation).

The top picture shows the new gangway jacked up from the temporary one which, in turn, rests on the temporary pontoon. This is to enable the bracket to be designed, fitted and welded to the deck to take the permanent starboard gangway.

Next week, we should have a full crew plus subcontractors on board.

David Edwards Project Manager.

After getting the mooring struts and cables in place yesterday, the starboard gangway was placed in position. It is 11 metres long and weighs in at 2.7 tonnes even though it is aluminium construction.

The digger did not have enough reach to get it to the ship so it was slid up the temporary gangway by Robin, James and Kevin. This was a difficult operation but skillfully carried out. It is resting on the ship and tied with ropes and needs permanent fixing. However, even with the temporary attachment, it is safe for use and is the only means of access to the ship.

The aft gangway (only 5 metres long) will not be fitted until the jetty is repaired but the gangway is already on the further part of the jetty in readiness. Both gangways will be wheelchair accessible.

David Edwards, Project Manager