Hey guys heres a little diary that I typed up while I was away, any more details just ask!
Day 1, Monday 3rd October
Duty: Deckhand on PS Pevensey for entire day
Arrived at the Port and saw Frank who took me to see Kev who placed me on the Pevensey for the day with Graham (skipper) Arran (Engineer) and John (Deckhand). Arran quickly introduced me to the 1910 Marshall and Sons 20hp engine and how it worked. I got to stoke the engine, learn what the different pumps and pistons etc did, work the oiling mechanisms, using the release valves, learn about pressure and how to maintain it and then actual operation of the engine. (Forward, reverse, stop, manual throttle)
Then came the first cruise I got to stoke the engine again and for the majority of the time I spent with Arran in the engine room discussing engines with another stoker from Queensland.
On the second cruise I stayed mostly in the Engine room as well, however I remade the beds in the cabins and pulled in one of the ropes to tie the boat up to the wharf.
Then had a lunch break, Arran showed me the “Orange Man†and then it was time for the next cruise.
This cruise had a young boy from Newcastle who was full of questions, along with other passengers that also had questions. More stoking and rope pulling.
The fourth cruise had more talking to passengers, stoking and rope pulling, much the same as the last. This cruise had an American tour group on board.
The fifth cruise had the Pevensey going faster on the last stretch home, something that Arran told me the Pevensey does, as if it knows its coming home. We had one of the brass instruments shaking again, like on the previous two cruises as we pushed 120 on the pressure gauge (safe is between 70 and 125, before the safety gauge kicks in). When we returned we unloaded the passengers and then ‘wooded up’ which had to be the hardest part of the day. The wood is slid down shoots to on board the deck where it is then stacked below decks.
Dad then arrived down below the wharf to come pick me up and take me home.
Day 2 Tuesday 4th October (unless you’re Adam, then it’s the third)
Duty: Mill Engine Operator and Traction Engine driver, Deckhand
Arrived at the Port and was immediately snapped up by Adam, the Ports apprentice Shipwright. We headed down to the mill and got a fire lighted in the boiler which would then power all the machines in the mill. We also started a fire in one of the Traction Engines, a Fowler Forest Remover used to pull down trees. Because it would take awhile to gain pressure in both vehicles Adam introduced me to the guys on the Canberra and the Emmylou, Dave welcomed me on board and I went on the Emmylous first cruise. When I arrived back pressure had been building and the first few engines were working.
Adam and I talked about what avenues there are for careers and the boats themselves. His Dad owns the Ranger, built in 1909, and often takes it out on camping trips on the weekend with the owner of the Billy Tea. He said he’d introduce me to the other Private Owners (Owners of boats such as the Pericoota and the Henry Charles) and he said that they’d be happy to take me cruising during the Steam Festival.
By lunch we had all except one of the mill engines running, with very little pressure on the boiler. We also had the Traction Engine ready to roll so we opened the gates and rolled her out into the street, much to the delight of the tourists who were quick to pull out their cameras. We took the ‘company car’ down Murray Esplanade to the station house that was being installed, I got to steer while Adam operated all the throttle etc. We had lunch in the Station House and then we got back the engine which had lost pressure so we found as much scrap wood as we could and answered questions from tourists for the next ten or so minutes until the engine was ready roll. Arran showed up at the Port so I let him reverse it back to the mill because I barely felt confident driving the thing forward (you just had to see the snake tracks I left in the dirt to find out) let alone reversing it. We made a nice three point turn at the Port office and then turned her round again to reverse her back into the mill.
Adam and I got the mill engines running again for Arran to inspect and then after he left we got the other traction engines ready for the weekend.
We shut the plant down at three thirty and Adam packed me onto the last cruise on the Pevensey with Graham, John and Mel (the engineer for the day). I ended up cleaning the kitchen bench and then tied up and wooded up.
Day 3 Wednesday 5th October
Duty: Sweeper, Deckhand and Leaf Raker (thanks for saving me Adam!)
Started off the day earlier than usual and Graham put me on the Alexander Arbuthnot sweeping away the leaves and dirt. This was good for the benefit of my model because I got to see how everything was set out. After about an hour and fifteen minutes the sweeping was done and I got onboard the Pevensey. I was quite surprised when Graham got me to drive, but I don’t think I did very well. The crew today was Graham as skipper, Allan as engineer and Barry as deckhand. I talked a lot with Barry and Allan about the paddlers and I also spent time answering questions and talking to the passengers.
After lunch Graham decided I could sweep the leaves from the paths and put them on the fire. I did this and then saw Dad get on the Pevensey…just my luck! Barry and Dad seemed to talk quite a bit though on the cruise. Adam saved me from leaf raking… “You can rake leaves and home, you’ve got them at home, you don’t have a paddle steamer in your front yard!†He took me down onto the Adelaide which was going to have a boiler inspection. We stoked it for a bit and then the Boiler Inspector came, he wanted the pressure at 120 PSI which was what the ticket that’s held allows although usually she runs at 60 PSI maximum.
It took awhile to get the steam up but everything went well and the safety valves worked. We siphoned off the excess steam through the siphon pumps (Incredibly noisy) and then Adam put me back on the Pevensey for the last cruise.
We wooded up the boat again after the cruise and then went to find dad.
Day 4 Thursday 6th October
Duty: Deckhand, Leaf Raker, Engineer
Started off the day with Arran in the engine room before Graham had me once again raking leaves. Dad was on the first cruise at 10:15 so I got back on the boat (Pevensey) and Arran let me stoke and rake the fire so that Dad could get some good working shots. He also left the engine to me to make the pressure rise while he had discussions with Dad. The rest of the day proved interesting for the other members of the crew when a bunch of young girls decided to sun bake on the stern of the boat. Arran let me stoke the engine all day and taught me how to wipe down and oil the joints, which I then did after every cruise. I finished raking the leaves at lunchtime and then hopped on board for the last few cruises. We wooded up again at the end of the day and then Dad picked me up and I was off home. The crew of the Pevensey for Thursday were Graham, Arran and Mal
Day 5 Friday 7th October
Duty: Deckhand, Sweeper
I arrived early once again and got to work loading wood down the shoot with Kevin, Adam, Graham and two other men before I headed down to the Pevensey. I asked around quickly what I could do and got hold of a broom. The broom saved me from raking leaves once again because I saw Graham off raking the leaves today. The first cruise had a group of camp students who were very interested in the boat and its engine and enjoyed the cruise very much, even though it was very cold. Allan was the engineer today and let me stand by the engine to get warm and also taught me a bit more about the engine, he let me stoke it too. Mal was the deckhand and it was Friday so it was cooked lunch day, which didn’t really matter to me because I had a packed lunch. Adam came down and said I could go on the Ranger the next day which was exciting, but then it was back to work. The rain had arrived along with some very cold weather and this cancelled the last cruise of the day, which was annoying because Mum, Tamlyn and Cath had arrived and wanted to go on the cruise. Instead they watched me wood up and explored the Port. Graham filled out my assessment form and I went and saw Frank to thank him for the experience. Then I was off on my way home with the family.
Day 6 Saturday 8th October
Duty: Tourist!
Cath and I went down to the Port early because that’s when we said to Adam we’d be down to go on the Ranger, but he had a late night and the Ranger was nowhere near ready to steam. Because the Heritage festival was on we explored the street and wharf and took in the sites such as the traction engines and old cars! The Ranger still wasn’t ready but Andrew took us on a cruise in his dads little Put-Put Boat, which was great fun. When we got back to the Ranger we grabbed a pump and took it over to the slipway before returning once again to the Ranger. Here we found Dad, so we said goodbye and went with him up to the racing and costume ducks, they were a great laugh. We headed back up Murray Esplanade and decided we would go on the last cruise today. We had a big lunch and I launched tennis balls over the fence and the houses. We returned to the Wharf and bought tickets on the Pevensey, because we didn’t realise that Alexander Arbuthnot was running and hopped on. Arran was engineer and he got me down in the engine room to stoke, Cath and Tamlyn also got a shot. The cruise was great fun and we got some good pictures of Paddle Steamers moving. We went home and then returned to the Port for the Sail Past. We were booked on the Adelaide and headed down there straight away. The crew consisted of Kevin, Mal W and Barry. It was great seeing the paddlers at night, all the lights and steam and whistles. I met a nice couple who were enthusiasts and we talked a bit, they were building there own boat and said they would keep an ear out for my name. We cruised past stacks of steamboats and then all came in at the end with flares going. The fireworks show began and what a show it was. The show lasted a really long time with all types of different fireworks shooting off into the sky and then at the end all the paddlers had there whistles going. It was a great night!
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