Good news for PS Medway Queen

[Walter Snowdon]

Congratulations Len and everyone at MQPS. It has been a long uphill slog for you all but at last you can start to see progress.
I hope to be in the Bristol area in June and look foreward to putting faces to names! I visited Medway queen the last time she sank at Damhead Creek and I was amazed at the optimism of the volunteers shoveling mud out of the hull to find the cracked plates so that concrete patches could be put in place. Every tide put another foot of mud in the hole and the whole process started again. A bit like this. Shovel mud and expose plating.Check for cracks. Tide comes in. Expose sams piece of plate by shoveling mud. Mark crack. Tide comes in filling ship. Next suitable tide Drill for patch. Ship fills. Shovel ,Fit patch.Ship fills. Shovel. Cover patch in concrete. Start whole process in next set of frames until all the damaged plates are temporarily repaired and the ship floats. I know this went on for weeks as work could only be done at a few suitable tides. The workers deserve Knighthoods.
             that is now history and it looks as though we now have another viable working paddler.
Could I ask anyone who has a love of ships and the sea to visit the MQPS site and donate something to this effort. If you are in a model club why not have a whipround and "BUY A PLATE" in the clubs name - your club will recieve a certificate for their efforts. COME ON -LRTS ALL PULL TOGETHER AND PUT ANOTHER SEA-GOING PADDLER BACK INTO SERVICE. Regards, Walter.

[lenknight]

Hello Walter,
Thank you for those kind and encouraging words, to us and all, it makes it more worthwhile, when we had such praise for our tenacity from time to time.
Albeit we were also regarded as sad eccentrics by many, that we were believed to be misguided by our so called impossible enthusiasm. I was told at one time the possible reason I done it was, because I most likely got a ‘Good Screw’ out of it. On saying we did it for nothing. That was greeted with a moment of silence, than, I was told must be ‘Some sort of Nut’ to do so.
We all paid our way re buying materials for the raising her, out of our own pockets, not to easy at times in those days 1985/6. The biggest hurdle was when we were told by the receivers, whose hands she was still in at that time, that we had but a few weeks to buy the ship or it would be scrapped. £15.000 was the lowest sum they would accept (scrap value); we had manage to raise half of that from donations in past months.
We sat in the pub ‘Command House’ near the Gun Wharf in Chatham, during one of our monthly meeting, (about ten of us) wondering how we were going to raise this £7.000 or so. Some of us bit the bullet and took out loans on our homes, so their by, we became the owner of a sunken paddler called the Medway Queen lock, stock and barrel, what a gamble! That’s how determine we were, and all this money was paid back by the society, within three years.
We in the meantime, then worked ‘Our Sock off’ to float and moved her in1987, (which we were told by the experts could not be done, would break her back) but then we prove them all wrong in the end, by tenacity.
The saddest moment was when we allowed the’ Old Girl’ to be dismantled for restoration. A heart rendering decision, few dry eyes by most of us, over this at the time, after spending twenty years to tying to keep her in one piece. But what else, she would not have survived the lifting and travel any other way.
However, all’s well that ends well, we see results at last. No time for weak hearts even now, still a long way to go. Some of us will not survive to see the end results, sadly, but our spirit will remain, as long as the Medway Queen does.
Now the ‘Icing on the Cake’ below I include the first pictures of part of new ‘Keel’ being made up.
I hope this will in these hard times; urge all to dig into their pockets once again, this time for the ‘Engine Appeal’ as on our website.
Kind Regards, Len Knight and proud to be:
 A Vice President of MQPS.

[Eddy Matthews]

Is anyone from Paddleducks going to the keel laying ceremony on saturday?

it would be good to get a brief report and a few photos of the event if possible for those of us that cannot make it!

Regards
Eddy

[lenknight]

Hello Eddy,
Have no fear, Len is here!
I like you, will not be able to attend this event, purely over incapacity to do so, not lack of interest which does not diminish.
I will do my upper most to inform, when given info to do so.
It will be a great day, after 24 years of trying, to achieve this momentous day.
Kind Regards, Len.  

[Eddy Matthews]

That's great Len, many thanks....

It will be interesting to see and hear about the ceremony - Only the first part of many great things to come, thanks to all the hard working volunteers such as yourself.

Regards
Eddy

[lenknight]

Eddy,
As promised, info about the 'Unveiling of the Keel'
If you care to look at our website: www.medwayqueen.co.uk  you will find info.
Go to 'Latest News' then 'press Report' all to see. Go to 'Photo Section' see all the events as recorded.
Regards, Len.

[Eddy Matthews]

That's greatly appreciated Len,

Many thanks
Eddy

[scotfriend]

Hi Len,

thank you for telling us these news, unfortunately i can't come to be part of the ceremony but i hope to see the new hull as soon as possible.

Keep the good work going. regards Hans

[jkemp1]

Hi All,

I know it seems I have the Paddle Ducks bug, but just got on sorry to say, should have sooner I know but Len has been doing a sterling job, and thought I should post on MQ! great day as Len has said on the 6th, went well and see video on www.medwayqueen.co.uk we are not quite in the dock yet, sections in the workshops of course, and hope to have web-cam on the dock very soon, if visiting, do contact in advance the yard, they are very good with visitors and happy to show around, but is a working yard so as I say, do arrange in advance so they can expect you and accomodate you. Great days for the ship, we are moving forward, but much more to go.

Johnk

[Channel]

Hi John,

I must call by the yard sometime - pass it most days and know one of the staff there very well. Looking forward to seeing the current projects leave the dock and MQ start taking shape in there.

Regards

Chris Jones

[lenknight]

I am sorry that I have not update of recent times, as little to tell, as I am involved with many more sad necessity of today. However, an update re our paddler:
Update 14th September 2009, re Medway Queen’s new hull.
Still there is little news from the shipyard, especially concerning items being placed in the dock.
Since the ‘Unveiling of the Keel’ ceremony work has progressed on the first sections with more pieces being added daily. We are still waiting for the dock to become vacant before the section are lowered into place.
One good piece of news is that while work has been progressing we have been working on the installation of a webcam that will overlook the dock to allow everyone to watch the reconstruction of the Medway Queen from the comfort of their home. The webcam will be up and running very soon and will endeavor to give as much notice as to when the first piece will be lowered into the dock and viewable over the internet.
Alongside work on the hull work is still being carried out on the engine under a separate contract. But the latest news from the yard is
“The HP and LP valve are now out! No damage and probably quite reusable. The means the cylinder block is effectively “stripped”. A repair schedule can now be written, drawings prepared and then work costed etc. The emphasis logically is on the work that affects the work under the current contract, IE cylinder block.”
Look at the Medway Queen website for possible donations, if you so wish, to the ‘Engine Appeal’
at: http://medwayqueen.co.uk 
Kind regards, Len Knight.     

[Eddy Matthews]

Thanks for the update Len.... I suppose these things always seem to go slowly, and then all of a sudden there is a burst of activity!

It will be interesting to watch the progress via the webcam, so please let us have the URL once it's up and running.

Best wishes
Eddy

[Channel]

I had a quick look at the work so far last week. Think the current build is flooded up soon which will leave the dry dock clear for the real work to begin.

Chris

[Walter Snowdon]

I think Hans visited MQ  afew days ago and might possibly update us when He gets home after paddler day. I think he said that he had had access to the work in progress and mentioned that the steam condenser was irrepairable. Regards, walter.             

[lenknight]

Hello Walter,
Hans is quite right, the condenser is unusable, but all is in hand, a new outer casing has been made.
The inner part will be also replaced when needed, in conjunction with the engine, as money is available, as not part of the Heritage Lottery Funding. This funding is being raised by the ‘Engine Appeal’.
However I include a photo of the new outer casing at ‘Ables’ yard.
Regards Len Knight.