The hunt for Monarch's knock is now officially on!!  Can anybody advise whether, with feathering wheels, the fixed floats should be in line with each other or quartered etc for smooth running?

Any advice greatly received!

Matt

There's a video of Monarch on Youtube at the mo....link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TgfL1LpiF8

Hoorah!! Monarch's trademark knock is gone!!!!

We now have a silent running steam engine-see www.medinamonarch.co.uk for full details and the ship's blog.

Hi PD's & Monarch says......"we are replacing our fabric/rubber couplings with Polyurethane elements which should offer greater resistance to our very hostile engine room environment"

Yes Monarch.......rubber & rope coupling elements do not have great long term resistance to oils+force & tend to de-laminate after say twenty years with the nitrile material hardening...& so the modern day polyurathane thermo plastics will last a near lifetime

These newer materials are universally colour coded red, blue, purple & black are  .....

1) I hope the guys down @ Renold Chains & Transmisions did not supply Green as Green is a PU polyurathane material desigation & does not like steam & absorbs water
2) Were the coulpings "Holroyd" or "Crofts" brand?........Derek

The Reynold guys are fantastic, very easy to deal with and very patient with us.  Ours is a DiskFlex system with blue elements.  We're keeping the s/bd rubber coupling going for as long as we can as that one seems in fairly good condition.

Anyhow, Cowes Week fireworks tonight-so time to get off and do some painting and polishing before the punters turn up!

If you put much more welsh on your boat you'll have to start flying a red dragon!

Chris ;-)

haha! Maybe we should!!

Mechanical feed pump is now gone...which is good news for the poor old hull that has to take a lot of strain from it.  There are now two steam powered boiler feeds (1 in use, 1 auxilliary) and we are working now to replace the 240v circ pump with an engine driven one to cut down on the amount of generator reliance of the little ship.

Youtube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYWcwlMNSAI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TgfL1LpiF8

Matt

PS MONARCH IN NEED OF HELP

One local resident in Newport on the Isle of Wight has escalated a two year campaign against the boat.  His complaints relate to noise nuisance, the reuse of an 800 year old public quay, the damage done by the boat to wildlife, the possibility of the boat crashing through his living room wall and killing his grandchildren, the unprofessionalism of the crew, the inabilty of the skipper (me) to handle the boat safely, that the boat is a health and safety hazard and that due to the fact that we allow a volunteer crew the boat is run on a shoestring.
The Monarch is a fully licensed, insured and surveyed vessel, her crew is trained beyond what is required and this man's complaints are verging on the demented!  Alas, it is easier for the council to conceed to his demands as they receive a huge amount of correspondences about us.

If you are oassionate about paddle steamers remaining in service, please email us and we will put you in touch with the relevent person as the Monarch is in dire need of support.

Interested parties should contact me in the first instance at:

info@medinamonarch.co.uk

Many thanks,

Matt

Hi PD's.....Matt...I cannot help from OZ being a little distant  ....try & enlist the help of Dame Vera Lynn & Sir Mic Jagger...yes that's him of the strolling bones fame   

They are both Patrons to a well known paddler preservation group.......Derek 

Not at all...it would be great for the Isle of Wight Council to see an international interest in keeping these tubs going!!  But you've got me to thinking about having a Vera Lynn music evening on board...that would really wind this egit up!

He sounds like a right nutter. Mind you, the Isle of Wight is full of rich snobs who think the world revolves around them.

More than likely old bean!!

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