Leaks, squirts, blockages and bursts :-( « Life at the end of the road

Way too tired for posting last night after a day that just seemed to speed by like more and more do when you pass fifty It got off to a pleasant enough start, at least I think it did, another problem with passing the half century is the memory Anyway I arrived at work to see an old friend tied up alongside the outside face of our new pier, Lyrawa Bay.

 

Though when I knew her she looked more like this one, Nitorx,

with superstructure offset to the starboard side and a small wheelhouse amidships.

You'd hardly believe they were both sister ships of 1970s vintage from the same Norwegian yard. It says something for their construction when they're both still working hard over thirty years on. Lyrawa Bay for   http://www.offshoreworkboats.net/, hope their boats are better than their website Only joking, it's not finished yet She's just finished a spell of servicing Maersk container ships laid up in the Clyde and Loch Striven.

And you'll find a detailed account here and a full size image http://www.riverclydephotography.org/2010/02/maersk-lay-up-ships.html on Gerrad's excellent blog.

The last time I saw her was in the James Watt dock Greenock last June when I believe her skipper was a certain tug boat skipper who'd assisted in the construction of our new pier whilst serving on the tug Hermes. I did wonder if he'd just come up to admire it

The rest of the day at work was yet another 'four seasons' in one, with blazing sunshine that had me finishing painting the funnel and hail showers that made the masking tape impossible to remove   Still, I finished at 15:30, towed my 800lts of 'gas oil D' home and got it pumped into my tanks before the next fierce shower. I also spotted another bench at Clachan,

though I'm not sure if it was there yesterday and I didn't notice it or weather it appeared on Tuesday.

Wednesday

Having a house full of children on holiday with us for the week had me up early and out before the usual morning chaos so I could go and fix my quad in peace

The rear left hand wheel bearing had failed on my Honda TRX 350 quad last 'week off' so I had to get it sorted so the rest of my team could help with the days tasks. It's a simple enough job to do once you get the wheel off and axle tube (four nuts on each and a big one on the shaft). I'd done all that last week so it was just a matter of driving home the bearing and seal, bolting on the tube, then slipping the new hub on the shaft. A little grease on the splines to prevent wear and a little 'Loctite' on the inside of the bearing to stop it turning.

The house was still silent so I went to check out my 'Stream Engine' hydro turbine. Whilst cleaning out the header tank last week I'd noticed that the first (smallest) penstock was blocked. Having so much water flowing down the other two had not affected the output but that would change when it eventually stops raining

A big advantage of the 'Stream engine' over the 'Harris turbine' is the ease with which you can do this, four 7/16ths nuts has the nozzle holder out in a jiffy whereas you have to lift the Harris off its base.

 

Well that was well and truly blocked with gunge hey.

With that sorted and 'second breakfast' eaten I gathered my team and we set off for Loch Beag over a mile away.

I've had a pipe in here now for exactly a month now drawing 3lts/sec and the level is holding steady, it did drop a few inches in the first fortnight but the recent rain has topped it up. It's early days yet but this could go a long way towards powering the new house

As an experiment we dammed up a small outlet where it drains into the slightly lower and much larger Loch an Uachdair via a bog at the western end.

The next job was a trip up to North Arnish to check my neighbous water supply which had failed, all was well in the well so to speak so we followed the pipe down to her house.

Another blockage this time in the stop tap, but still no water, so a trek back up the hill inspecting the pipe more closely this time and looking for joints. Not an easy task through the undergrowth with years of heather covering it.

Eventually however we found the culprit, a burst joint, no doubt caused by the sudden blockage. Of course being old 'imperial' black pipe I'd no fittings but http://www.pipestock.com/ will have and they're only a 'click' away

As if that wasn't enough on the burst pipe front,

I had two more to deal with, one pig related,

and one frost damaged.

OK, I know it's a bit rough but my fittings had run out

After all that I needed to unwind, so after feeding everyone and having dinner I went for a wander with my shotgun as I wanted to chop off a length of that imperial pipe to measure it.

The only thing I shot at was a puddle but I saw two bonny stags, twelve hinds and found another antler.