River Survey

With the fitting of sonar to Nancy Belle and the approach of the first of this year’s river trips, the opportunity has been taken to survey the river Tamar on both spring and neap tides from Cotehele Quay up-river to past Eel island, which is just a bit further up the river from Morwellham. The purpose of the survey being to check for any fallen trees or signs of the river silting up. Along with finding the exact location of a large submerged tree that was known to be in the river, it was also found that the river bed has been eroded by about 1 meter (3 ft.) between the pillars of the Calstock railway viaduct.

Calstock viaduct dip

Submerged tree spring tide.

Navigational hazard! Submerged branch neap tide.

Now where is that tree?

It’s not been all river trips as the crew have been giving Shamrock's workboat a fresh coat of paint and she is now just about ready to go back on her mooring for the summer. The boat shed has also been cleared and all machinery checked ready for Shamrock's repairs.

Naked Shamrock

Regular visitor to Cotehele Quay will have noticed that Shamrock has not been fully rigged and looks a bit sparse with only her main and mizzen masts showing. This is the result of a hole being found in one of her hull planks, just above the water line amidships on the starboard side, caused by a mooring rope rubbing on a section of rot during a period of high winds. Shamrock will now need to be completely de rigged and hauled out once her slipway rails have been renewed. When she is high and dry on the dockside, the offending plank will be renewed, her keelson repaired, at least one other hull plank that is known to be rotten renewed, the renewal of any other planks found to be rotten and finally, once back in the dock, fit her engine.

The damaged plank.

Visitor access to Shamrock has been improved with the manufacture of a ramp that fits under the end of the gangway and gently sloops down onto the cargo hatch boards, thus allowing the not quite so nimble to go on board her. Shamrock's 'Meet and Greet' volunteers are also being pampered with the addition of an all-weather shelter in the form of a hut complete with veranda.