Author Topic: Live from Lone Gerd  (Read 28638 times)

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Offline Twynkle

Live from Lone Gerd
« on: May 22, 2014, 10:54 AM »
Hi Bruce,
Good to hear that you are in Manx waters
Hang around a while and we can meet up in Liverpool!
Lone Gert and the mighty Mersey could enjoy themselves!
Rosie

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2014, 10:58 AM »
Hi Rosie, Sorry but we are now at Portpatrick just north of the Mull of Galloway and heading for the Western Isles.

Offline Twynkle

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2014, 11:10 AM »
Wishing I was up there too!
If you get the chance to pay a call at Badachro harbour, just S of Gairloch, (Wester Ross), look for lobsters and have a wee dram at the Inn.
If you are amongst the Summer Isles, it'll be enough to turn me green, and when off Skye, blow kisses to my sister in Dunvegan!!
Godspeed and calm seas
Rosie

PS what about a 'Live From Lone Gert' in the Shanty Section here...'twould be brilliant!

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2014, 08:02 PM »
Ok Rosie, but as we have been moved to off topic chat I guess this will do. First a bit about Lone Gerd. We are always being asked what a Gerd is. It is actually a name, so she carries on the fishing boat tradition of 2 girls names for a fishing vessel, Lone also being a name in Danish. Correct pronunciation is we believe "Lona Geart".

Lone Gerd was built in 1954 in Esbjerg. She is 54ft long, 15.5 ft beam and 6.5ft draught. Construction is of oak on oak with 3 inch thick planking and doubled framing, built for operating in ice conditions. Total gross weight in current format is 56 tons. As built she had a Hundestedt hot bulb ignition engine with no gearbox and astern via a feathering propeller. over her fishing life this engine was replaced at least twice. Finally in 1986 a 12 litre Volvo turbo diesel was fitted which remains with her today. By the time she was sold this engine had clocked up about 6,000 hours (in 2 years). Today it has just under 12,000. The original 5ft diameter hundested propeller is still in with us, although the feathering mechanism has been removed from the bridge and can only be adjusted with a spanner when stationary. She fished under various names out of Esbjerg until 1988 when she was sold out of fishing, brought to the Uk and converted to a dive charter vessel by her previous owners who kept her untill we purchased her in 2007.

The conversion involved removing the original wheelhouse, fitting a new aluminium deckhouse containing the Bridge, Saloon and Galley. Accommodation is in the old fish hold and forward crews quarters.

Offline Twynkle

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2014, 09:47 PM »
Oh Bruce - Thank You! This is one of the best reads in a long time.
She sounds Brilliant! Long, oak (clinker built?), quite 'thin' across her beam (?) a good tonnage, and obviously very strong and with a great heart! You have taken great trouble in your description - and it's wonderful.
You have clocked up an amazing 'mileage' - like you both - she obviously loves the sea!

Please, don't let this become a chore, however anything that you can tell us will no doubt will be extremely interesting and very much enjoyed.

(When we get to know her better - things like steering, parking etc and how much help she needs with preserving her woodwork come to mind - and how did she enjoy the trip round Bishop's Rock etc?
It was probably good that you left it till after Jan. 2014 - QV had the heck of a time sailing westerly through in the Western approaches!)

Fair winds and calm seas - specially as you go towards the Pentland Firth!
Rosie

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2014, 09:57 PM »
An early photo of Lone Gerd and as she was in 1988 in Bridlington

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2014, 10:01 PM »
Her diving days

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2014, 10:38 PM »
2013 River Dart

Online Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2014, 11:21 PM »
She looks wonderful, and I can understand how much you love life on board :) .

Thank you for the story of this well travelled ship. I look forward to reading more "live" reports!

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2014, 11:27 PM »
Sylvia and I purchased Lone Gerd in 2007 after a search for a vessel that suited our requirements for living aboard and cruising. We looked at several unsuitable candidates. One ex admiralty MFV No 7 in Portugal, which had been converted into a 2 masted schooner and was beautiful but at 60ft plus bowsprit we decided was too big for us to handle on our own. Lone Gerd we found in Poole where she had been since her conversion. As soon as we went aboard we knew we had found our ship. Yes she needed some work to make her our home but the basics were there.

Since 2007 we have extensively re-caulked her. Fitted a new 240 volt domestic electrical system with a 5kva inverter, gel batteries and 6.5kva fully cocooned generator. The 2 forward cabins before the mast have been cleared to make our master suit. The bathroom has had a refit, and the port side aft cabin is now a utility with washing machine, tumble dryer and deep freeze. The galley has had a refit and a dishwasher added in place of the central heating boiler, which was relocated in the engine room. We quickly found out washing machines work well when at sea, dishwashers only work in harbour as the water slops out in a seaway. All this work we have done ourselves.

The only major mechanical work has been to rebuild the Twin Disc gearbox. I did have help with this as it was a bit beyond my solo efforts. For the technical the gearbox has a 4.45 to 1 reduction, weighs 1600 lbs and contains 11 gallons of oil. A largish bit of kit. To further complicate matters its sump sat between 2 frames making it impossible to separate it from the engine in situ. We ended up lifting the engine and gearbox with chain hoists secured to a frame welded together around it. We then separated them and craned the gearbox out through an opening cut in the back of the deckhouse.

Offline Bruce Nicholls

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2014, 10:21 AM »
Our first few years with Lone Gerd were spent in southern and eastern England. Poole where we purchased her and took over her private town centre mooring, we then moved to The River Blackwater near Maldon in Essex, a much maligned county. During this 4 year period we concentrated on our refit with local short summer cruises.

In 2012 however we cast off and sailed away not having a clue where we would spend our next winter. That summer was spent in the south east between roughly Portsmouth and Essex with vague ideas of spending the winter in Devon. However the moorings we had in mind were when we inquired fully booked for the winter. After ruling out some very expensive options in the Southampton area we accepted an offer from Eastbourne Marina and made our way back there.

May 2013 saw us sail on for a summer on the south coast making our way to Milford Haven for the winter. A good choice as the winter storms passed over us almost unnoticed.

May 2014 we set coarse for the Scottish west coast which brings us up to Lone Gerd (nearly) Live.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2014, 10:23 AM by Bruce Nicholls »

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2014, 11:31 AM »
I think lone gerd should host a forum get together :-)

Passionate about QE2's service life for 40 years and creator of this website.  I have worked in IT for 28 years and created my personal QE2 website in 1994.

Offline Graham Taylor

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2014, 01:49 PM »
She looks absolutely stunning Bruce and somewhat familiar. I think I saw her on the Dart or perhaps in Brixham during one of my visits home to Mum in Brixham. Different type of vessel entirely, but she reminds me of the MV Fairmile (ex-Western Lady III).
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Offline Alan Snelson

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Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2014, 03:08 PM »
She really does look good, you have done a great job with the conversion. The new wheelhouse and aft accommodation look like they have always been there. It is nice to be able to look at a larger version of your avatar photo to see her sparkling on the river Dart. Thanks for your account of her recent history it is an enjoyable read.
Don't just be part of her past, be part of her history!

Offline Twynkle

Re: Live from Lone Gerd
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2014, 03:31 PM »
This is going to be one of the best topic, Bruce!
You are being really kind to give us such a treat.

And once the engine side of things becomes a little clearer, (Like how much and how often does she need bunkers?) - then....please, would it be OK for you to tell us a little bit about driving your beautiful blue oakey boat? My guess is that as long as she doesn't start getting carried away and racing after the birds, she'll be quite steady in coastal waters....On the other hand, when perched alongside out of water, hull and keel on the sea bed, she did look as if she might enjoy giving you a bit of a rough time  8)

Before we go any further, Bruce - where are you now?
« Last Edit: May 26, 2014, 03:35 PM by Twynkle »