Baragoola Week Ending 6th November ‘11

In attendance this week: Nick, Lance, Peter H, Ernie, Geoff L & Geoff E Visitors: Nil

Don’t forget that all donations over $2 are now tax deductible – why not do what some of our donors have and set up an automatic payment once a week, fortnight or month ? Last week we had outgoings of $0 and we made $0.

This week’s anniversaries (Manly related):

8th November 1900 – Kuring-gai was launched, similar to the wooden hulled Manly, Kuring-gai was a steel vessel and bigger. She largely can be recognised as the true fore-runner of the next nine boats for the Company. Her wreck can be seen on the Hunter River near the old Stockton Bridge.

13th November 1942 – Burra Bra was requisitioned by the RAN. She wasn’t the only Manly ferry to go to war, both Binngarra and Kuring-gai went to New Guinea as hulks – and both managed to make it back again. Burra Bra however was vastly altered.

This time last year we ran a series of very successful charity auctions on eBay raising several thousand dollars for the boat thanks to the generosity of our members. So, a year later we are going to do it again. Can you help with our fundraising efforts by donating items that you no longer need? We will take any item – old furniture, knick knacks, electrical and consumer goods, old computer equipment (especially form the early to mid eighties), books, tapes & DVD’s – in fact anything you’ve got laying around causing clutter and can spare us. Contact [email protected]

We are also urgently looking for more volunteers with some specific skills – in particular welders and woodworkers, so if you know of anyone who can help out give them an invite.

A rather quiet week just passed with illness and other commitments taking a toll on nearly all of our regulars and semi-regulars but work was done nevertheless.

Ernie spent time early in the week tidying the battery compartment and it looks great. One thing that is noticeable downstairs is that the guys have nowhere to store tools and small equipment, I have an eye on a steel cabinet on eBay that might do the trick nicely, also lockable so that if we aren’t here there’s a bit of protection for the gear. Logically it could go into the old engineers’ quarters as that area isn’t use for much except storage now.

Saturday saw only five of us aboard and one left early (before lunch), so most of the work was highly localised concentrating on the roof and hull. There are also not many pictures this week as a result!

Peter was again working on the roof and it is now very close to finished as far as the repairs are concerned. The black patches have now crept all the way up to the leading edge of the aft wheelhouse and he tells me he only needs to go back and replace a few earlier ones that were not done as well as the could be. Following that all seams need to be sealed and a protective layer put over everything followed by a coat of paint. The work Peter has done here is formidable and affects the whole vessel. He should be very proud of what he’s accomplished and we are heavily indebted to him. Indeed he’s done nearly everything all by himself which makes the effort even more awesome.

This week though he did have an assistant with Geoff L helping out with the painting of the roof. Geoff also applied a coat of oil to the aft wheelhouse ladder – these new ladders had been constructed and installed some months ago by Peter and keeping them in order is yet another of the endless maintenance tasks that need to be performed on the boat.

Unfortunately not all the jobs are “glamour” ones and these small and often fiddly tasks still need to be done; especially so as the external appearance of Baragoola is highly important in attracting people to her and in relegating the “derelict” task well and truly to the past. These tasks are also a great opportunity for people who maybe don’t have specialised skills to contribute and be part of the team restoring Baragoola – there are a million and one tasks to do aboard the boat and everyone is welcome to do their little bit.

Geoff painting on the roof

The black areas denote the newly completed sections Further work was done on the hull by me and Geoff E with minor repairs being done in one small section (highlighted in the last condition report). Unfortunately no pictures of the work done, but perhaps I’ll capture some during the week.

Geoff then “timed out” to do some of the trim on the upper deck while I started stripping old varnish off one of the exit doors, surprisingly these revealed themselves to be cedar.

Trim applied to two more windows

And that’s pretty much it for this weekend – as I said a small crew onboard whick kept things pretty quiet.

If you are on Facebook you can follow us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baragoola-Preservation- Association-Incorporated/122851477818947 - we have also launched a fundraiser through this and would appreciate if the link can be shared out to everyone, so far we’ve received several donations that can be tracked back to this. That post is at https://www.facebook.com/ajax/sharer/?s=99&appid=2309869772&p%5B0%5D=122851477818947&p %5B1%5D=302633779749988

We’re also on Twitter as #MVBaragoola – updates are posted fairly regularly. Our main website is now www.baragoola.com.au

And if you have Google Talk installed you can chat to us if anyone is online and nearby the computer – add [email protected] as a friend.

And, last but not least, we also have a flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/65669741@N08/

That’s it for this week –you can keep up with all the latest on our forums and you can see our old newsletters at http://www.baragoola.com.au

Next scheduled work day is on Saturday the 12th of November. Call 0405 945 465 or email [email protected] – there will be people on board during the week too (from Tuesday) – call ahead to check first.

Hope to see you all here next weekend otherwise!

A pair of tugs nearby on Sunday morning

Show your support!

All items can be ordered by sending an email to [email protected] with the following details:

Your name Postal address Size (for clothing) and quantity Your contact phone number

All items will be sent with an invoice payable within 30 days.

White T-shirt, printed with Baragoola’s build year and our web address, available in white cotton only in sizes S, M, L, XL & XXL. Price is $22 including delivery.

SS Baragoola – Baragoola as built in 1922, white coffee mug.

Price $30.80 including delivery – available now.

SS Binngarra (class vessel), white coffee mugs.

Price $30.80 including delivery – available now.

MV Baragoola – Baragoola in the early 1970’s, white coffee mug.

Price $30.80 including delivery.

MV North Head

Price $30.80 including delivery – available now – limited edition only seven available.

SS Burra Bra

Price $30.80 including delivery – available now.

SS Curl Curl

Price $30.80 including delivery – available now.