Wednesday 29 December 2010

Walking Boat Test a Success!

It did it! All Andrew's hard work and determination to overcome the boats exit onto the shoreline has paid off! 

Saturday 11 December 2010

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Adjustments being made


All the adjustments being made will aid the boat's movement up the shore.  The 20ton boat needs to be able to slew across the beach foreshore but was instead digging itself into the riverbed as the mechanical legs pushed forward.

Sunday 5 December 2010

Tests

In discussion with Port of London Authority about gaining permissions to stage a trail following the modifications. 

Saturday 4 December 2010

Progress, progress

Andrew has been to work when the tide is out, shoring up the metal work inside before cutting through the hull on the outside, often at ridiculous hours late at night and early in the morning.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

Thanks to Trinity Buoy Wharf & Urban Space Management

A special thank you to everyone at Trinity Buoy Wharf and Urban Space Management. There kind support has allowed Andrew to keep the Walking Boat moored there whilst he carries out the work.

Monday 18 October 2010

What Next...

Over 10 weeks, in the freezing cold, in between tides, for three hours a time, twice a day, Andrew Baldwin is planning to work round the clock to make the modifications necessary to overcome the combination of the slope on the Tate foreshore and the boat's bow digging in on the foreshore.

Thursday 14 October 2010

So what happened at the shore...


As the press release stated, Time and Tide waits for no Man, and this, combined with the shore's shelf meant that the boats legs could not get enough leverage to get the boats bow clear of the shelf. 

A willing crowd, a big thank you to you all

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Credit: Willem van de Horst

The Walking Boat trips up!

Credit: Dylan Woolf
Time and tide wait for no man - and the creator of the capital’s first walking boat was no exception today.

Andrew Baldwin’s Walking Boat, a massive 40 foot, 20 ton salvage-built seafaring vessel, drew a huge crowd to the Thames foreshore to watch the red and white barge, turned work of art, walk its way out of the water using kinetic powered metal ‘feet’ . But the turning tide and the shelved shore outside the Tate halted the boat right on the edge of the water. The cogs turned and the levers raised and lowered, but the Walking Boat could only move a few feet and wasn’t able pull its full weight onto the beach.

















Credit: Willem van de Horst
The mechanical wonder made four strenuous attempts to defeat the pull of the tide. Hundreds of people on the bank and looking out from the balconies of Tate Modern willed the artist Andrew Baldwin and his intricately handcrafted vessel forward, but the boat took its first movements, only to be driven back. The frustration for the artist was palpable – his two years building the mechanism, and a smooth sail from Sandwich up the Thames to East London had resulted in a perfect trial run. But today’s audience outside Tate Modern was to be disappointed.

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Credit: Willem van de Horst
Tomorrow the Boat Will Walk – at Trinity Buoy Wharf in East London where the Walking Boat’s successful trial run took place.


Thanks to Willem van de Horst for his photographs of the attempted landing on Flickr

Saturday 9 October 2010

Change of plan

Back to plan A - mooring at Queenbourgh because there is not enough tide. All fed and watered...just passing Whitstable.

Boat hopping complete

We pulled into quieter waters by Margate Sands and Ray has come onboard the 'Walking Boat' and Harvey's gone to warm himself up on the support boat, The Caren Louise'.

Now planning to carry on to Gravesend rather than stop off at Queenbourgh. Should be there by 2am.

Continued...

Two failed attempts at crew swap, sea too choppy to move alongside each other. Onwards,  Goodbye Margate.

Boat hopping outside Margate

So we've decided that we should switch crew between the 'Walking Boat' and 'The Caren Louise,' our support vessel. Let's call it the luxury liner, Barry's Big Boat. Cushioned seating, kitchenette, living room, tv and a garage out the back! The 'Walking Boat' is a humble sea dwelling, we're sailing into the damp darkness with no cover from the elements.

A slow boat to Margate

Leaving Ramsgate

The 'Walking Boat' taking a rest

Ramsgate update
















Arrived at Ramsgate at 4pm, having a cup of tea on shore! All going well so far. No men overboard yet! We now have to wait until the time is right tide wise for passing North Foreland. If this is missed timed the tide will hold us and we might well end up in the cliff!

See you in Queenbourgh in 6 hours. Looks choppy out there!

We're off!

All Aboard - The Walking Boat sets sail





















The Launch took place at Sandwich Marina at 15.00. What a fantastic moment. Setting off to Ramsgate, should be arriving at 16.00. Be sure to look out for us!

Final preparations