How to remove a tree stump - By boat!
30 March 2009, 11:14 AM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Nobbering about...
Posts: 16,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to remove a tree stump - By boat!
*Caution* If any Health & Safety wallahs are reading please look away now 
So, this is how it goes, we (Me and my mate Joe), have an ugly old tree stump to remove from the garden on our moorings to be replaced by a nice pretty cherry tree
After much hacking by mattock and huffing and puffing we decide it's too hard, well, he did, I was just standing around watching in the time honoured tradition of public sector workers everywhere 
My solution is to pour petrol in the ground around the stump and use the technique as pioneered in a certain 'Mole Removal' thread on these very hallowed pages but sadly I am overuled 
The stump:
Some head scratching ensues
then a lightbulb comes on 
and Joe bursts forth with a cunning plan, we'll use one of the boats to pull the tree stump out! 
We tie a rope around the stump and attach it to his boat (the blue one furthest out in the pics):
Joe then manoeuvred his boat into position:
I jump on board..
His gives it full thrutch on the throttle
The stump creaks a bit but nothing much happens. We try again, and again, and again but it only moves about an inch. Meanwhile another operative, Mick, has joined us and is hacking away in between boat thrutches with the mattock Eventually we realise that the angle of attack is preventing us from getting a really good purchase and that we are in grave danger of sinking a couple of boats 
Plus Joe is seriously injured See blood on fingers:
At this point a lot of people might have given up but weren't about to be beaten by a lump of wood. After a short period of coffee drinking and cookie eating we decide to attack from a different angle so we manoeuvre the boat round to the end of the island. We tie a new rope to the rope round the stump and prepare for a more aggressive bit of thrutching
We engage full thrutch:
Stumpy starts to move, I start to take cover
Joe gives it his all on the tiller, smoke pours from the engine, the rope stretches to full capacity and I duck for cover fearing decapitation by snapping rope. Then suddenly and without warning, Stumpy explodes from the ground, reaches about seven foot up and barrel rolls through the air at about a trillion miles an hour towards us eventually landing about 60ft away from his original home and about 60ft from us
It all happened so quick that I missed getting any actions shots but it was truly spectacular
Mick reappears from his place of hiding and lifts Stumpy into the air like a hunter with his kill
We tie the boat back up and gather around the hole:
Stumpy:
Stumpy's journey from hole to new resting place:
How glad we were that it didn't come out of the ground at our first few attempts because we think we would have either died or sunk something or perhaps both
So there we have it, tree stump removal by boat works and is also fun, as well as a little dangerous but that just adds to the fun aspect
Presented to you by Nobbers Inc, for all your tree stump removal needs
In association with Seriously Knobbly Chocolate Chip Cookies
So, this is how it goes, we (Me and my mate Joe), have an ugly old tree stump to remove from the garden on our moorings to be replaced by a nice pretty cherry tree
After much hacking by mattock and huffing and puffing we decide it's too hard, well, he did, I was just standing around watching in the time honoured tradition of public sector workers everywhere My solution is to pour petrol in the ground around the stump and use the technique as pioneered in a certain 'Mole Removal' thread on these very hallowed pages but sadly I am overuled The stump:
Some head scratching ensues
then a lightbulb comes on and Joe bursts forth with a cunning plan, we'll use one of the boats to pull the tree stump out! We tie a rope around the stump and attach it to his boat (the blue one furthest out in the pics):
Joe then manoeuvred his boat into position:
I jump on board..
His gives it full thrutch on the throttle
The stump creaks a bit but nothing much happens. We try again, and again, and again but it only moves about an inch. Meanwhile another operative, Mick, has joined us and is hacking away in between boat thrutches with the mattock
Eventually we realise that the angle of attack is preventing us from getting a really good purchase and that we are in grave danger of sinking a couple of boats Plus Joe is seriously injured See blood on fingers:At this point a lot of people might have given up but weren't about to be beaten by a lump of wood. After a short period of coffee drinking and cookie eating we decide to attack from a different angle so we manoeuvre the boat round to the end of the island. We tie a new rope to the rope round the stump and prepare for a more aggressive bit of thrutching
We engage full thrutch:
Stumpy starts to move, I start to take cover
Joe gives it his all on the tiller, smoke pours from the engine, the rope stretches to full capacity and I duck for cover fearing decapitation by snapping rope. Then suddenly and without warning, Stumpy explodes from the ground, reaches about seven foot up and barrel rolls through the air at about a trillion miles an hour towards us eventually landing about 60ft away from his original home and about 60ft from us
It all happened so quick that I missed getting any actions shots but it was truly spectacular
Mick reappears from his place of hiding and lifts Stumpy into the air like a hunter with his kill
We tie the boat back up and gather around the hole:
Stumpy:
Stumpy's journey from hole to new resting place:
How glad we were that it didn't come out of the ground at our first few attempts because we think we would have either died or sunk something or perhaps both
So there we have it, tree stump removal by boat works and is also fun, as well as a little dangerous but that just adds to the fun aspect
Presented to you by Nobbers Inc, for all your tree stump removal needs
In association with Seriously Knobbly Chocolate Chip Cookies
30 March 2009, 12:08 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Daily drive is a Scoob again - just what it should be!
Posts: 2,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very impressive Sal - glad to see you are all still alive & (almost)in one piece.....
Is this where the phrase 'messing about on the river' comes from?
Extremely glad we weren't paddling by in our kayaks at the time!!
The only thing I have to add is............well, you know we hire out mini diggers, we also hire out stump grinders too, and we are only about 5 - 10 miles away.................
Okay, admittedly a stump grinder isn't quite so much fun, but perhaps a little safer?
Is this where the phrase 'messing about on the river' comes from?
Extremely glad we weren't paddling by in our kayaks at the time!!
The only thing I have to add is............well, you know we hire out mini diggers, we also hire out stump grinders too, and we are only about 5 - 10 miles away.................
Okay, admittedly a stump grinder isn't quite so much fun, but perhaps a little safer?
Trending Topics
30 March 2009, 12:51 PM
#10
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Nobbering about...
Posts: 16,067
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quite
For all you who have never heard of him: Blaster Bates, Tribute, Albums, Cassettes,CD's, LP's, Information, Forum, Newspaper, Press, Locations, Downloads, media. and Blaster Bates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hilary, the mini digger idea was also put forward by me and your name was mentioned but I was overruled again
Bob,
For all you who have never heard of him: Blaster Bates, Tribute, Albums, Cassettes,CD's, LP's, Information, Forum, Newspaper, Press, Locations, Downloads, media. and Blaster Bates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hilary, the mini digger idea was also put forward by me and your name was mentioned but I was overruled again
Bob,
30 March 2009, 01:23 PM
#13
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: In RS land......
Posts: 12,902
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Recently removed a stump from behind the garage ( was a 25ft approx tree) couldnt quite bring myself to tie it to the back of the noble through the door tho. spent 2 days attacking with an axe. What relief when it finally moved.
spent 2 days attacking with an axe. What relief when it finally moved.
30 March 2009, 01:23 PM
#14
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Daily drive is a Scoob again - just what it should be!
Posts: 2,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quite
For all you who have never heard of him: Blaster Bates, Tribute, Albums, Cassettes,CD's, LP's, Information, Forum, Newspaper, Press, Locations, Downloads, media. and Blaster Bates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hilary, the mini digger idea was also put forward by me and your name was mentioned but I was overruled again
Bob,
For all you who have never heard of him: Blaster Bates, Tribute, Albums, Cassettes,CD's, LP's, Information, Forum, Newspaper, Press, Locations, Downloads, media. and Blaster Bates - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hilary, the mini digger idea was also put forward by me and your name was mentioned but I was overruled again
Bob,
Your way looked far more fun - reckon you could have sold tickets (we hire out safety fencing too!!!
)
except this was a canal boat,you should become a story writer.
