How to remove a tree stump - By boat!
 

*Caution* If any Health & Safety wallahs are reading please look away now :D

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 :thumb: 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 ;) :D 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 :cry: :D

The stump:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4078.jpg

Some head scratching ensues :wonder: then a lightbulb comes on :idea: and Joe bursts forth with a cunning plan, we'll use one of the boats to pull the tree stump out! :luxhello:

We tie a rope around the stump and attach it to his boat (the blue one furthest out in the pics):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4080.jpg

Joe then manoeuvred his boat into position:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4086.jpg

I jump on board..

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His gives it full thrutch on the throttle :eek: :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4096.jpg

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 :eek: 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 :eek: :lol1: Plus Joe is seriously injured ;) See blood on fingers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4098.jpg

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 :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4100.jpg

We engage full thrutch:

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Stumpy starts to move, I start to take cover :eek:

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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 :eek: :eek: :eek:

It all happened so quick that I missed getting any actions shots but it was truly spectacular :luxhello:

Mick reappears from his place of hiding and lifts Stumpy into the air like a hunter with his kill :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4106.jpg

We tie the boat back up and gather around the hole:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4118.jpg

Stumpy:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4119.jpg

Stumpy's journey from hole to new resting place: :eek: :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4120.jpg

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 :eek: :D

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 :king:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...l/IMG_4125.jpg

Presented to you by Nobbers Inc, for all your tree stump removal needs :thumb:

In association with Seriously Knobbly Chocolate Chip Cookies :D

Brilliant, and with piccies too!

This has replaced dynamiting as my favourite tree removal method!

I enjoyed all that. :D

Please could you tell us beforehand next time, I am sure that half of SN cheering you on would help enormously!

ps. Never heard of a "thrutch" before.

Les :)

Very impressive Sal - glad to see you are all still alive & (almost)in one piece.....:thumb:

Is this where the phrase 'messing about on the river' comes from?:lol1::lol1:
Extremely glad we weren't paddling by in our kayaks at the time!!:D

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?:luxhello::luxhello:

:lol1::lol1:

See Blaster Bates, for thrutch reference!!!.

As yes - and the story of how knickerbrook at Oulton got its name.....

Have done it with a V8 Discovery, never a Narrowboat though.

Crikey, that must be the furthest Joe's boat has gone in years!! :eek:

Good work, I'm glad you had Mick keeping an eye on proceedings ;)

Quite :king:

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 :cry:

Bob, :king:

Good work!

Looks fun - nice to see the proper tool for the job as well.

Someone sitting on a pivoted scaffold pole whilst someone uses an axe would probably have been quicker and safer!

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.

Thanks Sal!! You'll get to drive a mini digger one day............

Your way looked far more fun - reckon you could have sold tickets (we hire out safety fencing too!!!:lol1:)

Excellent commentry and great pics :thumb: :D

And you are about to plant ANOTHER tree in the vacated hole? :lol1:

Imagine the poor people in 50 years time doing the very same thing! ;)

Wouldnt have guessed a canal barge would have that sort of bollard pull :thumb:

You lot should be locked up! :D:thumb:

Can I jump over it with my mountain bike please (note bike model name)?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...m/P1000334.jpg

I had a mini digger all to myself for two weeks once :thumb: I cried when it went back :cry: :D

Great thread :thumb:
Not sure what to say :wonder:
Completely stumped :p

Great story and pics was like reading a Thomas the tank engine book or something :Suspiciou except this was a canal boat,you should become a story writer.

Sal........the front bit of that boat is exactly like the one I did in this painting! :eek:


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN0959.jpg

The owner of the boat with the forecabin (technical term for fronty bit ;)) in my pics is lucky that he still has one :lol1:

Clearly! :lol1: :eek: :lol1:

This is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever seen... congratulations :thumb:

I bet you're glad you logged in eh? :D

I thought you'd think that I was barking when I said I'd branched out into stump removal ;)

Treemendous puns! :D

Jees Sal, I'd have thought you would have known to use a Tug not a narrow boat for this :D

You wood've been better off. :D

Better to do it yourself than have to stump up a large wad of cash for a professional :)