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Towing job


nigel carton

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I may have a job for some one if there interested, I may need a 46' grp cruiser towing from the Nuneaton area to Buckby top lock, here's the break down of the trip:-

 

Total distance is 34.92 miles and 10 locks. There are at least 1 small aqueduct or underbridge and 1 tunnel.

 

Made up of 30.14 miles of narrow canals; 4.79 miles of broad canals; 4 narrow locks; 6 broad locks.

 

This will take 15 hours, 17 minutes which is 1 days, 6 hours and 17 minutes at 9 hours per day.

 

For calculation purposes, this is taken as 2 days

 

Pm me if your interested in earning a few quid!

 

Nigel

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There's one like that at Rickmansworth (bad osmosis apparently) but about 35ft and another one turned up recently called 'The Mole'. Interesting bit of kit has it got an outdrive or a shaft drive, and does it have a strange tank arrangement close to the waterline? The local one here has got like a petrol tank filler cap about 6 inches above the waterline, something to do with something I can't remember) what at the moment (%ABV). Not sure if they are Maidline boats. I had a teaspoon out on the magnet at Hampton Court with "Maidline Cruisers Ltd" on it :cheers:. How COOL is that? (chiller cabinet).

 

 

 

Can it not be got going to move it rather than towing?

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Here's a picture of the boat, bit of a wreck but worth salvaging I think.

 

It is certainly worth saving - as the interest in leisure activites grows and develops its own history it is of some importance that early examples of inland cruisers are preserved so that we all can see how far we have come . . .

 

How about keeping it complete with its monkey metal cutlery and blue plastic plates?

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Fit an outboard, as we did to Tommy, Ken's fishing boat. I towed it to Boston, but difficulties :cheers: caused by wind and unbeknown broken rudder on Tommy, I decided descretion the better as I'd no tidal insurance, and didn't want to risk towing between boats.

 

In the event it was a calm day, and there would have been no problem.....however he got safely to his mooring.

 

He made the bracket at home, and we fitted it, and made a tiller from what was lying in the boat in about 1/2 hour.

 

Outboard.jpg

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A day tank is a possibility, and the wife (who's not a boaty person) said " ere, why don't you fix an outboard to it" I'm going down this weekend with bildge pump as the boats listing slightly and pump her out, and take a start battery/easy start/ jerry can/fuel and my tools and have a play!

Oh and a tape measure which I forgot today, because the more I look at the picture, the beam seems to grow, or is it me? :cheers:

Edited by nigel carton
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i remember these on B & O these are smaller versions of that one also if anyone here (o doubt it ) watches two pints of lager and a packet of crisps on bbc3 the 2nd one is across from the pub that is on two pints

 

Teehee, Runcorn. That programme is my secret shame.

 

Meg

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It goes! went down to the boat yesterday armed with a day tank, clean fuel, new start battery and a can of quick start. It started after one attempt! burst into life after laying dormant for 3 and a half years. Its a Perkins 4-108, very quiet and clean burning. Works well unlike my broard band (Talktalk) which is still down after 48 hours due to a system upgrade. Having to use my mobile :smiley_offtopic:

Back to the boat... next job is to replace ignition switch (knackered) and set Morse thottle and gear leaver up. Thanks for the offers of a tow but I'm going to get a buz bringing this boat back under its own steam... I hope!

 

Nigel

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The first boat I ever hired was one of these, "Cropready Mariner" from Aynho back in the early seventies. Will definitely fit narrow locks.

 

The fibreglass hulls are nearly an inch thick, practically indestructable. If anyone else fancies a challenge, there's another one, which might actually be the old "Cropready Mariner", sitting on hardstanding at R.W. Davis' yard at Saul Junction on the G+S. It was raised after sinking in Gloucester, been on the bank three or four years now, so they might take a low offer.

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The first boat I ever hired was one of these, "Cropready Mariner" from Aynho back in the early seventies. Will definitely fit narrow locks.

 

The fibreglass hulls are nearly an inch thick, practically indestructable. If anyone else fancies a challenge, there's another one, which might actually be the old "Cropready Mariner", sitting on hardstanding at R.W. Davis' yard at Saul Junction on the G+S. It was raised after sinking in Gloucester, been on the bank three or four years now, so they might take a low offer.

There is one of these at Rickmansworth, almost opposite Tesco. The bloke bought it 'with a mooring' near me but the mooring was a waiting list one so he had to move off because there was someone on the list. He paid £2k for it apparently and now he's moved off it so it might go for a bargain. Apparently it has bad osmosis but 1 inch thick sounds alright. Rather interesting boats these are.

edited to remove unnecessary input.

Edited by magnetman
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  • 2 weeks later...

Down the boat in the am, early, to re fit raw water cooling pump after a little problem. I'm very tempted to un hitch the ropes and go for it, it will take me 2 days to get to Buckby top lock where I can breast up with me other boat and take them down the flight together. Its all getting a bit busy, got a one day boat move next Friday, then Sunday, picking a brand spanker up from Billing Aquadrome and taking it to a marina just north of Rugby. Tomorrows going to be a nice day, would be a shame to waste it. Do I stop drinking now and go on to coffee or do I do a Pirate? :banned:

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I decided not to move the boat today. Still managed about 4 hours work on it. I decided to de commision the diesel stove as there is an Aldi boiler on board, this freed up a nice fuel tank which I have rigged up to the Perkins to get me home.

I've managed to remove a hell of a lot of water, so much so the boats about 3 inches higher in the water! Raw water pump fix worked well. Just need to give her a good clean inside to make it a bit more habital, then I'll bring it back. :banned:

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46 foot narrowbeam cruiser, never heard of the like.

 

biggest one i'd heard of is a 38.

 

would like to see a pic of this monster.

 

Grandmother and sucking eggs springs to mind Fuzzy but didn't dawncraft do a shortlived 40'? I seem to remember contemplating buying one about 10 years ago at Oxford but the kink in the roof at the 32' mark seemed to imply that was the maximum length a Dawncraft was comfortable at. It may have been a 38 but I'm sure it was advertised as a 40.

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it would have been a 38. persoanally if i wasn't in the market for a princess 37 i'd buy Dawn Adventure, and return her to her 2 jet drives configuration.

 

Edit

 

It is possible there was a 40, but it would have been a custom boat.

Edited by fuzzyduck
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British Waterways had some of boats similar to this in their hire fleets (Nantwich and Hillmorton) in the 1970s. It is indeed a Morgan Giles, and they were powered by Perkins 4.108 diesel engines with hydraulic drive.

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