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Showing content with the highest reputation on 18/08/17 in all areas

  1. I don't think the people who restored the canals would ever think that someone would stick false rivets onto narrowboats at some time in the future either. Things move on, change, stop moaning and enjoy yourself.
    2 points
  2. Should you become Fed up with the "Scrap Engine",it could always be sold to Mike the Boilerman(he collects them)
    2 points
  3. Proper boats with brass portholes and nice big engines are just not that popular, though I personally find this very hard to comprehend. I did a little informal survey last week whilst cruising along a popular canal, and proper boats make up less than 1/2% of the boat population. The result is that proper boats can sometimes be a bargain, especially 70 footers. They can make excellent liveaboards. Its a little elderly so a good survey is vital. If your insurance company wants a survey every 5 years then thats no problem at all, it would be quite nice to keep an eye on the boats condition. You will be taking the boat out of the water at least once every five years anyway, so getting a basic hull only survey at the same time will not cost a fortune. You will be spending about £5000 per year on the boat (fixed costs plus maintenance) so the survey won't add that much. .............Dave
    2 points
  4. I have just finished a week of boating on the BCN with the CCT/BCNS owned ex-GU pair Atlas and Malus. The primary work of the boats these days is undertaking Duke of Edinburgh Award Gold Award residential courses. Thankfully for me this qualifies as valid voluntary work for me to be able to take leave to skipper one of the boats for a week each year. The trips require the crews of up to 10 young people to camp in the hold and make the best of the provisions they are given while learning to work as a team on helping to work the boats. They also spend a day helping out at the Black Country Living Museum. The itinerary involves starting at Hawne Basin on a Monday lunchtime and moving to the Black Country Museum where the boats are allowed to moor on the museum arm and be exhibits for 36 hours while the candidates do their work in the museum. On Wednesday lunchtime the boats are then moved to the Titford Pumphouse where the candidates spend the night. This involves working the pair up the Crow (Oldbury locks) which is challenging. Thursday is down the Crow and Smethwick locks to Birmingham for a visit to the Libarary and a look at the Staffordshire hoard followed by overnight at Icknield Port. On Friday it's back to base at Hawne and go home. The boat skippers don't get to stay aboard as the youth workers that run the courses have to do that. Overall it's great fun and introduces young folk to boating (and the delights of the BCN) while developing them as people. I am one of the least experienced crew on the boats and my co-skipper was also fairly inexperienced on the boats (even though he is a luminary in the BCNS). Hence it's also a learning experience for the skippers especially as I have spent much more time on the butty Malus than I have on Atlas in the past. Mistakes were made and no-one is under the pretense we are expert in the ways of moving working pairs. I did at least manage to turn the breasted pair at Old Turn junction yesterday and outside Hawne Basin this afternoon with an audience for both. Just for once the cock-ups were out of the gaze of the public.
    1 point
  5. That is up to you. If you choose never to check the red flag, you will run out at a bad moment. If you choose to check the red flag from time to time (eg when filling up with diesel at a location also selling gas) you will never run out at a bad time.
    1 point
  6. As discussed in another thread, the number of boaters who would want a boat like this is small and most likely getting smaller, and so for a 1996 boat this looks overpriced. I would offer a fair bit less and then wait a while and see what happens. Trouble is there just might be somebody else who wants a boat like this and wants it now. Selling mainstream stuff is easy, selling the more specialist stuff is a bit more complicated. Does it have a reverse layout? If you drove it backwards that would be a lovely cruiser stern ................Dave
    1 point
  7. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  8. I reckon they have Tony, well the so called great lord above has, sending me this Ark to save anyway. I forgot to mention i also made the drain pump holder thing last weekend, also shower drain when i fit one.
    1 point
  9. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  10. I am not sure what you mean by "Pure Danish Oil", as it is not a regulated product. I am aware that some manufacturers market their oil under that name, along with "Original Danish Oil", but in reality neither actually exists, a wide range of Danish Oils are available on the market, and they can contain different oils, the best are either primarily Tung Oil, or Polymerized Linseed Oil, or a mixture of both , but many cheaper ones contain a variety of oils including poppy seed oil, rape seed oil, and even mineral oil. Theoretically the most expensive ones should be the best, but if they do not state which oils are included, i would steer away from them.
    1 point
  11. There are a lot of "interesting, alternative and talented people" living in houses in Bradford on Avon, but if you talk to them, you may well secure a very differnt impression of the boat dwelling people you choose to describe as having those "qualities"
    1 point
  12. I live within a mile of the K&A and have cruised it's entire length many times. It is not an easy canal to work, and I suspect that one of the main reasons that so many people want to live on the it is beacause of the easy access to good railway connections to London, Bristol, Bath etc.m rather than any of it's other "attractions".
    1 point
  13. And there lies the problem. We have lived aboard for years as we genuinely prefer the life, we did own houses till ten years ago to holiday in but got rid of the last one in 2007 with zero regrets. There are very few very easy to abide by rules to be a liveaboard but too many today are moving on with no intention of adhering to them because it doesn't suit THEIR chosen lifestyle when they should be adhering to the rules not bending or indeed dismissing them.
    1 point
  14. I recall living in a village in Powys which had three pubs, one of which only sold beer, didn't even sell crisps. One day a stranger came in, ordered a pint and, as it was being pulled, asked for some salt 'n vinegar. L (putting pint on bar): "It's a pub, we don't sell food." S: "What sort of pub doesn't even sell crisps?" L (pouring pint down sink): "This one. If you don't like it, drink somewhere else."
    1 point
  15. Mr Smelly is getting it almost right here. After much thought over the last 8 years I think I have finally got this liveaboard thing sussed. The simple answer is that a man (or suitable woman) actually needs two boats. A main liveaboard residence, obviously 70 foot, with a reliable engine. The JD3 in a proper engine room is indeed a good compromise here. The second boat is similar, but only 57 foot to gain access to the Northern system, and will also have an engine room but this time with a proper vintage "scrap" engine. Washing machines, fridges, and other labour saving devices are essential, but the 40 inch TV is not required. With two boats to maintain there will be no time to waste watching the tele. ...............Dave
    1 point
  16. I do remember hearing a conversation between a customer and the landlord of a well known (but not canalside) pub, something like.... c: "Can I see the menu please?" L: "Its a pub, we don't have a menu, you can have a pasty or crisps" c: (disgruntled) "oh well a pint and a half of lager then" L: "Its a pub, we don't sell lager, you can have beer or cider" ...........Dave
    1 point
  17. The UNI-T UT203 meter seems to be a common choice because it is a clamp meter that does DC currect for about thirty quid on ebay. Less if you get it from a far east supplier and are happy to wait a month for it to wend it's way through the post............ They are a little unstable on DC current as they work by using a hall sensor and so are sensitive to residual magnetism and nearby fields. But select the DC current range, leave to settle for a few seconds, then open and close the jaws a few times and with the jaws closed press the delta button just before you fix it around the cable, then it is pretty good. Even if you don't bother to faff about with it it is still accurate to under an amp. If you want accurate readings under a few amps an 'in circuit' meter is better, but for general fault finding, checking solar and inverters it is perfect.
    1 point
  18. icecreameatingpuffin, then ?
    1 point
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  20. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  21. If the paint work is in good condition, i.e. not flaking or rusty, then once you have cleaned off all the crud, very difficult to key up the surface, you should be able to just use gloss paint, no need for undercoat, especially as you intend to remove it in the not too distant future.
    1 point
  22. Unless I have missed something, your batteries are always working, charging or running fridges etc. Therefore they will never be at 100% SOC. However, looking at those readings, there is nothing wrong with them either. Best reading was .... .gave up and went to pub.
    1 point
  23. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  24. Art is entirely subjective of course. I paint as a hobby and usually my paintings don't go public. Some of Jo's do and sell - we always feel she sells a feeling or an emotion not a painting. If it makes you feel something you like it is good. I was inspired by something I saw in the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, it was next to the £25000 litter bin I think. (yes there was one!) . The painting merged 3D and 2D forms. I can do that I thought. So here it is, a subject you all know well now and all have an opinion on. Stoke Bruerne. The painting is all inside the back of a box canvas so is about an inch deep - the challenge was to make a semi 2D background with a 3D lock in front and maintain the perspective. There are a few reflections in the way I'm afraid. I've also taken a movie of it to try and give you the idea. It is on you tube here. Cheers Graham
    1 point
  25. Laurence Hogg has often commented on the Walsall Canal and the extension canal to Birchills, yet despite this view boaters still want to use this canal and it is important to encourage them, especially as the Bradley Canal moves closer to being a reality. Attached is an image (from the 1970's of a young Michael Oxley, taking his new boat up the locks to Birchills (RCHS Michael Oxley Print Collection)
    1 point
  26. When valve regulated sealed lead acid batteries first began to be used around 1980, BT tried Chloride, Tungsten and Rolls batteries. All were stated to last 10 years. The Chloride and Tungsten batteries suffered many premature failures, mainly due to corrosion between the pure lead group bar and the lead calcium alloy plates, but the Rolls which used pure lead plates didn't. However BT chose to go with Tungsten and Chloride because, despite the failures (which were replaced under warranty) the Rolls simply were too expensive. The high failure rate and BT's unrelenting attitude to warranty claims brought Chloride and Tungsten to bankruptcy, and they no longer make batteries for the critical power industry. Now BT use Yuasa batteries, which perform almost as well as Rolls, but at an affordable price.
    1 point
  27. I don't very often read this forum anymore, partly as so busy and partly because I find some people's attitudes to others dire. I can't face reading all of the horrible things some of you are saying so sorry if repeating what others have said. We love Burton on trent. It's a very handy mooring for the nearby lidl and the railway station. It just isn't a destination for restaurants or even meals in pubs. It's a fair walk into town but if you take the trouble you'll be rewarded by simply amazing victorian buildings. The brewery owners had some fine houses right in the town centre. If you venture a bit further you'll reach the trent. It just isn't a tourist destination or a twee village like Alrewas. It's just a town where people live and work and we love it.
    1 point
  28. I'm inclined to agree! If you want to eat, a restaurant is the type of establishment to visit. You'll be complaining you couldn't get a beer in MacDonalds next Coopers Arms, you say? Pub that don't sell food tend to be particularly good at beer, and are often well worth seeking out.
    1 point
  29. I hope you charged the going "private sector" rate for this service. How about £40, that would cover it. George
    1 point
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