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It wouldn't worry me if it was self inflicted. I get the impression that the whole attitude on the cut has changed in my boating days you were either working or an enthusiast but the leisure side has more or less completely taken over & good number boating have no real interest in the system as such it's just a hobby/pastime & anything that they view as not to the way they think it should be done or not the way they do it (more than likely incorrectly)Gets them ranting or grumpy& don't like being "advised" on the correct or better way of doing something

I have a josher motor I keep in the ticket drawer. It only needs another 6999.5 rivets and a bit of steel to complete the job. Nearly threw it at someone who was throwing stones at us but strangely found the odd marble in there instead,. If I had thrown it by mistake another boat would have been lost..

And kidney donor kebabs can be life-saving!

Having just returned to the West Midlands for the cool season I wanted to share some observations I've learnt this year. From the 60s onwards, it was common for other boats going the other way to automatically warn you of how many boats were close behind them, especially if they'd just come around a tricky corner. However nowadays a request about how close the next following boat is merely attracts a puzzled expression. The disaster that was born 18 months ago and known as the Chippy at Newbold (N Oxford) closing has been rectified. Not only has it been replaced by a soopah doopah sparkly highly efficiently alternative, but the menu is superb and the portions generous. Thus, once again making Newbold the perfect stopping point it always used to be .... Great Pub ... Co-op mini market .... Chippy!! ... they also have a superb sense of humour. While I was there two French exchange students came in and asked "What is for that we can have not fried?" My initial reaction was that they had totally missed the essential purpose of a British Chip Shop with points to spare! The owner however earned my immediate respect when he established their need was to eat healthily and promptly sold them Doner Kebabs. On account that they were lamb, seared on an open flame and served with salad ...... What A Hero! Who says we need The EU????? Finally, if your boat is called "Chimneys" what on earth possessed you to think that tying it up on the lock moorings above the first pair of locks at Hillmorton was a good idea? I can only imagine that the volockies weren't on duty. Even if both sets of locks had been in use (which they're not) it still wouldn't be clever. Anybody entering or leaving the chamber has wiggle around your padlocked boat. Please explain so we can get a true understanding of what happened or alternatively how your mind works. I for one am fascinated.

Drain water system. Tank can be left with water in it, but not full. It's things like water filters and pipework that can be vulnerable. Might be an idea to remove outboard for service, depending on how big/heavy it is. Probably best to leave as little petrol as possible, it does deteriorate a bit with age as the lighter fractions evaporate. (One reason why it's a good idea to run an outboard dry after use, if it's getting left for a while)

Ditto as a sailaway in 2002, had it stretched in 2015 by RW Davis, that should be interesting on the sale particulars when we eventually do.

My observations from this years travels are: Blackburn is still the litter/rubbish capital of the network. The Erewash canal has the friendliest locals. It's not a good idea to raft together two boats to do the Wigan flight. Even the most miserable depressing rain soaked journey can be cheered up by the sight of a steam locomotive.

Vic at Safeshore is very patient and will be able to talk anyone moderately able through how to fit a GI. However, he first thing to establish is whether your boat's mains system is actually hull-earth bonded. Some boats still aren't and without the bond a GI will be useless and unnecessary - but the boat itself is potentially hazardous.

Thanks Eeyore. Good to hear it is not only my buttons that dont pop. Any ideas why they would not work with motor circuits? I think I will buy a couple of new ones.

Still not quite right! Osmosis occurs when there is a void in the laminate. This could be a microscopic air bubble or a big void caused by poor layup technique. The most common cause of big voids is where the glass mat (or glass rovings) were not rolled out well enough so the polyester did not wet the glass out completely thus leaving a dry area. Once the hull is in the water, the water then forces its way through the gel coat via osmotic pressure (which is very great) into that area of void and keeps coming swelling the void considerably. The gel coat will influence the speed of the flow of water but not that much. This may sound bad but it isnt really. In the days when people hand laid up using chopped strand mat (or woven roving), it was usually a very thick laminate that will last 50 years plus. In recent years where GRP boats are made with much thinner laminates, they tend to use resin injection or vacuum infusion or someother fancy technique which avoides the incidence of voids. Osmosis is not really a structural issue. Structural problems tend to occur when the hull has has impact damage which cracks the gel coat and therefore opens a path for water to see the glass fibres, with water then 'wicking' along the fibres destroying the glass to resin interface and hence weakens the laminate. This is not osmosis. Poor workmanship when laying the gel coat can make this more likely to happen. There was a 'rash' of high incidence of osmosis in the 70's which may have been partly due to some dubious gel coats on the market (despite my comment above that the gel coats influence is low) - but that is another story. I spent quite a few years in the late 70's developing gel coats for one of the 3 big UK manufactures.

exactly ............... we engineers are too clever by half, innit?

Is the towpath higher than normal? Perhaps you are on the bottom?

We found banking wasn't an issue at all, we had our accounts set up as "paperless" accounts and gave them a friends address, but insisted that they were not to send any snail mail to that address. As for medical, we started out by arranging with our Doctors practice to keep us registared there. However as we traveled quite extensively for the first couple of years it did become a pain in the backside to get repeat prescriptions as I needed to see him every 3 months for blood tests. It was quite difficult to get registared at a new surgery that is close to the canal withing a 40 mile radius of our current cruising pattern, but I did prevail with the assistance of the local hospital...long story. Other folks will tell you its quite easy and that any surgery will take you on as a temporary patient, in my experience that certainly wasn't the case. IMO, the easiest way is to use a friend or relatives address. Good luck

I did..2013..and fitted it myself

+ probably having a rant when they run aground have folk lost the knack of slipping by with a couple of inches "tween the boats"

I'm not really sure that the comparison works. A stationary boat, unlike a car, will rotate around an axis in the centre of the boat. If you are trying to moor in a short space on your port side for instance (left hand side if you wish) I would bring the boat to a standstill alongside the space and then give the boat a burst to starboard turn which will push the stern (where I am standing) in towards the bank, and consequently the bow away from the boat in front. A short burst of reverse will then bring it in close enough for me to step off carrying the centre line to pull the boat into the space. If you go into the space forwards and it is very tight you will have to stop the boat before you are fully into the available space (or hit the boat in front, but it is a contact sport someone once said). Where that leaves you however is with the stern, where you are standing, away from the canal-bank so you have to walk along the gunwale to be able to step across to the bank (being particularly careful not to fall between the boat and the bank). Reverse every time for me.

Just have a look at the shaft as you rev up, if it whizzes round then there can't be a lot wrong, if it doesn't then something is slipping,

No, got a blade full on the North Oxford yesterday . It just started.

If you have a gearbox oil drain pump, check the tube fittings for leaks especially where it connects at the gearbox drain hole underneath. Also the 150 is prone to leaking oil from the oil pump securing bolts which have little copper washers under the heads. The pump is the round thing sticking out the back of the box next to the output propshaft shaft coupling. The bolts usually get a touch slack as the copper washers squash over time, try tightening them a touch. But of course check the level oil first.

The gearbox could have developed a leak though, since you last changed the oil.

Good point. In these sorts of situations, it is often useful to study the wake from the prop as an aid to diagnosis.

Too early for leaves? Ian.

OK! So my next thought is, when you checked the prop, did you check the rudder to see if there's anything on it?

Bent props usually manifest themselves as a vibration. If you have a hydraulic gearbox, have you checked the oil level recently? They tend to slip when low on oil, which may explain your problem.

What gearbox does the boat have? If mechanical is clutch slippage possible?

Ahem... Our has just gone up 5k, thanks!

Why is there a thread with no posts in it...?

We're due to start a trip of almost 3 weeks commencing 11 October so it pleases me to hear that things seem to be quietening down nicely. Only the 3rd week will be school holiday time but as it's the last week of October hopefully that won't make too much difference.

That's fab, thank you Pete.

Well I can't!

Any report with chips in it has to be a Good Thing Richard

Absolutely correct. There is in reality nothing more to be said than this post. Cheap/use dispose.............cost equates to peanuts and no tucking the damn things up in bed at night, giving them names or watering them.

When we first got out boat the fuel tank had water and all sorts in the bottom 2 ins of the tank ,so i when to B&Q and got a wet & dry vac put a extension on it undid the fuel filler out so it just left a big hole and sucked all the gunge out 4 years later and still ok

It's when he uploads it to pootube that you've got a problem

It's the usual thing here. People slating certain boat builders mainly on here say or because they know of the odd one that had problems. I know at least three owners of Liverpool boats that are very pleased with their boats. Ian.

As the owner of a Liverpool Boat for the last 5'ish years I can speak from experience. The company had gone by the time we bought the boat, so I can't speak to their customer relations and after sales approach. What I can say however is that we have been very pleased with the boat. It passes surveys and BSS exams first time, it fits into locks and is straight fore and aft. The internal fit out is pretty good, alright I concede that there is a little bit more MDF than you might get with one of the high end builders of today, but it is robustly put together and certainly fit for purpose. I know there is a certain reputational issue around Liverpool Boats, but of all of the fellow owners we speak to when we are out and about, I have never met anyone who actually owns one with a bad word to say about them.

I live on my narrowboat . There was of course a sizeable payment when i bought it . In 4.5 years ive owned it - my first boat ive also spent a fair amount in improvements , servicing , maintenence etc . I have a mooring , i have insurance , i have RCR cover , i have a license . It is CONSIDERABLY cheaper than renting a flat . If i CC'd it would be cheaper still . I dont live on my boat cos its cheaper . I live on my boat cos its BETTER .... by a country mile . All this negativity about overheads , and how theyre greater than my home etc is wearyingly boring ..... . Well done to those who " played the property game " and won . " Weve a got a big house , didn t we do well , weve got boat aswell , aren t we marvellous " . " Our boat coats more than our house - so dont even think about buying a boat as its an expensive thing to own " It all reminds me of the Harry Enfield character who always comments " Excuse me Sonny , but me and the wife couldn t help but notice that we are considerably richer than yow " in a brum accent . Of course your house was cheaper . You probably bought it in the 60s 70s 80s 90s & have seen big increases in its value . Im not suggesting you ve had it easy but i am suggesting that things are more difficult in recent times . Folk - hard working , honest folk just like yourselves cannot get the homes they want the buy because they cannot keep up with the insane prices of home buying . If one is stuck in a cycle of renting in order to fund someone elses lifestyle is not likely that one will look to altetnatives ? In times past one bought a home to live in , raise a family etc . Property nowadays is bought up by investors aswell thus removing the opportunity to those whod like to buy . So some folk - usually old , retired types or close to it did well . Good for them . But all this " dont buy a boat unless you love it etc " is bollocks . Is it so far beyond imagination that someone can buy a boat for one reason ( finances ) and stay on it for other reasons ( cos they then fell in love with it ) ? I expect there are several members of this forum who would fit my question above . But i doubt many would question thier motives The OP sounds to me like theyve got thier head screwed on . Asking the right questions. Theyve spent time in campervans - so what they haven t lived in it . The OP doesn t sound like he wants a lavish lifestyle and would infact actively embrace the simplicity of boat living . It sounds actually as if the only thing missing is a larger budget . People are slowly waking up to the idea that working your knackers off all your life to pay a mortgage isn t the be all and end all of the three score years and ten that good fortune has blessed us with by being born in the first place . Why spend that lifetime working working working if its just to pay rent because the country they live in is such a f*** up that it cannot house its own population . So all this " it aint cheaper " is tosh - because it is cheaper by a long way , & its better by long way than renting a crappy house to pay a landlords investment off Yes - there will expenses & some of them may well end up very costly. Buying a boat , especially the first is frought with insecurity , anxiety & worry because the initial cost of buying involves a sizeable chunk of money . Concern is only natural . If one buys a boat its warts n all and if a buyer is unlucky or not diligent enough the costs can be eye watering . These things the OP should be made aware of - quite rightly . But i personally find all this " don t do it unless u wanna do it " boring , negative and if really honest a bit snobbish ..... Thats all folks cheers

You don't need to 'parallel park'. Just get reverse stern in and step of with bow and stern lines in your hand. Then from the bank, set about hauling the bow in too. It's a 22ft grp! You're hardly going to cause any damage even if you DO bump another boat!

My original thoughts on big flywheels was to use them to supply the whole world with electricity when fossil fuels run out and to eliminate the use of Nuclear power ''Strontium 90 is not good for you!!''. The plan is to construct in every country two massive flywheel driven alternators. By massive, I mean something like a half or a mile in diameter. Two for each country because whilst one is working and supplying power the other is being wound up to top speed by hundreds of blokes winding lots of geared handles, to have it ready and up to top speed for when the other has slowed down and the lights are fading, and the process repeated swappin about forever and ever. The flywheels heavy metal would be a special unexplodable type. The biggest problem would be making the size of axles needed, something like 53 feet in diameter, not to mention the manufacture of bearings to fit that size. There could also be a great danger of one of these massive flywheels leaping from off its mounting when at top speed. The dreadful and diabolical carnage that it would cause as it carved a dreadful swathe of destruction all around the planet, across land and sea flattening to pulp everthing in its path and then ending up where it started, like a boomerang. It might rampage around the earth frightening everyone several time before losing momentum, slowing up and eventually keeling over, exhausted, who knows,an example has not been constructed yet. But this idea could be the electrical power generator of the future. Much more interesting and full of much much more excitment and awe and collosity than boring titchy wind farms and solar panels.