PaddingtonBear

You are right as always Alan and I as always am a senile old fool :-)

Greenock? I understood from Steve Priest that our current engine (the one with the broken ring) was taken out of Greenock and replaced with something more modern as it was going to be a live aboard.

Panic over......I hope, RLWP of this parish has ridden to the rescue.

Nothing about unrealistic expectations Mike, all to do with poor communication and and not doing what was agreed. I realise all the pitfalls re. An old engine having previously spent the best part of £18000 on getting a 3 cyl Narional and Brunton box rebuilt. The situation is not yet critical by any means but won't get any better, all we really need in the short term (this year) is some idea of time scales so we can plan for next year. This was all I asked of the previous contact. It is not only boat yards and engineers that have to plan, we all do to a greater or lesser extent. Unlike Mr Fincher of this parish the engine will not have to come out (unless we adopt option 2)as the problem is a broken oil scraper ring leading to serious loss of oil due to it burning. I have a spare complete engine which was original to the boat and one way of sorting this would be for this to be checked over and refitted but I can't even find anyone to discuss this with let alone find a queue to join. I am reasonably competent with a spanner so could do all the donkey work (which was an option I had discussed briefly)but like most people I have considerable time pressures esp. just now as my Great Leader has bought a house in Sheffield which will require my attentions for some months. I also understand the pressures of self employment having been a bit of a 'superstar' welder and steel erector for many years but one thing I did learn in this time was not to believe my own hype which unfortunately many boatyards and engineers on the system seem to do. And yes I am also quite an expert on boatyard time having moored for nearly ten years at a boat yard in the West Midlands and having the previously mentioned National rebuilt by RN at Daventry. Looks like a visit to Brinklow might be in the offing some time soon. At least you know it will be two or three years and it appears it will be done well. Strangely this is where the engine came from originally.

Why oh why is it so very hard to get any sense and more importantly any response from so called engineers. I have contacted one in particular being the nearest I know to the moorings and despite a minimal initial response nearly five months ago and several follow up attempted contacts via a variety of media I am deafened by his silence. Any advice /recommendations Coventry ish

Pinnocks?

Does anyone really think that people manning a visitor centre are really going to answer, to the question "What is it like round here", " Seriously crap and violent, Don't moor here if you value your boat" of course they will not, their job is to encourage boaters to stop. The worst places we have visited or stopped at btw are March and Banbury although I am fairly nervous by nature :-) we shall see what Walsall is like at Easter.

Very keen on that in Brighton I understand. Didn't GIbbo work for Sterling before he became a super star

Doesn't "our Tony'" do courses anymore? If he does we should be keeping it in the 'family'

If you are Cambridge based why not wander down to Midsommer Common and fry to find Fade to Scarlet and his partner on Willow. They'd have had every boating "experience" known to man, Except sinking, in a very short time and they can talk for England about them. They are both extremely articulate and would be very glad to help I am sure.

Poor quality, thin walled tube trying to replicate something thicker walled and better quality. A cheap skate solution.

You all seem to have it tough to use Alan's phrase. We never need a survey and did not on Warrior either

What??? I Googled but it definately was not worth it.

Where on earth are you going to get a regular supply of suitable wood to keep you going? Seriously attractive set up though but a touch of a triumph of style over content perhaps?

Our plans might be somewhat overwhelmed by repairs and maintenance which has been seriously neglected for the past 6 years. Some of this work is dependent on the availability of others; dry dock and an engine repairer in particular. Just hope that this neglect does not end up mirroring the sagas of the Owls and the Finchers :-)