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HYBRID

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Everything posted by HYBRID

  1. The boat I am interested in is from 1997 and a trad back with a beta engine, Alvechurch are currently selling one with a kingfisher mid engine.
  2. Hi, I have seen a boat advertised that perhaps needs further investigation, I was planning to go along and have a look but have no knowledge of the builder listed as M&N Narrowboats. Whilst it is possible to see examples of this builders shells on Apollo Duck some appear to have a very strange stem arrangement, and others do not. I wondered if anyone was prepared to give an opinion as to where this builder used to fit into the market, perhaps a 1 out of 10 rating, 1 being Springer (no offence intended to Springer owners) 10 being Colecraft. (I know Colecraft are not the top of the market, just used the two builders as a bench mark for this question) The shell (trad type, flat bottom 10-6-4) appears to have a reasonable shape but the photos are taken at some odd angles and miss out the stem detail and side views. Thanks
  3. Following our brief chat on the Shroppie, we popped into Norton Canes to make some vague enquiries, unfortunatley the timing is wrong at the moment so we are holding back on buying anything just yet. I live about 4 miles from Norton Canes If I see out and about I will give you a wave. Cheers.
  4. Dave we hired florence just before xmas which involved mooring overnight at Merry Hill, we tied up infont of your boat the two looked very impressive together. Although I think Resolute won on Grahams bow shape. Were you also around on the Shroppie July/August time? if so, do you remember being asked who had built your hull by a passing hire boater? Small system perhaps?
  5. I would agree with the comments relating to the number of boats offered for sale, the boats listed in the “clicky” suit our taste and some are within our budget. Unfortunately, despite saving every spare penny for the past two years we now find ourselves in a climate where job security is none existent. To commit money to a boat now would be an act of stupidity whilst we still have a mortgage, so the boat goes on the back burner once again. Fortunately, a forum member on here offers a very fine R.W. Davis Tug for hire at a very reasonable price, we have taken Florence out three times in the past 12 months and can only recommend the experience.
  6. Mike. PS. Hybrid --- was it you I passed just by the Brades Hall Jnc and the gauging island on Monday -- you mentioned Merry Hill ? If so -- hello again ! Hi Mike, yes it was me you will pleased to know you are the first forum member I have met on the cut.
  7. Thanks for all the replies, I did read them just never got chance to reply before our trip, just got back from 4 days out we did the Black Country museum, Birmingham and the German market and then on to Merry Hill, before returning Kevs (Florence) boat back to Oldbury today.
  8. Does any one know if oozells loop is open at each end? or does it only have one entrance & exit, also can you moor in the loop as a visitor. Thanks
  9. You mention the problem occurred after replacement of the head gasket. Did you have problems with water in the cylinders due to a leaking gasket? I had an old Landrover diesel that used to misfire and pump out white smoke, this turned out to be a bent conrod caused by a small amount of water entering one of the cylinders. You could check this by checking the compressions and looking for one that is out of tolerance.
  10. I was once told that brake fluid is quite good a freeing a seized piston, never had to try.
  11. I think I saw you and didn't realise, we passed in the Audlem flight on Saturday afternoon, I was going up in an Aqua Narrowboat. Was it you? I commented to your other half about a boat further up the cut with the same name as your own. Back at work now Doh! Dreaming about a BCN tug
  12. Hi, to answer your question there are no restrictions on this flight, however although you obviously know what your doing I will share the advice we recently received for the area. We took Florence the Northwich Trader Hire boat through Birmingham City Centre down through the Aston flight two weeks ago and completed the Black Country Ring, we were told by other boaters to leave Birmingham early and don’t stop until we were near Kingsbury, which we did in 9 hours with two crew on board. The advice was given to avoid bandits when moored overnight. Based on our timings if you start at Aston Bottom lock at 7.00pm and assuming you would be best advised not to stop before Farmers Bridge Junction you will be still locking after midnight. Which is ok if that’s your thing. Look out for the three piece suite around Minworth/Curdwoth various loose cushions floating around and the actual furniture semi submerged, then lots of rubbish from the Aston locks onwards. Where are you going after Birmingham?
  13. We hired this boat for a long weekend winter cruise last weekend, we had great time and have to say this has to be one of the most comfortable boats we have hired, it benefits from an enormous kitchen / living space and a full sized bed in the bows. The boat is superb, the other people we met out and about couldn’t believe it was a hire boat. The Lister Diesel makes all the right noises and adds to the enjoyment of the cruise. Kevin went out of his way to ensure everything went to plan, I would recommend anyone who has hired before to give this boat a try as it is a truly brilliant experience. I will be contacting Kevin again without a doubt.
  14. If you like Staffordshire why not have a look at Aqua Narrowboat Hire. We popped along to see his boats last September and booked two weeks for next year. He only runs two boats but they are very well appointed compared to usual hire boats.
  15. HYBRID

    Swim

    Can you not move the bilge pump?
  16. Pour boiling water over the areas affected by acid, I was told this neutralises it.
  17. Every living thing on the planet is part of a carbon cycle, humans are just part of the cycle playing the role of releasing the carbon locked into the plane. The cycle then can continue. It matters not which species survive or become extinct as the cycle of evolution continues that is until the sun fails or the moon stops orbiting the planet. Ill get my coat !
  18. I am planning a trip on the Staffs and Worcester from StewPony to Stourport and back over three days starting 14th December 2007. This forum has led me to believe I should not trust BW info relating to stoppages but I have checked anyway and found the info a bit fuzzy. It would appear work is scheduled before and after my dates. Can anyone advise me how to find out if this section of canal will be open, I have emailed BW at Fazeley but as yet have had no response. Thanks guys
  19. Grahoom, I have been reading your posts relating to your search for a boat for some time, I too have been casually looking at boats I have an open mind and have been considering a price range from as cheap as possible up to £35000.00 I have been shocked at the condition of some of the craft. Whilst I can agree there are lots of boats sitting around for sale, a lot of them are either total crap or unconventional to the point of useless. You were going to be my inspiration to cheap boating but alas! So far the engine on the boat you have had surveyed is concerned, unless the seller fixes it you have to presume the worst and it will require an expensive repair. In any case, I bet it’s run away before and wasn’t stopped quite so quickly the first time it happened. My own mind has been swung to putting the idea of owning a Narrowboat on the back burner until I have the money to pay mooring fees, a license fee and have something left over to fit out the boat, I have again booked a hire boat for next year eating into my boat fund/deposit. So, I appeal to you to prove me wrong and look forward to reading your further exploits. Cheers
  20. Spurred on by the comment “unless I can get someone to take her on” and being in a position where I am making plans to take on a project next year, I am waiting for Carl to report back with the boats condition, it is very possible that I will be horrified and shocked at the scale of the project and I will be unable to consider it viable, but unless I ask what’s involved? I will regret it.
  21. Reading the forum over the past six months, it is obvious that Carl is into historic boats and in some way obtains them? Intending to preserve or restore them. Could you explain what is meant when you say you are looking for someone to take on the boats, apart from the obvious requirement for someone to have a mooring what do these boats require to be anything other than a floating financial drain. I don’t wish to pry but I am intrigued that in today’s world of “buy one get one free” you are stuck with two boats looking for a good home. Thanks in anticipation
  22. I think the way I would look at the project would be to evaluate your skills and be honest with the tasks within your capabilities. Any task that will require a professional is going to cost you materials & labour, if you can diy and get the materials at the same price as the professional your cost should be cheaper. If you identify tasks you cannot perform that can be incorporated by the hull supplier I would get them to do it. If the identified tasks outside your skills are things that will crop up later eg (gas installation) then you have no alternative than to source a contractor as and when required. It is good you are costing the project as this will give you an idea of what you will achieve within your budget, and I think it safe to assume if you consider your labour as free, then diy will generally be cheaper than paying a third party to do it, if however you earn a very high wage, and its an option, you might be better putting the extra hours in at work rather than down the boat yard as your time could generate an income in excess of the contracts bill on an hour for hour basis. I would take the final cost and look at what that will buy on the secondhand market, consider all the reasons for doing it and decide the route to take.
  23. Price of just under £60000 was around 57 feet (ish) fully fitted can’t remember exactly but have the sales info at home. The rust was present in a few corners and most noticeable behind the cabin sides around the side hatch recess open the hatch and look around the edges of the hole. The hinges for the side doors had started rusting due to the paint being scraped off. I didn’t notice if any grease nipples were fitted to the hinges, but we hired a newish boat this year with the same hinge problem, they snapped off when I opened the hatch; I nearly lost the door in the shroppie. I would go and find a 3 year Liverpool boat to look at; it might show up a few areas to improve should you buy a sailaway.
  24. From what I observed I wouldn’t be put off a Liverpool shell, the one I looked at was painted and although not perfect it was pleasing enough to the eye and good enough for me to scrape down the pilings and lock entrances. I was a little surprised at the rust I found when I looked in places you don’t normally see, but if you make yourself aware and build in some prevention then you have a head start. I imagined (as I did not see the main bilge area) that with time away from production schedules a diy’er could make a better job of corrosion prevention and ballasting than the factory. I will follow your post’s with great interest as you appear to be nearer purchasing a boat than myself.
  25. I popped down to the New Boat Company open weekend to have a look at the Liverpool hulls, a sailaway and as Gary puts it a “budget boat” with a price tag of just under £60000 I looked at two options in the flesh to see if I could see where the best point of entry into ownership existed and I have to say. The finished boat was a little too much like a swift caravan for me and although very modern, light and airy I would have been disappointed with what I got for my money. A sailaway plus (or whatever its called) wasn’t available but the jump in price from a sailaway obviously included some profit for the builder. The lined boat with 3 bulkheads fitted was a big project, I wasn’t happy with all the aspects of the work already done and would have been removing some of the lining and flooring. I would possibly look into the main bildge and add my own rust preventative measures to the hull and then possibly re ballast the boat using engineering bricks. So why pay for it in the first place? I would conclude if you are the type of person to have the knowledge and skills to contemplate fitting out a boat, your reasons for doing it are financial, and you have the time to see it through, I would start with a hull in its most basic state as you will not be happy with someone else’s work at the end of the market I looked at. Never having seen one of Gar’s hulls I would be interested in the differences that are noticeable in the painted unfitted hull that set him aside from production line builders, is it purely neatness and attention to detail for the perfectionists? Or is it design and handling you pay for?
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