3 or 4 cylinders

[tortuga guy]

hello all, i have just read a survey report for a 46 ft narrowboat, it says that  the boat is mounted with a 31hp barrus shire 1200 engine and also says that it has 4 cylinders , shouldn't that read 3 and not four , iv'e checked the manual but does not mention cylinders, i have included a picture, it looks like 3 to me, any ideas out there , thank you all for your time

Edited August 10, 2017 by tortuga guy

[Tony Brooks]

If the surveyor can't count the three injectors making it a three cylinder what else in the report can you trust?

Its probably just a slip during transcribing his notes to paper.

[X Alan W]

Well if it"s a 4cyl it"s only got 3 inectors/pipes so would run somewhat rough

[Alan de Enfield]

It is probably a previous report he has re-used and just changed the date and the name of the boat.

 

[Naughty Cal]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It is probably a previous report he has re-used and just changed the date and the name of the boat.

 

Or for the less cynical could just be a typo 

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Or for the less cynical could just be a typo 

It is a boat surveyor we are talking about !!!!

[tortuga guy]

Yes,  a typo it must be , it is a draft copy he asked me to read before he prints the hard copy, 

He also states that, " the weed hatch trunking is very low and needs to be higher but that otherwise that the splah plate, welds and water tight seal are in good condition with the quick locking mechanism free to turn and no sign of leakage".

then later on in the report it has a number 1 recommendation , 1 meaning urgent, and a i quote, " 1. higher the weed hatch sides to increase the free board to ten inches " , it is about 7 inches at the moment. would that mean that the arm of the splash plate needs needs extending too and can it be done on the water or out ?

any thoughts on that you fabulous people. 

THANK YOU all for all the replies so far

[Tony Brooks]

I think he is simply back covering. The 10"  thing is mandatory for hire boats and I suspect for RCD compliance. For private craft it is just advisory and best practice. Sounds very like my boat and as the hatch does not leak I am not worried about it. If you drive the boat with the weed hatch off then 10" freeboard will reduce the risk of flooding to a degree but I bet by not much.

If I could weld adequately then I could do it in the water but the welder may prefer not to. It could be awkward getting the welding gun into the rear corner joints ans along the horizontal seam.

If this is an insurance survey you may have no option other than to have it extended.

[tortuga guy]

Thank you mister brooks, it is a prior purchase survey , the insurance is apparently transferable the owner tells me and still has 8 months before re doing , i hope that will be ok when applying for the crt license, i will also have to have the boat taken out of water again soon anyway as i have to have it tranported from abc aldermaston to uxbridge, otherwise it needs to navigate the thames and i am not confident to do that , so could have the welding done then i suppose, this weed hatch business is important i realise but has left me perplexed as to how to go about it.

thanks

[Neil2]

I think some of you are being too charitable with all this talk of typos.

I've mentioned before that I have a copy of each of the three previous surveys done on our boat none of which concur on the diameter of the prop.

I have a lower opinion of (most) boat surveyors than I do of building surveyors and that's saying something. 

[tortuga guy]

Thank you mister brooks, it is a prior purchase survey , the insurance is apparently transferable the owner tells me and still has 8 months before re doing , i hope that will be ok when applying for the crt license, i will also have to have the boat taken out of water again soon anyway as i have to have it tranported from abc aldermaston to uxbridge, otherwise it needs to navigate the thames and i am not confident to do that , so could have the welding done then i suppose, this weed hatch business is important i realise but has left me perplexed as to how to go about it.

thanks

[Tony Brooks]

I am not going to give definitive advice but as  I said my weedhatch is very like yours and I am not concerned about it. I just make sure it seals properly. Only had the boat or about 18 years and it has not sunk yet. That means I have NOT had my boat altered!

Unless you are practical, can watertight weld, and have access to steel you do not have to be perplexed. Whoever you pay to do will do the worrying.

PS - I very much doubt the insurance is transferable. All the policies I have seen have the owner's/insuree's name on them. The company will want to know about criminal convictions, and where its kept etc.

[WotEver]

39 minutes ago, tortuga guy said:

this weed hatch business is important i realise but has left me perplexed as to how to go about it.

Like Tony B, our boat got an advisory note on each BSS that "Weed hatch should be raised by 50mm". We never did, the sky didn't fall in, the boat didn't sink. 

If the weed hatch lid fastens securely and doesn't leak then it matters not a jot if the upstand is 100mm or 300mm. Only if you were foolish enough to set off with the weed hatch uncovered might it make a difference and, as said, it's debatable if a higher upstand would make a huge difference. 

Unless your insurance company mentions it in their small print I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. 

If you do want to get it done then yes, it might be a bit easier for the welder when the boat is out of the water. 

[Tony Brooks]

I would add that one reason I have no intention of getting it done is because it makes it harder to get a the shaft or below it if needed to clear stuff or measure. On some boats it would make access impossible rather than very difficult.

[rusty69]

Just having our weed hatch increased in height due to surveyors recommendations. 

[WotEver]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Just having our weed hatch increased in height due to surveyors recommendations. 

It seems to be a popular item for them to pick up on currently. 

[rusty69]

Just now, WotEver said:

It seems to be a popular item for them to pick up on currently. 

Indeed. Its an insurance thing coupled with the higher water lines caused by the tons of crap people load on their boats these days. 

[tortuga guy]

Thank you Rusty, can you tell me the approximate price, where it is done and if you had to have it out of water?  Much appreciated 

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by tortuga guy

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, tortuga guy said:

Thank you Rusty, can you tell me the approximate price, where it is done and if you had to have it out of water?  Much appreciated 

It is out of the water. He is fitting a complete new hatch, probably would have been cheaper to alter the existing. 

[tortuga guy]

thank you Rusty, can you tell me how much its costing you , thanks

[Neil2]

This is what i mean about surveyors, just like building surveyors they often come up with some irrelevant nonsense that means nothing in the real world.   I agree it doesn't matter whether your upstand gives 7" clearance or 10", if you have a faulty hatch you are in trouble.   I did look at a boat once that had a mere 1" clearance which would have bothered me but some weed hatches are so deep these days I wonder how on earth folk manage to get anywhere near the prop with their bare hands. 

[rusty69]

Ours is certainly more difficult to access now. The blame is on the insurance co, not the surveyor. Probably due to the increasing number of idiots in charge of boats that leave their weed hatch out and then go for a cruise,resulting in a boat on the bottom of the canal. 

I should have got rid of it altogether in hindsight. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by rusty69

[cuthound]

ABC could weld your weed hatch when the boat comes out of the water for transportation.

Also tell the seller it needs doing and you want him to reduce the price to reflect it. He almost certainly will, if he thinks you may pull out of the sale.

Finally, get your own insurance, starting on the day of the sale. Insurance is not usually transferable and you don't want to risk it not being insured, or you could suffer a total loss.

Edited August 13, 2017 by cuthound
Seller, not buyer, doh!

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Also tell the buyer it needs doing and you want him to reduce the price to reflect it

??????????????????????????????

 

Could that be a typo for 'seller'

[cuthound]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

??????????????????????????????

 

Could that be a typo for 'seller'

Yup, too early in the morning for my brain to be fully engaged. I will edit my post.