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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/03/19 in all areas

  1. Regarding his comment never to use working boats to refuel. I think this is a bit unfair. We always our local fuel boat and have never had any problems. We always use them as they have nice clean plastic bunds which are all but emptied each run and filled up with fresh diesel before the next run so you always get fresh and clean diesel, something which can't be said about some yards
    4 points
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  3. I’m not sure moving round london in a widebeam can be called easy....just because it fits through a lock doesn’t mean it’s suitable for the waterway concerned.
    4 points
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  5. Hi all, I am a new boater, excited to be on the canals, enjoying the experience, and learning a lot in a short period of time. After a recent visit from a River Canal Rescue (RCR) engineer, who was very helpful, I found myself in need of a tank clean and an informal recommendation to use Tankbusters. As this seems to be an issue many boaters will come across at some point I thought an honest review of the Tankbusters service and what to expect from their pricing would be useful. I've seen a request on this forum for advice too. I called Bruce from Tankbusters and after a pleasant phone call ended with a quote for cleaning the fuel tank on my narrowboat which amounted to £275 for a "base clean and removal of contaminants", plus extras and the hire of their generator, filters and £0.22 per mile for travel. A few days later Bruce and his Wife arrived in their van. The actual tank cleaning was pleasant enough. We helped with the fetching and carrying of equipment from the van, the Tankbusters along with a very friendly fellow boater helped us pull my boat a short distance to the nearest bridge. Before Bruce started I asked how much the actual total would come to and in a joking way Bruce told me a story about a large river boat "at least twice the size of yours" whose tank he had recently cleaned "they had change from a grand" at the end of the process. This was given across with a joking reassuring tone the implication being "so yours will be nothing like that". With the £275 quote at the time I was assured that all would be well. During the cleaning conversation flowed, and I kept the tea and biscuits coming. The Tankbusters gave me a few samples of the nitrile gloves they were using, we used my power cable for their generator. For interest, the process was simple, a generator runs a pump connected to a long metal nozzle and a filter, sucks up the diesel, filters it and runs it back into the tank. This is repeated as required. At the end of the cleaning (approx two hours) I was given three diesel samples from my tank, a sample pre-cleaning, a sample post-cleaning and one Tankbusters considered as minimal requirements for any diesel we put into the tank. I was advised strongly against taking fuel from any work narrowboats on the canal and informed I should take the "minimum requirement" sample to any refueling station from here on in and not to refuel if the diesel was dirtier than the sample. When it came to starting the engine up, the Tankbusters sprayed a little quick-start to get things moving. We helped pack the gear away I was given an invoice for the job (which I confess I did not pay close enough attention to - it was getting dark and I wanted to move the boat to out of sight of the bridge to moor overnight. We said goodbye with the understanding we would take care of payment the next day. The next day I looked at the invoice for the service, this amounted to £679.70 The original quote was £275 The extras had totaled £407.70 Water filters (£192) 1 micron filter bags (£68) Fuel additive (£24) All year fuel additive (£18) Generator (£12.50) Mileage had been added at 0.55p a mile. (£90.20) I called Bruce to discuss the invoice, he insisted that I has misheard the cost per mile for travel, I had written this down during the quote conversation and certainly would not have been happy with 0.55 a mile. I also communicated that I believed he had over charged me for an extra set of filters (£94) which had not been used and also that I believed he had misrepresented the final cost of the job when he had given me the quote. He told me the invoice was correct and that he cannot give a full quote at the time of quoting as he does not know the full extent of the job before arriving. Personally I think it would be an honest better practice to give the price of the filters and a general impression of the final cost. Also to give the correct price for mileage. The next day Bruce called and informed me the 4 water filters were added accidentally to the invoice and he would subtract them from the total. I requested an updated invoice to reflect this which I would pay. Bruce demanded I paid the full amount before sending the invoice and after a back and forth of text messages Bruce agreed to produce the invoice. I pressed the point for an invoice as by this time I was concerned at the amount of trust I should have and I wanted to cover myself in case something more were to happen. Bruce emailed the invoice through, a total of £583.70 (still a £308,70 difference) & I paid. On a personal note, I would consider that if the 'extras' for a job are to exceed the quoted price to this extent then an explanation of these costs of those extras should be explained at the time of the quote. The jovial demeanour and impression over the phone in my case certainly did not reflect this and was, in my opinion a calculated decision. Now I must stress that this was my personal experience and I have no experience with any of the Tankbusters team beyond Bruce. Obviously it goes without saying that you are free to make your own choices. My sincere hope is that my experience is useful to anyone who is looking to have their tank cleaned in the future. As a new boater (and as such in a vulnerable position) I certainly would have benefited from this information and I would have made a very different decision at the time. It is probably obvious that I had a disappointing experience here but I have tried to be as objective as possible so other boaters might benefit from the experience either way. Happy boating!
    2 points
  6. I find it slightly irritating that I as a boater with around 50 years experience can’t work this lock with my boat in it, whilst some random person perhaps never been boating can do a brief course of training and then be let loose on it without really understanding what is going on. Of course some volunteers do know what they are doing, but the threshold of knowledge and capability is very low and there are plenty who don’t.
    2 points
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  9. I know. He wanted a comparison between a mains fridge quoted at 64kWhrs per year and Tony's figures for a 12V fridge of between 30 and 50Ahrs per day. I converted the 12V fridge consumption values to kwHrs per year, which is how mains fridges are usually described.
    2 points
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  11. Hi everyone, I'm Laura, currently cruising on the GUC, initially as a trial to see if I could hack it. I'm still very much a newbie with lots to learn but I'm absolutely loving it. This winter was very kind to me but I'll be totally ready for the next. I've caught the bug and I've just had an offer accepted (subject to a pre-purchase survey) for a 58ft narrow boat so I want to immerse myself in (hopefully not canal water) the ins and out of boat maintenance and life. Maybe one day I'll even even be able to pay forward some of the fantastic advice I've already had through searches on this site! Laura ;0)
    2 points
  12. VW Passat = Expensive Skoda Audi A4 = Very expensive Skoda Get over the badge snobbery and buy a Skoda? You'll get more toys and a big boot for less money.
    2 points
  13. The most important thing from April is the mandatory CO detectors......at last
    2 points
  14. The straight answer is yes. Well, at least probably, in most people's mind. I think it's probably best to get your head around different categories or groups rather than hierarchy. Different types appeal to different people. So very vaguely (and maybe slightly tongue in cheek);- Ex-working boats - a bubble of its own inhabited by people who don't know any other type of boat exists. Keep out. Enthusiast boats - built by a long standing boat builder with a nod to tradition. Will have a proper traditional stern with a boatman's (back) cabin and a slow revving engine in it's own engine room. More frequent examples on market will be Norton Canes, Les Allen, Canal Transport Services but also renowned boat builders like Roger Farrington, Roger Fuller and Steve Priest and a few others are out there. May all look overpriced to you. Bling boat - the boating equivalent of a mock Tudor mansion. Pretensions to the above and of a high quality but including fake rivets and exaggerated steelwork features. Examples are SM Hudson, RW Davis, Barry Hawkins. The latter two branded some boats as "Northwich Trader". The owners of this type of craft believe they are at the top of the hierarchy. Good solid boats - could be any style but will probably have a modern reliable Japanese engine in a box or under the rear deck, quite possibly a Beta Marine (marinised Kubota). Probably a bit contentious to list but maybe Orion, or a shell by Colecraft fitted out by others. May have non-traditional signwriting. A sin in the eyes of owners of the first two categories. The interior will be wood and will not be white. Exterior may be overly polished on some examples. London liveaboard - mutton dressed as lamb. White panelled interior, modern appliances, big tiles in bathroom. Like a floating flat. Operational engine an optional extra, any number available on market. Probably an old example of the above that's outlived it's natural purpose on the canals. Ex-hire boat - a misunderstood type of boat that is looked down on by owners of blingy boats and shiny examples of good solid boats. Good examples can become excellent liveaboard boats. May be a better bet than above type. Springer - the exception that proves the rule. Thank God. JP
    2 points
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  16. Never got the taste for the 'black-stuff'. The recipe for which was stolen from the Welsh by Arthur Guinness in the 1750's Locals from Llanfairfechan, near Bangor, claim to have identified the site of a tavern from where they claim Arthur Guinness stole the recipe for his famous stout in the 1750s. The Guinness company was this weekend unable to discount the theory. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/mar/12/jonathancook.theobserver We would take the train from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin. It always 'tickled me' that in England a 'family train ticket was for 2 adults and 2 children, but in Ireland it is for 2 adults and 4 children.
    1 point
  17. We are both wasting our time . Why should the OP take our advice based upon decades of experience? it seems eveyone is an expert when it comes to finishing wood and there are plenty of manufacturers out there prepared to take advantage of their lack of knowledge and skill.
    1 point
  18. The losses are apportioned to whatever caused you to have it switched on 24/7 in the first place
    1 point
  19. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  20. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  21. 10/10 for the correct answer and showing your working. ✔️ Jen ?
    1 point
  22. I think there might be two "l's" and a "u" missing from the highlighted word ?
    1 point
  23. That'll be the little chappies! A full range of adaptors and plug in USB sockets, etc, are available. Water resistant too.
    1 point
  24. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  25. I drive a Skoda Yeti there is no equivalent in either the VW or Audi range. Reason being it takes the best parts from more than one VW model which in the drive towards single platforms across the makes meant it was dropped
    1 point
  26. It's very difficult, in fact almost impossible. The only time I ever managed to get a replacement car battery out of a supplier was when the "battery technician" put a drop tester on my faulty (low voltage caused by a duff cell as evidenced by the sg readings) and as he went to remove the tester, I held his hands so he couldn't take the drop tester off. Within seconds the acid from the faulty cell erupted over the bench. He couldnt explain away why it had only happened to that one cell and thus was forced to give me a new battery.
    1 point
  27. I made these two up over several lunch breaks at work I used 6mm for the side plates a truck wheel brace that I cut and modified for the pins, bending the plates I marked off the bends then used a 1mm cutting disc to cut 3/4 of the way through then bent to shape welded up slits and ground off. 10mm steel rod was used for the rivers with 9 10mm washer’s as spaces. Steel box was used instead of wood for the inner and 3mm steel for the spring. The boxes are now a lot smaller in height as they will only sit on the roof and looked a bit silly being that high. Good luck though. Darren
    1 point
  28. Pawls should be left off as then you know that the paddle hasn't been left up notch or two. I see it all the time here paddle looks down but isn't and the muppet that is trying to fill the lock just stands there wondering why he cant open the top gate, meanwhile the pound has dropped a foot.
    1 point
  29. OK makes more sense now you have edited your post. I had not put 2&2 together and realised he was looking for comparisons - I just answered his question. Well done for interpretation.
    1 point
  30. We used Tankbusters in late 2017, again on the recommendation of RCR. I think the guy we dealt with was called Phil. Can't remember the exact quote and price but I think we were clear in expecting that there might be an extra charge for extra filters if needed. The total cost was more like £400, which I don't recall being an unpleasant surprise (although it was of course an unwelcome expense!) Quoting a 'base price' and treating so many essentials as 'extras' does seem a bit off and is surely guaranteed to wind customers up. Maybe you should leave a review on their Facebook page, if they have one? It might just make them think twice about their approach to quoting for jobs.
    1 point
  31. Well its all about boats / history /boatbuilding and stuff. Some of those north country keels and canal craft seem to have had a family resemblance to the Dutch Tjalk and maybe some of the Viking craft and Yorkshire cobles. On the face of it a narrowboat and a prawner haven't got a lot in common but just a few strands of DNA might be shared, who knows, the bloke who drew out the fore end of an FMC boat might have been a Viking on holiday in Saltley.
    1 point
  32. I read it as the OP considering the shortest journey by lorry between the two systems but has yet to grasp the distance by truck in the UK makes only a marginal difference in cost.
    1 point
  33. Invoice the greedy blighters for the use of your cable, fetching and carrying, tea and biscuits, plus your time making and serving it and gas used for making it and for water pump use and washing up liquid used for washing up.
    1 point
  34. Both the bottom trunnion and the king pin were subject to wear, especially if not lubricated. Most wear was on he trunion, though, as it was bronze. The problem often went undetected until failure, as the torsion bar keeps the joint in tension,so that usually no play is detectable with the car jacked up, unless jacked under the lower suspension arm. Quick test is a lever under trunnion against wheel. It was possible to get trunnions with a smaller threaded hole in them, and machine the king pin under size. If that was done, one also was supposed to paint the whole assemby red. Very seldom done, as it was a lot quicker to just change the king pin, if necessary, along with the trunnions, and leave everything standard size.
    1 point
  35. 1 point
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  37. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  38. In my experience it’s as rubbish as most other exterior finishes since it was reformulated to reduce the VOC content. Used outside it peels and cracks, which it didn’t used to do. It also obscures the wood grain as opposed to enhancing it. Nope, but I have used LeTonkenois and that gives an excellent finish. Here it is on some mahogany (well, utile actually)
    1 point
  39. Not just the width to consider as when you get up north you need to think about maximum length as well.
    1 point
  40. The wheel and suspension used to break away at the top, leaving the wheel flat on the floor. No idea exactly what failed to cause it though.
    1 point
  41. Jesus wept, errr I mean good luck (you'll need it).
    1 point
  42. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  43. £175. Chris Williams, ovation boat services. We are not live aboard but I know Chris is qualified for it and afaik it doesn’t affect the price.
    1 point
  44. Random thoughts: Decide whether you want to spend your time working on your engine or living. If the latter get one with a Beta engine. Decide your boat population. The more people you have the more careful you will have be with configuration of space. Get the best hull (in terms of age & quality of maintenance) that you can afford. Get an epoxied hull if possible. Get a young-ish boat. Get a boat with no well-known faults. eg bad access to the weed hatch, poor access to the engine, etc. Get a boat from a quality rather than fashionable manufacturer ie Colecraft. For me known history was very important so I bought a sailaway. But I agree with the idea that when you see a boat it usually strikes you as being, definitely wrong even when you can't put your finger on why, an uninspiring may-be, or definitely exciting.
    1 point
  45. OK, you are going about this the wrong way. First off, you don't need a boat. We don't need a boat. Most people here don't need a boat - we are not fishermen or delivering bulk cargo. So owning a boat is not a logical thing What's going to happen is, you are going to end up with a comprehensive list of wants and needs and things to avoid. You'll find boats that match that list, and you won't like them Then you'll visit a boat that is well off your list, and you'll love it. You'll make allowances because it's got the 'wrong' engine/inverter/windows/toilet/whatever because you love it Forget the do's and don't, go and look at boats. That way your boat will find you This is not the first (or probably the hundredth) time we have been through this here Get in the car, go and look at boats Richard
    1 point
  46. Floating boats on the top. Sunk boats on the bottom.
    1 point
  47. Scruffy boats are best. Then come boats with logs on the roof. After that, anything with a motorbike on the back. Internally, you can judge a boat by the number of musical instruments it holds. Obviously, if the engine goes thronk ponk rather than tickertickerticker you've got a winner. Will that do?
    1 point
  48. Why don't you just be more open and name the builder, then people will let you know if they have had any dealings with him in regards to buying a boat or re-fit work, or is that too simple.
    1 point
  49. I'm in the same boat (ish), or will be when the time comes to hand the money over. Having built 2 houses from scratch, I suspect the rule of the jungle is the same across many (if not all) industries: Don't pay for anything in advance. Pay staged payments of course but your contractor should be secure enough to sustain short financial hits whilst completing the 'stage' and then ask for payment. It shows they are in a healthy state, I would suggest. Now life isn't always this simple, is it? There is another way (around it), two in fact: IF......you have to pay in advance to fulfill your dream, then pay via credit card or via Escrow. Why CC: because effectively you are paying for the product through a reputable 3rd party (the bank) and if the wheel comes off, you simply claim it all back from the bank (this has happened twice to my house windows and a fitted kitchen - both companies went bust before delivery and after I had paid for them!). It is a simple process and 100% effective as you simply send your complaint to the ombudsman and they deal with the bank not the absent supplier. Why Escrow: the money sits in a reliable and independent holding account and can only be transferred to the supplier as and when the work has been agreed and approved. IF your supplier cannot commit to any of these: staged payment/CC's/Escrow....then you definitely have the wrong supplier and I for one would not touch them with a barge pole!!!
    1 point
  50. Hi, joined a week or so ago. I am first engineer on a gas bunker vessel (big tanker). I have boated on canals a few times and find it a massive stress reliever. Intend to buy a boat when I have learnt more about narrowboat life and had a couple more hires under my belt. regards
    1 point
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