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Repoet on Station masters ship, But not a lengthy scientific or complicated report. Arrived at the scene at 11,37am precisely. Had coffee, rolled a fag and then examined the situation. Engine had overheated badly and lost coolant. Engine I;m pretty certain has not suffered any damage as the oil has no sign of water in it, no steam from the exhaust and no exhaust pong emitting from the coolant fillers. One of two things happened to cause this overheat. Firstly I took both thermostats out and tested it in boiling water, ''No good'' so put housing back minus thermostats. Ran engine up, lovely apart from water pissistantly trickling out from below the filler cap on the thermostat housing. After a scientific examination and experimention of this unit it proved not to be filler cap seals but water leaking from the screwd thread where the short filler tube screws into the thermostat housing casting, couldn't do much about that without Barrus spares. Which happened first, either leaking water past this thread which caused a severe overheat which knackered the thermostats or the thermostat failed first causing enough overheat to destroy any sealant that was on the filler tube thread and causing that to leak. Anyway the nice Mr Station master is now on his way topping up his water now and then,''I hope'' and is going to order from Barras a new housing with threaded fill neck, two gaskets and two new thermostats, these of which he will now know how to renew. Lots of air was in the skin tank too. The End.

"Having taught your son for this year I have only just discovered who he is....................which speaks volumes for us both"

Nuneaton.

Here is a drone video of NB Alton breaking the ice on the embankment at Bollington during the cold snap earlier this year. Enjoy: Youtube clicky Mike

Now that is a strange first post

If the drawdown amount puts you over the tax limit, think about (if your very quick) drawdown an amount now, and another amount after 5th April - splitting it over two tax years.

An RE teacher I know wrote on the report of a boy who had the surname Cross - "A Cross we have to bear".

Preferably attended or visited very frequently. If not then onto a floating pontoon or with long metal poles hinged at the bank and boat end so it can rise and fall. Poles also prevent it riding over the bank. If all else failed then very long lines running a long way forward and aft in the manner of spring lines but then you need to take other precautions to stop it riding over the bank. If leaving a boat on a river in winter I would also try to rig a very strong flood line from a strong point on the boat that is not used by the ordinary lines and fairly high up on say a tree. Maybe on a canal boat the anchor chain and line could be used. The bumpy water chaps have to cope with rising and falling levels all the time - in fact twice a day. Next time you are at a harbour see how any boats against the quay are moored.

Wow! Such a beautiful love story with the significance in no regrets and what are the true values to be found in life. I adore the way you have shown us there can be beauty in each and every moment, especially when in crisis, depending on how a person views the situation, guess it's during these times that we feel connected with those around us hey, as folk actually stop what they are doing for a short time to meet or help another; leaves us feeling joyful to be human. What some may call a mistake others will term as life learning and a great way to spend one's time. As I have often found myself saying to my mother over the years, it may well be a mistake but it is mine to make! There's usually always a reward of some kind or another even if it isn't the reward we had in mind at the outset. I agree, I don't think anyone will argue that any time spent messing about on the river is time wasted, more it was time spent well, as you say. Thanks for taking the time to share and for putting yourself out there, such a thought provoking post. Hoping it gives all the nay sayers something to think about. Well said Sir, 'to golden moments'.

I just wanted to update everyone, after my surgery they told me that the cancer was limited to my bowels a type 2, it had not breached or spread to the lymph nodes (they removed 38 and no cancer cells), but there was concern about my lungs, a nodule had been noticed on the CT scan before the operation and afterwards on the post op CT scan it looked larger, a PET scan was ordered last week and yesterday I got the result, it is non cancerous, I am classed as at risk so every three months check up for the first year and blood tests every 2 months. Now I just need to deal with the loss and depression but at least my body isn't trying to kill me. So just recovering now.

Hello all , my first boat and decided to totally gut and refit here's a few pics let me know what you think so far

Fire and theft? Waste of money - who's going to steal your boat if it's on fire?

I'm not sure if this thread has now gone terminally OT, but just in case I'm allowed to bring it back on topic: Regarding confronting the vlockie at the time - I wonder would that advice still hold if the OP was a petite lady boater? Plenty of things which aren't best solved by confrontation at the time and far better handled by escalation to somebody who will understand and pay attention to your concerns. I have to admit that whilst I'm not one to back down, neither am I one to make a fight when it won't help - saying that you have to confront the vlockie at the time smacks a bit of the "outside now" school of conflict resolution! Being new to narrowboating I'm fully aware that I don't know it all and whilst I'm already pretty proficient at the technical issues involved in single handing through locks I don't necessarily understand all the subtleties of water conservation, hence I'm more than happy to take advice. As a single hander (mostly) I'm also more than happy to accept help when it is helpful. I don't think I've yet encountered an official vlockie, but I did get help going down most of Tardebigge which I was very grateful for - I lent a windlass to one chap who was setting the locks ahead whilst another couple closed the gates behind me. I'm always more than happy to accept an offer to close the gates after leaving a lock, which I find to be the most awkward part of single handing. However if the lock has my boat in it then it's MY lock and I'm in control of it, that is quite clearly the way it works.

If you are unsure, ask. Lock-keepers, boatyard owners, other boaters, the older the better. I know the Thames, but was always wary on a river that I didn't know. But don't be put off, rivers are much more fun than the 'Stagnant Ditch'. Your boat will tell you that.

Sorry - but that makes me feel a little better.

No, not being flippant. I think the size depends on the number of parameters and volume of data. But within the size of a PC, definitely. Maybe not for an arduino, depends. At least there is no need for fast processing as batteries don’t change second by second. But I don’t think a Kalman filter is relevant. That is for processing several dimensions of data in the presence of noise, and predicting the outcome. It should be possible to measure the necessary parameters with very little noise.

You can take 25% tax free from drawdown, and the rest (over the personal allowance) is taxable in the ordinary way.

An English teacher reported of me that "he hasn't much imagination" I took it as a compliment.

It makes total sense. If CRT believe them not to be fit for purpose because they don’t comply with the specification then they can’t use them. To do so would be to accept they are fit for purpose. They could fit some temporary non-heritage ones while they resolve the issue but then you will have to pay for that so they have chosen not to because they know that will make you angry. JP

I had a good report for PE. Strange, I hadn't attended the class all term, I was up in the library, doing 'homework'..

Thanks again for all input. I have now ordered the 'crowsfoot' sockets Gathered the valve seating gear, found the 40+ year old torque spanner etc., got gasket set, washers and thingies for injectors. Will certainly do the injectors. Have considered doing stud removal in-situ but would not be easy. Also, knowing that head has not been removed for 20+ years am curious as to the condition of things inside. The condition of the engine has not given me cause for concern up to now. Good starting, Quiet running. Only one tappet slightly louder than the rest which gives a certain rhythm to things (yes I will attempt to sort that out). Fuel consumption excellent at about 1 L per hour. Virtually no oil loss between oil changes. Many thanks to all, Colin

I think its been answered? This is usualy caused by people tying soundly up to a non rise and fall mooring and leaving the boat. The river comes up and the boat gets swamped and goes down. Its a common occurence over the years. I am not stating thats what has happened here but would not be suprised. We never leave our boat unattended on a river unless we know categoricaly the river is going to be benign and then never for more than a few hours.

I was thinking this myself, or drilling the old stud out meticulously and clearing the existing thread with a tap. One issue may be access but preferable to disturbing the head gasket.

no one has mentioned candles in flowerpots

Ah, thanks for ruling that one out. I can't image how it would feel to come back to your boat and find her like that.

Well, hopefully none of us will do a real world trial to explore the advantages or disadvantages of any particular anchor when deploying in and emergency fashion from an out of control narrowboat being carried by the flow of a river. Its all a bit "chuck it and hope" so all we can really do is keep an open mind and consider other opinion, tempered with the fact that all the various tests are done to assess performance in a different environment and almost all of the anchoring experience is also from that different environment. Only one thing is for sure: none of them are a bit of good if they're not onboard, not rigged ready for quick deployment, or not securely fastened to something they're not going to take with them!

So far, none. if and when there is one, I’ll let you know.

Worcs CC website shows the road is closed.

Exciting?

Haven't been on the water enough recently to be able to contribute but be ready for the 'sharing that will means it will no longer stays pretty' brigade!

Machine Mart: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-crows-foot-imperial-wrench-set-8-piece/ Richard

Mogul (I think that's dickhead in Swahili). Apparently all the present incumbents have codenames starting with 'M': Wiki is your friend. linky to wikipedia

You're in a feckin' lifeboat and you're worrying about s#it like this?! Get off the internet and on to your radio - make the Mayday call and then get some flares up!!

Thanks for raisin' the issue .......

Iain Jones,Shobnall Marina Burton on Trent,did my last survey and B.S.S.have booked him again,nice chap,strikes me as a one of the good guys.???

The bubble tester enables BSS Examiners not have to be Gas Safe registered when a gas system soundness test is conducted. Their many limitations are therefore conveniently ignored. N

Part of the reason to go public first, is to gauge whether I am overreacting or not. Note that I have not named or described the chap, except that he is one of the many volunteers at Atherstone. Yes I could have taken it further at the time but, bearing in mind his body language, rightly or wrongly I decided that it wouldn’t be an easy path and would end up in a shouting match. Better that advice on his conduct comes from his supervisor. As to your last sentence, I am so glad that you find me entertaining.

£900 you should consider yourself lucky. If you bought the rest of the boat it would have been considerably more!!

It's never been accepted practice to leave gates open at Hillmorton - or at least not in the eyes of the OCC or BWB. After the retirement of the last employed lock keeper (Mr Payne IIRC) then the job of making sure at least the bottom locks were watertight fell semi-officially to the occupants of Canal House - 'cos back then people cared about everybody else's boats moored in the pound and didn't want them sat at silly angles with snapped ropes in the morning. Gates being left open "because it's traditional" seems more prevalent (at least to my memory) now than it was in the 1970s - yet pretty well every boatman's skill, especially in respect of working boats and locks quickly and efficiently, seems to have almost completely died out.

Simple answer, I never shut gates when leaving a lock*, unless I can see that the other end is leaking or someone is right up my jacksie. Been doing it this way for 50 years not changing now. * I do reverse locks when needed such as on Anglian rivers.

Hi Jason, I'm afraid that I missed the shenanigans when the forum was (rightly and wrongly) telling you that you must be mad. Rightly because your project was a hopeless case, and wrongly because given your circumstances it was absolutely the right thing to do to pursue the hopeless case. The reason that I missed it, is the reason that I am exempt from your restrictions on what people can say, namely that I had recently lost my Wife to Cancer after 17 years together, and wasn't following the forum as avidly as usual. Time doesn't heal. Time cannot make your life what it was before. Time can and does slowly carry away the worst of the grief, and enable you to go on with your life and to build a new life within the new reality. The point to make is that whether the hand that we are dealt in life is good or bad, it is what we have. It is the new reality, and we can only try to make the best of it. When Bev died in August 2017, this wasn't our first trip on this particular roller coaster. We'd been there before in 2010 when her son was killed in Afghanistan, and in 2000 when her first husband took his own life. Bev and I had the pleasure of owning a boat for 15 years, and making many happy memories, but the happiest memory is the last one where she overcame kidney problems for long enough to join us on one final trip to Ellesmere Port before the Cancer took hold and she had to leave part way through for what proved to be a final spell in hospital. I'm not in the same situation as you, as I have a job, I'm not ill, and whilst I don't have children of my own, I do have a stepdaughter, son-in-law and two grandsons. I count my blessings there. I also make sure that I get out of the house. Friendship won't find you. You must find it. Go looking for things that you can do out of the house. I also have every intention of continuing to boat. Bev and I enjoyed it together. It sounds like you an Paola did too for the limited time you shared it. If that is still a dream for you, then go for it. If it is a dream that isn't constrained by the timescales of a terminal prognosis, do try to do it sensibly :-) Anyway, I know that I'm not the first to offer, but if you fancy a trip out for a widowers' cruise, I'm not a million miles for SoT and I would certainly try to make you welcome for a mix of sad tales and forced merriment. Dave