Leaderboard

Evening, it's a few years since I've posted on here, and I've sold my boat now but always browse and this problem rings a bell with me. About 2012 I was, I think on the Wenford Arm crawling towards the end, when my engine sounded like I'd cruised over a Tesco trolley. An awful grinding metallic noise so I shut the engine off and checked the prop. Nothing. Came on Canalworld for advice. Told to check around the Skeg. Nothing. I informed everyone that I couldn't even turn the prop shaft in neutral with a pair of stilsons. Told that the gearbox was then the likely cause. So after a while I started pumping more and more grease into the stern gland and gradually, using the stilsons, it freed itself. I was told by another boater, who had a similar problem that he had a lot of grit between his prop and stern tube. Worth a go I suppose before the gearbox gets dismantled.

I didn’t want to stir it up again though. I just wanted to say that I’ve only just read this lot and wanted to say thank you for the support and validating my belief that we didn’t do anything wrong. Just hope I don’t bump into the angry little man again! (Or vice versa!)

Would it stand a knock from Steve Heywood?

Not sure I agree! This weekend last year, we put the house up for sale, within two days we had sold at full asking price, which we had thought was optimistic, and the purchaser wanted to be in for Christmas. We lined up three possible boats so we would be ready to run when we exchanged. Come 1st December, we thought we’d be good until the new year, but then suddenly got told on the 10th, exchange today or its all off! Luckily all three of our short list were still available, so we offered low on all of them and took the best deal, had her skippered from Cheshire to Worcester and moved aboard on the winter solstice! The rest as they say, is history...

Has the engine been runwhilst the boat has been moored? I would not be happy if it has not been I'm also concerned about the lack of servicing. Proceed with caution on this boat. I would still go and have a look at other boats at around the same price and up to £10k more. The more boats you see the more you will understand about them.

I bet I could widen al the locks and wreck all the bridges...................................................Il get me coat................

I thought that boats were the ones that wot went under the water

Off topic but the best example of experienced boater (Not) was a couple I knew who lived on a boat for years making the occasional trip down the river. They saved up for ages to go on a year's cruise around the country and set off one Easter. By coincidence I caught up with them on the Rochdale. Going down into Manchester they were one lock ahead. Five locks down I heard their screams of despair. "Oh no the engine has seized up.... our lives are ruined," they cried. Looking at the situation and considering where we where I suggested it may be something large wrapped around the prop and they should look down the weed-hatch. "Weed-hatch, what's that?" they replied. After removing an old donkey jacket they carried on and fulfilled their dream

Or to put it another way, when someone uses the I’ve had 40 years line, I often think ‘no mate, you’ve had one years experience 40 times’

Yep. That guy whose best insult he could muster is “you shitbag”. How embarrassing. I should have done better.

I'm at Alrewas and the river section is currently 'Proceed with Caution'. I came through 2 days ago with no trouble

There is such a lack of properties coming on the market unless its a turkey it will sell quick. Imo. Has the boat been blacked at decent intervals? Is it sitting next to shorepower feeds? Has it a galvanic protector?

Same here, I have had a lump of wood more than once, the water down there is normally quite clear, you need to check right down to the bottom of the prop on the skeg

Hope its just a jammed prop. Why do these things always happen when the weather is foul???

You missed Post No 6 then?!!

When it stops raining I'm back to the boat to replace the flywheel housing. Very similar but different make to existing one. The housing incorporates the rear mounting lugs. The lugs need to be drilled to accept the 12mm flexible mounting studs. The flexible mounts have a little lateral adjustment but no fore and aft adjustment. The front engine mount positions is effectively fixed (the mounts are presently loose}. The fixing holes for all four flexible mounting are existing. I'm thinking of :- 1. Lifting engine 2. Installing flexible mounts with bolts nipped up 3. Dab of Engineers Blue on top of rear 12mm studs 4 Lowering engine (with slight angle to front) until front studs enter brackets and rear lugs rest on rear studs (leaving a smudge of Blue (hopefully) ) 5. Raise engine, remove flywheel housing and drill holes. Can anyone suggest another way? I hope the above is sufficiently clear. I don't have any photos The engine is a BMC 1.8. The housing is a Calcutts item The original housing is an unknown make. Frank

I'm surprised you managed to get the bottom gate open.

I think @mrsmelly's point was that learning how to handle a boat in the relatively safe environment of a narrow canal doesn't develop the skills/knowledge that you might encounter in other environments, or when the unexpected arises. You don't necessarily have to have crossed the Atlantic single handed to gain credibility, but I know plenty of folk who would described themselves as "experienced" who never stray more than a few days from their home mooring. We spent a day back in August in the company of a guy who kept describing himself as an "experienced narrowboater". Coming up through the Cheshire locks it was clear that he was anything but, and when we approached Harecastle I asked him if he had ever been through the tunnel. No, he replied, I've never actually been through any tunnels... To be fair, it takes a lot of time to gain extensive experience on the inland waterways, time that most folk don't have. But most narrowboaters could do with being a little more humble, and Mr Haywood is a glaring example.

Very true, and in addition there is a further cohort of narrowboaters who will tell you they have been boating 40 years, whilst demonstrating they have learned NOTHING during that time.

Luckily, nobody has invented a 70'X 14' printer yet......

Will they be able to print an unoccupied mooring space?

Alice is the name of a disease, so I believe. Christopher Robin went down with it.