Leaderboard

They both ended up in my workshop. Best preserved engines I ever saw. They sat for 55 years in the same heated facility, meticulously maintaned. One has 560 and the other 580 hours on the meter, and they start and run like new engines. I got them with clear engine oil, fresh radiator fluid, clean airfilters, and almost like they came from the factory only last month. The dieselpumps are still covered in their factory wax coating, and pristine and shiny under it. Only flaw I can find with them is that one of the generators regulate the output at a somewhat higher voltage than nominal, 250V instead of 230. Probably due to a dried up condenser or something in the 55 year old regulator. They also came with a couple of sturdy ASEA 3 phase transformers to 400V of the same vintage, but without control/instrument cabinets. As they used to be part of the UPS system for DECCA Navigators Skagerak-chain of radio beacons, and had the controls integrated in the main cabinets. They were the emergency back up for Violet Slave Årjang, to be precise. I’m going to build new cabinets and dieseltanks for them, preserve them, and keep them in my collection until I get an offer I can’t refuse. Or get old enough to find out that it’s time to downsize. They’re a joy in that state, plain and simple. Museum quality items.

Some people do it frequently. They are called "serial off-fenders"

Sorry its been a while, but I now have a boat Exhire - good conversation with surveyor and doughts put to bed or sorted. Brillient and testing journey from Coventry canal to Yorkshire Calder & Hebble. Started to make it "ours", the real captain! she does know how to "change things inside" Thank you all for your advice, I have loads of questions I will bore you with later

I found the same about ABNB, but bought my boat from GHBS, which went well despite my trepidation from what I had read about them on here. At the end of the day, it is better to buy the boat you really want from wherever it is on sale, rather than restrict yourself to the very few excellent brokers. Only if you are really lucky will the boat you really want will be available from the broker you really want to use.

The Festival d'Orleans on the Loire last September, with one of the boats arriving, and the horses used in the demonstration of how boat horses were ferried across the river. The final photo is of the aqueduct at Maintenant, which carried an uncompleted canal for supplying water to the Palace at Versailles. The canal was designed by Vauban, who is best known for his design of fortifications, and the aqueduct dates from 1684-1688.

? This is a sine of the times ... ? (With apologies to the artist formerly known as Prince!)

Sorry about that, and I can't blame the spell checker. A few more photos of last September in Orleans to compensate. The locks up to the summit of the Canal d'Orleans, a disused lock on the River Cher, and a narrow lock on the Canal de la Sauldre.

You get 24 times as many amps, obviously!

And one can only guess how happy I am to see this thread resurrected with an about-face of news, and those wonderful pics! And, just to gild the lily - we are at Lemonroyd, and the visitor moorings are reserved for Commercial Traffic 22<>24th September. Deep joy

Some rotten boater who leaves his fenders down to get ripped off in locks and you have picked the remains up on your blade. The gland packing is at the opposite end of the shaft bearing, no way it could get out at the back end. If it ever did, boy, would you know, the water would be up to your knees.

Delighted to see the change. It's a real phoenix from the ashes moment. Here's some pics to celebrate with:

Left Wednesday, loaded Thursday morning and arrived back at Ocean Lock, Goole for 18.45. A strong spring tide meant that we saw 10.9 knots opposite Swineshead and for most of the return trip we were above 10 knots – and that wasn't running at full power. The trip is taking about 2hrs 50 mins each way with these decent tides. AC aggregates are already asking for 1000 tons a week at Leeds. We loaded 400 tons in Albert Dock yesterday just to be on the safe side as the depth on the A&C needs testing before 500 ton loads become the norm. This sea-dredged sand appears bulkier that the previous material from Besthorpe, taking up more room in the hold, but it is very dry at the moment. Going up the canal Monday, as you say, leaving 08.00 and tying up above Lemonroyd for the night ready for a wee bit of a shindig upon arrival in Leeds for 10.00 on Tuesday morning. After that it should be business as usual: 8 hours up the canal loaded; 6 hours to return to Goole unloaded. It's hoped that Goole – Hull – Goole can be completed on one complete tide cycle leaving on a falling tide and returning on the incoming tide. If this works in practice then the efficiency and fuel saving will be brilliant. Farndale H (Branford Barge Owners) and Fusedale H (Humber Barges) will be sharing the work in the first instance. Branford Barge Owners have Humber Renown and Fossdale H in reserve should the the tonnage become unmanageable for two vessels.

Thank you to everyone for their help. @Tony Brooks - you were correct. I looked at the coolant level in the engine, added 3 litres to top it up! Ran the engine, bled the air out using the gate valve a few times, and voila, we have hot water. I haven’t had a chance to check since the engine cooled, but suspect it will need a bit more top up. I have found the bottom pipe connection on the gate valve is leaking, tried tightening but suspect it needs replacing.

That makes perfect sense plus the various examples you made above are thoughtfully written in a way that us newbie fickies can understand. Very helpful indeed @Dr Bob Very best, Andrew P.S. Now we're cooking on gas ?

I suspect this is the work of the anonymous M spell checker

Note that a 5-battery bank becomes a 10-battery bank if you go for Trojan T105s as they’re 6V batteries. It’s easy to overlook that when you’re budgeting for space and cost.

The % SoC you can safely discharge down to depends on the lead acid battery type. Most "leisure" batteries are rebadged starter batteries with thin plates, so 50% depth of discharge and limited cycles for longer life of 2-4 years. Trojans are semi traction batteries with thicker plates, so can go down to 25% SoC and can deliver more cycles. Typical life is 10 years Finally you can get traction batteries. Very thick plates and deliver many cycles.The ones I used to work with had a capacity test to 0% every 2 years and used lsst 25 years plus. With AGMs you tend to get what you pay for. My boat was fitted with Lifeline AGMs when I bought it, which have an excellent reputation in the salty marine and critical power industry. They are now in their 13th year, and still have over the 50% of original capacity left. However they are not cheap. When they fail they will be replaced by Trojans, or LifePO4 if off the shelf drop in systems are available at reasonable prices by then.

We took the winter moorings at Devizes Wharf 2018/19, found it was very good and easy for the shops. If you need fuel,coal or any thing else from chandlers Victoria & Spencer from The Boatyard will deliver by truck as they can't get the fuel boat Aquilon up that way due to stoppages.

Part of the learning curve as a new boater is coming to the understanding that a lot of people in the Inland waterways boating business hate boaters! It's difficult to think of another area where business people have such disdain for their customers.

Bimble have offered very dubious advice on occasions, I have had to get customers to send stuff back and exchange it for a better fit which wont blow up the controller before now. Bimble offer the best prices for what they stock. But dont buy the kits, buy what is best for you.

So I guess you could say he was up-cycling...