Leaderboard

I really don't agree with you. Welding in steel sheet to replace large bus windows would, I expect, involve considerable stripping out of the interior in the window area to prevent heat damage to panels, insulation etc. This would not be a straightforward job that could be undertaken during a typical repaint as far as I am aware. Not an issue with a shell but very tricky with a fitted boat. I think the Kedian insert panels would be straightforward to fit and would look amazing when painted.

? It's a 22 foot cruiser, it might have an outboard on it so all your waffle could easily be irrelevant, it would have a separate petrol tank no fan belts etc. The original question was what river do I need to go on which is the Trent of course, if they are asking questions like that the answer really is a trailer home is best for you

This one isn't needless but its useless

Especially in a new to you boat. The Trent requires hours of engine running at sustained load and shows up any cooling problems it might have. An overheated engine on a tidal river is not a pleasant experience. Lots of boats do the Trent each year without incident, but there are some right epics too. Not a good place for your first boating experience. Definitely stick to the canals, though there are short lengths of non tidal Trent to negotiate between Beeston and Derwent Mouth and also at Alrewas, which can be dicey in high water and impassible in flood. After you've done this trip, you'll be a boating old hand and more ready to tackle bigger and tidal river stretches. Jen

You seem to be missing the point of the Kedian insert. It is designed specifically so that it can be installed in an existing lined out boat, with minimal disruption to adjacent material, and without the need for hot processes. Of course its a compromise, and of course there are other ways of doing the job. But that doesn't mean it isn't a suitable option in some cases. And anyone thinking every boat alteration job should involve grit blasting back to bare metal and never using filler is living in cloud cuckoo land!

The Trent is tidal and not a great idea for new boaters. Exiting at Keadby is quite tricky. I suggest you go via the Trent & Mersey, Bridgewater and the Leeds & Liverpool canals

If anybody wants any rubber pipe fenders I have found a way to obtain a large number of these free of charge, I just open up the weedhatch and there is another bugger down there. Got another one today. A plea to boaters...., take pride in your boat and boating and get some proper rope fenders, and only deploy them when moored. Never cruise with fenders down. Pipe fenders are cheap, nasty and the work of the devil. Gillie was driving and shouted me to say she had a pipe fender round the prop, no need to look, she knows the sound that they make 😀

Starter motor - if it spins up but does not engage it could be the axial position is off relative to the ring gear and it needs sliding up or down a bit. This can be critical, as some of the starter motors of this era have a two stage current - low to extend and engage them and only near the fully extended position do you get full current to turn the engine. You would need to look up whether this the case for yours and what the position should be. Big old CAV starter motors such as this are not inherently expensive to have or service, but they do require more hunting around. Getting it overhauled by someone with all the necessary parts in the first instance would probably be advisable. In the meantime, figure out what else they fit on and keep an eye out for a spare listed as the starter motor for that. I have a BS5. On the Kelvin J2 they are moderately expensive (£350 or so outright sale) but the same starter motor fits a pre-war Bentley and if advertised as such it is usually around £2000. However, it also has other applications and I have picked up a couple of spares of the correct voltage and rotation for around £40-60 each. The pinion, which is the part that wears, also fits the U6 and I picked one up that way which was advertised as for a Gardner. This can make quite a saving. Alec

Nice to see measurements in English

I'm not aware of any book specifically bout narrowboat maintenance and DIY. A good resource is @Tony Brooks web site tb-training.co.uk/

Don’t Just don’t

Subject to consideration of the time of year and the flood risk on the Trent - boats have been swept over the weirs between Notingham and Cromwell, And some have even sunk when moored. If it has rained in the catchment area a couple of days ago, the Trent can easily be a river to be avoided. It is a River that needs treating with respect.

What ended up being called the Brewery Tap in recent years was originally the Ram Inn, but allegedly somebody objected to having this opposite the Spread Eagle... 😉

No meat or dairy products. We were not checked for food. They just checked that our gas was turned off. We did smuggle a couple of bits over. Dog food, some bacon and sausage but to be honest we won't bother next time. The shops are so superior to UK ones here that there isn't really any point. We will just do a stock up shop when we get here. .............. Our last night in France tonight and a free aire by the seaside at Wissant to finish off with. Only a short 15 minute drive to Calais in the morning to catch our train.

Please don't confuse him by mentioning the Humber Estuary which is East of Leeds, as it’s not part of the easiest way to Leeds. Coming in off the Trent at Keadby is his easiest way, apart from getting it put on a Hi-Ab truck and putting it in Bingley, as he mentioned in a previous post. New gates, new simplified control panel, like a few new panels along the S&K swing bridges. Both Lock gates now work together and not independently, so no more 70ft’s boats can pass through Thorne lock. See new panel below:.

Since his boat is 8ft 3in wide that option is not available to the OP. It's 22ft long. So he could go through sideways! (Keadby Lock is 22ft 6ins wide).

The OP has had the engine running so it seems likely the motor itself is alright but the working end needs cleaning. It could easily be a low hours engine which has just been sitting around a lot.

Why? You could fit the insert to the inside of the cabin plating, and attach it with countersunk machine screws. Dress the edge of the opening and tidy up with filler, and it need not be apparent this is bolted in. Yes it's not the only way to do the job, but it doesn't need welding facilities at the boat nor the potential heat distortion of steel or heat damage to insulation etc., and could be installed by a competent DIYer.

Jeeeeeesus

As staunch traditionalist, I far prefer to keep the cabin top free of everything but essential bits of kit. Bags of fuel, planters etc are a no no for me. As far as the coal bags are concerned, unless they have air space beneath , are a prime culprit for causing paint failure. I’ve seen it more than once. Just saying….

November 1998 - a bit clearer on the old sign

I think you may be over-egging the pudding and saying things for the sake of it. It’s a GRP River Cruiser and as we have seen by a previous Thread on here getting work done at a so called Boatyard can be expensive and hit & miss. There is no guarantee with any boat new, old, serviced or not, that it will not have mechanical problems at anytime. Sea Trials? That’s what brand new ships have, lets just say he needs some run time in and a few trips under his belt to get some boat handling in and to see how she runs. We don't know the boat it could be an excellent condition boat. It’s his inexperience that’s the main concern, especially not knowing his river route. I personally would Hi-Ab it to Bingley, saving time and hassle, if he has the money to do so.

and another older one....

I'd suggest that this reply has not emanated from a human bean !

I've usually hit something by the time I've finished reading these....