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nipper

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Everything posted by nipper

  1. Yes, a lovely engine in a lovely boat! On our time on board Spirit of Georgia, while the OCM (onshore command module) did the locks, I spent most of my time trying to make smoke rings out of the stack! As i understand it, on the demise of Challenger and the subsequent selling of Spirit of Georgia, did they not take that Rigas engine out and replace it with a gardener on her refit? Just a thought! Nipper
  2. http://www.waterscape.com/map/ Oh dear! Why do they have to change something that worked and was so good at doing it's job! Probably somebody trying to improve his pension!
  3. nipper

    Yeeesssss

    I was the person who followed you into the marina office on Wednsday. I was so pleased for you, she is a lovely boat. Have a lot of fun! Nipper
  4. I bought my PAYE USB dongle from a well known auction site for £15 last summer. Never had a problem with a connection, wherever I am, along the canals or around the coasts. Mind you, I have a 5 meter extension cable, so as to hang the dongle out the window or hang it from the main boom. I keep around £10 lodged in my 3 account and buy "add ons" whenever I'm going to use my notebook while away. Transfereing £2.50 will give me internet for a week or it's 50 pence for a day and I've never run out of airtime. I've just tranfered £2.50 for my intended long weekend cruising the solent! Now watch the weather change now my plan is out!!! Nipper
  5. I've just been using Google earth and exploring around the Hebden Bridge area and I've come accross this pic? Is someone in trouble? http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?t=h&hl=e...001092&z=19 Hope this link works? but if not, no doubt someone will advise me! Nipper
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  7. Perfect down here on the Isle of Wight, with not a cloud in sight. We saw a bright new crescent moon and the two brilliant stars, lovely! That was about 5-30 tonight, but it was a tad on the coldish side standing watching it! nipper
  8. On my sea loo on my sailing boat, the inlet pipe from the skin fitting were the stop cock is, has to be led quite a distance above that skin fitting and toilet bowl. This is to stop water syphoning into the bowl. Also the outlet pipe from the bowl to the holding tank, but in my case the the briny, also has to be led the same hight above. Maybe your is doing just that and then traveling to the holding tank! Does this any sense? Nipper
  9. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  10. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  11. Canalplan AC still seems to be off! Is there any news as to why it's down? Nipper
  12. Ah! And I've been blaming my old computer! I'll apologise to it straight away! Thanks Chris
  13. Hi all. I'm in a quandary I'm off on Water Jester for a couple of weeks, setting off tomorrow and thought I'd use Nick's Canal Planner to help me make my mind up where to go from Gayton Junction. I have two routes in mind. Gayton Junction to Oxford with maybe a day or so on the Thames if time permits or maybe down the GU and maybe take in The Aylesbury Arm. Trouble is I seem to be having a little trouble actually getting Nick's site to load. Is it my old machine or is anyone else having trouble? Any ideas Nipper
  14. I have seen some electronic action on my prop some years ago John. My small sailing boat was moored in the vicinity of some underwater cables across the river Medina at Cowes. On drying her out at the scrubbing berth on one occasion the Brass Propeller was a lovely copper colour with no fouling on it at all! On closer inspection, it was deemed by those who were in the "know", that the prop had gained the coating from the under water cables in the river. Later that year I changed the engine and shafts including a different prop and have never had the effect again! Nipper
  15. 90 pence does strike me as a tad opportunistic, but canal users are a captive clentel and can go nowhere else for fuel. What with all the other pressures on the canal system it is one problem it could well do without. Still, people will be doing less cruising, so less wear and tear on the system, thus giving BW more dosh to spend on it's other lines of business! Anyway, the Leicester ring has been an old ambition of mine, the fuel hike won't stop me this time, but in future I will certainly be looking at shortening my cruising range. nipper
  16. 90 pence does seem to be a bit steep!! Our diesel has to get to the Isle of Wight first, then be sold at the premier sailing capital of the country( allegedly). where as the canal fuel arrives by a convenient Road. oh well! less money to spend in the hostelries then! Thanks Alan
  17. Hi all! Next Saturday I'm off on Water Jester from Blisworth Marina, and intend to "do" the Leicester ring.(I'm so glad Canalplan AC is back on line). Can anyone suggest stopping places and hostelries along the way? Also,having just bunkered up my Sailing boat at Cowes this morning with 45 litres of diesel, yes i know, the last of the big spenders, but, if there's no wind, that lot will get me across the Channel to Cherbourg there and back a couple of times if i'm careful. I paid 78 pence a litre for the stuff, what can i expect to pay on the inland waterways? All replies gratefully received. nipper Ah! My mistake! posted twice! Can someone in the site crew delete this message please? Many thanks. nipper
  18. Hi all! Next Saturday I'm off on Water Jester from Blisworth Marina, and intend to "do" the Leicester ring.(I'm so glad Canalplan AC is back on line). Can anyone suggest stopping places and hostelries along the way? Also,having just bunkered up my Sailing boat at Cowes this morning with 45 litres of diesel, yes i know, the last of the big spenders, but, if there's no wind, that lot will get me across the Channel to Cherbourg there and back a couple of times if i'm careful. I paid 78 pence a litre for the stuff, what can i expect to pay on the inland waterways? All replies gratefully received. nipper
  19. While we all wait for nick to get back to us, one could always try the 14 day trial of cannal planner7 That is, if you can get it to work! nipper
  20. Hi Tim. Why not hire a Narrowboat and see if it is for you? I have my Sailing cruiser at Cowes, but for the past 5 years have hired Narrowboats. It is better suited to the OCM ( Onshore Command Module) (Wife), who loves it, she cannot get on with sailing, even after 24 years of owning our boat. I on the other hand enjoy it because I get little grief from wifey who generally ends a days Canal Cruising, Smiling, Rosey Cheeked and Shattered and I still get to play boats! Hiring Narrowboats is easy and simple and not too expensive, It gives you a great incite as to what it must be like to own your own Narrowboat. If you decide that you like it, then you can either keep your Sailing Cruiser and continue to hire, buy a boat or, as I have done, keep my cruiser and bought a share in a 60ft boat. Try it! But beware! It gets you! Lets hope we all get a better boating season than last year! Nipper
  21. Hi Mike I cracked my glass on my Hunter Hawk Multifuel last Monday. It was only a crack, so i could still use the stove. Bought a replacement off of Ebay and I fitted it on Friday! Not bad eh? Just have a look on the net, there are plenty of stores that sell replacements, not only Ebay! Good luck Nipper
  22. Hi Kev Challengers Super Tug "Spirit of Georgia" is a fine vessal. I had the pleasure of taking her out for a week, a couple of months ago, she is a delight to handle and stays where you put her. She is not as fast as some modern boats, but who needs speed when your listening to that old engine! But be warned Kev, she is a bit deeper drafted than most, so beware of going up the Llangollen. Have fun Nipper
  23. I happen to be leaving Wrenbury Monday week heading for Llangollen on a Challenger hire boat. Hired, for at last I have sold my shares in my syndicate boat, and I needed a fix!. The first lock northbound from Wrenbury is Marbury lock, there was a boat along side and a gaggle of people at the lock. I was surprised to see the lock gates open and me being waved in. It transpired that the boat in question was a hire boat out of Wembury, on their first trip out and had never done a lock before. As the lock was empty they just opened the gates and waved us in. I thanked them for letting us enter the lock and commenced to showing the crew what to do at locks etc. The gathering grew, as two more boats arrived, also local hire boats. One crew of four had come all the way from Arizona to go on our quaint canals. My crew were busy showing all the safe proper, on my view, manner to ascend and descend locks. taking our boat in and out, up and down. We tied up and saw them all safely up their first lock. Now my point is that this lock is not that far from the hire base and as most of the hirers arrive at that around the same time. Why not send a boat yard lad along the cut on a push bike to see their boats through? It wouldn't cost a lot and the hire base would be happy in the knowledge that there hirers had at least some tuition in locking. The added bonus for us that week was that inevitably we met the hire boats concerned at various places along the canal, to be greeted with waves and smiles and other happy banter. Now that is what canal boating should be all about!
  24. Sadly, I base my judgment on bitter experience! There is no place on board my boats for a manual life jacket! That includes my sailing cruiser or on any canal boat that I am on! If you leave a boat, dingy, pier, jetty, river or canal bank and head towards water, the jacket wants to inflate automatically! Modern auto jackets give you about ten seconds to get out of the briny before they inflate. They work on a pressure system I believe, and are not water activated. That's why they don't inflate when its raining etc. When they blow they do so efficiently and effectively. You may be completely in control of the situation and able to react quickly, great if you are. But my experience has taught me that when suddenly immerse in cold water, without warning, the cold water catches your breath and a sort of panic tends to set in, tying to fumble for the inflation toggle is ni on impossible. You may have hurt yourself in the fall and not be able to even think straight, maybe even unconscious. Sudden immersion into cold water can and does cause heart attacks! I tell you now that when that jacket inflates, buying a rearming kit for 20 quid is the last thing on your mind! Putting a manual jacket, a bump on the head, and the shock of a cold dunking together may mean your family may have a problem! Manual inflation life jackets should be left for aircraft! However, the foam filled sort, have a roll to play. But they tend to be a tad uncomfortable if wearing them for any length of time, because of this they tend to be left off! But what of Canals? 2ft of water? well, common sense comes into play, I don't wear a jacket on fine days, but when it's a bit wet and slippery, thats a differant ball game! Most auto jackets I have seen and owned don't have to be sent away. A re-arming kit can be purchased and the gas cylinder etc can be changed by yourself!
  25. Hiya all! Well! Another rubbishy weekend. Too much wind and loads of rain. No sailing, yet again. My attention is being diverted from Sailing the South Coast to Canal Cruising. I have a week booked, on my share boat, the first week in November, and indeed again in Christmas week.( that's if I haven't sold my share before that). I have just gone into Waterscape to look at the possible stoppages around my cruising area in November and have been surprised at the small number of proper stoppages programmed. My question is- Is this the proper winter stoppage list, or is it just a temporary summer list? If it is the proper winter list, then I think we all should be worried at the lack of maintenance programmed. Great for winter cruising, but bad news for the rotten, leaky, badly maintained locks and shallow cuts, we all experience when fortune allow us to be on the cut. I hope I'm wrong. Nipper
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