nipper

Now thats interesting, but I doubt i'll have enough room facing forward either. Good bits of kit are those sound cocoons, but at times they can be a bitch! Still, given the time it takes to change a filter against times I enjoy quiet cruising and , of coarse, creeping up on worm danglers, i don't suppose it's bad! Nipper

Thank you That's another suggestion for Betamarine, I'll give them a call on Monday. I also await a reply from Speed flow who sounded interested and if they can do it, maybe substantially cheaper than Beta. Will will see! Nipper

Thanks Dave. At the moment it's not the oil pressure gauge I'm worrying about, its my portly body's ability of getting back out of the swim, that's firstly on my mind!

Hi all. Every time I service my Beta 50, that comes with an acoustic cocoon, I subject myself to a certain amount of squeezing, grunting and indeed bloodletting in the quest of replacing the oil filter. Anyone who has the Beta, knows that the oil filter is tucked right down on the right bottom of the engine and necessitates getting into the starboard swim to perform the task, with the acoustic cocoon, this task is made even more difficult as the cocoon sides are close to the filter and makes the task nearly impossible! At some distant time on this forum, I seem to remember a thread about putting the oil filter in a more convenient place. Does anyone know of a manufacturer of a kit that would do that? Thanks for your interest Nipper

Yes, they don't seem to be playing from an even base, do they! I expect my trouble is that I have been with them since the six years that i have owned Largo. But like other things nowadays, there is no loyalty anymore! Nipper

I am with Towergate, this years premium has gone up a hundred pounds to £448. No claims at all unless calling Canal and river Rescue amounts, in there eyes, a claim! There is a £45 retainer built into the insurance! So Towergate have now lost me forever, i wont be going back! I have had quotes from GJW, Craft insure etc and all of them are not half of what Towergate want!! Insured for £50,000. and contents of £6300. I will make up my mind a little closer to the renewal date. Nipper

Yes, the Basingstoke canal is a lovely canal, being spoiled by the speed of cycles using the towpaths! Try undoing or tying your wharps at around 8-9 am in the morning and about 4-5 pmin the afternoon. It's bloody dangerous! One day a boater is gonna loose it and someones gonna get hurt! Nipper

I have a Beta 50. I aslo have an acoustic box. It does a good job and makes the boat very quiet and i cruise in this "stealth mode", much apreciating the quietness, and to be honest I would hate to have a boat that is as loud as some that are about" But! One can get a little fed up with forever taking the rather heavy sides top and ends of for servicing, especially as the Beta 50 has the oil filter right down on the bottom starboard side of the engine. This means gettin into the swim to change it! But then again, i would have that problem without the cocoon. If i had the choice and the money, yes. But mine was already fitted when i bought the boat. Maybe i would spend more dosh on sound proofing the hatches and flooring than on a cocoon! Not much help, I know, but much fun can be had from seeing the expressions on the fishermans faces, when they first see the bow of the boat inches from there rod tips! Nipper

It's so good to hear people are winterising their boats already with October nearly out and November just around the corner! This, of coarse, is welcomed by the proper boaters, I mean those who cruise all year round, who value the peace and solitude that comes when the warm weather boaters hang up their windlasses. Oh for the miles of boat free water and empty moorings, locks with no ques and kingfishers escorting you along the cut entertaining you with their speedy flight. No, you winterise your boats and moor em up tightly, for us that will be cruising, may not notice you as we glide on by. And at the end of the day, oh the welcome warmth as you kick your boots off and sup tea and cake! Roll on winter! Nipper

The way the coppers left Hillmorton Rugby bound yesterday, I am inclined to believe that the perpetrators of the assault were apprehended where the boats are now. Of coarse, I have no proof for my thoughts. As it was known along the towpath yesterday, where the boats were, I felt no need to take up valuable police time telling them, what I expected them to already know. Nipper

The boats in question are or were, this afternoon, still moored up just past The Rugby Wharf Junction, with nobody aboard and padlocked up. The plastic cruiser is about 20-24ft long with a stern deck covered with a cockpit canopy of blue, I seem to recollect. The second boat is an 18ft Silhouette sailing boat without its mast. not dissimilar to this one for sale at a place on the internet.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18-foot-silhouette-sailing-boat/132371638109?hash=item1ed1f6e75d:g:SK4AAOSwAtFZddlL I suspect they will be up and traveling soon towards Rose Narrow boats. Nipper

Anyway! I expect you all would like to hear that after the police got the details of the crime and rushed off with blue lights flashing and sirens a blazing, in the pursuit of the rather rough looking characters , the lockie continued his work, and indeed worked to well after his finishing time, helping us down the Hillmorton Flight and didn't seem fazed by his altercation! Well done that man! Nipper

And an Enterprise car hire just close by! Nipper

I understand Mr Maffy is lurking on the Big River, somwhere around Shepperton, I beleave. I did try look for him whilst I was comming off the River Wey the other week, but having found a mooring on a bank Holiday Sunday evening below the lock, I was rather reluctant to let it go and do a search for him! The phone signal around that area is not the best either! Nipper

Feed the troll to the swans! Simple!

Or, moor up at Hawksbury Junction and stroll to the stadium, 20 minutes to get your blood circulating for the start of the match! There is always a mooring space it Hawksbury you just have to look! If going into the Coventry basin, keep your revs down and that will stop rubbish flying into your prop! And yes, the Stadium Station has trains running through it now, Nuneaton to Coventry!

Sutton Stop!

Looks like a Channel Glaze window from what i see!

Just to answer a few question that have cropped up in this thread. I came up through Rugby today and the moorings south of bridge 58 are indeed having and have had rings concreted to place, also the overgrown towpath all the way down to bridge 59, where the flats are close to the canal, has been cut back and all the grass has been mown. It would suggest to me that rings are indeed being installed down that area, but mooring along there would cause a hazard, as the offside trees and shrubs come well out into the centre of the cut there! Nipper

I'm sitting here waiting for the BSS Examination man to arrive to inspect Largo's bits. While I have been waiting, I've been thinking about these mooring rings! I don't know why they were put there in the first place, perhaps some edumicated soul cold tell me, but, presume they were for workboats unloading or loading whatever goods were made and providing raw materials for such goods that Rugby produced or wanted! Now this, I would think would come under Rugby's Local history. Is it in C.A.R.T.'s remit to take away such history from towns such as Rugby and not say a word about it? Maybe Rugby towns historians are not aware of having some of the towns history taken away by C.A.R.T. who, after all said and done is a charity, much like, i presume the Historians of Rugby are. Sorry, I promise I will try to get a life, honest! Nipper

It looked the same as it has always done , the last bit of moorings, south of the bridge and on the starboard side, are on the bend where the soft ground is! Don't ask me how i know, although it was years ago! Nipper

Those wonderful people at C.A.R.T. have spent a lot of money lately improving the towpath along the Rugby 14 day moorings area, It's all nice and tidy and could really provide the full team of bike racers hours of enjoyment speeding along it! Unfortunately, absolutely nothing has been done about improving the available depth of water along that area and boats still have to moor some way off the bank. And just to add to the interest, C,A,R,T. have taken away all the old rings that have been in place for years, so boats wanting to moor have new soft earth to put a pin or two in to hold them! As if taking out the best moorings and putting a water point in there place wasn't enough, now this! Does anyone at C.A.R.T. know anything about boating at all? Rant over! Nipper

Mmm! That will make the narrows even more of a challenge won't it! Nipper