[Propellor and prop shaft problems]

6 hours ago, hider said:

Its a PRM 160 Hydraulic box, it will not lock upin gear if the engine is not running but why you should want to turn the prop is a mystery to me. 

 

The shaft has slid back out of the clamp coupling ( the bit with 4 bolts and nuts and that chewed up grub screw ) and needs pulling forwards till the grub screw relocates in the dimple in the shaft.

Loosen all 4 bolts in the clamp, get the shaft back forwards, line the grub screw up with the dimple and reassemble the clamp, tight.

It would seem that this shaft has been fitted elsewhere before as there are multiple dimples where grub locking screws have been fitted.

Precisely 

[Let's Fish fiasco!]

5 hours ago, matty40s said:

Whilst I agree with the principle of this being a good thing, some of the fishing spots chosen that I have seen have been verging on the ridiculous, and in some sites dangerous.

I encountered one such jamboree where to give them room I pulled hard over to the offside. Unfortunately  there was an extensive mud Bank and I wnt hard aground.  By the time I got off their fishing was ruined. To be fair at least half a dozen of them struggled to pull me off and we all saw the funny side of it (I hope)

[Calorifier PRV removal]

I would go with the sharp tap approach.  No good to you but when I  had a stubborn immersion element the only way to shift it was with a modified box spanner and an impact driver. Don't forget to loosen it with a FULL tank. Slight TIGHTENING first may also help.

[Running Water pumps / toilet / shower pump on 230V adapter]

Are you  sure you've got your sums right ✅ 16mm 2 is battery cable size. It's rated at 100 amp +. Seems overkill to me and I wired (successfully) my  55 nb from scratch.

[That leaky rocker box.]

As others have said cork rocker cover gaskets are a pain in the ####. Some years ago I bought a 'deluxe' version from Calcutts. Made of some form of rubber it was a fair bit more expensive but fitted well, didn't distort or leak and lasted repeated removals over the years.  

[Weed hatch design - best practice]

On 22/07/2024 at 15:16, Mike Tee said:

The chute type is normally described as 'unsinkable', so if starting from scratch, seems a sensible option

So was the Titanic.

[Continuous cruising and full time work?]

12 hours ago, MP1 said:

 

Thank you ! 

 

Thank you ! 

I reckon this one is 60+ brexit voter and *[SOUR] as lemon an old man possibly short fat and bald drifting around waiting to be brown bread 🤣 ask a question about boat maintenance  and all you get is people living your life for you when they are probably nearing the end of theirs.

 

A particularly unpleasant response. 

[Boat headlights amps and cable size]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

Or even better, those fancy LED matrix lights like my car has got which even on full beam steer dark areas over oncoming cars or ones you're following -- spooky... 😉

My  Volvo has these and they are indeed spooky. They're also eye watering expensive  at over £2K per pop.

[BMC oil leaking]

Don't forget to check the sump bolts.

[Overplating query]

Pit welding is well within the ability of anyone with moderate DIY skills. All you need is a fairly cheap MIG or stick welder, a stool to sit on, 4.5" grinder, appropriate PPE and time. Prepared to bet you'll do a better job than a professional as you won't be working to a time. It's also incredibly therapeutic. 

[New to canals... a couple of questions]

21 hours ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Toilets are the narrowboater's equivalent to anchors in the marine world it seems.

 

I do wonder why life rings are not mounted within reach of the helm on narrowboats. I would feel uncomfortable not being able to chuck a lifering into the water in less than 3 seconds. There is a harrowing tale on YouTube of a lady who fell in and got her trousers mangled in the prop, in a situation like that seconds count.

 

OK this is starting to make sense. Think I will specify a BT tube for my shell but delay the decision on fitting a thruster for a season or two. Need to remember to specify a battery tray in the bow locker and to fit some BT control wires between the bow and stern.

In part 'thruster or no thruster depends upon age and whether solo or not. I took up ditchcrawling when I was about 50 and much of it was solo. Initially I thought to have one would be a bit 'girlie'. Strangely, as the years passed bow thrusters looked far more attractive🤩  

[Engine rattle at high revs - any suggestions as to culprit?]

4 hours ago, PeterF said:

I had aluminium checker plate on a previous boat and I had rattles so I put a strip of expanded neoprene self adhesive tape under the aluminium plate where it sat on the metal gutters. Similar idea to Tony's but on the plate not the gutter. No more rattling.

As did I, however, over a period of the the tape compressed , shifted as the adhesive deteriorated etc. This combined with the slight bowing of the plate resulted in rattles And yes, the underside was strengthened with ribs but since it was tack welded on bowing still occurred. 

[Engine rattle at high revs - any suggestions as to culprit?]

If you can hear it with the cockpit boards down but not with them up I can't see how it could be the engine. Must be 'external'. I see you have an aluminium checkerplate board(so did I). Check that it hasn't distorted slightly. Mine used to over a period of time and needed 'adjustment'.

[trouble steering]

I have zero experience of dutch barges but..........I also know the general area that the OP is in. Several mentions have been made of a tiller but none of a wheel so am assuming that it's steered by tiller. Is it possible that the tiller arm has moved on the rudder post? Is the rudder blade visible and does it correspond with the tiller arm itself.?    

[Restricted use of marina engineers]

14 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

I can honestly say that I cannot ever remember going into a licensed restaurant that allowed you to bring your own alcohol in!

Did you ever ask.?

[Restricted use of marina engineers]

As I recall that clause (or something very similar) was written into my first marina contract some 30 years ago.. The contract itself was a based on a pro forma issued by a trade association for marina owners, can't begin to recall their correct title. Since the only outsider to work on my boat was the original builder carrying out snagging the daily levy was never an issue. 

 

So, not a new idea. 

[Entitled Historic Boat Owners]

I experienced their shear arrogance some 20 years + ago outside Rickmansworth. I was dropping down through Batchworth lock whilst a whole gaggle of historics and butties were going up following some kind of rally in Rickie. A pair came up as I waited . The moment they cleared the  entrance a couple of their cohorts slammed the gates closed against mè (single handed) whilst another couple raised the the bottom paddles. Lock lost but not  the end of the world. I then looked downstream  only to see the entire canal blocked by a good half dozen pairs crewed by dungaree clad, kerchiefed oiks. With no option I just sat there and watched . Not one individual apologies or thanked me

[BMC 1.8 overheating]

Now all that's needed is something similar from the OP

[Gas Street Destroyed]

20 minutes ago, adam1uk said:

 

If you look at the plans, each floor has a number of single room studio apartments with a bathroom, and then there's a communal kitchen.  They explain that they've gone for that partly because the site is 100 metres long, but only a few metres wide.

Sounds like living in student accommodation. I can just imagine the communal kitchens after a  while. 

[Gas Street Destroyed]

What is a "Co Living apartment" ?

[Living aboard without power]

14 hours ago, IanD said:

So long as you don't mind the goat eating ropes, washing, cloths, and anything else it can get it's teeth into... 😉 

We used have a neighbour who kept a goat (Rocky). 🐐 I  once cut down about 20 linnier feet of runner bean plants. He ate the lot string included.

[Revolution Laundry]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

So, this seems ideal for the boater, 24/7 card operated laundry. This one at Morissons, Elland, other locations  are available.

I've now got 18kg of wet clothes to deal with,, not the first time so I know i will get a refund. 

PS the cats paw prints are still imprinted on my best white cotton sheets, maiow.

Not a great day  as the lock ahead is now closed, for some time, grrrrrrrrrrrr.

I need to do 180, a boat moored up in the basin says he can turn round  quite easily,  cant understand my difficulty.?

He is three feet shorter than me , but I don't explain.

He's agreed to haul his boat out of the way tomorrow, 09.00

 

 

 

Red or White?

[Gearbox driving bolts size]

58 minutes ago, Chris G said:

M6 pitch is 1mm. Why would you expect UNF or BSF threads on a German gearbox?

Because the bolts go into a flywheel which

 

47 minutes ago, David Mack said:

These are tapped holes in the flywheel, to which the drive plate for the German gearbox is attached. So those holes would have been drilled by the engine mariniser, and could be metric or imperial.

What engine and who marinised it?

And why is it difficult to tighten the original hex head bolts?

Access?  I replaced my hex bolts with cap bolts, much easier.

[What's going on with my batteries]

7 hours ago, GUMPY said:

 

Not proud,  not ashamed, I really couldn't care less.

It was Amazon US  and not a small trader. 

 

 

 

It was still dishonest. (Other terms are available)

[What's going on with my batteries]

17 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Sent the unit back to Amazon for a refund 😱

And you're proud of that??