Tacet

I am a little confused - but we were helped down the Stourbridge 16 on 26 October by the same chap shown in the pictures above, and saw him again on 27 October. Shown here on the bridge; regrettably I didn't ask his name.

Mine came with (male) connections - 2 x 1/2" and 2 x 3/4" BSP - so tap connectors were fine.

Biggles radiators will never achieve the same temp as the hot water; the rate of transfer from the cylinder through the coil will be less than that which can be dissipated by the rads when hot, so the system will find a lower equilibrium. The solution is to fit a better heat exchanger - for example a plate exchanger (mine was about £30 on ebay) and plumb one side into the engine coolant. On a conventional layout, this is easy enough as all the relevant pipes can be found at the calorifier. Upside is a warm boat when cruising (and whilst the solid fuel stove gets going), useful washing-drying capabilities and boost to engine cooling if required; all for zero running cost. Downside is uselessness in the early morning, potential to rob the hot water and possible overcooling of the engine - depending on take-off position with respect to thermostat(s).

You can get to the (firm) end of the basinMy link but no chance of proceeding up the Fens Branch beyond the Railway Bridge - just enough depth to turn in the junction of the two, fortunately. Didn't make it as far as Titford Pools either, last year. After dragging the bottom, we came to a slow halt in some narrows with no real means of knowing whether the depth increased subsequently' with the winding hole (other than at the pools) fast receding astern, discretion won the day. You mention shopping trolleys; I can only think that the supermarkets in Horseley Heath, on the Walsall canal, are well stocked with hand-baskets because judging from the quantity in the canal, they must be clean out of trolleys.

We "navigated" (blissfully unaware of the pollution issue) as much as could be passed in June. My link The weed now covers the entire canal after a couple of hundred yards from Ryder Green locks. Not an easy reverse back to the junction with the Walsall Canal either, due to the silting-up; it did result in stirring up some some exceptionally noxious substances. The Stourbridge Extension Canal also throws up some very nasty-looking stuff too.

The speed of the current will vary even when the total flow (volume) is a constant; where the river narrows - the bridges being amongst the tighter spots typically areas - the current must run faster to pass the same volume; the river will also tend to flow faster on the outside of a bend than the inside etc. So you shouldn't expect much more than a general answer, at best, which may prove unhelpful when you arrive at that exceptional bridge....

It was, admittedly, quite a few years ago, but my father had turns of doing similar trips albeit in a rather smaller cruiser - a Norman 17 (just over 6 feet beam) driven by a full 7.5hp outboard. We went between the Thames & Medway a couple of times; the estuary to Southend was crossed on one occasion, beaching the boat on the err... beach whilst taking a trip round the town. I can therefore confirm, from indelible memory, that the estuary can be both calm as a millpond (outward bound) and somewhat "lively" (when it was time to return). This as the only occasion that I can recall beating a retreat - to the comparative safety of Benfleet Creek. The rolling was just about bearable but being so short, the pitching and slamming seemed fit to break up such a fragile craft. As I say, it was a good few years ago and I cannot be entirely certain but, not one to miss the opportunity, I believe we circumnavigated Canvey Island the next morning before crossing back to the home mooring on the Medway; if so, this is one Neil and the TNC might have overlooked. Earnest's trip to the Chelmer and Blackwater was a remarkable trip - we did cruise the C&B sometime in the 70s, but not by running up the east coast! Following various experiences, mother declined some of the subsequent trips - and asked to be collected from Westminster Pier etc; she was probably right.

Or send a hefty donation to the Runcorn Locks Restoration Society

Like others, I can't remember where I first heard it, but having reworked the maths to make it simpler, I understood that the maximum, maximum pre-planing speed (in MPH)was given by the square root of twice the length (in feet). That either makes "my" factor 1.4 or, if you want it in knots, about 1.2.

There was a time, which I can recall, when having a 12v system was considered not much short of luxury. And as for the eventual upgrade to allow on-board recharging of the ex-car battery, it was almost miraculous......

Is anyone, please, able to advise on how to remove and replace an injection pump, and whether it is a straightforward job or one best left to the experts; I have no intention of opening it up post-removal. It is a 4 cylinder engine with an in-line pump. I believe that you insert some sort of pin into the pump to hold the timing - more info will be required on that aspect at least, please. Thanks

As far as I know, there are three passages in each direction, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It seems booking a couple of days before is ok, providing there is a vacant slot. Obviously more difficult to say when slots will be filled, but my limited experience suggest that you ought to be thinking one or two weeks ahead in the season to get the next vacant slot. For example, we met another boater last week, between Huddersfield and Slaithwaite who hadn't appreciated he needed to book a passage and on ringing BTC/BWB/BW/CaRT on the Monday was allocated a booking Wednesday week.

Well, I quite agree with ignoring the height gauge as a principle, but it didn't mean we could pass this June. Maybe if we had filled the water tank and taken a few more heavies in the well-deck.... but I reckon we here a couple of inches to high or rather more, too wide at roof level. Shame, because the basin is delightful and there is a lock down onto the Uttoxeter Canal which will be missing from the grand tour. Froghall Tunnel

The capacity of the heat exchanger will be a fixed proportion of the whole capacity of that closed system e.g. 5%. Therefore (over a reasonable period of time to allow complete circulations) the time spent by any particular cup/bucket/molecule of water in the heat exchanger will be the same %, no matter how fast or slow the circulation. There are some practical limits - if the pump takes an hour to complete one circulation, then its not gong to work too well. A faster circulation gives a higher temperature difference across the exchanger allowing more thermal transfer - but there will be diminishing returns so a fast pump cannot cure-all.

The new regulator arrived - and is now fitted and everything seems fine. So, thanks for the help and advice. Old regulator New regulator, in-situ

Does anyone please have information on current condition - including the Aire & Calder if possible? We hope to leave Leeds for Huddersfield in the next few days and information on the web appear to conflict. Thanks

Whatever happened to 7029 etc?

OK - for anyone that's interested, I dug out the spanners and hammers in order to remove the alternator. There were a couple of vague stampings, but no proper markings. Those that thought the exit holes were bunged-up need to see the intakes; it is largely a fine, black carbon-type dust and from its quantity, I think it must be from the drive belt. On this engine, the same belt drives both alternators and the water pump so it has a fairly hard time. The belt seems to last about 1000 hours before parting - I renewed the last one a bit earlier as we were heading out on to the rough stuff. So, fearing nothing, I split the alternator by unscrewing the three bolts around its circumference and separated the two halves. What I think is the regulator came out with two screws and one de-soldered tab. Fortunately, it did have some markings and a good while on the internet suggested that it is a Cevam - as fitted to some Mitsubishi, Hyuundai and the odd Ford. Further googling seems to have identified a replacement, which has now been ordered; I will not know for sure whether I have ordered the correct part until it arrives as, apart from a French company, no-one seems to own up to the same reference numbers. Anyway, the part ordered looks much the same. Mr Gibson's estimated price proved to be spot-on. I then had to re-assemble the alternator, refit it (the bottom bolt is a real pain!) so that the belt can be tensioned as we need to move on. Ideally a smaller belt would have been easier, but Gargrave on the Leeds and Liverpoll seems short of motor factors. Thansk for all the help provided.

Thanks; I'll give it a go. But how do I know which regulator to buy - I can't see any markings on the alternator (maybe I need to remove it?). And where is it in the alternator? Do I need to split the casing or is it accessible without? Ian

Reasonably confident that it's not that, having spoken to Sterling (who I have found most helpful on this and a previous occasion) and running a couple of experiments. Disconnecting the other, smaller (starter) alternator from the Sterling gadget leaves the voltage excessive, but disconnecting the larger (domestic) alternator and all seems well. So I need to know whether replacing the regulator is easy-peasy (and if so, how etc) or not? Ian ps Does anyone know what that external relay is for?

Thanks - what should I do? Replace the alternator or is there a good, cheaper fix? I imagine that checking the points are not stuck closed is not an option in this electronic world.

Thanks for the ideas. I have to agree but it may not be quite as bad as it looks. The photo is showing the blades of the louvre which are covered in dust - not sawdust - just navel type fluff; the holes were not entirely blocked. I don't think it is an voltmeter issue. The twin alternators are dualled through a Sterling A to B booster, and both panel meters (domestic and starter) and a digital multi-meter read much the same.

The batteries were charging too high a voltage all of a sudden. A bit of fiddling around and the finger of blame is pointing at the domestic alternator. It is fitted to a Barrus Shire, but is not the original (only a couple of years old)and I can find no markings whatsoever. Pictures a below, but does anyone please have any helpful suggestions on a fix? Thanks

Actually, I quite agree about the iniquities of the Poll Tax - but you said "Everyone uses a number of these public services and its only right we should all contribute towards the costs" - which is surely advocating something similar rather than a tax on occupation (or sometimes ownership) of types of land/property. To say that liveaboards do not pay their fair share that the rest of us are obliged to do, is a bit of a generalisation - although possibly true! It largely depends on what other taxes they are paying and partly on one's definition of "fair". I might agree that the tax system is not entirely fair - but simply making a land/property tax mandatory for all (including those who have no land/property) but leaving the remainder of the tax system as contingent is not going to straighten it out. It would also still mean that various services that we all benefit e.g. Health were not being directly financed by everyone. Tax is a levy on various types of income, asset etc to pay for the various types of public service - but it is not based on an individual's expected consumption of those services but generally according to an ability to pay. The unpopularity of the Poll Tax was essentially that it required all to pay the same - which was widely considered unfair.

Whether or not it is fair that everyone who benefits from public services should contribute is a matter of politics, but if so, it would be more sensible to levy the tax on persons rather than their residences. Even if accepted, there are numerous taxes so just because someone is not liable for one tax(Council Tax) does not mean they are failing to contribute towards public services; very few people pay each and every tax. Council Tax comprises a minority of local authority income, so it is not even true of Council services.