rog guiver

If you take the time to look you will see that the thread, "Good ideas" was posted in "Boat Building & Maintenance" and pinned there by I presume a moderator. Chat all you like on your "general" forum, but don't dilute the others with unrelated chat!

To explain why I am leaving, have a look at my contributions, hopefully always informative and helpful, with no irrelivant posts that should have been the subject of personal e-mails. I started the "good ideas" thread but even that has a large number of "off topic" posts. Surely with a thread that is there just to get the "that's a good idea, might use it in my new boat" idea across is what this thread was all about and not be allowed to degenerate into a "chat room". Why was it never "policed"? Even on the first page of the thread there were the following posts.... ....To each his own. I know where you are coming from with this, and I can imagine you will ruffle a few feathers. On the same lines applied to motor cars we would still be driving model T fords (comes in any colour as long as it's black) It must be a individual choice as with any thing in life. You may enjoy throwing the bucket down the well for your fresh water, others prefer to turn on the tap. Commercialism drives the advancement in all products, and the majority of us embrace all the advantages this brings.You yourself are as guilty as anybody in this as you have worked in R and D and expected the developments to be put to use or there is no point in having any R and D. A dug out canoe is a boat if you really want a true boat, but you are willing to accept the advancements from this up to the level that you perceive to be a boat, strange thing this, a little bit of dual standards applied here methinks. ...It is a real issue, I have been on boats that don't feel like boats at all, they may have an engine room of sorts but everyting remotely boaty is hidden away behind the latest trendy household accessories. ...For me I like boats, that's why I have bought one, it has a woodburning stove, I don't have a kitchen I have a galley, when I am in bed it has the feel of a bunk, my engine room has equipment fixed to the walls, wiring, pipes, ropes, exposed lighting and a workbench. If this description fills anyone with horror I would suggest they have no business having a boat. Others will say in a pompous sort of way "that's all very well but I like to be comfortable", then I would say they have missed the point, boats can be comfortable too. You only have to read many of the contributions on this site to realise that a sizable minority go to great lengths to embrace a suburban lifestyle and create modern home counties semi. There is no irony in this, but I do honestly wonder at times, "why the hell has this bloke bought a boat". ...I'm sure I recall seeing (a long time ago) a boat with a long, low, tug-style fore deck fitted with a turntable arrangement onto which a Mini could be run up ramps. Not sure that I fancy driving the car on - especially on a dark, wet night but I suppose the turntable was fitted with some sort of stop plank to prevent the car and driver ending up in the cut. ...Have a word with Richard, they say he has got a helicopter landing pad and hangar ...How you suffer! ...I'm still trying to work out where to garage the car. Impressed by those Rhine barges with a 2CV parked on the cabin roof. ...You are quite right Chris, that's the place for it. Everthing streaming with condensation to keep it nice and dank. I miss that exilerating feeling of the rain dripping down the back of my neck when doing a bit of daily maintenance and people treading on my fingers whilst I'm wrestling with the deck boards. Only the other day I was bemoaning my fate whilst I was doing a little job at my workbench in the engine room, over-heated and over-lit as it is I managed it, and then went on to give my engine a polish with a dry cloth, at the same time listening to the rain pattering outside. ...My god it was hell in there. ...of course my engine is where it belongs - hidden away under that enormous rear deck, sharing space with no-one and nobody. ...Victoria told me she wont come on the boat unless she can have a 'Barbie Pink Life Jacket' ...Only just stopped crying with laughter at your 'split up with the girlfriend' comment! We moved on last December and by February she had legged it! I have now found a new woman who it a boat nut, makes life so much easier. Regards Andy. ...Neat solution to a problem on many boats I think. This was NOT why I started the thread to have a load of irrelevant posts clogging it up. Would you, as a new boater thinking of building his own boat, wade through seven pages of such posts hoping to find the "gem" hidden away? I think not! As to the response made to a post I made regarding abusive language from a moored boat (no licence and no mooring licence) that I should not bother contacting BT but "spend the time in bed with my woman". I found it objectionable. A moderator suggested (following my complaint) "O and by the way ***** can not help his attitude He is a Scoucer.....lol" Bye..

Alas I feel the same as NB Willawaw. Will give his "alternative" site a try... Bye

I was fitting out a Reeves hull that Reading Marine also use. They had moved from the "normal" three bladed prop to a four to reduce the diameter and (hopefully) reduce the prop noise through the hull. Thought it seemed a good idea and am very glad I did. Reading Marine are based in Aldermaston. PS this is what this Forum is all about, helping others, discussing our passion (canals) and the things that float in them. I almost left when one of my posts resulted in a post commenting about my sex life. It was only after calming down and ignoring the plonker, not rising to the bait, that I decided to stay.

Last boat had "starter cables" directly connecting the stern thruster battery at the stern and the bow thruster battery at the bow (in parallel). New boat has mastervolt triple diode system to charge the engine starter and stern thruster batteries in the stern and (via a slightly larger cables, but nowhere the size of the "starter cable used before) the bow thruster battery in the bow. The voltage drop during charging the bow thruster battery is negligible. The mastervolt split charger is fed from the small alternator (40amp) with the larger (80amp) alternator feeding the service batteries Both systems work(ed) well. You pays your money and takes your choice

Four blader from Reading Marine. Nice bunch, very helpful. Two seasons with the four blader and much, much better than the previous (three blader) on not picking up weed.

Used Hillmorton drydock in the past. I agree that to do it yourself you are assured of a good job. Was able to clean off the crud and then apply curerust along the waterline before applying the bitumen. If the double dry-dock is still for hire and someone would like to share the cost next spring then e-mail me...

WJM, Sud Caravelle? Anything due to it having the same nose as a Comet? I seem to remember one of our flight engineers calling his boat "The Slender Delta". Apparently reminded him of Concorde!!!???

Recorded it, watched it, got confused, must watch it again! The presenter stated that the new bridge was a problem. Looked to have sufficient headroom to me, or did I miss something?

How about BW actually using this exercise to take action on every boat that doesn't show a licence. It's the lack of displayed licences on the system that gets me. It's a requirement. Perhaps BW should also impose a service charge for checking boats not showing a licence. It might encourage everyone that has a licence to display it.

I seem to remember this happening a few years ago to a hire boat. A "trad" stern was added together with a new paint job. The "villains" had registered the boat (and paid for the licence) about six months before they stole it. I suppose in an effort to deflect any suspicion regarding registering a boat shortly after the theft. I also seem to remember they had to foot the bill for returning it to its original condition and also spent some time behind bars...... lets hope there's a similar outcome this time!

Bramley, Have you tried MS Virtual Earth? It seems better than Google Earth. Have a look at http://local.live.com/default.aspx?cp=52.2...;lvl=14&v=1

Installed a number of Halogen replacement LED assemblies on the new build. Alas every one has suffered with individual LED's failing. I can only put it down to the fact that perhaps the transformer produces 12 volts whereas with the engine running the voltage could be as high as 14 volts. Have changed all the lights to 10 watt halogen, with no failures so far.

Fingers crossed you get her back. Being positive we used Dave Thomas to extend our last boat. Nice company to deal with, very helpful, very competent.

Our first boat had a small rear deck, small hatch in a trad stern. The new one had a slightly larger rear deck but with a larger (longer and wider) hatch. It allowed more socializing but was very heavy. As brass had been shelved in favour of stainless steel for the roof vents/fittings (it was always my job to polish them) it seemed an option to replace the heavy steel hatch with a stainless version. Even got the fabricator to weld a large stainless nut at the back of the hatch which, with a bolt that has the head cut off screwed in when needed, allows an umbrella to be slid onto the vertical bolt. Total success, so for me it's a trad stern, rear deck (size in keeping) with a large stainless (could be painted aluminium) hatch.

There is a suggestion on narrowboatworld.com today that BW are doubling the token charge for self pumpout from 1st November. The facility is still available to order them at the £6.30 price (postage free) on waterscape.com Just ordered ten, should see me OK for a month or two!

Interesting that this subject was brought up last night on a Thames user group meeting. My wife is a member due to being on our parish council and " looking after" the slipway in our parish. The suggestion at the meeting was that the government should hand over a portion of the stamp duty each time a property is sold. The rational was that the property would not be worth as much if the EA removed all the locks/weirs and all that was left was a dirty ditch. An interesting view but it is not only directed to private properties, we have numerous restaurants in our locality that charge a premium just because they are waterside. Their patrons enjoy the food and view.

Tradline Fenders at Braunston keep them, but they are quite expensive. Find a Stailness Steel fabricator who can make them. Line the inside with the stick on baise (to protect your painwork).

Portishead to Sharpness, sat my wife at the bow with the GPS and the egg timer with instructions to note GPS position/ speed every fifteen minutes. I was at the stern with the Pilot, but thought it would be interesting to plot the achieved route once we got home. Out of interest the max achieved speed was 14.1 mph!

Who needs BW, during our cruise this summer we "found" WIFI connections at Newbury, Hungerford, Bristol, Portishead, Gloucester and Birmingham. Thanks to all those providers!!

Having travelled on the G&S for the first time, could I suggest there are a number of the bridges that could be operated by boaters themselves?

Vetus have just brought out a "quiet" BT. I could install a foot switch to operate it, and then use it while waving my pole in the air, no one would know. Have always felt uneasy about the 12 foot mast with a high gain aerial on top. Have solved the problem by purchasing a buckby can with an inset satellite aerial...brilliant.

If I need to use my bow or stern thrusters to avoid an impending "mishap" (obviously not of my making) I don't need to look at any gauge , just press either one of the big green or red arrows, only takes a second. How long does it take you to access your pole/ropes?

From the state of most of the "Pegs" (think that is the correct term for a fishing place) on the Avon and Severn I would suggest they all have access to wooden pallets by the thousand but have never grasped basic woodworking skills!

While talking about blacking, why not, as we have done each time the boat is blacked, take action along the area of most concern. Following the high pressure wash, and once it is dry, treat the area along the waterline with Curerust (spelling?) or an equivalent. It normal only takes a short while to dry so should not delay the bitumen application by much. The success of this procedure could be seen each subsequent blacking where there was almost no rust along the waterline.