NewCanalBoy

Got the email, got the later email, followed the link, bank balance looked healthier a few minutes later 👍

Well I'm a year late but I parked in the caravan site, got a friend in there too ! Same problem this year, phoned the caravan site but they said they need the space as some of the land is waterlogged. Some of the leaflets say the car parks don't open until 9 am (campsites 7am). So I'm going to need to move my car again at some point from the centre of the village, to a car park. Looks like you might get pushed to go to the School Lane car park as it might be a one way system in place which means you can't get to the other one......

Well I've just attempted a fix - and it's worked 😇 Taken out that connector, cut off the ends to get rid of the olives, went and bought some very tight fitting fuel line, pushed over the pipe as far as I could physically get it and clamped everything up. Pumped the primer and we were away - no leaks. So I know this is not long term and have to get a proper pipe made asap - but at least I can charge my batteries occasionally. Very, very difficult to get hold of anybody right now - spring is on its way !!

It's not leaking from there, it's coming out of the bottom of the joint lower down. If you buy the pipe I assume you have to have a pipe bender too - or you're going to crease the pipe when bending ?

I was wondering whether it could be a fuel hose rather than solid. Didn't know if there was anything in the BSS about it ?

I have a fuel leak, sprays out when I start the engine. It's coming out of the join you see in the photo. I've tightened it up but made it worse. Does this have to be a solid line ? Seems odd that it is in mid air and not supported ? I've had issues with my engine mounts so it's vibrated bits and pieces. What happens if I loosen these pipes - are there olives in there that are damaged ? Do I just have to get new pipes ? Can I get these new pipes ?

Obviously that was a bit tongue in cheek - and Europe isn't just France 😉

And I guess a big problem is that the French HATE the English too ?!

The chap I mentioned in my first post did get it taken by lorry to Europe. On the return leg he said his son convinced him to take it back via the sea. He said he left Belgium (can't remember the place) and 24 hrs later he was at the Isle Of Sheppey. 24 hrs !! Must have been very, VERY sure of the weather and sea state to do that !! 😲 He said he was glad he did it but 'I probably wouldn't do it again' !! Might have been more to do with the fact he was nearly 80 at the time but a bit of both I think. I've spent a few days at sea but not sure I would want 24 hrs in a narrowboat !! Something to tell the grandkids about I suppose.....

Blimey - not too sure what has been going on here ! Anyhow, looks complicated - you'd be in and out of Europe regularly, your boat would be there for 18 months max (unless you paid tax and imported it ?). Or you just buy a boat already in the EU but again you would be in and out personally for half the time. Looks like it's just a bit cocked up for us now.....

Made some calls, talked with folk, waited for responses to emails.......... When I turn the nut on top of the engine mount it just rotates and I can hear rubber movement. So it must be a version with a bolt head underneath that sits into a captive area ? I thought about trying to remove one engine mount to examine it but as I can't remove the threaded piece, and i can't raise the engine foot up to get it over the top of the end of the thread - what's left ? Have to go into a boat yard to get the engine lifted up ? Hacksaw through the threaded bar ? Which bearing in mind the space might prove traumatic ?

The plot thickens. Looking at one of the mounts it is noticeable higher - about 5cm high. Another two are between 3-4 CMS high. But the one that is 5 cm high looks like it's an M10 thread whereas the others look like M12 thread !! I think the only way is a while new set of engine mounts - at least you know where you stand ! Well spotted !!

Well yes, he said there was a gap between the top of the engine and underside of the engine foot/leg. He did suggest fitting a spacer under them or fitting a bigger mount. He showed me one he had in his van and it was simply taller. Don't know what the threaded bar was sorry. I'm going to phone Calcutt boats as it's a BMC engine and see what mount they suggest. I'll see if I can take a photo.....

Ah - I haven't got any of these ? What actually happened was that I had that tapping noise, like others i thought I had some problem and more than one mechanic suggested my drive plate was chattering away, until I took up some drive and then it disappeared completely, only for it to return when back in idle. I took it to a mechanic and when I demonstrated what was happening he agreed and ordered a new driveplate. When I went to get it changed he took the old driveplate out and said it was perfect but - 'You've got two broken engine mounts' As I was booked in for that day and couldn't get any new engine mounts quickly he had to improvise. He had a threaded bar which he cut down into smaller sections and then installed into the mounts. I didn't see him do this but he must have just used a bit on the underside to hold it in place ? Basically it was concluded that I need meatier engine mounts, or raise up the ones that I have as there is space between the top of the engine mount and the engine feet.

Well, not exactly. I haven't made much adjustment, but I do have a UJ type drive unit.

Ah thank you - that description of how it all fits together makes sense. And yes, I could push down on that corner and get a tapping sound like I was bouncing a metal thing off the rail. I could turn that lower nut anyway and nothing seemed to happen. I've put some weight on that corner of the engine and adjusted the nuts on the engine frame. I think what is happening now is that the bolt head is pulled up a bit so it now doesn't bounce on the rail but I get a vibration not at idle (where it was happening), but a little bit higher rpm, then goes further up the rpm. Obviously if it has come adrift then it needs replacing but your description is making more sense to me.

Can somebody please explain this engine mount to me ?! It might sound simple but I've never had it in my hands and I can't find a picture of it from underneath. Does the threaded part just screw in from the top and then held in place by that lower nut ? Or does the threaded part go through to underneath and then another nut goes on underneath the engine mount ? I seem to be having a problem with one particular mount - keeps adjusting itself. It might actually be broken and I'm thinking at the very base - is this where they would normally break ? Any advice appreciated

Shared the day going through a few locks with this elderly chap last year. Asked him about his boat and he said he bought it in 95 and it had been in Europe for the last 23 years (or so). I guess Brexit (and the fact that he was 81!) meant he had brought it back to the UK. I didn't find this out until we shared the last lock of the day together - would have been fascinating to hear what/where he had been and done. Anyhow, it got me thinking about what you can do now ? From the quick bit of research it looks like you can take a boat into Europe for 18 months max before you have to leave (but think you might be able to re-enter again quite quickly for another 18). But as a person it's only 90 days out of every 180. Maybe a six month visa in France ? Is anybody touring Europe currently? Anybody know of any good links/websites/channels where people are doing this ?

I upgraded to a gold licence part way through this year. I know you can upgrade pro rota part way through a year for the first time only. I'm currently on the Thames and might stay here until the spring. My gold licence renewal is £1150 (or £1300 by DD). A licence for the Thames is only about £600. If I bought a Thames licence then upgraded to a gold licence in spring, then I think I'm right in saying that the gold licence will get back dated to the 1st Jan and I pay in full, but I get a refund of my EA Thames licence ? So I'm still paying the full amount for my gold licence but just delaying it until the spring time ? I know this seems like a bit of a phaff but it would help me out a bit as I've got a tax bill to pay end of Jan, Xmas, + winter fuel bills,etc,etc !! Springtime would be a far better time for me to pay for this. Have I misunderstood anything ?!

I have a solid fuel stove - this is a bit of extra 'ooomph' when it's extra cold.

So what stops me doing the following - Buying one of these 'all-in-one' Chinese heaters, standing it in the well deck when there's freezing weather like this only. The canopy sides can be open hence plenty of ventilation. Exhaust can vent out. Obviously have to make an opening to get the heat in. Have it on before I go to bed to warm it up, turn it on in the morning for a bit. Can be stored elsewhere between spring to winter.

Well this is why I'm considering it as it 'should' be relatively straight forward to it - as in the stove and the radiator/s will be on the same side of the boat, the side that has the walk way through past the shower room so no bulkheads/cupboards to go through. I could in fact fit one of those long but not very high radiators followed by a larger one in the bedroom. I have a feeling the pipework is going to look unsightly coming from the around the back of the stove but hey - if I'm all toasty warm I could live with it !

That's interesting Sea Dog (goes off to find his 12v fan and clothes pegs/string..........)

I'm pondering how/whether to heat my single front cabin. I have a 40ft cruiser stern with a solid fuel stove in the living/kitchen area. This heats that area no problem although doesn't travel that well to other areas (my front sleeping cabin). Now to introduce a Webasto/Eberspacher unit along with fuel line/electrics/vents seems a bit OTT for one room (& expensive!). I have a Villager Puffin stove which has two outlets 'pre-stamped' in the back for a back boiler. Is it worth getting one (if I can get one which having just looked might be problematic!) and rigging this up to a single radiator. It's all on the same side of the boat and wouldn't need more than 10-12ft of pipe to the rad. I've heard a pump can be damn noisy and gravity fed systems aren't always they great ?! Or - get one of those Chinese 'all in one' stand alone units and have it in the engine bay blowing warm air ? The boat did at one time have a heater in it so it has holes through the bulk head and in the base of the furniture for air vents. Although I would have to extend the vents and have it temporarily across the floor to the front cabin. Do-able but probably become annoying after a while. Any opinions/other choices?