Ryeland

Much as I wouldn't normally want to disagree with Tony, from this old thread there is actually an idle speed adjustment on the fuel pump. Richard

I have changed mine. Quick pull out up a slipway, remove rudder, withdraw propshaft. Used a sabre saw to cut through the glass fibre outer shell of the bearing in a couple of places and it came out easily. Tapped in the new one and reassembled. For once the job all went well, done in a couple of hours. I would think that any boatyard that can get your boat out of the water could do it. Richard

It's a 4m\13ft aluminium tube with a double hook on the end. Useful further south on the Oxford, when the bridge decks are wet, and won't stay open. Also for swing bridges, and the bottom gates on the Northampton flight where there are no footplates. Richard

My single handed method was to jam a pole under the handrail on one side, but it was so badly balanced that it took all my strength to lift it from the towpath side. Richard

Local place in Cinderford, Gloucestershire. Richard

I had the ISKRA 100A alternator on my Beta 38 rebuilt recently. About £80 and ALL the electrical parts and bearings were replaced for that money. And of course it fitted back on the engine perfectly. Richard

No, no filters, and the original vent was the normal 1 1/2", and the new one is 1", both on the same side of the boat, though opposite sides would be better. Richard

Hi, I solved my smell problems some years ago by fitting two vents at opposite ends of the tank, so there is a small flow of air through the tank. This encourages aerobic bacteria, rather than anaerobic ones which apparently cause the smell. I have never used 'blue', and now use a couple of cheap bio washing sachets each pump out. It can sometimes be months between pumpouts, and no problems in between. One vent was on the tank already, the other one I fitted using an 'Essex flange' which doesn't need access inside the tank. Richard

I had the ISKRA 100A alternator on my Beta 38 rebuilt recently. About £80 and ALL the electrical parts and bearings were replaced for that money. And of course it fitted back on the engine perfectly. Richard

I have had to replace a couple of the fixed panes on my Caldwell windows, after the boat had been broken into. They are really easy to dismantle. The fixed panes are held in by a single U shaped rubber seal. I seem to remember that the seals are cut away where the drain holes are, so the holes aren't blocked. Agree with comments on Caldwell's customer service. After making a pane the wrong size, resulting in a second 300 mile round trip for me, not a hint of any apology from them. Richard

First rope up the rudder using the hole in the top, to avoid losing it! Then the shaft needs to be separated from the rudder. A large cold chisel, mooring pin or other wedge shaped object has to be forced in to the slot in the rudder just under where the stock taper fits into the taper socket in the top of the rudder. Hit the wedge firmly with a hammer and the taper will part. The stock can then be lifted out of the bearings (it's heavy) leaving the rudder in the bottom bearing on the skeg, and supported by the rope. It can then be lifted out of the water by the rope. It can be done in the water, but depending on how tight the taper is, it may be difficult. Out of the water is easy. Richard

I did mean something to give a resistive load, a charger could be anything, probably a switch mode power supply. When investigating problems you need some knowns, and a working light bulb or heater is simple enough to give you a starting point. The light bulb will even give you a visual signal! Has to be a filament type though not compact fluorescent or LED. Richard

If the inverter has no load, is it in standby? I would always use an old fashioned 40w bulb to give some load on an invertor or generator when making measurements. Richard

Ours was fine last year just west of Brewery swing bridge in Skipton, good pilings to attach to. Richard