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Fred_Smith

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  1. Was idly looking at sites like ABNB which I occasionally look in at to see what boats are up for sale and saw Tim’s tug, I immediately though something was wrong as Tim would not sell that boat so did a search and came across this very sad news. I knew Tim for about 10 years as a customer and a friend as countless customers would count themselves so in the previous decades. He did work on my last 2 boats, blacking and improvements, I rented the dock a number of times while I worked on the boat, the last boat had a Gardner so Tim was particularly interested and he helped me with various things on the engine and I learned quite a lot from him. The last time I corresponded with him was a year back was to say I had sold the boat and was packing in boating, he came back to wish me well. I liked Tim, he was steady, a bloke you could rely on, he would go on forever. Living locally I passed that way many times since the 1980’s and it was always fascinating to go past the dock, you always expected to see him and nearly always did, there was nearly always a working boat moored or in the dock for repair and see all the stuff he had accumulated on the ground by the dry dock, I imagine it was easier to leave it there than cart it away as to get to the dock you have to walk over the lock gates as there is no road access, how many thousand times Tim must have done that. I moored there for a time, and what a fine tranquil spot that was in the spring and summer, when at the boat more than once Tim brought 3 coffees from the house and sat and had a drink in the sunshine, the third for Roy who was Tim’s part time helper, older he lived in Preston Brook and was not in great health in 2014 when I asked Tim about him as he had someone else who moored there helping with the dock. Ideally It being a 2 person job to lift the planks in and out and also someone on the boat roof to hold the boat central to the dock as the water is let out it settles centrally on to the blocks. I don’t suppose many folk have peered inside the store at the end of the dock but I did, it was lined with shelves and ever inch was filed with boxes, tins etc. including the floor, quite a sight, and treasure house, I never did get a look into his machine shop outside his cottage though. Tim was a very patient man I thought, quite serious and very knowledgeable about the old days of the canals and wooden boat building and repair; willing to help especially if it was about engineering, engines and for someone interested in canal history, a big man with a large beard, it often struck me how he would make a pretty good father Christmas! To me Tim gave the impression of being a private person and a gentle man and quite a quiet personality. I am sure the hundreds of people that knew him will miss him as he really was a part of the landscape at Dutton. Many new hirers must have passed that way from the Bridgewater through a tunnel for the first time to meet their first lock, and see the dock, they really must have thought they were going back in time. Condolences to the family, really sorry to hear of Tims passing, a good man to be sorely missed
  2. Fred_Smith

    Tappets 2LW

    to help reduce the smoke perhaps, is there a 2Lw that does not smoke?, even the MPS ones smoke though they claim they dont
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  5. From what I can see from passing on the river you would have to clamber over other peoples boats to get to yours, and if you wanted your boat out you have to push others out of the way. If you could!
  6. Looks like its opening shortly, quite a pleasant spot. Anyone moving there? http://www.northwichquay.co.uk/
  7. Week or two back I boiled they kettle for a brew then instead of turning the gas off I left it on low and forgot about it, went to do work on outside of boat returned 40 mins later still had a bit of water left but wondered what would happen if it had boiled dry. Is a cheap aluminium one. Could a fire have started? Any experiences?
  8. About 20 days in 9 months this year inc some static maintenance days, seriously questioning the value of having a boat as the cost of ownership is so high
  9. Well written OP except the heading "historic" why on do people persist on using this term? So far the respondents have not favoued the use of the word. Stop using it, as it devalues the carrying era of the canals
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  11. Sorry to hear about the accident, hope it can be fixed, interesting video, you only realise how big it is when someone stands by it. Smokes just like a 2LW
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