Scholar Gypsy

A quick back of the fag packet calculation suggests the sideways deflection of the bow, for each 1 degree difference in temperature between the two sides, is of the order of L2/W x a where L is length of the boat, W is width, a (normally written alpha) is coeff of linear expansion is 12 x 10-6 which for L = 20m and W = 2m is 2.4 mm per degree (Centigrade), rather more than one might expect. The change in length is 0.24 mm per degree (a x L = 12 x 20 x 10-6 = 24 x 10-5 m = 0.24 mm per degree, or 12mm for a 50 degree differential), a rather different result to MtB. I often get this sort of sum out by factors of ten or more! Of course, this result ignores the fact that a boat hull sits in a very effective heat sink ie a water bath. So it really gives you a theoretical result for a superstructure that is not that well anchored to the hull....

Thanks very much. In their recent emails CRT tell me that Stret Lock (no 48) was widened a few years ago, and they thought Shireoaks Middle (no 43) was the next narrowest. I got through 48 (Stret) OK, but not 47.(Deep lock). I like the Laser pointer idea, maybe also using some vertical battens to make sure I measure the boat at its widest point (ie not between the rubbing strakes). Then I could also use a couple of boards suspended from a batten running across the bows of the boat, as target.

Or see the separate thread about the MoominTimer, which I think will do something very similar ..

Thanks to all for their replies - and sorry for the delay in replying - we were hill walking yesterday (photo below). I was glad to see both of my Heath Robinson approaches work in practice. I am pretty confident that the boat is not banana shaped (or wasn't when it was in dry dock - photos here). The base plate is certainly narrower, I think 6' from memory. I still think the problem is the lock not the boat, but I do need to check for eg displaced anodes or a loose rubbing strake.

And many German towns have signs directing you to a place called Umleitung. That confused me for quite a while. (Diversion)

I think I am right in saying that the middle gates have a substantial collection of teapots sitting on the cross beams, so I imagine they are not used any more. But I may be talking about the outward facing gates (made redundant by the new flood doors below the bridge) and not the inward facing pair.. [ETA: just found a photo. I am talking about the outward facing pair!] The first lock on the River Wey has a similar arrangement to that described on the Driffield.

The photo was taken at 1320, HW Gainsborough was about 1030 - it was a middling tide, I think - so that's a pretty good estimate!

If you like brown signs: http://www.followthebrownsigns.com/ (I will confess to adding a couple of entries to this website).

I am interested - following a minor incident getting stuck on the Chesterfield this summer - in measuring the width of my boat fairly accurately. When it was built we were told it is 6'10", but I've never actually checked (and it has been stretched twice since then anyway). Anyway, does anyone have any practical suggestions for how to do this, with the boat in the water? [i've come up with a couple of Heath Robinson approaches so far, involving a timber frame of adjustable width that filts around the boat, or two plumb lines with heavy weights on suspended from a piece of timber that I can move up and down the roof. I don't have any laser surveying equipment, nor narrow locks within easy reach (that's option 3). I should probably do some feeling around under the water to see if there is a loose bit of rubbing strake.] I look forward to Bizzard's contribution ....

Interesting re the Ribble - on my list. I take it there is no convenient buoy to tie up to in the Ribble, to wait for the next flood tide? Here is Gainsborough Bridge downstream on the ebb - 6.5 kts over the ground.

Thanks Tony - that is interesting, although I do still worry a bit that I wouldn't win against a flood tide (especially a spring tide) and so would end up going close to backwards for a bit (I do about 3.7-3.8 kts at comfortable cruising speed, the flood tide when I went through Gainsboro was nearly 3 kts). I see C&RT are now trying to encourage more boaters to use the Tideway, and realistically that will only happen if visiting boats are encouraged to follow the advice from the lock keepers on departure times; and/or there is some more formal (and easy to follow) guidance/advice produced by C&RT in dicsussion with local experts (as they produce for the Thames, for instance). I would also suspect that encouraging people to meet the aegir head on would not encourage less experienced boaters onto the tideway. [My experiences recently on the Nene were rather different - one could only get off (or indeed onto) the tidal river at Peterborough at High Water, and with the lock keeper sending down a few tonnes of fresh water to help us get over a silt bar about a half a mile below the lock.... We also had a mini-bore to deal with - the incoming flood bouncing off the lock/sluices and heading back down river to where we were stuck]

Just below Watford locks, though they may be short enough not to need one. Also: a nice long walk from Lower Heyford west (and up!) to Hopcroft's Holt ..

Tescos at Bulls Bridge (Southall/Hayes), Rickmansworth. Garages in Uxbridge, Hemel Hempstead, Cowroast, Linslade. Must be something in Fenny Stratford. Tesco (I mean supermarket) in Wolverton. As noted above, garage in Weedon on the A5 (bit of a walk). Then I think nothing until Banbury - check Fenny Compton Marina?.Garage at Fenny shut years ago I think. Hitch a lift along the main road to Southam (also accessible from Napton!). Then nothing much until Kidlington (long walk from Yarnton Bridge). After mooring at the brickworks above Pigeon's lock in about 1974, I did walk up to Kirtlington with a petrol can -- but that garage may no longer be there.

On the finances, the Times' article yesterday said: "The BBC’s contract with the Met Office is reportedly worth around £3 million, about a tenth of the £32.5 million the Met Office receives from commercial bodies and around 1.4 per cent of their revenues of £220.8 million last year." So this is not a big deal financially for the Met Office.

The BBC are covered by the EU procurement Directives - see for example here. The Directives cover organisations that provide certain goods and services - their ownership (eg public or private sector, or indeed voluntary) is not relevant. [Hence the regulated gas and electricity companies are covered, as noted above.] I've found this site very useful for keeping an eye on the weather over the last few months, and also this one which gives wave heights at Hunstanton. I hope nobody is crossing the Wash today.

Very neat. I think as my winter project am going to adapt this to produce a system that runs the bilge pump for for a max of 10 seconds each morning, while the engine heaters are on. That's more than enough to empty the sump the pump sits in. This system will not operate if the engine is started during the day, other than momentarily, as turning the keyswitch to start will (probably using a second relay) stop the auto bilge pump. Alternatively the pump could stop when a float switch breaks its contact, and then a LCD panel will display how many seconds of pumping were needed that day. Then I can work out if I need to tighten the stern tube....

fallback: use a rechargeable torch (or rig a floodlight) at the stern of the boat. I think you will find it more helpful than a light at the front, as you will be able to see where the boat is.

Thanks - good luck! My problem was width not depth (we take about 22 inches, and the pound concerned was full). All very odd - I got through Hurleston myself in 2008 or so, and the South Oxford many times over the years, with no problems. I've reported to C&RT, who did some work on another rather narrow lock near there recently and are about to do some laser surveying work on another - I think there are quite a few subsidence problems on that particular stretch. The alternative is that my boat has developed some middle aged spread somewhere, which is not a cheering thought. I need to find a way of measuring the beam accurately. The West Stockwith lock keeper thought that the tidal Trent, and the entrance into Stockwith, put off quite a few people.

I think you are just putting the buzzer in parallel with each bulb? so you just connect the buzzer into the two wires feeding the bulb.

Thanks - I guess the other issue here is condensation & keeping the tank topped up. Interesting comment above also to the effect that tanks at the bottom of the boat (as are mine) are less vulnerable to condensation than those that are higher up (and so have a wider range of temperatures). As with many boaty things, boats do differ and so the key thing is to know what is normal for our boat and to take action when things go abnormal. Engine temperatures a good example: I don't think my gauge is remotely accurate, but I know what number it normally shows!

Interesting comments here, We had quite a bit of water in the tank in 2009, We have been using Marine 16 for 4 years now and I have never found any water in the tank After a very good shake up earlier in the year (crossing the Wash) there was a tiny amount of water visible in the water trap - less than 0.1%. I found that quite reassuring, although it was more than I usually find when draining the trap.

I find that if I give a twist on the greaser before leaving the boat, then no water at all comes in through the gland.

You can buy them in Maplins - they are called missile switches. Designed to stop you switching things off or on by accident... I used to have one connected to my VHF radio (to control whether putting the handset back on the hook switched you back to Ch16) but got rid of it.

I use Marine 16 products. You may find this helps a bit. http://scholargypsy.judgefamily.org.uk/diesel_additives.pdf Two products here - one to cure a problem and the other a preventative. In addition to the tips noted above, I would add * regularly check the O ring on the filler cap, and keep it well greased (vaseline) * use an umbrella when it is raining (to keep the fuel dry, not you!). Here's the device (on the left) I use to check the bottom of the tank for water.

And here is a video of the bridge in operation, 1970s I think. Anyone recognize the cruiser? I can't quite read the name. Note the skipper also ties up using a centre line only... Suggestions please for the dialogue between him and the chap with a beard.