Scholar Gypsy

Thanks to all for their replies - will digest over the next week or two...

Ah yes - I remember now. Yes, you were definitely crossing on an ebbing tide. Still at least you didn't have to deal with the cruiser that broke free from its moorings at Upwell. Sorting that out in a strong cross wind was a fun way to spend 20 mins.

I am fed up of the chimneys I buy fitting too tightly, and so being tricky to get off - the last one succumbed recently to a hacksaw on the Chesterfield. Our collar (circumferences measured with bits of whipping twine yesterday) is 5.28" diameter at the base and 5.2" at the top. I suspect we have been using chimneys that are nominally 5 1/8" (5.125") internal diameter and they are just too tight. The next standard size is I think 6" and that is perhaps a bit too generous [though it would be easy to add a few rivets around the base to fill out the gap a bit] Can anyone recommend someone who will make one to order, for a reasonable price? Many thanks.

Thanks - another urban myth then! I guess it's a combination of tide times and reasonable working hours. eg yesterday would have required a rather early start to get though on the rising tide (HW Kings Lynn 0700, so about 0800 at Salters Lode).

You were a day ahead of us - we went out at Salters Lode just after 0900 on Friday morning. That was the only locking opportunity that day. My understanding is that there is a general policy of not opening the guillotine on a rising tide, in case the gate gets stuck in the up position (or if a boat gets stuck under it - the headroom at high tide yesterday was about three feet). If the gate fails on a falling tide then the Environment Agency (it is their gate) have 8-10 hours to fix it. So the normal approach (subject to reasonable working hours etc) is to operate the lock about an hour after high water, on a falling tide, when the water has dropped to the level of the top of the gates at the other end. That way if the headroom is a bit tight then you just wait a bit - the tide was dropping at about a brick every 5 mins yesterday morning.

The BSS have just issued a press release saying "In the past few weeks, three recent serious incidents linked to the use of petrol have seen nine people needing hospital treatment, two other people injured and eight boats damaged or destroyed. " .. and they have issued this technical note and these top ten tips. On our first boat we usually stored the petrol tank (and the filler tank) on the bank overnight, not least to reduce the smell. We also filled the main tank on the bank not in the boat.

With apologies for reopening an old thread, here's a video of our entrance to West Stockwith earlier this month. I had turned in about the same place as STALWART, but I turned to starboard to put the bows in slower moving water. I then had to wait for a couple of minutes upstream of the lock, to allow the other narrowboat into the lock first, once it had been emptied. As you can see below, my GPS thought that I was over a mile off course, and also that the Trent starts at Gainsborough. [To be fair, I was using a chart showing the whole of the UK, and for a purpose that it was not designed for!]

Ideally you want an alarm if the engine overheats. If your fan belt snaps that should trigger your alternator alarm, but there are other causes of overheating.

I agree with Theo.

PS lots of good tips & links to the BW guidance here http://www.thamescruising.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=268

I would add (see recent postings) that the upstream BW guide shows the navigation channel @ Hammersmith Bridge too far to the right/north. You should aim to pass under the centre of the main span (under the word BRIDGE will do): that should ensure you leave the green cone to starboard & so miss Dove Pier.

can someone explain what 3D floor tiles are? I think I prefer 2 dimensional ones myself.

Those unprotected edges would do you a mischief if you fell on them...

I have 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" adapters in my box of bits. A reel of PTFE tape is sometimes helpful to reduce leaks.

The C&RT moorings at Boston - where I am at the moment - are on the non tidal section. 5 day VMs. (ETA: there is almost no flow out through the sluice at the moment. I have realised the point you are making is that there is nil flow outwards from HW-2 to HW+2, as the tidal doors close). I would not fancy mooring on the tidal section, not least as it dries at low water. On the rest of the Witham, there are a few stretches of bank where I could be tempted to try an overnight mooring, but it's not yet been necessary. PS do try the Witham drains. great fun.

much quieter near Boston

Good point, that's why I used my ecoblaster, & pointed it at him ...

The boat following me up the Trent on Friday looked a bit surprised when I did 4+2 before turning around to port for the pontoons at Gainsborough. I have yet to check the ABP bylaws...

Thanks - I went through yesterday evening and the level is pretty much back to normal summer level - maybe four inches down. There were various bits of blue string festooned on the middle gate at Bardney, which I suppose might be connected... Maybe there was something fouling the bottom of the gate and stopping it closing fully.

I've heard of boiling the ocean, but boiling a canal gets quite close ...

I put white tape on spanners that live on the boat, to stop them going home in my main toolbox.....

a bit off topic, but in my shower pump (which does have an impeller) I use vaseline.

agree with the above. you also have the fun of being below sea level (most of the time). Well I find it fun ....

This posting has some Google Streetview shots of Brentford. Basically once you see Brentford Dock Marina on the left, you need to be ready to turn. If you wait until you can see up the creek - the third photo - then you will have to battle your way upstream against the ebbing tide. (or not if you engine is not strong enough....)

They're handy when in a convoy of boats eg on the Tidal Thames, to avoid clogging up the VHF with chatter.