Markinaboat

Busy working but often around when not or when not on the boat!

Is the bar open now, we're nearby?

I don't mix with any boaters of that ilk. They were complaining just by arriving and departing.

err, joke? and just for the record, the one or more who moved immediately after they were built started complaining almost straight away and were very anti-boat, no matter how courteous, quiet and sympathetic boaters were to their new quayside. Just the engine noise and fumes alienated the boaters.

even without the 0's, best boat on the cut!?

Thanks for the detailed info Tony. If it was my boat, I'd borrow the equipment to do some initial tests. But it isn't. It's also a 2.5 hr drive away so first need to find a weather window as well as fit it around a very busy work schedule. I hear cake and eat it! ?

An absolute steal! ? https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/narrow-boats-cruiser-stern/632206

you could always leave a little present or two in bags on the quay!

yeah, I thought after posting that if it was en route to the prv, unless the theory that pressure is equal in all directions blows that one out

Thanks for the detail but ?? It's not my boat ... yet and there's no way I can do perform these tests! ARS want £500 + vat to come out and test. With regards to the lump, according to the very thorough engine survey performed by Charles Mills, it does require that amount of work. I do not feel it would be PC to post the contents of, especially as I am only at deposit stage. It hasn't been well maintained, certainly not for the last few hundred hours. Very slack timing chain, quite noisy tappets, water leaks requiring more than new gaskets/sealants, so much oil someones chucked a mass of cat litter beneath the sump etc etc. However, if this goes ahead, I most certainly will seek other opinions from other engineers who can do the work to the same standard. correct me if I'm missing something here but if this were the case, surely the PRV would allow the flow to return to the tank and therefore not putting back-pressure to the engine? It kind of made sense as I typed but I'm not so sure now ... matron!

It is somewhat confusing. Needs a hydraulic specialist with the correct kit to test all areas. Long chat with ARS this morning and they said if the PRV was malfunctioning (which they can do apparently) then the back pressure so to speak would of course load against the engine. They also said the drive unit on the thruster could have a similar effect although I don;t see why the PRV would not then balance this out, unless of course both have gone! I'm hoping to be able to get to the boat again and test it myself, away from the pontoon and see how well it works or not. Need to find a hydraulics expert that isn't light years away or OTT with the ££'s. At the end of the day, I'd be spending the best part of £4k for a full top end rebuild of the 2LW and another £3k in other areas so really can't manage upto perhaps £3k to get the thruster issues sorted as well. If all working as it should be, the boat would be worth maybe £68k but at this rate, it would've cost me £73k and that's without the unknown such as batteries and quite old (but good condition) inverter, charger etc.

Thanks Tony. Will look on my current boat first as same system.

Good idea, am not sure Charles had the time for that as his focus was of course on the engine. I'm hoping to be able to to the boat again before the hull inspection on 11th so could take my IR gun with. Locating the relief valve may be difficult though as no idea what it would look like amongst the various components. Thanks Tony, good point. Apparently it was happening both when in gear and neutral. I know from experience that to expect a good blast from the thruster whilst driving the prop (unless at full chat) is asking a lot.

Also has a Leece Neville 24v 110amp although the batts were fully charged having been on float and this was after the engine had been warmed up at full revs in gear for an hour so I would have thought that the alternator wouldn't have been loading too much? Also, this was happening at full revs 1260rpm in neutral!

Well on the positive side, at least they kept the level up!

Interesting. Did you notice the oil level dropping before you sussed it? Even with a hydraulic leak, the pump will only work to a pre-set maximum pressure (I think?) and of course has a PRV for any over-pressure at the (thruster) drive unit. Can't see how this would put such a load on the engine as an even greater load is exerted from the prop without pulling the revs down so significantly. I'll be calling ARS tomorrow to get their take on it. IT may of course be just a poor match of hydraulic pipe size and/or too powerful a thruster model (8 bhp/75 kgf from a previous sales blurb) although the boat's been chugging away since it's launch in 1998. Valve clearances, timing chain etc have not been checked for a very long time apparently so requires a fair amount of TLC & ££'s but worth it.

Am in the process of buying another boat (yes I know!) with a 2LW. The engine has 8500 hrs on the clock but most likely done close to 10,000 as the clock was retrofitted. Drive is ARS hydraulic with bowthruster, a system I like (headroom) as have had two before. Had engine and drivetrain survey done (by one of the most knowledgeable in my book) and as was expected (over pressure in crankcase, oil everywhere, water leaks etc), a full top end rebuild is required for around £4k to bring her back to her former glory - this in itself is not a problem as had budgeted in with the offer. However, the thruster when operated for more than 3/4 seconds is taking the engine down to around 300rpm, possibly less (tick-over on this one is set to 450) and could even stall. This was tested in neutral at max revs (was pulling 1260 rpm in neutral and 960 with prop engaged). The thruster is turning/working without (I believe) any unusual noises (not much noise with hydraulic of course) and it has us stumped. Has anyone had a similar experience with a 2LW or indeed any engine? FYI, my previous hydraulic experience has been with a 3LW and JD3 with massive thruster power when required (mainly to get the boat alongside in heavy winds with a failing/failed back). No anti-thruster boring quips please, unless particularity witty or humorous! ?

Be careful you don't trip down those steps at your time of life Matty! ?

Have seen this trading on the Thames more than once. Merchant, built 2010/2012 by Mr Trotter at RW Davies.

Thanks, I've put a deposit down and Mr Mills is surveying the engine next week. Hopefully no more than a top end rebuild. Bottom end should be fine as one of the last 2LW's built by Gardner in the 90's so would have the later thin wall tri-metal crankshaft bearings - apparently! Engine no is 251877 Dated 30/09/1996

If I didn't have to go away with work, I'd pop in.

you must be the proprietor then!

Pig Sty as in Pig Place? Do they now have an interior bar in the 'new' building?

I couldn't agree more Dave, but difficult to prove. Of course, Walsh, MPS etc. Just poked it out thee to get any unbiased opinions. ?

Considering a boat with a 2LW. Has 8500 hrs on and nowhere as clean or oil-free (ish) as my previous 3L2 and 3LW. Seem to remember top end rebuilds can be the case at circa 10k hours and upto £4k? Any views and/or experience of this? I should add it's coupled to a Parker hydraulic drive system. I would of course get the engine surveyed by Mr Mills before parting with the cash! Has 8 x Victron 165ah AGM's (yes I know, overkill!) but they're failing as after permanently floating and having had 3 hrs at rest, were only 24.6v. So, post-purchase ££'s to consider! Thanks for any feedback. ?