Arthur Marshall

I've just noticed there seems to be a bolt missing at the bak of my LH150 gearbox. Doesn't seem to be causing problems, but can someone advise me if there should be a bolt in there, and if so, what! You can see the hole at the top left of the pic.

No, mostly because if they have no name or index number they won't be on a database, will they?

Some of them may well have such agreements, but it's unlikely that they all have, or there'd be an awful lot of very sick people living on boats,or just happening to break down on the most convenient moorings. Certainly the number of dumpers and overstayers has increased year on year, as has the quantity of boats with no visible licence, name and number. Can't say it bothers me that much, but it probably should CRT.

On my SR2, the ducting on the port side is the hot air eject. The air intake is just a hole in the hull on the other side. . I use 6 inch ducting for the eject, seems ok.

Thanks - obviously been some changes in the last twenty years...

Coming off the Soar and turning left on the Trent, I have a vague memory (it's twenty years since I did it last) that the locks are operated by lockkeepers unti I reach the canal. Last time I was in a bit of panic as it was more or less in flood, so I don't remember much. Do I need a phone number to advise them I'm coming? And is that still the case, anyway? Advice welcome...

Finally checked mine. It's got an 8 stamped on it, if that's any help.

As is well known, I like to moor up as far away from everyone as I can, being the considerate person that I am . If anyone feels the need to nestle against my fender they have only themselves to blame as I do my trombone practice. I am also now learning the squeaky trumpet (or cornet, as it is sometimes known). If you wish to avoid me, I'm on the Coventry heading south... I sympathise wholeheartedly with the OP, actually. It really annoys me, too, and it's usually the antisocial pilllocks who run engines late who do it.

I agree. I went down last year. There's hardly anywhere to moor, it's busier than you think so even the few moorings there are are pretty full, it's so straight it's a pretty boring drive and there's no more wildlife than anywhere else. I went down twenty years ago and liked it, shan't bother again unless they get the whole thing connected. . Nicest bit was immediately below the locks.

I can't see from that picture why one should assume the rest of the boat is a mess - as far as I can tell he's just rigged something up to get some dry usable space at the sharp end. Wish I could. We can't all afford a few thousand quid to have it done in steel.

Couldn't get a circular saw into the space - it's the side runners of the hatch, which have a groove in them which sits round the angle iron runners. We cut the original groove before screwing it all together by running it through a table saw a few times, just not enough times. I got a ten quid wood cutting disc from Screwfix and just widened the groove out. There are two problems - the hatch frame has, for some reason we couldn;t determine, come out slightly warped, but the boat is even more warped so the rail aren't straight or level - if fact one goes up like an aircraft carrier deck. The boat got craned out about twenty years ago and twisted itself in the process. Sea Dog will be pleased to learn that it's now sitting in the shed with the primer drying while I play the trombone for the delectation of my neighbour's dogs (for some reason she seems to have gone out) and forty three cows in the field next door. There seems to be some fellow feeling between them and the trombone.

Thanks to all for suggestions and entertainment. All is now well.

If I could track down what causes thread drift I'd use that... Angle grinder and wood wheel it is...

It needs about 1/8th of an inch taken off the bottom of the slot. If it wasn't all glued together I could dismantle it and run it through the table saw again to widen it. I was thinking that a Dremel multitool might have a cutter that would do it or a sander disc on a grinder?

In trying to sort out a leaky hatch, damn thing fell to bits and so have made a new one. It's all wood, and it slides on rails of angle iron welded to the roof. Unfortunately, as I find having made the hatch so it fitted snugly on the rails, the rails are twisted so the damn thing sticks. So I need a gizmo that will widen out the slots in the hatch side so it unsticks, preferably without having to dismantle the whole construction which would be a nightmare. I can't get a router in there. Any ideas of a useful tool? It's got to be done in the next day or two...