Rebotco
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Posts posted by Rebotco
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I gave up using a wet vac on my cruiser stern. It is designed to have a wet bilge, and and takes multiple empties with a vac.
It does have an automatic bilge pump, but this still leaves about 2" of water.
So now I also use a cheapie small bilge pump fixed to the end of a stick, with crocodile clips to temporarily attach to the domestic batteries. I also use a longish piece of hose, which will reach the far side of the towpath. So I just dip the pump into the bilge and it runs continuously, with no emptying of a vac., until I'm happy with the result. If there is a bit of oil as well, it doesn't much matter as its not going into the cut. I find this most useful for emptying the bulk of the engine tray especially, as this cannot be dealt with automatically.
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I did this over 20 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Probably the prettiest canal in the country IMHO.
Certainly then, had to moor each night at one of the half dozen dedicated mooring sites. Never had a problem getting a spot then, though there may be more electric hire boats nowadays. By the end of each days cruising the speed was noticably slower and the engine power definitely reduced, which didn't help when you got grounded. So I would say a recharging mooring is essential each night.
Things may be a bit different now, for better or worse, but from my experience I would thoroughly recommend it.
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Tell you what .......... Let Nick be right on Mon Tues Weds and Gibbo on Thurs Fri and Sat.
.......................................................................... then we can all have Sundays off!!!
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little electric engraving tools are quite cheap.
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57 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:
That is why I went back to the ones with 3 dry cell batteries in them. It gets tested every time we come onboard as I remove the batteries when we go home.
Mine says it will alarm end of life after 10 years from initial power up
Perhaps technology has improved. Nevertheless, there remains a specific lifetime for all CO alarms, quite apart from the batteries.
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8 minutes ago, MartynG said:
I have some CO alarms that have a standard AA type battery. Others have a sealed for life battery.
The alarm will make a sound when the battery gets low.
But they all have test button.
I did have one sealed for life type which failed after a year which was disappointing.
I think its worth remembering that the internal CO sensors only last up to 7 years anyway. So the whole unit really has to be replaced after 7 years. That's irrespective of the battery condition.
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The other consequence of being forced to oscillate between tickover and neutral is that the batteries are getting next to no charging.
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I find a particular problem with first time hirers who are told to go v. slow past moored boats. They over react to this and then find they have got very little steerage, which scares them - so they go even slower to avoid hitting othe boats, thus making life more difficult for themselves, and for all those stuck behind them.
On the rare occasions I do manage to pass them, I try to explain why they are unable to control their boat properly, and on even rarer occasions, they appreciate the advice!
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Whatever "it" it was, it really shouldn't have got out on the passenger side - or left it without locking the door!
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5 minutes ago, Jerra said:
Assuming the person has to use a phone then the pronunciation problem still exists. The thing IMO is that everybody nowadays tends to have at least one mobile phone in the party.
If you texted the W3W location there would be no problem with hearing mistakes.
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17 minutes ago, kris88 said:
“The perpetrator?”
Yes. He has created the whole situation. No one else.
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I do wonder if CRT has learned anything from this saga.
This guy has dragged them on for over 10 years.
CRT has rightly tried to get a peaceful resolution, but has then been far too slow to follow up with enforcement.
Apart from all the aggro this guy has been allowed to cause others for all these years, the undue delay has not actually done him any favours. He may, or may not, be suffering from the problems he claims. But even if he is, he is now 10 years older and inevitably less able to cope with the situation he has perpetrated.
He would have been far more able to cope with eviction 10 years ago than he is now.
Its very difficult for CRT, but extreme leniency actually makes a bad situation worse, both for themselves, and the perpetrator.
I hope they can learn to rebalance their priorities for the benefit of all concerned.
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Cyclists travelling at a sedate pace are not a problem and most welcome as far as I'm concerned.
It's the brainless twerps who think the towpath is a race track who are the only problem.
So it all boils down to speed. Notices, signs, advice etc are totally useless on the brain dead.
They are never going to slow down voluntarily for anybody. They must be forcibly slowed down - its the only way.
My solution is speed bumps - cheap and effective!
These will not affect pedestrians, dog walkers, pram pushers, boaters or the sensible cyclists.
But will definitely impede the the lunatic stick insects clad in lycra.
For maximum impact these speed bumps should be angled towards the canal.
Cheap, effective, and highly entertaining. Think I might patent that idea ......?
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Its been quite a while, Bizz, since your wheeze cells have been in action.
But well worth the wait at last.
This stick invention will likely require further development for the aerospace industry to appreciate its full potential.
If you form a research and development company, may I put my name down for about 2 x million shares, please?
I'm convinced that within a very short time, Airbus will tell us exactly where we can stick the stick - then the sky's the limit!
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1, 2 and 3 Gallon can's with liquored solid brass
’Shaftsbury’ classic watering can
Well I hope his watering cans are better than his grammar/spelling!!
At that price, I'd want solid gold with diamond insets.
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36 minutes ago, Loddon said:
Looking at getting a 12v 22/24" TV
Don't need anything flash, don't need smart TV as we have a surfeit of ROKU.
Needs to be low current, HD, have an HDMI in and an optical audio out.
I know Avtex are the best but not at that price.
I am looking at RCA 12v TV like this
Any other recommendations?
These "Cello" brand ones seem to be very popular for boaters.
We've had one for years.
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43 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:
Insurers are not, I suspect, as unhappy as you suggest. If there is a major disaster on amnunforeseen scale and for which they dud not gave an exclusion then perhaps, but having it known that they paid out on an incident that folk know about is probably needed to encourage customers to take out good policies.
Which is precisely why I am happy to share my experience!
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39 minutes ago, Ernie said:
I was with Craft Insure for 16 years and never had any problems with them - however, I never had to make any claims so .......
I've been with Craftsure since I first got a narrowboat around 14 years ago.
And 2 years ago I had my first and only claim following a period of heavy rainfall and consequent flattening of the batteries by overworked bilge pump.
Fortunately it was spotted before it sunk, but still caused significant damage in the engine bay of my cruiser stern boat.
My claim in excess of £6000 was paid out by Craftsure, much to my relief. There was some negotiation required, but they were quite fair and we reached a settlement that I was very happy with. Happier than they were, I expect!
So I can highly recommend them from experience as an honest and fair insurer.
My best recommendation probably is the fact that I continue to insure with them, and likely always will.
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3 minutes ago, magnetman said:
Hilperton marina have a crane. No idea about what they can do about road delivery but I seem to recall from when we were down there in 2001 that Hilperton is reasonably close to that area. Trowbridge I think it was.
Yep. That,s the place. Just 2 or 3 Km from bradford on avon.
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If you link them facing in opposite directions, reversing would be a doddle! No more winding holes needed.
Ahh deep joy
Only thing is, narrowboats are almost 7 ft wide, so minimum beam would be more like 14 ft, rather than 12 ft.
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1 hour ago, David Mack said:
Back in the 1980s I worked on the development of the Second Severn Crossing. As part of the work we got a trip out from Avonmouth with the Port of Bristol's chief pilot to the navigation channel west of the English Stones, which is where the main span of the new bridge now is. We went at low tide to see what we could of the rocks where the main towers are founded. It was a sobering experience seeing the maelstrom of water as the whole of the estuary drained through the narrow channel, a moment of calm at the bottom of the tide then once again violent water movements after the tide turned.
The Chief Pilot told us he was dreading the reopening of the K&A expected in a few years time, as it would result in lots of flat bottomed, under powered, under equipped and under prepared boats going out onto the biggest tidal range in the country, having not been willing to pay for a pilot, and he foresaw his staff having to get involved in the aftermath.
I'm not sure it has turned out as badly as that, but I have witnessed a couple of inadequately prepared boats setting out on the trip in apparent blissful ignorance of the dangers.
Yes, under the bridges was most "interesting"!
A great whirlpool encountered there. Spent a lot of time travelling sideways at that point, and occasionally backwards!
Definitely not a river to be underestimated.
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12 years ago I was in almost the identical position you face.
I had just bought my first narrowboat (60 ft) at the very end of October, from Tardibigge, and needed to get it to Bath pdq.
Due to planned winter closures at various points on all the long routes, I chose to go down the river Severn route via Sharpness and Portishead/Bristol.
To make matters worse, the tides meant I had to do it late at night, and in the feezing cold!
I did have a knowledgeable friend with me who did know the river very well, but not an official Pilot.
It was a dramatic and hairy trip, but, as you will deduce, we have lived to tell the tale!
I am so glad I experienced that trip, but I probably wouldn't do it again under the same circumstances.
My ignorance of the dangers was my greatest asset at the time, but unfortunately I have now lost that childlike innocence!
So my advice would be to not write off the Severn route completely - it can be done, but you MUST have the right weather conditions,
the right tide timings, and a very competent pilot. You cannot muck about with the river Severn, it does demand the greatest respect always.
You go WITH it - or you don't go at all!
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Or stick on strips of roofing felt instead of wood. Lighter and no screw holes needed.
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That is not a boat at all - it is a heap of rotting junk that is getting worse year by year. It will never move again in a horizontal direction.
It can only be vertical - either upwards by removal, or downwards by sinking. Just a question of what comes first.
I wonder he did with the £7K he was given to repair it?
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Proposed new accessible electric narrowboat.
in New to Boating?
Posted
Not strictly correct - there have been electric charging facilities along the Mon and Brec for at least 20 years!
Although this is a CRT canal, it may be the charging infra structure was installed by the electric boat hire companies.