Dave_P
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Posts posted by Dave_P
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On 01/10/2021 at 16:04, Victor Vectis said:
Where's that photo of Cath Fincher when its needed?
Enjoy
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1 hour ago, dave moore said:
Among the uphill queue are friends of mine who are supporting the bow hauling of Stratford, a 22’ maintenance boat, from the Boat Museum to Hawne Basin, raising funds for charity as they do so. This is their second hold up, a stoppage at Chemistry lock being the first. I hope that the volunteers involved have some leeway in their schedules to accommodate these delays, they were supposed to complete the trip by Tuesday next. Fingers crossed.......
Since you brought it up, if any forum members would like to donate to the effort:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/pulling-stratford-back-to-the-midlands
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21 minutes ago, BlueStringPudding said:
BSP already knows about your Professor Alice Roberts fixation. And quite frankly, BSP approves.
Fun fact: I once had breakfast with Alice Roberts. She was just as lovely 'in the flesh'.
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7 minutes ago, magnetman said:
When the weir gates (part of the bridge structure itself - you navigate under them) at Richmond half lock are opened the effect is that the tide moves inwards towards Teddington.
So when you leave Brentford it won't be flowing much if the gates are still down but once they are up it will start moving faster.
I've come out of Brentford a few times at the recommended time and sometimes had to wait a short while before the gates at the bridge are lifted. Do you mean the Richmond Bridge? Are you saying it's worth taking it slowly up to Richmond Lock to ensure the gates are open?
Of course there is another discussion to be had here and that is that CRT can't actually dictate when you leave the lock. That's up to you although it could be too shallow in Brent creek so it's sensible to take advice. Are you sure? I had to book passage through the lock online. Are you saying there's no need to book the lock and I could just turn up and work the lock myself?
For moorings I would always recommend pushing further and stopping outside Hampton court palace. It's so much nicer than Kingston !! Noted, although my first choice will be Teddington.
A little bit risky if it's full as can be a bit tricky to get in after Molesey lock with not many sensible visitor moorings and the mooring at Hurst park with a close and very useful Tesco is probably squatted anyway.
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15 hours ago, blackrose said:
If you're in the lock just before high tide you'll have about 20mins of slack water when you get onto the Thames and then you should be able to ride the flood tide all the way to Teddington. You should have an anchor and suitable length of chain/rope even though it's less than a 2 hour journey.
If there are no moorings at Tedders then carry on and you should be able to find a mooring at kingston just after the bridge on the right.
I'm a bit confused by this. If I go through the lock just before high tide, then won't the ebb tide follow the slack water?
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1. I'm due to be going through Thames lock at Brentford soonish. The CRT booking system for the day only allowed me to book one specific time. I presume this is because that's the predicted time soon before high water? So I should be able to ride the flood to Teddington, and arrive there around high water. Is that right?
2. Once through Teddington I'll be looking for somewhere to moor. If England haven't been knocked out of the footie, they'll be playing that night so I'll be needing to settle in for that. (No need for disparaging comments about football - we all like different things). Can I moor immediately above Teddington lock on the lock moorings? Or is there somewhere soon after where I can tie up? Ideally somewhere with decent mobile signal, as my tv has been playing up. All suggestions welcome.
I'm familiar with the Trent, Severn, Avon, Weaver and the upper reaches of the Thames above Oxford, but this bit is new to me so I'm not too sure what to expect.
Thanks in advance.
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Hi Ian,
First, you haven't been deleted: https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/profile/2164-nine-of-hearts/
Second, I used to use an excellent boat sparky but he seems to have decided to become totally unreliable/uncommunicative, so I'd be interested in the answers too. In the meantime, what about Richard at Sherborne?
Hope all is well at the Port.
Dave
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13 hours ago, MoominPapa said:
Came through Leicester today. It seems that Covid has changed where people moor, along with so much else. Both sets of pontoon moorings completely empty, and two boats on the towpath side of the straight mile. No boats at all in Birstall. I won the sweepstake for number of moving boats encountered whilst passing through Leicester from Kings Lock to Junction Lock with a grand total of .... zero.
MP.
Then I can hope that my London prediction is true, and I get it all to myself! ?
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1 hour ago, Ally said:
The southern end of the Soar has remained pretty quiet. 2 to 3 boats a day generally so far. Only seen one day hire boat.
Yesterday afternoon there were about 2-3 every ten minutes going past me at Norton Junction on the GU. A bit quieter today, but still a few per hour. Judging by Moomin's comment above, they're mainly avoiding the Leicester line. Maybe people think Leicester is still locked down, like it was last summer.
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11 hours ago, David Mack said:
That's why I have a folding bike on the boat.
I do normally have a bike with me. But for complicated reasons I won't go into here, my bike is currently elsewhere.
11 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:So now when you get your new accumulator, tape the thread, 3 full turns, wound the same way round as the thread, and screw it into the Hep2O fitting on the plastic pipe.
You have a 15mm Hep2O to 3/4" BSP Female fitting on the pipe.
Difficult to make you a plumber overnight, it used to be a 5 ear apprenticeship, but you are doing quite well !
You will need to set the air pressure in the new accumulator. Fit it as it comes pre charged (hopefully! ) and switch the pump on. Let water out of all the taps to get rid of the air. Close all taps and let the pump run until it stops. Very, very, slowly release air from the Shrader valve on the top until the pump just starts again. Done. If you let too much air out top it up again to about 40 psi with a bike pump. And try again.
I've read this a few times and I think I understand. Thanks.
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Update: At 3:30 I discovered that the nearest place I could get PTFE tape was an hour and a quarter walk away. And the place closes at 5:00. So of I went at a brisk trot to get there before it closed. I made it, and after a 2 and a half hour round trip, and returned with a roll of tape - cost 60p! I've now refitted it all and, hallelujah, it seems to be holding (touch wood). Well it's been a rather tiring day. My phone tells me I've walked 28,000 steps, which is good exercise, and best of all, I get to have a shower now.
Thanks everyone for all your help - especially Tony, I think I owe you a pint some time.
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This is all the bits
This is all the bits loosely screwed together
This is inside the brass fitting which was on the bottom of the accumulator.
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1 minute ago, Tony Brooks said:
I think we really need to see all that parts laid out. I think there may be a rubber washer missing but can't be sure. To be honest it looks a bit of a bodge to me and I can't think of any "houshold2 items that would take the place of PTFE tape, not that I think the lack of it is the problem.
I'll take a picture. The brass fitting I took off the accumulator has ptfe tape in the thread, so that's why I assumed that. Give me 2 minutes
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7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
That looks like a plastic pipe equivalent of a compression fitting, I don't know how it sealed to the accumulator and the new one may not screw onto it. Lets see the bottom of the accumulator.
There's another piece which I've found which I thought was part of the accumulator, a brass fitting. I've taken that off and it all goes together now! So I put it all on and it's weeping. I suppose there should be some ptfe tape in the thread? I don't think I have any of that. Any clever ideas?
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Update. I got a threaded plug as recommended by Tracy as a temporary fix. Manged to get the accumulator off but I can't get the plug onto the fitting. It's the right plug I think but there's a plastic bit sticking up which prevents the plug from going on. Can I cut this plastic bit off to get the plug on, or is it needed for something?
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2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:
Does it say for Potable water? Is so then yes, if not then no, especially as it says a steel body and no mention of the internal coatng.
It doesn't mention it. They also do a blue one which doesn't mention it either. The advantage of MC is that I can go in a talk to them. I could even take the old one in to make sure I get the right size.
2 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:I hope so!
Me too.
Thanks for all the help so far folks!
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I've ordered a threaded stopper thingy which should arrive at an amazon locker near here by 1pm tomorrow. I can try and put that on so I can have a wash! Then I can wait until I get to Braunston and pick up this:
Is that the right thing?
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2 minutes ago, matty40s said:
Thanks. There's no way what I have can be 25 litres. I think I'd have to start dismantling my wardrobe to get that in!
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Just now, Tony Brooks said:
I would try griping it and see if it will unscrew anticlockwise.
The accumulator does seem to turn, but I was nervous of doing that!
1 minute ago, Dave_P said:Ahh, so it's not a specifically boat thing?
Are they called something else?
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Just now, Tony Brooks said:
Any Toolstation, Screwfix or p;umbers merchants. Just make sure its for potable water, often but not always blue. 5 litres or larger will do.
Ahh, so it's not a specifically boat thing?
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6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:
If its loosing water from the steel shell it has already leaked from the rubber bladder inside, its scrap, you need a new one.
Incidentally the red ones are usually for sealed central heating systems and not for fresh potable water at all.
If you cannot find one quickly, put a treaded plug, most likely 3/4" BSP thread, in the tee that it is screwed into instead. Then you can have water but will have a burping pump and may be an initial weep from the PRV when you warm the calorifier up.
Is it this what you mean? https://www.plasticpipeshop.co.uk/34-BSP-Threaded-Plug_p_4270.html
The problem is I can't even see anything. The accumulator is sitting on a wooden base and is boxed in underneath. I can't even work out how to remove the accumulator right now. And I'm tired! I'll be able to look again in the morning.
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9 minutes ago, matty40s said:
Replace, any competent boatyard should be able to fit, stop cock off, pump off, drain taps and leave open, let pressure out of existing accumulator.
Eat strawberries.
Replace like for like*(cant see pipes but hopefully just push fit, so take fittings from accumulator and stick on new one.
Thanks. Can you recommend anywhere round here?
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On 25/03/2021 at 16:01, blackrose said:
I'm not suggesting it, it's a well known fact. It's not a significant voltage, it's a very small voltage. What would cause it is the potential difference between two electrically bonded dissimilar metals immersed in an electrolyte. Look it up. Plenty of articles online.
Surely you remember science lessons at school where zinc and copper electrodes on the end of wires were inserted in a lemon and produced enough voltage to illuminate a small light bulb. How do you think that works?
Thanks for the info. I barely remember school, even less specific lessons regarding lemons. I do have a vague understanding of galvanic corrosion, anodes and cathodes (not learned from school). As I wondered earlier, why don't narrowboats have anodes spaced every six feet along the hull?
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Here's some pics in case that helps
BCN Challenge 2022
in General Boating
Posted
Will there be points for walking/cycling/paddleboarding etc this time?