JamesWoolcock

Hi Kris. I seem to recall that you need to adjust three toggles, but I may be wrong. It was a few years ago. The Petters/Hawker Sidderley engine manual, which includes the box, has every thing you need to know. I assume (dangerous territory of course) that you haven't got one. Try Peter Thompson at Marine Services in Uxbridge, or just Google! But make sure you get a marine manual, derivatives of these engines went into all sorts of things including very many dump trucks! And a good source of spares not to ignored! James

If it is like the box in this pic, I had a PHW2 in my last boat STAR. The reverse gear needed adjustment annually as the gear rod came further and further back till you banged your knuckles in the winter or rain with the hatches closed behind you! You will have to have a look at the PHW2 handbook, must be available somewhere. It's not a difficult job but requires a spring balance to get it right. James

Ok. The filter is behind a lozenge shaped cover on the side of the regulator

Assuming the stove and the flue is properly clean, is your stove fitted with an over-boil device? My Old Dutch won't run without the Jabsco circulation pump running. Nevertheless, it's an easy job to pull it out of its housing. I've done without mine now for some years and the earlier stoves weren't fitted with them anyway. Just a thought. If not, try the fuel filters, one in the bottom of the diesel regulator, and hopefully there's one on the line too. Often piddling little online filters are fitted and they will clog much quicker than expected. I've fitted one the same size as the fuelfilters to both the Fischer Panda generator and the Lister FR3M. James

Autherley flight is one stop lock! Hell that's exciting! Do you mean Aldersley, the bottom of the Wolverhampton 21 locks on the BCN at the junction with the Staffs & Worcs, or Adderley or Audlem on the Shropshire Union? James

The Historic Narrow Boat Club has been taking CRT people out for some time. Where we can get our deep boats, you can too is a good starting point. James

MARQUIS is the second oldest originally self powered narrowboat still afloat, built for and by Fellows, Morton & Clayton at their boat dock at Saltley in Birmingham in 1898, as a steamer, and the oldest with her original fore and aft ends, albeit she has been shortened to 54 feet. James

I can't say that I've notice this, but the new 'phone set with the central number really works. If you know the name of who you want to speak to, you get put through, wherever they are, and hopefully too, whoever they are. Brilliant. James

Count MARQUIS in. James

Alan, you don't seem to have tried the obvious place to start - HNBC website calender, with links to the event organisers. James

Paid out? - yes indeed. I insure this 115 year old boat with Towergate Mardon of Shrewsbury, who insist on an eight year out of water hull survey. In late 2011 she got caught on the left hand side gunwales going up Camp Hill 4 in Birmingham. Frighteningly iron plates were protruding from the lock sides 20mm in places and had been caused through movement in the lock walls which the then BWB must have known about. An issue strongly made by me to them. The damage was minimal inside MARQUIS but the engineroom flooded and the Lister FR3M, installed in 1957, hydraulic-ed. Fortunately I had spare con-rods, heads etc, and sourced the rest, shells, pistons, liners, valves, spring, followers, gaskets etc.... The insurers readily paid for all the repairs which really amounted to a total rebuild down to the crankshaft. Several thousands of pounds. I shan't be changing from Towergate Mardon in a hurry! And Richard Milligan (Blackhands) worked his meticulous wonders. Thanks again Richard. James

In the case of CASSIOPEIA and MARQUIS it was width. MARQUIS stuck on the bottom gates at Morse Lock. ELIZABETH, which I understand has several iron or steel bulkheads and I can't have spread. She got stuck on the wing wall at the bottom of Town Lock. She has been through many times in the past and I think spent quite some time on the Chesterfield some years ago. Dredging? Well the eight historic boats that went up as far as they could in 2011 did their best to deepen the channel! But even any channel was hard to find at times. I burnt 20 gallons of diesel from West Stockwith to Worksop and back! Happy Days James

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Hello, good news but .... In September 2011 CASSIOPEIA and MARQUIS (and maybe others, I can't remember!) couldn't make it through Morse Lock, the one before Stret, and ELIZABETH got stuck at Worksop Town Lock. So more work to be done I think. James

Henry Johnson tells me that Yardwoods LINDSAY was one of the nicest boats he ever had, if not the best. He was brining her up from outside the Flint Mill at Etruria for the Jubilee Festival in June onto the Caldon and was full of nice things to say. James

Could just be because it's a Shurflo! Replaced too many now to use them because they corrode where the two halfs of the main body meet. Have had an American FloJet for nearly seven years without a hic-up. James

I use Fuel Set. Any comments? James

Those of us without weed hatches are forever thinking of what might be round the blade. Yes, almost certainly leaves at this time of the year - BUT - don't rev astern !!! There may be more on there than you think and all you are going to do is wind it on BOTH ways! Then you have a problem. So into neutral and let it drift. Then, maybe ONE turn of the propeller in reverse, then go ahead and watch it all come off, hopefully. James

The late John Forth used to tell me that narrow boats were exempt under The Clean Air Act. He looked forward to the Environmental Heath Officer turning up! Needs looking up maybe? James

Talk to Calcutt Marine. The BMC experts I think. James

Well first, ex FMC 'Victory' is VICTORY again today and is very much in evidence at several historic rallies every year. Joe Hollinshead tells me his parents had her when he was born, although he thinks he wasn't born on board but in the bar of The Swan Inn at Fradley Junction. What a splendid start to life. I've just come out of there! Now second, MARQUIS. Yes she carries BCN 1547 plates which I understand from Paul Hunter to be copies he had made when he owned her. What I'm not clear about is Lawrence's reference to her when belonging to Holloways and on a 1930 list, and as 'Marquis'. When Paul owned her he did a splendid job of researching her history, which I now have onboard. Records from several sources show her as sold to Holloways by FMC in 1942, and she was renamed 'Sally' after Mr Holloways sister Sarah. This seemed to have been confirmed in a conversation I had with Sandra Holloway a year or so back when I was trying unsuccessfully to find a photo or so of her in Holloways ownership. She eventually passed to WJ Hayward of Tipton, who had her shortened to 54", removed the 20hp Bolinder she had at some stage acquired and fitted the current Lister FR3MP as well as some stunning towing dollies! This was probably all undertaken by Harris Bros at Bumble Hole. The Bolinder is thought to have come from Grand Union's HENRY and is now in the museum at Ellesmere Port. Thanks Paul! James

Some really good points have been made here. MARQUIS is is 36" at standstill and a few more on the move. So sorry to anyone who thought she didn't look that deep and thought that I was being inconsiderate. But there is another issue. Why nowadays do boaters seldom take off any way when passing oncoming boats? So often I'm sent up the bank by another boat simply pulling the water from under me. 25 tons well aground takes some shifting single handed! James

Good for you. It needs to be done. How can the CRT enforcement team make progress with mooring issues when this happens all the time. James

I arrived at Merry Hill yesterday and emailed Dean Davies asking if it was helpful to CRT's enforcement team for his workboats to be on a visitor mooring here. First thing this morning he responded: "Thank you for writing in and bringing this to my attention, I take this sort of matter very seriously. As such I have contacted the maintenance team to investigate your concern. The location that Cloverly was moored is in fact an operational mooring for our workboat, and has been for over ten years, however it would appear that the sign (to this effect) has been vandalised and not replaced. I have therefore asked the local team to resolve this as quickly as possible to avoid any further confusion." Yes and the new sign was there by the time I took the dog out. Wow, beat that! A truly excellent response from a Waterways Manager who rather shows up some of his colleagues. James