Jump to content

David Schweizer

Member
  • Posts

    11,452
  • Joined

  • Days Won

    22

Everything posted by David Schweizer

  1. I have travelled the Thames single handed from Reading to Oxford, and vice versa, quite a few times, but usually in late Spring or early Autumn. I never had any problems and the Lock Keepers were always very helpful. I always preferred to get off the boat and hold it on two ropes, and was only ever told to switch the engine off once, and that was by a summer relief keeper. When I tried to explain that it would be difficult now I was off the boat, he got very authoritarian and did not like it when I indicated that I was steering Narrowboats before he was born. The full time keeper then came across and said it was ok for me to stay on the lock lockside, adding that "these narrowboat skippers know what they are doing"
  2. I would consider using a Rustoleum Primer. There is a range of different products, so it would be worth contacting them for further advice:-https://www.rustoleum.com/pages/help-and-support
  3. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  4. If you did offer it for sale at £75, I would suggest that was a fair starting price, it looks like it is one of Lawrence Hogg's small Boatman's Cabin Widlasses.
  5. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  6. Not all of them Pisces, which was a Small Northwich, had a 4" elm bottom.
  7. Not really very helpful. The OP has told us that he is unemployed and will be homeless at the end of the month, but as we do not know the circumstances, it is, perhaps, inappropriate to be judgemental.
  8. Looking through some of my old files, I have just found the text from an email sent to me by Pete Harrison, which confirms that Pisces did operate as a Fire Boat in London during WW11. An extract below gives some details:- In August 1942 Pisces was hired to the London Fire Service and converted into a Fire boat, operating on the Thames, and based at Greenland Dock/Surrey Commercial Docks. It was fitted with 3 'Large' Dennis pumps, each being rated at 500 gallons per minute. Edited to add photo which is suggested to be Pisces as a Fire boat:-
  9. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  10. Does anyone have list of the narrowboats marshalled as a Fire Service Boat in WW11? I have always understood that Pisces operated as one in London (or possibly in Birmingham), but I have never found any photographic or documentary evidence.
  11. It is very unlikely that they have painted the gate with anything. Traditionally, new gates were submerged in water to swell the joints and make them watertight, it is far more likely that the gates have been recently removed from the tank for transportation, and the shine is geing generated by residual water onthe gate surfaces.
  12. Little Venice, just how I remember it.
  13. Having spent the first 25 years of my life in Ruislip, I know knew the Lido well. Below are several photos of the Lido building and the official opening ceremony. I am fairly certain that the man on the left in the third photo is Leslie Morton, who was general manger of the GUCCC at the time.
  14. I have been enjoying the historic photos being posted by mark99 as many of them relate to my early days on the canals, but where have they all come from? I have trawled through Mark's posts but am unable to find any mention of their source.
  15. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  16. We had one of those on Helvetia, one of the first welding jobs I had done was to increase the size of the drainage channels, which resulted in no more rain getting into the rear counter chamber.
  17. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  18. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  19. Or get stuck solid and stop the engine. Something I have seen happen on a couple of occassions.
  20. Over the years I observed that boats with only a small distance between the prop and counter plate had a tendancy to get lumps of wood, and other extaneous materials, jammed between them. We had a 6" gap on Helvetia, and rarely caught anything between the prop and the counter plate, just a bit of banging and watch the wood float off behind us. I would suggest that a 1" gap could be asking for problems.
  21. It used to be possible to buy a inlet heat conversion kit for Nuffield/Leyland tractor engines, from some Agricultural Merchants, I believe it could also be used on the BMC 1.5 and 1.8 engine.
  22. All this "buy it from Howdens" and adapt it, but don't bother too much about fitting the cabinets to the hull tumble home is not Cabinet Building it is general carpentry with a bit of bodge thown in. I was taught by a Master Cabinet Maker, and he regularly stressed that any decent Cabinet Maker will give as much attention to the back of the cabint as he will to the front and sides, even no one else will see it.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.