Serenity Malc

Yello, The Birchwood I'm guessing weighs 3 - 4 tonnes .... the weir stream current is again I'm guessing 6 -7 knots. Here's the kicker ...... I'm moored about 350 yards down the weir stream with my 12ft fibreglass open motor boat along side my barge. 4 tonnes @ 6 - 7 knots ? .... it might be a big bump .... enough to wake me up in the night ! It also might wipe out my open boat or could cause significant damage to my barge. Malc.

Yello, Thankfully these craft were swept away by their unthinking owners and no one was aboard. I spoke to the lockie who told me that the Birchwood was for sale and the owner hadn't bothered to insure it ! I also enquired as to what The EA were going to do about it ? Had they put lines on both craft ? His reply was no ...... where would they put a line on ? ..... any line would pull out anyway. I have to say that I'm truly scared of when the water level drops ! .... as I'm right in the line of travel when they break loose ! There are 9 out of 9 weir gates open ..... but 2 of them have boats wedged in them. Malc. ........ yeah I'm quite scared now !

Yello, This is ... errr was a 27 - 31ft Birchwood cruiser now crashed into Bell Weir at probably 10 knots ! Then I went around a little further and saw that there's TWO boats crashed into the weir ! A smaller speed boat to the right of the Birchwood. The worrying thing of all this is that I'm right in the firing line moored in the weir stream about 350 yards away when the water eventually drops !! Malc...... this is no longer amusing.

Yello, Ta Keble .... just what we needed to know. Everything from Oxfordshire to everything East of the K&A summit, will be heading our way. Batten down the hatches Thames Dwellers ..... Malc.

Yello, Make sure your ropes are good and solid .... have some supplies on board .... and look after number one .... before you feel tempted to look after people who are too stupid or too rich to worry about the stuff that you and I would worry about. Stay safe .... Malc

Yello, Well if that's all the owners of a fabulous wheel housed narrow boat think of their barge ...... well ..... f*ck them. Make sure you stay safe my buddy ... my 10hp little boat is available. Malc.

Yello, I know that boat .... I've admired it as a narrowboat. I've seen it (as you say ) chained and padlocked ...... WTF do you do ? My boat is tethered to 3 x land based concrete laid posts ... and I'll probably be the last boat here at Bell Weir to still be attached to terrafirma. Without a battery angle grinder ..... there's nothing I could do. The owners need a damned good kicking ! Malc.

Yello, It would be a great shame to see R G Bargee go down through the neglect of her owners ... that's a beautiful Dutch Barge Style Narrow boat. I don't know what I can do from here ? I've spent the whole day rescuing my log stash and building a bridge for my 174 year old neighbour. Shit ! .... Malc.

Yello, Yes it deffo doesn't look good. Can you not use the 'caged' mooring on the other side ? Or is that swamped as well ? Take care dude ... Malc.

Yello, Yeah for you it's at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/riverlevels/136496.aspx?StationId=7172&Sensor=D&RegionId=0&AreaId=0&CatchmentId=0 Also check the 'upstream data' button on the same page. As long as your shore power line has an RCD fitted of a suitable rating, it should simply trip if submerged. It may also trip the circuit in the house feeding it. Be careful if you disconnect the LIVE shore line if it's a MALE ! ie; has visible plug top type contacts. If someone re makes the RCD trip without you knowing, you'll need to have the shore power lead and plug in a safe situation. We've had to move the cars and motorcycles to higher ground as the water is now over the bank and just about to go up the lane and over the rest of the garden. Malc.

Yello, Yes .... The Thames has risen again since I popped out to visit my Dad. My dog Benjie has always been scared stiff .... stiff as concrete ! A neighbour called the EA who allegedly said we had another 2 foot coming !! Anything that isn't tied down is in the process of being moved. Cars, motorcycles etc. With all 9 gates open at Bell Weir, The Thames is riverised more than normal. The gang planks are again 2 x 5 metre x 3 inch thick roof joists. Stay safe .... Malc.

Yello, The Thames is now higher than I've seen it ... although I've only been here a couple of years (at Bell Weir). The EA level site says it's the highest since Feb 2009. Building bridges once again. I hope you all had a safe and Happy Christmas everyone. Malc.

Yello, It turns out I have two battery isolator labels ... one which is a switch under the engine cover that disconnects the starter battery from the engine, and also a label on the electric cupboard door. There are no separate isolation switches in there except for the inverter / charger on/off switch and the 12v / 240 fuseboard main switches. Malc.

Yello ..... You're waay too sharp for me G&F !! Thanks By'eck .... I'm thinking initially for BSCC compliance, but also so that I can work on the battery bank and assoc. wiring. Thank you Paul C .... I've yet to find a fuse in the battery runs ! .... I will of course attend to that. Many thanks Malc.

Yello, Just a sanity check here ..... where should the battery isolation switch be in relation to an inverter / charger ? I'm guessing between the main positive battery lead and the inverter / charger DC input / output ? Cheers Malc.

Yello, Ta Gibbo ..... when you say 'after the speakers', do you mean after the power amp and before the cabinet ? Would this be the place to insert the Boss ME50 for reverb and effects ? Thanks Malc.

Yello, I predict it will be a very sad day ..... as I'm burying my Dear Mum. Malc.

Yello, You bet Mattlad ! The only thing special about it was the blue covering and tweedy type speaker cloth ..... but boy did it sing ! Malc.

Yello, Well .... ta Gibbo, you have a fine selection of small tube heads there ! I have 2 x 12" Celestion G12's I think, in my old Marshall 8240 combo to run a small valve head through. So I'm looking for a low power ( 5 watt ?) tube head that I can readily overdrive to the max. I also have an old Boss ME50 multi pedal to play about with. So .... which of your heads is your favourite ? I like the look of the AC4, but obviously it's the sound that counts. I also require it to have reverb because I don't want to have to run the Boss all the time. The Blackstar HT-1 looks good as well. Malc.

Yello, This was my last Baby .... sold to pay the mortgage then @ £500. This was a mint Marshall TSL 601 Special Edition ( in blue ! ) Now I need something MUCH more boat electric friendly but a little more than basic. Malc.

Yello, Go for it Carlt ! .... I'm looking for something that I can drive the valves at lower volumes. I used to have a TSL 601 Marshall when I lived on land ... and it had everything I could ever have wanted. Now I'm soon to be faced with some CCing and am looking for something cheaper to be able to overdrive maybe a 5 watt valve amp and run whilst I'm CCing. Good little amp the Epi by the looks ... but pure China nevertheless. Malc

Yello Rod, YES .... I'm moored at Runnymede .... across the river from The Runnymede Hotel on the North bank. Malc.

Yello, I wondered who on the forum played electric guitar, on board, whilst not hooked up ? I'm looking for a valve combo that can rock the boat in sound terms ... but not kill my battery pack too quickly ? I'm thinking a small 18 watt or maybe even 5 watt valve combo to replace my 2 x 40 watt Marshall IC combo. I like dirty valve sounds at lower volumes ..... overdrive rules ! Malc. BTW .. I'm not a financially rich man ATM.

Yello Blackrose, Would you PLEASE contact me if you're leaving a job in the boat yard !!!!! or if you're thinking of leaving your mooring ? I tried to befriend you on this site ... but without success. email malc_hudson at y*hoo.co.uk Many congrats on the job offer buddy ..... Malc.

Yello, The square knob on the side should move maybe 90 degrees when you turn it to change the bottom grill from big squares (wood) I think to smaller off set squares (coal) ..... although it's handy for shuffling the dead ash out into a (missing) ash pan to keep the air flow coming up through the fire. There's normally an air wash control to keep a layer of air passing down over the glass to stop it blacking so much .... but I can't see it on your stove. Keeping the fire burning over night is a matter of experience. You need to load the ( hot ) fire up with coal and have just enough vent open to keep the coal slowly but steadily burning all night. Easy to say, but not always easy to get right. Malc.