p6rob

A former member, Kendal recommended an alternative type of lay flat hose. It looks pretty good. I was going to buy one as I found my blue lay flat hose a pain the bum if you weren't moored the length of the hose away from the water point. It'd kink and restrict flow and blew the connector off the pipe on more than one occasion. As it happened my ex-wife moved to a flat and gave me my old garden hose reel back and I've been using that ever since. Just checked the link in the old thread and it no longer exists but this looks to be the same thing on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brunner-METRE-ROLL-GRADE-CARRIER/dp/B0013T5X0E Rob

Just had a very good experience with the vollies on the Tardebigge flight. We were lucky, they were about to go home as it had been so quiet, instead they helped us through all but three of the locks.

I got the slow down signal while passing somewhere around Alvechurch yesterday. We were fighting against the headwind from storm Hannah and another boater was going the other way. I did wonder how much affect we could possibly have made compared to the wind that was already battering his boat. Rob

One of my windows for shattered some time ago. It's still in place and I've covered it inside and out with plastic film. As I was passing a boat yard, I asked about getting the window replaced. They think that because it's an old window, it'll be difficult to replace just the broken but, so are recommending replacing the whole unit with new. This is obviously expensive as a one off. The window is going to be 1100 plus fitting at around 400. Channelglaze have said there isn't going to be a discounted price for getting all four windows made at the same time. Having one or two window frames replaced is financially manageable but it'd be nice to get them all done at the same time and get rid of the rattly louvres but would need time to save up. Plus, I'm hoping to finish the Armstrong Siddeley car I'm restoring before July and need cash really available for that. At the moment, I'm thinking of having a go at replacing just the broken window pane myself so I can save up to get all the frames replaced at a later date. Or possibly get the existing holes welded over and cutting openings for conventional narrow boat windows. It's a dilemma.

You mention an alternator problem as well as the overheating. Can you see if the fan belt is loose?

Coincidentally Solihull is almost the perfect place for people interested in classic buses. There's the nearby Wythall Transport Museum!

As far as I know, there's a warden in a portakabin. Perhaps someone who moors there can be more accurate...

Just the bar but as a visitor, you can't use the car park. I heard on the grapevine it's officially re-opening soon but only as a marina.

I do exactly this and work full time in Birmingham. My route for the last four years has been: 2 weeks at Cambrian Wharf 2 weeks at Shirley Drawbridge 2 Weeks at Hockley Heath Wharf 2 Weeks in the long pound at Lapworth between locks 5 and 6 2 Weeks at the Black Boy Used to do 2 weeks at Lady Lane Wharf - but don't now it's closed. Then back in to Birmingham Every few laps I'll reverse the route but usually tie that in with a month long winter mooring. To be honest, I'm getting a bit bored of this route now, so am thinking of going either onto Stratford or up towards Tardebigge on the next lap. Before that I worked in Coventry so did laps of the full Warwickshire ring. Up until last December I've never had any enforcement issues while cc'ing. That time I was in Cambrian Wharf, then found I had to do an unplanned business trip to Thailand, couldn't get a winter mooring, or space at Sherborne, so moved back out to the towpath and had an email saying I hadn't moved far enough. I explained the situation and moved when I got back 10 days later and that was that. I sent an email to confirm, as promised, I'd moved out of Birmingham and renewed my licence without issue this month. CCing around Solihull is dead easy as there's decent transport links for most of it, the only 'issue' is doing the locks between Birmingham and Knowle. Actually, thinking about it the worse issue are the two swing bridges if you're solo. Rob

Thanks John, I've done the Warwickshire ring twice in both directions and recently been down to Stockton when Martin Kedian re-plated the boat. Now looking for some new scenery. Depending on the weather I'll have either a car, bicycle or motorbike for transport but equally happy to use public transport if it's available. Rob

Hi, I've been living aboard for about 6 years now and have got a bit bored of my normal 10 week route between Birmingham and Lapworth via Knowle and Shirley. So I'm thinking of going down to Stratford and possibly to beyond Tardebigge. Are there a few places to moor on the way there and back, for a week or two at a time? I know to some on here that's barely a weekend cruise but I'll still need to get to work in Birmingham most days and have a few other things besides boating to consider. Would those routes be better experienced after winter? Thanks in advance. Rob

Really sad that I can't make it this year. Haven't been around enough boaty people this year, will have to put that right in 2019.. When is the next banter?

Yes, that's how we rolled, after we'd caught them up. Thanks for the replies and entertainment. It's not my boat and doubt I'll see it again but I suspect the lever we tried, without success, was the tilt lever. It was certainly on the starboard side near the transom clamp. Perhaps the rope being wound round from the port side was preventing it tilting. There was very little room around the engine to stand never mind work on it and the extended rudder made it difficult to reach from the tow path. Either way, we eventually freed it and the owner and his mate are probably getting close to Evesham by now. Rob

Short version - Last weekend, a new owner of a plastic boat got the stern rope wrapped around the prop and had to get their hands in the water to untangle it. I know I've seen boats with the outboard tilted out of the water but couldn't figure out how to pivot this little Honda. There was a big black lever that I thought might have unlocked something but it didn't, thinking about it, it might have been the choke but it seemed too big for that. There was a spring loaded pin that looked like it would adjust the rake by using alternative holes but that proved too difficult to remove with the boat in the water. Obviously it's of no help now but for future reference, is there a standard way to pivot outboards so the prop is out the water. Long version: We had a fantastic trip leaving Birmingham, heading for The Black Boy right up until the cursed Knowle Locks. All locks in our favour, even lock 9 on the Farmers Bridge Flight was easier than normal to open and close. No weed hatch visits, only two other boats moving, both were met at locks, so gates were left open for us. Things changed when we got about to Knowle, Debbie was steering, while I was inside warming up. I came out and she asked what I thought the prat in the GRP boat in front was doing. Apparently they'd pulled to the side, jumped off, got back on board, darted in front, slowed down to the point she almost rear ended them, then sped up again, were weaving all over the place, etc. I said, "perhaps they're new or had engine problems". Anyway, they sped off, we carried on at a steady pace. By the time we arrived at Knowle top lock, they had just shut the top gate and were winding the bottom paddles. A fisher on the waterpoint landing asked "Can't you both share the lock?" I said "Yes but a plastic boat might not want to share with a metal one in case it hits and sinks them". Debbie went and talked to the lock wheeler and they were indeed new to boating and hadn't realised they could share locks. They waited in the next lock for us to catch up and share the rest of the flight. As Debbie steered out of the first lock, she apparently lost steering control, so struggled getting into the lock. As she drifted towards the weir/old narrow lock, I had to push the boat towards the lock and pull her into the lock. At this point, a lock wheeler for the Girl Guides boat, which was waiting in the next lock down to come up started asking which side we would be going, then asked me to speak on her phone, to their skipper. Debbie left the lock, steered into the next lock without touching the sides, or Girl Guides boat, the Guides boat started going up and the plastic boat started coming down. Something however went wrong with the plastic boat and it too started drifting towards the weir. As mentioned above, it's rope had got badly tangled and it took us an hour to untangle it during which time it started peeing down. - This just confirms my dislike of Knowle locks. We got to the Black Boy and the lads on the plastic boat bought us a drink to say thanks for helping. After buying the boat from somewhere around Fradley, they were heading for Evesham. So if you see a little boat hemming and hawing it's way along, say hello. Rob

A former, Chinese, colleague learnt fluent welsh to impress a girl he met in Bangor University. He then went on to lead the Welsh translation of Open Office. Despite all that effort, he never got to Bang her. Sorry, true story but totally irrelevant to the op. Rob