chubby

in the section quoted i do not use the word " assume " regarding hull blacking . I also go on to state " if the hull has been maintained " Wyvern have thier own dry dock i believe which is why i would " expect " it to be blacked regularly and maybe as often as once per year . Other hire firms i would also " expect " to black annually but i would not " assume " they do so & as you rightly say it would still require a thorough check anyway cheers .

My understanding is that the smoke removed from coal to produce smokeless coal is sold off as a by product and then used by manufacturers of E cigarettes as an extra way of generating profit .

Yes i appreciate that but - & its a big but .... Its complete bollocks isn t it ? If the idea is to electrify every road vehicle " eventually " ( when exactly is your " eventually " ... 50 yrs , 75 yrs ? ) then the air will much cleaner . The few old fashioned folk still burning wood and coal for warmth in the latter decades of 21st century are hardly likely have any noticeable affect on that airs quality are they ? We re not talking about Victorian London of 9 M people and a woodburning stove in every building are we ? If i m incorrect about this then fair enough ban woodburning stoves ...... once everything else has been done . Once all the Lorries , fire engines , ambulances , taxis , motorcycles and ice cream vans have gone electric because woodburning stoves are so far down the list of air pollution culprits theyre hardly worth bothering with . Its just local politicians and thier hangers on just trying to create work themselves to justify thier position and salary . So these politicians might just aswell crack on with thier plans to piss about endlessly tinkering and thier misplaced grand visions of a London with Europes purest air quality and leave the humble woodburning stove alone because a few folk burning wood and smokeless coal isn t the problem is it ? A total waste of time , energy , effort & money . All of which could be doing some good somewhere . But since when politicians give a monkeys about such things ?

Sadiq Khan is hopeless . Boris Johnson was hopeless . Neither gives a toss about anything but furthering thier own career . They ll say the odd important here and there and appear as a strong & determined leader etc etc . Its all just fluff & nonsense . Londons air is dirty ? Quelle surprise ! Its always been dirty . It always will be . Clean air is Sadiq Khans chosen crusade because he cannot be proven wrong . If the air isn t better by the time he leaves office he can claim that his efforts may take more years to have an impact . Anything he does during this campaign will have little effect on Londons air quality as he , the population , business leaders etc couldn t care less . But Sadiq must have his " thing " so he claim a legacy . The irony for me is this air quality drive is recent . Boris had his bike lanes . Theyve choked up the roads - especially the embankment on tje north side of the Thames from Parliament Sq to Tower Hill and elsewhere . Just as the all the road traffic starts sitting around going nowhere fast , churning out diesel fumes whilst waiting due to virtually empty bicycle lanes the new mayor chooses to make air quality an issue and diesel engines an enemy . Banning wood burning stoves - Wow , what a difference that ll make whilst more and more cars sit around in traffic and more and more aircraft land and take off from Heathrow . The man is a prick . But then he is Mayor of London and the electorate get to choose between a prick with a red tie or with a blue one .

That has got to be the worst looking work ive ever seen . It is shockingly bad . I hope it has not been used .It is dangerous i expect . I wonder which part of system this boat is on ..... hmm . I wouldn t like to moor anywhere nearby . You need a new flue . One piece of steel . It will need to be cut & welded as necessary to allow for the angles required between stove top & roof collar . Otherwise you might die in your sleep when you light it . Worse still - someone else might . Your call . You need to make fixing this nonsense a priority . It doesn t look like it would withstand force if the boat was knocked in a lock or by another boat . Or if i flicked it with a finger . If u dont have already youre going to need a Carbon monoxide (CO ) detector , or two & smoke detectors Use it and you risk your life . Whoever told you to just put it all back together is talking BS . If u moor near other boats and use this stove then you are being dangerously irresponsible . I make no apologies for sounding harsh as you need to be aware of the seriousness of this situation . Lives are at risk if used . Deaths happen every year from CO inhalation and boat fires . ETA : Im curious about the language used in the OP . " when i moved on " as opposed to " when i bought "'. I do hope this is not a rental boat . I think you can get flues that slot together in sections . I would expect that any sealants involved would go inside the pipework not outside . It all looks dangerously knackered anyhow and in need of replacement .

A wise decision i think . There will of course , be absolutely NOWHERE on the entire canal system to buy a Whale Gulper what with it being the overwhelming favourite of narrowboat owners because of thier exceptional levels of reliability . Theyre like hens teeth . Forget it . Much better to use a pump designed for entirely different purposes than one made for the purpose you require . Sarcasm aside . Do u have one those appalling box types with a bilge pump inside it ? These are notorious for blocking up so you may be able to just clear the blockage temporarily ( it ll block up again soon enough though ) . If it is one of these type has the actual pump failed ?

Well you did better than a chap i went went past about a week ago . He was throwing his magnet out from his boat which was moored up , to the opposite side of the canal . He was in the bow . Most of the time folk seem to just drop it in the water rather than cast somewhere specific away from the boat . When he saw me he stopped . As i passed him i asked " what are you trying to catch ?" " im trying to get rid of that tree " he replied . " Best of luck with that " i responded The magnet will contact with metal . A tree is clearly made of wood . I tried to think charitably .... I failed miserably and thought to myself ... " F***wit "........

Opinion only : Buy a Whale gulper pump & accept the cost because its the best . It will not let you down and is largely a fit & forget item . As already memtioned - this means you have a spare water pump . If you fit it i expect the opposite will happen and as a shower bilge it will let you down sooner rather than later as it will almost certainly block up . Also Sods law dictates that as soon as fit your handy spare water pump your current water pump will fail & you 'll still end up spending money . Fit a whale pump , bite the cost , job done & move on to next problem ! cheers ETA : I also have a spare water pump - and old one " just in case " . I do not have a spare whale gulpee pulp because i just simply do not expect it to let me down

My personal thoughts on this boat are that Ditchcrawler has nailed it with the comments quoted . I expect that hirers nowadays want all sorts of gizmos , kitchen nonsense like " nespresso " machines & USB charging points & tellys etc . I expect hire boats are blacked every year ? This boat is a relic from another era when folk wanted to get away from it all , cruise the waterways , and have a simple time - less is more if you like . Nowadays folk seem unable to go half a day without getting on tinternet or using a mobile fone , ipad etc and the boat is possibly outdated . If the hull has been maintained and the wooden cabin too then for someone who just wants to get on the water with minimal cost and who doesn t need much " stuff " then it has the potential to be a good result for someone maybe . That someone may have to spend a few quid on a few things ....or more than a few things - but for a " hands on " type person at 12k it could be worthwhile . Rock up in Leighton Buzzard with 9 or 10 K and youd probably get it . Compared to alot of the complete crap that turns up on ebay at much more money it looks ok . I also like that it appears to be " honest " . Its old , its had a hard life , its got a wooden cabin , its very basic . No " sprucing up " to add a bit to the asking price etc . I dunno whether its any good or not in the flesh & the term Caveat Emptor would be highly relevant - but for someone it could be a Bobby Dazzler cheers

seeing as this section is called " general boating " can i ask if the cat knows how to use a windlass or complete an oil change on a barrus shire engine . If yes then i ll have it . cheers

Ive never been on the K & A . Chances are i never will . It doesn t sound overly worthwhile . My opinion only . So - i went on canalplan to see how long it takes to travel from Bath to Bradford on Avon . It came up as 11 miles & 6 locks . I laughed out loud . So - how does one " continously " cruise over the period of a one year license on a journey from Bath to Bradford that you could complete there and back in one day and still have a pub lunch in the middle . Ridiculous . More homework needed id humbly suggest

Absolutely correct . London folk seem quite happy to pay over the odds for thier boats . God knows why that should be but if you want take a boat to Bristol do not buy from London . It is likely to A ) overpriced B ) crap C ) overpriced & crap Many will " done up " which means some white paint has been applied to almost every last square inch of the interior , maybe some poncey taps & " metro " tiles in the bathroom and wood look flooring throughout . Meanwhile behind the facade .......who knows ? Buying from anywhere else away from London & its commuter belt will be more worthwhile i expect . The North & Midlands would be much better as quoted above cheers

I went past Wyvern at Leighton Buzzard a few days ago . They have a 40 ft for sale at £12K . Looked tidy from across the towpathbbut i think its a wooden top - but it might be worth a look ???

I have a becton bunny . Made by Aarrow . Ive nothing to compare it with cos its my first stove . Welded steel , not cast iron . Seperate door and ashpan door . I think it is an excellent stove on my 58ft trad . It doesn t make the bedroom at the stern ( stove is by bow doors ) very warm in the depths of winter but im ok with that mostly . Is nt difficult to keep in . As i say i cannot say whether its better than any other stove as its my first one but im happy with it Might be worth considering

And i in turn agree with pretty much all you say . Ive lived aboard for only a fraction of the time you have and i daresay you have seen folk come & go from the boating scene . Im not saying for one moment that its cheap . But that it is cheaper. Having said that if one is hit with big bills for boat repairs early on during boat ownership then it may well appear otherwise . If you own a home outright ( mortgage paid ) & a boat outright then it may well be the case that the boat works out more costly than the property . But then again youve had the opportunity to purchase the property in first place & those costs are behind you . As i mentioned previously im not suggesting that paying for the property was an easy ride over 25 years . But the opportunity was present & many quite rightly took the opportunity. Thing is - thats not how it is anymore . I fear that many folk are simply looking at thier inability to acquire a mortgage & asking themselves " what is the point of working my socks off to pay some poxy landlords investments off because this situation isn t about to get better . Politicians aren t going to sort it out , & society mostly doesn t care because theyre just interested in themselves being alright " - at which point they begin to look at alternative ways of living . " The NIMBYism of " boats cost more than renting " is dreadful. I read it as " these canals are my playground - dont come living on them cos u can't afford it " . Disgraceful mentality . Mr Smelly - you ve seen folk come & go during your long years onboard . Some folk don t last . Some folk do . How can one really know unless they give it a shot ? IMO the best thing the OP can do is save as hard as they can to gather a greater budget together as thier current one is at a level where theyre on risky ground and will be looking at boats firmly in the bottom of the market . Better to wait , research , ask questions and if prepared to pursue boat ownership then do so with a higher budget which is of course still no guarantee of a decent boat . I thought the OP sounded level headed and realistic & deserved good info . This he got - and its right to advise novices of the pitfalls possible and its right to suggest one can only really liveabord long term if they love it - but how can a novice no without taking tje plunge ultimately , but i was mightily annoyed by some of the comments about home ownership costing more than boat ownership . In years to come many will not know what home ownership feels like or they ll have to commit to a life of paying off student debt & home ownership debt and probably for thier entire working lifetime for reasons beyond thier control. Or live a different way maybe . Those who are fortunate to have thier homes , thier security etc should IMO count thier blessings because many of thier childrens generation are unlikely to do so . cheers

IIRC at the back of the flush switch there is a dial to adjust water usage . I cannot remember too clearly as its some since i had a tecma . Might help ?

The posts above finally bring some wisdom to the thread . Who gives a shit . Canal hardware gets banged into everyday & everywhere . Usually where i am ! It happens , mistakes happen , people are people and no matter how experienced one is there will be errors . I bet strong wind for instance can make an experienced boater look foolish from time to time . Sounds like this old chap has spent a lifetime on the canal . Im happy he s still boating - good luck to him . As for the bickering - it's embarrassing watching a pair of intelligent & knowledgable people going " Sir sir - he said .... but sir - he started it " . Is all this really that important FFS ?

I live on my narrowboat . There was of course a sizeable payment when i bought it . In 4.5 years ive owned it - my first boat ive also spent a fair amount in improvements , servicing , maintenence etc . I have a mooring , i have insurance , i have RCR cover , i have a license . It is CONSIDERABLY cheaper than renting a flat . If i CC'd it would be cheaper still . I dont live on my boat cos its cheaper . I live on my boat cos its BETTER .... by a country mile . All this negativity about overheads , and how theyre greater than my home etc is wearyingly boring ..... . Well done to those who " played the property game " and won . " Weve a got a big house , didn t we do well , weve got boat aswell , aren t we marvellous " . " Our boat coats more than our house - so dont even think about buying a boat as its an expensive thing to own " It all reminds me of the Harry Enfield character who always comments " Excuse me Sonny , but me and the wife couldn t help but notice that we are considerably richer than yow " in a brum accent . Of course your house was cheaper . You probably bought it in the 60s 70s 80s 90s & have seen big increases in its value . Im not suggesting you ve had it easy but i am suggesting that things are more difficult in recent times . Folk - hard working , honest folk just like yourselves cannot get the homes they want the buy because they cannot keep up with the insane prices of home buying . If one is stuck in a cycle of renting in order to fund someone elses lifestyle is not likely that one will look to altetnatives ? In times past one bought a home to live in , raise a family etc . Property nowadays is bought up by investors aswell thus removing the opportunity to those whod like to buy . So some folk - usually old , retired types or close to it did well . Good for them . But all this " dont buy a boat unless you love it etc " is bollocks . Is it so far beyond imagination that someone can buy a boat for one reason ( finances ) and stay on it for other reasons ( cos they then fell in love with it ) ? I expect there are several members of this forum who would fit my question above . But i doubt many would question thier motives The OP sounds to me like theyve got thier head screwed on . Asking the right questions. Theyve spent time in campervans - so what they haven t lived in it . The OP doesn t sound like he wants a lavish lifestyle and would infact actively embrace the simplicity of boat living . It sounds actually as if the only thing missing is a larger budget . People are slowly waking up to the idea that working your knackers off all your life to pay a mortgage isn t the be all and end all of the three score years and ten that good fortune has blessed us with by being born in the first place . Why spend that lifetime working working working if its just to pay rent because the country they live in is such a f*** up that it cannot house its own population . So all this " it aint cheaper " is tosh - because it is cheaper by a long way , & its better by long way than renting a crappy house to pay a landlords investment off Yes - there will expenses & some of them may well end up very costly. Buying a boat , especially the first is frought with insecurity , anxiety & worry because the initial cost of buying involves a sizeable chunk of money . Concern is only natural . If one buys a boat its warts n all and if a buyer is unlucky or not diligent enough the costs can be eye watering . These things the OP should be made aware of - quite rightly . But i personally find all this " don t do it unless u wanna do it " boring , negative and if really honest a bit snobbish ..... Thats all folks cheers

I dont get any of this really . Ive just on AD . I have a boat already but i look on it several times a week - like a strange addiction . I clicked on " Traditional " . Four boats at 20 K , 23 K , 15 K & another at 20 K came up in the first 10 boats . The last was a 40 ft Springer tho which you seem to have discounted as a builder . The others were 50 ft plus . The boats are there . There will be many more . I dont even look at the cruiser stern section but you will . I d expect all the 4 i found within 60 seconds to need work - maybe costly work who knows ? If i can find 4 boats in 60 seconds that fit your budget how can you claim there to be so few ?

Cheers again folks . Matty . Im not near Braunston as yet but i ll pm you to see if youre nearby when i get closer to see if youre available. After Braunston im not certain of what im doing or where im going - but i will keep going . Apologies for the vagueness. Jibberish is learnt on the job , although im fairly fluent already . Uber don t bovver me even remotely. When i see the drivers i pity them . I did the knowledge so i could be " my own man " - answerable to no one . I now have two freelance jobs which complement each other . I also work as a guide at Westminster Abbey , Windsor castle , St Pauls , Tower of London and other places . The " market " - " the people " will decide on cabbies V uber . In the end uber will win because humankind appears to prefer corporate spiel over actual ability & folk seem happy to be driven around one of the worlds most complex cities by people who dont where theyre going and who are utterly reliant on a computer to earn thier crust . Up to the people - im not worrying, what will be will be i guess cheers

Thanks again for all the replies . I 'd be too scared to do my own packing in the water . I had planned on getting it done whilst i blacked the boat having assumed it to be an out of water job . When i did some googling and looking thru previous CWDF threads it seemed the majority preferred to repack whilst in the water . If you re making a mistake its obvious as waters coming in . Do the job out of the water and you wont know theres a prob until u go back in and chances are you 'll not be " prepared " to fix it as quickly as needed . At least thats how I understood it . Having sorted it earlier on i set off at just before 1300 and moored at just after 1900 . I checked the bilge regularly. All seemed well . After mooring i gave the greaser tap a few turns . The bilges look as if theres been no ingress of water during the engine running . Theres a few v shallow puddles from where i pumped out last night but they look no different. The bilge is filthy , greasy , oily - it looks a disgrace in all honesty . I was gutted this morning not to be able to set off nice and early . This cruise is to be a long one for me . A bit of a holiday if you like . After 4 years of self imposed grind & misery ive just completed " The Knowledge " in London so this cruise is my reward - i promised myself once id " got out " as its known id make up for lost boating time . So to find such a problem the day after setting off after blacking the hull was a bit of a letdown. But every cloud has a silver lining and with lots of help it looks to be fixed & ive learnt plenty . I will get into the habit of checking those locknuts when use the greaser tap after cruising . Cheers again

Theyre a helpful bunch of folk arent they - boaters . A chap just went past me to work the next lock and i asked him about my prop shaft , its stiffness etc . He jumped down into my quagmire of a bilge to spin the propshaft & suggested that the effort needed to spin it was as he would expect. I explained that i 'd nothing to compare it to and that it felt stiff to someone who wouldn't know otherwise & he reassured me that the degree of resistance was normal . I have since run the engine in gear , forwards and reverse several times . No water dripped thru during about 15 minutes of running time . The stern gland became slightly warm - definitely not hot . I have tightened the nuts only as much as necessary, followed by lock nuts done with two spanners. All being well that should be that but i am a little concerned about the port side stud working loose in the first place so i will get hold of this lock tight stuff and get that seen to . Thankyou again to all whove helped me . As i say each time i ask for help i am grateful for your willingness to share your knowledge. I daresay all this looks to some like a straightforward job , all easily put right . But im a big believer that one should never judge another persons abilities using thier own as a yardstick . We are all different. To me this was a very daunting task - its where the water that should be outside the boat has an opportunity to enter the boat . Scary stuff . So thankyou for your patience again . A quick bit of brekky and i ll head off . I shall report back once i moor up what has happened whilst cruising . Another step up the learning curve Cheers

Thanks again folks . Bizzard : Ive just been speaking with a very helpful local boat engineer . He has said almost exactly what you say in your last post . He s advised me not to be scared of it and that there will be resistance from the prop shaft - it wont " spin " as such and effort is required but not force as such . Blackrose : Thankyou - these i will check out later today . Rusty : Thats exactly what i do normally when underway . A quick go every 45 mins or hour . Almost nothing comes out . Yesterday more than usual did so i thought there was no prob until i moored up and noticed alot of water in the bilge as turned the greaser tap as i always do once moored up . Cheers again . Quick cuppa and back to work

Thankyou Bizzard The studs have a shoulder . When screwed into the forward pusher the shoulder sits between the two halves of the pusher set up . Ive cleaned all the nuts and studs . I couldn't remove the starboard side stud as it was firmly stuck so i cleaned it with degreaser and toothbrush to clean the threads of muck , grit etc . So all the adjustable bits are clean now . I will get the stern gland seen to , its just difficult to get someone but im heading North, no idea how far im going and so i ll try to organise something in Braunston maybe - if i can get going again . The forward pusher is loose . The nuts are loose but the prop still seems stiff to me . I dunno what im comparing to tho . I have to apply force to the prop to turn it by hand - i wouldn t say it " spins freely " . Im concerned that if its too stiff then this may put extra demand on the engine or prop shaft etc . Forgive me if talking out if my backside - this is new territory for me . I shall get some oil and grease into the gap behind the pusher as you suggest and then tighten each nut equally. I guess i then turn the engine on and see if water comes thru and adjust each nut equally again . Once water ingress is down to the odd drip i can adjust the locknuts up to the other nuts and secure with two spanners . Does this sound correct ? Scary stuff for the uninitiated- thanks again ETA : just seen your prop alignment comment. Id be way out of my checking properly. Ive just given it a " strong yank " & theres seemingly no play in it though im sure theres far more to it than that .