IanR

So Oldbulldog, how is the Ruston Riva Special working out?! I'm at the stage where I am about to do the same, fitting a stat and running the extra circulator through a radiator in what was the hold. If this works well I may extend the circulator beyond this radiator through the hot water cylinder but that would involve an extra 50 / 60ft run and I'm not sure it would pump that far too successfully. I'd be interested in details of the inline temperature sender too as I have a gauge hole in the pigeon box that needs filling!! Cheers, Ian.

That was my original thoughts as a bit of hose won't fatigue with vibration like a solid pipe between two steel faces might. Thanks for your input folks, I live and learn! Ian.

I imagine if my proposed gas locker overflowed then the gas would find its way out over the gunwhales around the rear edge of the side cloths. So the weak link in our plan would be the hose connecting the drain, but is it any more fraught with risk than copper pipe and fittings? What fittings would they be for copper, compression and a commercially available hull fitting? Ian.

That was easily sorted wasn't it!!?? Don't worry, there'll be far more for you all to ponder over soon enough!! Just need to check on the sizes of the bottle, regulators etc etc and then knock up a steel box to suit. It would seem that the box doesn't need a steel, sealed lid, just one that will protect the internals from damage from falling things, so the timber back end planks will do that admirably. The cabinet will be fairly close to the hull with a welded tube on the hull for the hose connection, ground off flush on the outside. There doesn't seem to be a definite height above waterline for this hull fitting, though the rest of the hull fittings in the bss booklet seem to indicate between 10" and 12" as ideal? Ian.

We are planning on making the locker big enough for two bottles, smaller than the 13kg jobsters. This way the locker bottom would be well above the waterline and therefore drainable.

I don't know him apart from he was a nice enough bloke when he did our inspection!! He did say that it'd be fine to run through ideas with him, but for the moment we are just running through ideas. Once we get more I'll pester him with the lot at once!! I have a copy of the BSS booklet rule book too and will certainly be following it and the inspectors wise words thoroughly! Many thanks again, Ian.

Thanks for the link Wotever. It would seem possible though the issue that crops up immediately would be the 1m proximity to an aperture into the boat. The triangular bulkhead from the planks into the hold would be within this 1m and will have a window and escape hatch in the middle of it. This seems from my reading of the rules to only apply for 'open air' storage. Our set up, although basically open air, has a drain well below this aperture so it may comply as is, though putting a lid on the box and turning it into a locker would seem to make it compliant anyhoo, unless I've read things on the squiff?

Hi folks. On our soon to be fitted out boat, we intend to store the gas bottles under the wooden 'back end planks' in front of the engine room. There is a steel floor under them now and I'm wondering if we can make up a steel (lidless) box with a flange around the top that we can drop it into a hole in the steel, sealed and bolted or perhaps it needs to be welded? I understand it would need a vent to outside at the bottom of the box, what does this vent need to be made from? Could it simply be a suitable sized hose onto two fittings, one on the box and the other on the hull, thus giving the ventilation? Or does it need to be a steel tube with no removable couplings etc? Perhaps there are fittings available that allow the tube to protrude through them so there are then no joins 'inside' the boat? The space under the planks, where the vent will be will be taken up by the fresh water tank and would be inside the 'converted' boat. I could post a pic of the proposed position if my description is non too clear! We are just gathering info for our fitout which we'll be starting when we get round to it! Cheers, Ian.

Many thanks for posting Peterboat, we are particularly interested in a gravity system, though it might not be suitable perhaps for our proposed layout. The Rayburn will be quite far up front, just behind the shower room at the fore end. I imagine the calorifier will be inbetween the rayburn and the radiator in the shower room. What height is the highest circulating pipe in your mates system? Ideally we'd like to keep it just under the gunwhale as the undercloth bit is obviously quite narrow at the top end so it wouldn't be ideal to run pipework up there as well. We are still scraping, cleaning and painting the hull insides in readiness for a fitout, so are planning / gathering info about what's involved as it is all new to us! Cheers, Ian.

Blimey, this forum is a great place for info and advice!! This thread has answered most of the questions I thought of asking and has changed our initial thoughts as to how we were going to lay the system out. We are putting a solid fuel Rayburn Royal in the 'kitchen' area of our as yet unfitted out hold. The shower room and kitchen taps are to be up at the fore end of the boat and the original plan was to fit the 2 coil hot water cylinder under the back end planks just ahead of the engine room. Since reading this, it is now glaringly obvious that the calorifier would be far better being as close to the Rayburn and taps, shower etc. The Rayburn is one we've known and loved abused for 20 odd years and although it looks so it is something we are keen to incorporate in our future plans. It is too big to go in the hold in one piece without cutting a hatch under the cloths to get it in. We might end up cutting a hatch at some point as it does seem a good idea, but for now I thought I'd look at making the Rayburn smaller so it would go in easier. It needs new bricks, boiler and a bit of looking at so I'd nothing to lose! In the end we ended up with it completely dis assembled and feel pretty confident that it'll go back together a treat. From the ground up as they say!!

Zenataomm, that link is fabulous, cheers for putting it up! I too have always wondered whether something more industrious used to happen there and you've confirmed it. Might have to get back up there for another look. I followed the maps on the link back down through Stoke and to Barlaston to see if the maps went that far enough to see our house. Not expecting they did I was amazed that you can see it on there and will have to go back and do some more looking later! Many thanks again. Just to recap, are we saying that there are boats abandoned visible there?! Ian.

Is that one of those fairly recent 'colourised' pictures? The inside of the handrail looks blue too, but the green pigeon box!!???? Confused.com!! Looking at some period pictures, the variation is incredible. Ian.

Oi!!! What's with the blue roof!!!?????

I'd like it to be as historically correct as a chopped about back'ards butty boat can be! Out with the red paint again then!! Ian.

Could well be Athy, both end of 'Indus' were turned into working motor boats and worked along with butty Pictor for a while as Southern Region Carriers. I think the 'other' Indus was worked more though but I have a picture somewhere of both Indus' (Indii ??) together in working trim. 'Tuther one has a Celtic themed livery presently. Thanks for the kind words folks, much appreciated but I dare say things always look better in photographs! And thanks Mike for asking the question about the Regd. and Gauging number lettering, saved me asking as I was just going to copy the layouts from the period pics I've found. Pete, when you say red handrails, you mean the cabin side colour? Out with the brush again!! Just painted them buggers blue too!! I've also just sent you a grovelling message to see how much more info you have on this boat! Cheers again, Ian.

Paintwork is done apart from the Registration and GU number on the top blue bit but that can wait for now. Many thanks to all that have offered advice and tips on the subject, very much appreciated indeed, this is a great forum for the novices like us!! Needed to turn round to get the third coat of blue on tuther side and took the opportunity of some side on pics from afar as it were, all I've had for the duration is a narrow towpath to view from! Well chipper with the transformation a new coat of paint can provide. Cheers again, Ian.

Sorry for more pics of the same sort of thing but the paintwork is now virtually done, we're well chuffed with how it has transformed the boat into something that finally looks looked after!! Had to turn it round to do the third coat of blue on tuther side so got some pics to see the cabin from afar as it were, as I've only had a towpath view of it's new paint so far. Not shown in these pics is the start of the rams head painting, just for Pete! Just like to say many thanks to all those who offered advice and tips for a novice painter, very much appreciated indeed. Ian.

I spread the lettering out a bit more and went for it...... We are quite pleased with the results, though it isn't as smooth and 'fluid' as a professional job, you buggers make it look easy!! Ian.

Aye, I imagine open engine room doors blanking a bit off might prove problematic! Well, wasn't that a doddle, not! I think these boat painty folk earn an honest coin!! Got one side of the cabin done, just the regd. and gauging numbers to add, plus paint the gunnels now I have stopped dripping paint on them. I wet flatted the whole sides before the lettering and will buff it all back up again now. Ian.

I'm going to centre the name over the porthole like Sculptor, then because the name is only 'ickle it doesn't get as far as the engine room doors. I quite liked the idea of having it on the door inside though.... Ian.

Getting nearer to messing it up!! Card templates made up to get the sizing and spacings right. Perhaps more curve and a slightly bigger spacing?? Anyone care to offer an opinion whilst I'm at the paper letters taped on stage!! (I do fully appreciate that it'll never be completely right to everyone!) The dots after the letters, most painted thesedays are round, but some of the period footage shows both round and square. Likewise, the drop shadow, same both sides, both forward etc. Was there a rule of thumb or was it purely regional down to the painters discretion? Cheers, Ian.

I'm very nearly at the 'bother a professional' stage!! Lettering drawn out to gauge size and spacing etc. Stick with a ball on made, white pencils bought, No 5 brushes, One Shot white and Ivory mixed, plus the black, now just need some decent weather!! Perhaps a slightly bigger spacing and more curve? On the plus side, I do have some red left over! Ian.

A bit of a long shot but does anyone remember a shortened old hull at Wheelton Boatyard on the Leeds Liverpool Canal some 20 odd years ago? It was the only working boat hull there at the time and was there for some years. It had been shortened to about 45ft or so but they knew where the 'unwanted' bit was on a nearby farm. From memory it was always a motor and I never saw anything happen or anyone ever go near it, it was just an open hull with just the engine on its bearers, no cabin or owt. I guess it's out and about on the system now but it'd be nice to know which it was! Ian.

We will just have to wait and see. Still, its still better to look at than it was before!! Some of the little blighters gave a fair fight, some were busy flapping about all over the place others wandering about etc. The smaller ones were left and have cut out fine. Many thanks for the advice Dave, very much appreciated, I'll only bother you if I have too!! Thanks kindly folks. Ian.

Twas indeed Brian, as you can see, our luck held out!!! Ian.