Bee

I said 'Extracalite' a couple of times and there was a helluva big bang and a big blue flash and a bloke called Voldamort fell out of the sky, he wasn't half cross.

Google steeldevelopments for repairs, if that's really no good I have a 17 x 14 x1.5" RH for £45 in the shed. Edit. Sorry, turns out its 17 x 12

Just re read your post, I wonder why he suggested changing the ratio? if it is only a fraction different from the Hurth that's neither here nor there but if its significantly different that is a very odd thing to do without a lot of calculations and knowing exactly what prop you have and more besides.

Hitting an underwater object could certainly wreck the drive plate and lose all drive but loose nuts / bolts? not really although vibration can loosen things. Gearbox whine? any oil in it? new clear oil is difficult to see so look carefully. I am not that conversant with bell housings and different 'boxes and input / output shafts and flanges but I would check all of that just in case there is a mismatch.

I should think that modern cuprinol or similar would be a good bet, these things are very 'thin' so will penetrate better than linseed oil, many applications over weeks. Not sure about painting bilges at all, primer is not waterproof so maybe not a lot of point using it? I think you are right about gloss, just keeps the wood wet. if you can keep the water away from existing rot it should stop it spreading, If you want to keep that wooden boat smell just keep a big heap of old tarry hemp rope somewhere, don't smoke it though, it'll make you cough. good luck with the boat.

We've just paid 12 months at a marina, water, electric, showers, the lot, private with a card thingy to open the gate, all brand new, 12 months for a 10 metre x 3.4m boat - 600 euros, a bit less than £450 . Valenciennes, Northern France.

Cor, what a lot of variables. First thoughts, whatever comes along that's affordable. Second thoughts, that Beta JD3 (?) The brave option is some sort of old thumper, more easily sourced from our Dutch friends.

I've seen that before, no idea why, eventually the thing just drowned.

My two pennyworth. Buy a good looking boat made by a good builder, reject gimmicks and silly stuff, improve it as you go along and maintain it really well. it will hold its value well. I was looking at a big 40 yr. old Dutch cruiser in Holland this march, it was hauled out and it was perfect. I really thought it was almost new. That boat, if sold, will sell for its actual value and not a theoretical value worked out to a formula.

Decent paint and a nice big gap.

I've been down the Thames from Teddington a couple of times when the tide has been pretty high and there really is a lot of water, over the banks all over the place, biggest problem is the debris in the river, old pallets, bits of tree, rope, plastic all sorts of stuff,

Actually I think that's quite a good idea, its so easy to trip over the things, I suggest boats should carry some really long pins and drive them into the canal bed and tie to them instead, no more unsightly holes in the towpath.

According to Calcutt boats the 260 is ok for up to 100 hp. If I am right there is a kit for a soft shift for your box, They do go in with a big clunk as they accelerate the shaft and prop from 0 rpm to tickover - say 700 rpm instantly, if you have a long, heavy shaft and a big prop that is a hell of a lot of inertia. It can't be good for keyways and everything else. I think asap supplies do a kit and probably others as well.

Looks like steering gear, same arrangement as thames sailing barges, a shaft that with a couple of hefty threads opens and closes a pair of 'scissors' that act on a quadrant on the rudder shaft, not a very good explanation I'm afraid. What on earth can you do with that boat though apart from grow thatch in it?