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magnetman

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Posts posted by magnetman

  1. 3 hours ago, GUMPY said:

    Don't harbours off tidal waters have an obligation to provide "safe haven"  if required 

    I think Limehouse have achieved this by providing high quality waiting pontoons with steps to land. 

     

    It is my view that these pontoons could become an interesting subject if there are no longer on site lock keepers to check the status. In the past they would have your Boat towed if you left it there with nobody aboard. Whether this is still the case seems an interesting question. 

    If I am delayed on my way from Teddington I can use the pontoons for waiting but the signage says there must be someone on board at all times. 

     

    It is quite bouncy down there ! 

  2. In to Brentford.

    In to Teddington.

     

    From Brentford. 

    From Teddington.

     

    I still think with it being CRT licence holders only there will be quite a lot fewer movements outward bound. It seems that other than the visitor licence and mooring on the wall (no services) there will not be visitors like there used to be in summer. 

     

     

     

    On the face of it there does not appear to be an option to book a passage for a Boat which does not have a CRT licence. In that respect it is similar to Brentford but in the past visitors have been able to lock in and pay a daily mooring rate for a berth with services while not needing a CRT licence.

     

    One wonders it this was a slightly porous entrance liable to result in unlicensed Boats on CRT water. 

     

    Other question: Does Limehouse lock have a PRN status? 

     

     

  3. A tensioner like one finds on the serpentine / auxiliary belt on vehicle engines. 

     

    It would be interesting to design an aluminium plate which would hold the alternator and the tensioner then bolt onto the engine somehow. Laser cut 10mm aluminium plate. 

     

    All on one. Could be nice. 

  4. 15 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

    After further discussion, CRT will be modifying/upgrading the website to offer the following slots around each HW (subject to the opening hours)
     

    A – “outbound upstream (early)”                         HW-4 to HW-2.5 hours

    B -  “outbound upstream (late)”                           HW-2.5 to HW – 1 hours

    C1 – “HW outbound”                                HW-1 to HW+1

    C2 – “ HW inbound”                                   HW-1 to HW+1

    D  - “inbound from upstream (early)”                  HW+1 to HW+2.5

    E – “inbound from upstream (late)”                     HW+2.5 to HW+4

     

    So if I was going from L to T, I would book slot A, to Brentford I might take B, and to or from South Dock C. Coming downriver from T or B I would book slot E unless on a speedy boat!
     

    The Trust are also keen to add some words to the website to help boaters with preparation and passage planning. I have started to think about that - bullet points (not paragraphs of prose please!) would be welcome.

     

     

    I think using the terms inbound and outbound to describe the lock transit itself could cause some confusion. 

     

    On the tideway the terms inward bound and outward bound are used to describe direction of travel. Upstream and downstream don't work because the steam could be going either way. Inward bound you are going into the land away from the sea regardless of stream direction. If one were to use the word 'upstream' someone is liable to follow the direction of the water. 

     

     

    I would use entry and exit to describe the lock transit. 

     

    Most inland boaters think of upstream and downstream so its alright to use those but I personally think using inbound and outbound adds a bit of confusion..

     

     

     

     

  5. 14 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:


    I agree. CRT accept that the slots currently offered on the website are not workable.  My current proposal to them (as set out in my spreadsheet posted above on an earlier comment) is that the website should offer up to four slots on any give high tide (they may not all be available, or they may be truncated, eg at start or end of the day when the 0700-1900 operating window will get in the way). As at Brentford, the lock operator should be there throughout the slot, until all the booked boats have been sorted.

     

    A: HW-4 to HW-90 mins, departing Limehouse for a trip upriver. Most people will (like you) want to depart towards the start of the window

    B1: HW-90 mins to HW+90 mins: departing Limehouse, probably for a trip downriver to the Estuary

    B2: HW-90 to HE+90: arriving Limehouse, probably from the Estuary

    C ;  HW+90 mins to HW+40 hours, arriving Limehouse, from upriver. 

     

     

    Sounds good. 

     

    One thing that may not have been taken into account is that this is a CRT licence holder booking system. I don't think they allow anyone without a CRT licence to book as there are no visitor moorings any more. 

     

    So the topic has widened. 

     

    One can get a 30 day explorer licence and the days do not need to be consecutive so that is interesting for people wanting to visit and moor on the towpath. 

     

    The wall is interesting. I think it is a CRT asset but implication is it is Aquavista. 

     

    Its going to be dangerous if the CRT start passing canal Boats at the wrong times. Something bad is going to happen. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Its worth bearing in mind also that people turning right with a CRT licence on their Boat may be less experienced in tidal waters than those turning left. Not a universal rule but I think the booking system it going inward for TEDD or BFD should be biased towards the earlier departure times and allow people with more organised passage plans to do their thing on the day. 

     

    Lock keeper needs to be there but I am unsure as to whether there is a messing room available. 

    • Greenie 1
  6. 6 minutes ago, Paringa said:

     

    I would still call the lock office (I presume that is still an option?) a couple of days before to confirm they have my booking, confirm my arrival time and see if they have a place on the wall for me, although i think that is becoming less of an option. Staying on the wall for a few nights on our barge was a cheap alternative compared to the marina moorings or indeed other marinas.

     

    I will follow my passage plan according to the tides and timings for my barge regardless of what the bookings computer says, if that is an issue i won't bother...shame, as it is a great trip and we liked Limehouse.

     

    Let us know how you get on Mr Magnet if you are the first to use the new system.

     

    Hi. I hope all is well aboard the good ship Paringa. 

     

    The lock office is no longer owned* by the CRT. It was transferred to Aquavista and is now a lounge and office. No VHF radios. no lock keepers. 

     

    So things have changed a little. 

     

    I rebooked for the 1800 and will at some point call the Docklands office by the blue lift bridge and point out that I need to be out at about 1500.

     

    Not against a cruise down and back up but I may have a narrow Boat coming as well en route to Teddington and they will be interested in minimising time spent on the River. 

     

    I, on the other hand, like maximising time spent on the River. 

     

    *they may still own but have leased it. It is no longer a lock keepers control and monitoring building. Previously one could go in there and book a passage but that is no longer the case. It appears to be a callout job for someone to operate the lock.

     

     

     

    • Greenie 1
  7. By all day I meant turning left first. 

     

    My Boat isn't a canal Boat although nor is it fast at 6 knots. 

     

    I'll try altering it to the afternoon and see what the website says. 

    ETA I have done the passage before in a variety of different Boats but not with this new tinpot booking system. Back in the day one just went in the lock orifice and got details into their book. 

     

    They even used pens and paper !!

     

     

    ETA changed it to the afternoon tide and it is now saying 1818. 

     

    Their computer is calculating the exit time as HWLB rather than HWLB -3.5hrs. 

     

    There does not appear to be an option to choose exit time. 

     

    All that needs to be done is the computer needs to be set to the beginning of the opening window for exit inward bound. 

     

     

    There is no specific detail about whether one is inward bound or outward bound. 

     

    It just says out onto Thames or In off Thames. 

     

    Whoever devised this does not understand how this system is supposed to operate. 

     

    Virtually all vessels with CRT licence leaving LH will be moving inward bound for BFD or TEDD.

     

    If this basic factor is not understood then there will be problems. 

     

    Am I missing something ? 

     

     

     

    • Greenie 2
  8. I'm going to Teddington and don't particularly mind taking all day. 

     

    I did think it was an error just wondering if they are that clueless that they would let Boats out at completely the wrong time. 

     

    If that is the case then a representation needs to be made to the PLA about it. 

     

     

     

     

    Is this a concerted effort to put people off using Limehouse or is it just incompetence? 

     

    I always look for patterns. Coming the other way I can see the rather uncomfortable waiting pontoons becoming popular. 

     

    If I change to the afternoon tide I don't think they will give me 1500. I believe their system is geared to offer HWLB as the exit time which everyone knows is wrong.

     

     

  9. On 24/02/2024 at 22:01, cheesegas said:

    That’s really really crap. My favourite time to go from Limehouse to teddington is 6am on a Sunday in summer. Nice empty river, you beat most of the Clippers as they start at just past 7am, really peaceful. 

     

     

    I just went through the online booking process and was able to book 0600 on Sunday 31st March. Now I am not sure of the tides but at least it gives all day which helps.

     

    See what happens I imagine they may correct it. 

  10. The dutch barge version was with the shaft hanging off the side of the Boat with engine at the front. 

     

    A bit like a longtail but instead of sticking out the back it was over the side. 

     

    Odd arrangement presumably for Boats not going through locks and a predecessor to the Opduwer pusher tugs. 

     

     

  11. This is the sort of Boat which should be temporarily floated then towed to a suitable location where it will not be an obstruction then sunk and pinned in place and allowed to return to nature.

     

    Its part of the history if canals. No harm will be done and very little energy will be consumed. It will remain visible and gradually be overtaken by reeds and such like. 

     

    Consuming energy to break up something which has no scrap value is a worthless task.

     

    History should be retained and be available to view even if it is a reed bed. 

     

     

     

  12. What is the height difference between existing gearbox output and the tail shaft? 

     

    It seems to me if there is 'plenty of room' you could consider using a cardan shaft custom made to your requirements. Weld up a bracket and put a plummer block on near the end of the tailshaft to protect the stern tube. 

    3 hours ago, Augustamay60 said:

    . When I purchased the engine it came with a Borg Warner gearbox attached but I have removed this because I need the gearbox to drop the output for alignment reasons. 

     

  13. Was that one of the BoA Boats? 

     

    I know that Mr Ward had the old bantock cut and shut job plus some driftwood but there was another geyser a rasta who was on an old wooden motor which still looked vaguely useable except there was no motor any more. 

     

    Is it that one ? 

     

    Also someone has had the Z iron away. 

  14. I sometimes wonder if permanent magnet alternators may be an interesting solution for this.

    Not looked into it as I do not use rotating electrics for electrical power production unless the Boat is moving. 

     

    I have a suspicion in the back of my mind that a PMA and lithium batteries may prove to be good bed fellows if done right.

    It would want to be done right. If you install a pma and the Boat catches fire causing you to break your legs as you rapidly exit the vessel without advanced planning don't come running to me to complain.

     

  15.  

    No idea what the rating is but side loads with heavy power use go straight to the pulley so this part needs to be well sorted. Beta marine had problems with pulleys and big alternators at one time. I wonder if it might be worth putting two alternators on opposite each other. 

  16. 12 minutes ago, Doodlebug said:

    I agree that running an engine for hot water and trickle charging is not suited but putting a 120a load on it to charge lithiums is going to be good load on the engine - which after all was built for generating power? 

     

    When it was a generator it would have been on a direct drive not a side loading belt drive. 

     

     

    belt drives can be a problem unless a lay shaft is used. This has been suggested and is a good approach but quite complex to execute. 

  17. Maybe don't use the engine as a charging set. 

     

    When I had a RN DM2 it used to put a little bit in via the alternator when Boating and if I was stopped for a few days I just ran a small Honda genny for charging. 

     

    It depends on your usage pattern but I tend to think when people start asking questions about alternators they might be using the engine when stationary to charge batteries which in my opinion is not appropriate. 

     

     

     

    8 minutes ago, IanD said:

    The other alternative is to fit an alternator with higher output current at lower rpm than the one you've got -- which doesn't always mean the highest current rating one, sometimes this only kicks in at even higher rpm.

     

    What model alternator do you have, and do you know how its current varies with rpm?

     

     

    Leece Neville large frame alternators are quite popular for this. Buses, large marine engines, trucks etc. 

     

     

  18. Fire is interesting. Bulkhead mounted is a good approach but I wonder if there is some artistic licence in that image. 

     

    Looks a bit like a Jotul but they are much too big and also mounted on legs. 

     

    Intriguing if it is an actual fire. Do any still exist? 

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