magnetman
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Posts posted by magnetman
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Judging by the hatch on the deck you are probably right - watertight compartment to stop it sinking.
It could be a houseboat but I'm not sure they would have those hatches.
Whereas mud hoppers always have them.
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My replica English barge is 58x12 and I find that a nice size to handle by myself comfortably without any helpers. (4 people live on it but the ladies do not participate in boat handling activities)
For just one or two persons i would consider slightly smaller maybe 50x12
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There seems to be an assumption (by some of the above 'posters') that you will be fitting an engine and going cruising, ie 'give us a toot as you go past' and 'watch the roof when you go thru tunnels' etc.
Just be aware that as a 'houseboat' VAT would not have been paid on this vessel, or on any of the components of the build
Once you convert it into a 'boat' (ie by adding an engine) then VAT would be chargeable.
As far as I know there is no 'time limit' and the VAT man can go way back. The VAT liability is with you the 'owner' not any previous owner - it is you modifying the boat.
It may be worth speaking to your accountant before you go 'too far down the road'
The HMRCE definition of a 'Houseboat' is very different o C&RTs definition of a houseboat
The VAT treatment of houseboats HMRC Notice 701/20 7.1 What is a houseboat?
A houseboat is defined for the purposes of VAT as being a floating decked structure
- which is designed or adapted for use solely as a place of permanent habitation, and
- which does not have the means of, and which is not capable of being readily adapted for, self-propulsion
The give us a toot was addressed to me as I will be passing Drayke today apparently
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What's this fixation everyone has with charging the ruddy phone
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The problem I can see is that when the river is flowing fast it also contains quite a lot of vegetation and general debris. Might be tricky to keep the blades in clean water all the time.
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8ft seems like a very odd beam to me.
Will not allow you onto UK narrow canals and there is nowhere I am aware of which is limited to 8ft.
I'd go wider as the space is very useful on a residential vessel.
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Nice photos and good information. I lived in Rickmansworth (Batchworth moorings) for a few years in the mid 00s and went up to common moor a lot to walk the dog.
I had never seen Croxley Mills as pictured so its nice to see how it used to be up there before the bland housing
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38 will be fine.
I have never tried it but I suppose one way to throw off the occasional idiot 'helper' might be to deliberately stop the boat on the way into the lock in such a way that the gates can not be closed. Pretend there is something round the prop or whatever. This way you gain a bit of time and allow your crew to get in position and (hopefully) make clear that they are in charge.
This could come across as rude but may be better than damage to the boat ?
Typo edit
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I had an RN (admittedly a modern one from Essex) in a previous narrow boat and I could start it on the handle in warm weather. I am not Mr muscle in any way shape or form. Listen to the injectors cracking and times it right. It was a DM2 and not an old one to be fair.
Anyway I go out every evening either in my electric day boat or in my electric kayak. Its pleasant
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Yes I see now. Didn't look at pics just read the text in first post
I always go round the back there past Thames Voyages boatyard rather than the normal channel so will look out for it.
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Yes probably
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Or an untold nightmare
gotta be honest -
Will look out for you on the way down as we are coming down to London from Marlow over the next few days
Or are you on ash island - if so its up the weir stream so not visible on passing.
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I was in Harefield on the lower GU for most of the nineties. Sun (I think the same boat but as above, no meaningful pictures) was moored just up the cut in Rickmansworth and we used to see her around all the time. I thought then that she had the most perfect lines of any boat I knew and she seemed to move without the water knowing.
I also saw her win at least one boat handling competition. A big butty rudder and an engine is a combination with advantages!
Perhaps the 73ft is measured to the tip of the rudder. Or were Bantocks unusually long?
I owned a motorised bantock (Orianne) briefly and yes it was very long so quite possibly the length included the 'elum or rudder.
Nice boat to drive she went like a rocket and also very nice looking. I was afraid to put a steel top on it so sold it to someone else - not sure what happened to it
I remember Sun moored up the backwater by tesco in Ricky (mill stream?) Outside the pub.
Its a nice boat.
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That's a possibility yes.
I read that early spoon dredgers were 2ft iron hoops fixed to the end of wooden poles with a leather bag attached and that one man would scoop mud out of the river and dump it in the boat. Seems very laborious but then they did dig the canals manually !
I realise what most people think of as a spoon dredger is a more complex arrangement which involves a small crane and probably a much more heavy duty 'spoon'
On the other hand I doubt a small diameter pole would be 'man enough' to deal with the weight of mud so bird catching does seem like a slightly more likely explanation !
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Would they have had them in the days of hand forged tools? Its quite possible its a person recovery tool - any ideas about what it might have been called?
I've had a 'body drag' out before but that's a 3 tined grapple on a pole - I guess that's going to hurt if you are still alive
Thames locks have an aluminium pole with a large hook (about 2 feet diameter) rather than ring and the hook is coated in plastic.
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I had this old item out of the Thames near Reading. I think it might be the "spoon" from an early spoon dredger. It seems to be rather heavy duty to be a landing net frame - but maybe that's what it is?
Its been in there a long time and its entirely hand forged as the iron laminations are visible.
Hoop size about 2 feet and pole size about an inch and a half.
This sort of thing
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Agreed
an "old school" leisure narrow boat. Hopefully you'll stay on the forum David and if you haven't got the energy to do the windlass book please send me your research as I have been considering setting up an online "museum" of boating tools as I am also very much an iron anorak
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Maybe a problem with the pulleys being ever so slightly out of line. This can cause fast belt deterioration. Has the alternator been removed previously? If so perhaps it was not refitted correctly?
Possibly
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Interesting article about using SMS with emergency services
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There's a free android application called "LocSMS" which looks quite good
Output format is nice and easy to use - I just texted myself using it :
Current Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=51.54386361,-0.89839756
An emergency service would not be able to remotely extract the data you would have to send it to them.
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I've got an application on my phone called "where's my droid" which allows anyone who knows my phone number to send me a text with a code word in it which will result in my phone sending back its gps location if available. It can also be used to pinpoint a displaced phone by activating the ringer at full volume (assuming the battery is not flat).
I have successfully used it several times including when I texted my phone with the other halfs phone as I had forgotten where I had put it. The gps location showed I have left it in my car. Quite handy as there was a theft risk with it being visible on the drivers seat.
Very useful option -specially for big brother
I have a very boring uneventful life so I don't worry too much about surveillance.
Typo.and addabit
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Maybe if Crufts introduced a dog agility "clear up after yourself" type competition it might stimulate owners to train there dogs better. Dogs are clever they can do all sorts of things so given the right education and equipment it surely isn't rocket science.
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I thought the child had written "well done Cheshire county council..etc etc..across to the lazy few"
Thanks for clearing that up !
gotta be honest 
My widebeam house boat refurbishment project
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
I'm just wondering if it is an old gravel barge ? I think they used to have some tugs and barges at harefield at some point in the past - one of the tugs was at rickmansworth recently maybe still is.
Yes