Hartlebury lad

Another great post BEngo - thanks for the detail. Lots to consider now.

Now THAT is thinking outside the box. Won't be pretty but will be effective and do the job. Will probably do for the lifetime of the stove. Someone said that effective lifetime of a stove without constant repairs is about 7 years or so and its already about 9 years old, albeit not used every day in the winter. I will explore that avenue.

Thanks so far .... I have used the high temp black silicone stuff - still got some - around the collar top, and I am confident it would do a job. But I am generally a "whats the worst that could happen" kind of guy, and the worst that could happen here is a nightmare. If it has to be done, now is the time, as it will be needed in a few weeks. If i am into a replacement, does anyone have any tips on what to look out for and what i will need. It seems like a messy and intrusive job (detaching the top of the flue, struggling with heat suffered fittings etc,, blah de blah) Is it best left to a specialist ? - the boat is in the Nantwich area.

Hi everyone, Apologies if this image is not the right size! This is the current state of the collar on my Morso 1430 stove. The crack randomly appeared as we were simply sitting in the boat having a brew. A sharp crack noise and there it was! The stove hasn't been used since May and it was certainly not in use at the time either. Normal room temperature, boat moored up, no "stress" on it - completely random! Over a year ago, i put some fireproof sealant at the top joint on advice from folks on here after clouting the chimney (there was a bit of movement) which i was happy with. Question is, can i use the same sealant on the crack which is about 3 mm wide or am i into a replacement collar, which seems like it could be a pig of a job. I know you can't take chances with Carbon Monoxide ( i have 2 detectors on board) but is there a significant risk?

Hi all- our 55 foot trad based in Shropshire really needs a bathroom upgrade, with some fresh ideas- can anyone recommend someone relatively local who can help? I was going to try myself, but a full overhaul by someone competent would ensure it gets done! The boat is marina based, but i would also consider moving it to another secure mooring in the general area to get it done. Thanks in anticipation.

I understand he no longer goes there after some yobs gave him a hard time and stole off him a couple of years ago. Thats a real shame. Proper gent.

"Pricey" ? Have you seen the amount of kit and tlc needed to get you up and down? Despite the moans and groans about unreliability, it represents great value for money, especially when "free" of charge.

A guy on our marina fell in whilst changing a gas bottle. Miraculously, he missed striking his head on either the boat, pontoon, or concrete edge as he fell into a into a tiny triangular space.. We were onto him in seconds, but it took five or six of of us several minutes to get him out. Big chap, heavy clothing, all the weight low down below our kneeling positions, and cold, shock, panic, and fatigue kicking in. Someone found a ladder and he scrambled onto it and got dragged up. I now have a ladder on the boat, which is still no guarantee of a happy ending.

Thanks Blackrose - its on the shopping list

Thank you for the advice. I did have a concern about what was supposed to bear the weight. That's clarified, It is possible that the pipe and collar are fused. There are ruddy rust like deposits at the joint which you can probably make out on the pic. I will get it tackled - it looks like it will need doing sooner than anticipated given the downturn in the weather!

Hi eager fountains of knowledge! After a momentary lapse, I whacked the chimney on the arch of a particularly low bridge on a bend recently. The chimney top fell off, and has had running repairs, the chimney mount seems ok, but the flue tube from the stove top upwards to the roof is loose by two or three mm at the base collar. The roof seems to be taking all the weight and it is like a very minor pendulum movement above the stove.There were some minor bits of sealant/packing broken loose on the stove top after the incident. The shock of the impact has clearly transferred down. Is it normal for the roof fitting to bear a significant amount of weight, and is there a way of packing and sealing it at the base, or an internal way of adjusting it inside the stove . It's a squirrel 1430. I have put an old pic of it with the post. Thanks in anticipation. ps: sorry about the massive pic.....

Thanks for the input everyone .....

Hello all, Can anyone advise for decent moorings near Stourbridge? Due to visit soon on an alternative Stourport Ring trip with a view to visiting The Vine ( aka The Bull And Bladder) and Lye for a curry. Ta ra a Bit.......

Cheers chaps. I will get onto it asap. More cleaning, talc, time and a Torch! In the meantime I will email Beta and see what they say, although Good Friday is bad day to do that given my time constraints! I will also try to fashion a temporary tray to catch the fuel - especially when I run out of our cocker spaniels' old puppy pads! In the meantime, any more input is appreciated, especially if someone has contact details of an engineer around Nantwich with at least half the know how that Tony has got! I will also post more when I make progress.

Hello all My boat has a 1996 Beta BV 1505 38hp engine with 4350 hrs on the clock. In the 4 years I have had the boat I have had to replace two engine mountings under the fuel intake area (front starboard) due to damage from diesel leaks. I think much of this is down to poor maintenance and excessive vibration in the past, but I really need to nail this for obvious reasons. I am currently covering yet another new mount with puppy pads on a regular basis! The throttle cable/rod leads to the assembly similar to this in the picture which i have borrowed from another article elsewhere. After gunking and cleaning the assembly, I still find a slight but consistent drip at a low point deep inside the external assembly underneath. There is also a miniscule amount of weeping at the top of what I would describe as the manifold held on with four bolts. A trial and error approach worries me as an expensive and time consuming option. Should I bite the bullet, and get an engineer to replace the entire assembly? I am at my wits end on this as a 3 week trip approaches soon. I am in the Nantwich area. Thanks in anticipation.

On a bit of a deadline, we rattled on down the Audlem flight recently only to have our momentum halted by a couple popping out in front of us at the Shroppie Fly on another boat. Astonishingly slow locking techniques on the bottom three (no crime I suppose) were compounded when the folks on board announced they were turning at the bottom and coming back up! Given the proximity of the winding hole, we agreed with raised eyebrows, and I look forward to inheriting the earth .....

Thanks for the help and advice everyone. Much appreciated.

Hello all. I have a simple engine run central heating system on the boat that supplements the log burner- 3 rads running off what seems to be a gravity fed expansion vessel. I fitted a new pump for it, and topped it up and it is now working when the engine is nice and hot, but what would folks recommend to put in it as an antifreeze agent. Also, would the choice of any given antifreeze affect/inhibit the heating capability?

We have just picked up a rescue greyhound today. I really hope "Tiller" takes to the boat. He is a beautiful; two year old pretty boy ex racer. 4mph will be a significant change. I have a good feeling ......

Sorry Nick but I like the extra security of them, especially if the boat is unattended within earshot of neighbours. I have a pressure activated pad hidden under a mat, with a deafening alarm that sounds for 20 seconds then resets. I think that would deter all but the keenest crim.I also have a couple of cheap pin activated alarms - bit like a grenade- attached to the side hatch and inner rear hatch.

Cheers Paul. Good advice. I am Stourport born making a "bucket list" return on my own boat. Exciting stuff. We will moor up overnight before dropping down. Would you suggest the basin, or is it ok on the approaches these days?

Can anyone comment on Stourport to Worcester - 2 boats. We are travelling with friends, and I was curious to know if we can moor below the Stourport locks to wait a few minutes for them to come through, and if both boats can temporarily tie up below Diglis? I am also presuming both boats can go through the locks together.

You can now try to buy Whixall again if you want to. (taps nose.......)

Thanks all so far. The engine has previously run well - it is an Evans and Son hull, with a slightly undersized skin tank, so I am always cautious and try to keep an eye on things. I am aware of the shortcomings and reputaion on this. The boat is well used, especially on decent straights when appropriate. I am hoping to do The Weaver and Stourport ring this year so it needs sorting. I bled the skin tank when draining the whole system and refilling. The water is gathering in the tray under the engine - I know because I took out a litre or more of blue water with an extraction pump yesterday. Tony may have a good point to look for, and the head development is worrying, although the oil is good and there is no obvious leak around the edge of the head. I will ask my engineer about a pressure tester. I have never added cold water to a hot engine. No one has mentioned the possibility of an intermittent jammed shut thermostat - especially given the fact the skin tank was so cold. I am sure the connecting pipes were only warm due to radiated heat and not passage of fluid. Perhaps a change of pressure cap and/or removal of the thermostat may be the easiest next option! The suspect hose replacement will entail engine removal or much cutting out of timber bulkhead panels around pipes and cables!!! My engineer reckons builders should spend a year or two as RCR type engineers before being allowed to design and build ......

Hell again all. I have a Beta 38 engine with overheating issues, with resultant coolant losses. There was coolant in the bilge all summer due to 3 or 4 overheating episodes, with regular topping ups needed so the coolant was eventually water only. I identified moisture slowly dripping from an virtually inaccessible ( weak) hose at the front under the alternator which stopped when the pressure cap was opened.(less pressure) Anyway, I refilled yet again with a decent anti freeze mixture concentrate. I bled the skin tank when it was pressurised, topped up again, and all seemed well again for a few weeks. No weeping and leaking - maybe due to the cooler canal temperatures too! But I am back to square one again last weekend- the engine was started, ticking over for fifteen minutes, then worked hard to get out of the marina in a stiff breeze. Within ten minutes of leaving, steam was seen coming from under the panels. Sure enough, lower coolant level. But the skin tank was stone cold, although the block was piping hot. Whats the likely cause? I am suspecting a faulty thermostat now in the first instance, which fails to open properly causing pressure in the block etc? Or maybe air getting in via the tiny bit which water previously was leaking out? The pressure cap itself is not the tightest fit also in fairness as it goes 360 degrees sometimes before finding the locating lugs. or have I answered my own question?