PhilR

Covid has been a great excuse for some liveaboards to travel even less than 20 miles p.a. !!

Morris's 20/20 or Lister's own 10/40 (if it is still available?). B & Q used to sell Daytona 20/50 API cc which was cheaper than those. My SR2 is still running well after 40 years on any of the above. Phil

It is surprising how many SR's have the baffle plates fitted upside down! This will cause overheating as the cylinders won't get the correct airflow. They need to be fitted before the cylinders and heads are clamped down. (the lugs go at the bottom!!)

I have used Rustoleum Combi Colour and have been very pleased with the results. I'm not convinced that silk or matt would be easier to touch-up than gloss, but I have never used silk or matt on the boat. I would have thought it might be harder to keep a silk or matt finish looking clean?

Many (most?) people seek to keep their overheads to a minimum which makes sense. The problem for many boaters, who are abiding by the rules and on a genuine journey, is when attempting to find an overnight visitor mooring.

The cost of collecting Council Tax from continuous moorers might exceed the income received. BUT, the cost benefits for continuous moorers in not paying towards local services (and mooring income for CaRT) will only encourage others to join the bandwagon of a cheaper lifestyle. Surely, that is not what most people want?

No problem. If you will be out of the country for 3 weeks just pay for a mooring somewhere convenient.

If you need to ask this question I have to assume that you are bending the rules already? CaRT is a charitable organisation and would welcome any contributions/donations from anyone who enjoys the benefit of free moorings. I don't personally think that this forum should be available to encourage ways to avoid paying a fair share towards the upkeep of our waterways.

The old Electrolux 3 way fridges can be a real pig to light if they haven't been used for a while. Frequently, it is due to spiders' webs or dust near the burner or flue.

Hi Arthur I suggest you disconnect the morse cable from the gear lever on the gearbox. Start the engine and see what happens when you operate the gearbox lever manually. I presume the RCR bloke did that? If everything works OK with the cable disconnected you have either a cable adjustment fault or a problem with the morse control box. Many control boxes have a couple of different fulcrum positions to alter the cable "throw" Cheers Phil

Are you talking about "Long Pound" (between locks 1 and 2)? How low was the water? That is a deep pound and it was never an issue under BW control. But maybe the issue is that CaRT prefer to spend our money on non-navigational infrastructure?

Are you sure of those figures?

A stern tube should be drip-free when the boat is moored (assuming that you have greased the tube after stopping for the night). A slight steady drip is normal when running. If you have more than a steady drip it might be time to tighten or re-pack the gland. Edited to add: If tightening the stern gland don't overdo it. The nuts shouldn't be much more than hand tight.

With your limited time and lack of experience, I would suggest that a trip up the Macclesfield Canal would be your best, and most enjoyable, option. There are just 12 locks at Bosley and you should easily reach Marple and back. At Marple you can then decide whether to continue up the Upper Peak Forest to Buxworth (no locks, but several lift/swing bridges). If you want to see Marple Aqueduct, I suggest you walk down the 16 locks of the Marple flight. To give you a rough idea of journey time, allow about 12 hours from Heritage to Marple. The Shropshire Union is a varied and attractive canal (arguably not as attractive as the Macc & Caldon) but there is no way you could get there and back on your holiday. Cheers Phil (in Congleton)

There is plenty of water in all the reservoirs that feed the Macc,Caldon & T & M canals and summit levels are high. I intend travelling down the Cheshire locks next week and don't anticipate any problems with water supply. 2ft 9ins draft shouldn't pose any problems. Many years ago 7 ft beam used to be a problem at Rumps Lock but I don't think that is an issue these days.If you are currently moored at Venetian Marina you might have already been through narrower locks than those on the Cheshire flight? Don't worry and enjoy your trip. I might meet you on your travels ........... Cheers Phil

The friends have remembered this: *Having spoken to my friends who borrowed the boat they say that they left the boat moored at Bunbury while they went for a wander and when they returned it was fairly evident that the boat had been walloped by someone - that could have been the cause I suppose. They have assured me they didn't hit anything and I believe them.*

My old 11AC has always displayed the symptoms you describe (It has the over-complicated regulator system as shown in the SR manual). BUT, it works and has done so for 35 years. Output (in amp/hours) is way below what most boaters may need today, but charging voltage has always been a fairly constant 14.4 volts. I find the pulsating ammeter needle rather reassuring and this is normally accompanied by a pulsating low pitched whine from the alternator. The joys of old Lucas and Lister technology ..................... I can understand chubby's concerns but his system does appear to be doing the job .......... charging the batteries. Maybe a check of ALL electrical connections would be a worthwhile exercise. I'm fairly illiterate with electrics so have photos of all wiring connections aboard in case I find a loose wire.

Your memory is playing a few tricks - I frequently have that problem too. Billy Tight's swing bridge was bridge 78 on the outskirts of Congleton. The old swing bridge was replaced with a footbridge in the early 1980's. I live only 250 yards from bridge 78. If you were boating on the Macc in the 50's you must have some great memories to share?............................ In the early 1960's the most weed-chocked stretch of the Macc was between bridges 77 and 78. It used to be 3 feet high across the whole width of the canal ................. I never thought I would live there a decade later!

I have heard that many east Europeans eat fish caught in the canals. I also read somewhere that perch used to be an English delicacy. I suggest you check your local angling licence about the regulations concerning the removal of fish and then tell us what they taste like. I wouldn't want to try any myself, but I await your reply with interest.

I thought it was just Sam Springer who, allegedly, used gasometer plate. Was it David and/or Simon Piper who also used the same? or is that heresay?

Agreed.

You have done a beautiful job on the shaft and landing plank. If they were mine I would take them inside the boat at night.

It might also be help people to advise the OP on the choice of fridge if he gives some approximation of the % time the boat will be connected to a shoreline. Or whether he will be relying 100% on the engine/batteries/inverter.