Captain Fizz

Replaced the broken front engine mounting with a beefed up version. Cleaned the air filter. Sampled the fuel from the bottom of the tank, nice and clean with no water. Gone cruising.

I think I will stick with tradition.

In what way is it nasty?

It happens on all forums, tedious but just ignore the dross. Generally this place is good natured and a very useful resource.

Yep, it's a handy tool in a sensible location. Empty the tank, wash out, measure an accurate dose of blue. What's not to like.

Not at all, they are a classic target. Keep it inside until you can secure it properly.

A new dipstick for the fuel tank.

The most important thing with solo boating is safety. Try not to put yourself at risk. Take your time and do not get pressurised by others to rush. Consider wearing a self inflating life jacket when working locks, if you do fall in and clump your head, at least it should give you half a chance. Don't be tempted to jump gaps, re-position the boat if you have got it wrong. Maintain a sense of humour when you have got it wrong!

Steel wool will do the job or some sandpaper.

Try removing the hose and check that the spigot to which it is clamped is not roughened by corrosion. Clean it up with some emery cloth and refit the hose.

An umbrella bracket for steering in the rain. A fuel sampling bottle to test the fuel from the bottom of the fuel tank.

Hi Tony, It's a Mitsubishi based unit. Having a closer look at the mounting back at my workshop, it has been made from an ancient piece of steel from the scrap box which is just too brittle. It sheared just where the webbing ended and whoever made it had had a couple of goes at getting the holes in the correct place. All in all, destined to fail at some point. I shall check shaft alignment when I refit though just to make sure. Tick over is at 750rpm and pretty smooth. I will replace both front mounts with a slightly chunkier design. Thanks for your observations Richard. Crossed with my post. Simon.

I have only had this boat a couple of months and decided to give the engine space bilge a proper scrub. In doing so, I discovered a fractured front engine mounting. It is a Thorneycroft engine and the rear mountings are made of at least 15mm thick steel whilst the fronts are only 10mm and of an inherently weak design. Time to get the welder out me thinks.

It probably is a stuck starter motor but I would just check that the engine is free to turn, pop a spanner on the front bottom pulley nut and give it a try. I had a guy tell me his starter would not turn, when I investigated, it transpired that three months before, he had attempted to start his engine not realising that the compartment was partially flooded. This sucked a load of water into the air intake. Instead of dealing with it at once, he had just left it. I had to drive the pistons out with a hammer. A full rebuild was required on an engine less than two years old. Ouch!

I generally change the oils every 100 hours along with all filters.

"The" bottom, not "her" bottom!

Go on, have it sign written, you know you want to!

You are probably correct Alan. The 105 is based upon the SL4 Mitsubishi engine with a capacity of 1758cc.

Yes, they work fine, but I saw one torn off on an underwater obstruction. It fractured the weld on the hull and nearly sank the barge.

Going up the Buckby flight last Monday in the company of Corona, she was bumping the bottom on the last pound.

You will find said dipstick on the right hand side of the engine as you look forwards, just in front of the oil filter. It is a bugger to spot.

Mark was tied up at the top lock at Calcutt first thing heading towards Warwick.

Yes Tony, I take your point.I may just fit another skin tank on the other side the next time I am out for blacking. I don't have a problem with overheating, but it is nice to know that you can push hard if you need to.

I am considering making a separate raw water heat exchanger to put into the cooling line just for use on rivers when pushing the tide.