jhoff

Okay great - I did err on the side of slightly longer when purchasing, so that is good to know, thanks Tony.

Okay, brilliant, thanks a lot Alan - I have found one that is 0.3mm out so I would imagine that'd do fine. Thanks for the advice and reassurance! Much appreciated

Water from the cut - and yes, this 860mm belt drives the Jabsco pump.

I have one for the alternator which is 1225 and this one I think just drives the cooling pump. Definitely is Powertrain 860.

Cheers Tim... I did Google it and am looking on various other sites, but couldn't see any at the correct width so just enquiring for some general advice about length etc.

Hello! I'm looking to replace the belt on my bmc 1.8. The current one has "Powertrain PCFB 860" on it, but it seems like Powertrain is not really a thing anymore and I'm having trouble finding other belts that are 860mm. Any suggestions? If I cannot get the exact same length is it better to go shorter or longer? Thanks!

Hi Richard, Just wanted to say thanks so much for your input. I did exactly as you said - which made a whole lot of sense when I clearly wasn't thinking straight - and it's all fine. Thank you!!! Jade

Thanks Richard, will definitely do this. Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure I connected the whole thing up with the gearbox in reverse, which seems retrospectively to be clearly wrong...

Hi all, Wondering if I could get some advice. The gear shift cable on my narrowboat broke the other day, so I replaced it. However, now it will only go into reverse and neutral, even when I move the control forwards. The cable itself seems to move fine, so I'm wondering if there's some finer adjustment or calibration I need to be doing and failed to when I replaced it. In case it's not obvious, I have no experience of doing this... The engine is a BMC 1.8 with a Morse single lever control (which feels slightly looser since changing the cable). Any thoughts?

Whoa! That's such a specifically bitter thing to do!

I was going to do some kind of massive multiquote but it got a bit crazy. So - in no particular order or response: JDR - thank you for this! Sounds like a solid checklist and I'll definitely bear it in mind. WJM - I have heard many horror stories and have been told many things about CCing in London, plus have had my good pal, a CCer, come crawling to crash in my flat on occasion during the super cold 2012/13 to shower and generally be warm, so I feel as though I am aware of misery. I fully expect to also be shocked by the actual experience of this misery, but I'm kind of masochistically feeling quite up for it... Also, I've had a little go on various friends' boats, but never long distances, so I know what other boats feel like to drive, but I have never done long cruises. Lady Muck - you're very nice to come to my defence. I don't think it was particularly mean though - it's probably quite a good idea to be brutal enough to lower possible expectations of jolly happy river living and cheap rent and an easy life. I don't have an extensive plan B, but if it truly is a terrible horrible awful shock, I don't feel as though I would have lost out by selling on and running away back to land. I also intend to leave London hopefully in the not too distant future, but this is all very job dependent. John V - you're right, I'm trying to convince as many friends and family as possible to come and join me for some days so I won't have to be single-handed. I think realistically at least one or two of those days might be solo, but I think most of the time I'll have someone with me. bizzard - yes, it is built like that - well, the high freeboard for sure, but I'm not really sure what a nice underwater shape counts as? I've been told it has, in a past life, handled the Thames without too much difficulty, but I don't know what the Trent is like. That is reassuring to know though. magnetman - I'm not so sure about 6am starts, but I could definitely be on the go by 8am I reckon... Still, I'm aiming for 9 hour days to give myself time to be slow and enjoy it a bit more. Thankssssss for all the tips and such so far! I do really appreciate it. Also I've been looking at maps to get (are maps even necessary? I do like maps so I might get a bunch of maps anyway) but are there any recommended ones for canal cruising?

Hello hello all, I am bringing a slightly old, but good condition, 1983 Harborough Marine cruiser stern (with a nicely running BMC 1.8) from Shardlow Marina area down to London at the beginning of May. I am kind of hoping to do it in 11 days, although I can stretch to a couple of days longer, of driving basically every day. I've driven it and it handles nicely - much nicer than the other boats I have driven - but I am really an inexperienced boater. I've done locks, but never alone, for instance. Does anybody have any tips for long cruises, or recommended stopping places along that route (I've had a spy on CanalPlan and it looks like it's basically Grand Union all the way down) or words of warning for certain places? I'd really, really appreciate any advice and stories you might have. I hear the Trent, which I'll have to go on for a little bit, can be quite fast and difficult for new boaters - any thoughts? Also, I just want to say, yes, I anticipate the eye rolls and hostility when it becomes clear I am another CCer bringing a boat to London - I've read the threads and heard from London CCing friends, I know about the lack of facilities, the lack of space, the rookies bashing into things and tying up in terrible places and generally being dicks. Feel free to express more opinions like this, I'll listen to it, but I also would really like it if some people might be able to offer me some useful advice and past experiences.

I will ask about whether he'll accept a banker's draft - that sounds like a good minimum risk solution for both parties. Thanks! I am truly honoured by this.

Thanks everyone! Are bankers orders like cheques? I don't want to suggest something that puts the seller at risk, although I know I'm a legit human, he shouldn't have to take my word for it anymore than I should have to take his. Instant bank transfer together sounds like a good idea. Is it definitely instant? We are actually at the same bank so that's good. EDIT: Actually, I'm collecting on a bank holiday which seemed like a good idea for a number of reasons but not this one. I did knock him down by a bit, Athy, which I feel pretty good about. I had an idea of how much I wanted to pay for it and I paid that.

Thanks Athy! Time will tell indeed, but I think it will hold up well and I have many plans for the interior. There has not been the official handover yet - I'm not actually totally sure the best way to go about this. I feel kind of uncomfortable taking just over 20grand in cash around with me, but I also don't massively want to do a bank transfer and then hope it'll be there when I turn up - although the guy seems decent and good, I've only met him twice and you never know... I'm looking forwards to the Derby-London cruise too!

Okay marvellous, thank you!

Well I don't want to take the piss. I'll be traveling a lot with another CCer so I might as well register my boat as one too and I'll do the moving etc. I'm aware of the increasing scrutiny the CCing crowd have been under and so I'd rather stick to the rules so I'm not adding to any kind of bad rep etc. Is there a difference in price for the licenses?

This may disappoint or cause some controversy, but I've gone for the Harborough Marine. Old fashioned and dull though it may be on the inside (pictures definitely make it look more dull than it actually is), it's structurally solid (hull survey says so!) and drives very nicely and has a lot of key qualities I was after. I'm excited! Especially about cruising it down from Derby! One thing I'm wondering though is that the current owner is renewing the license for it, and is going to renew it on its home mooring in Derby, then transfer the license to me. I'm going to be continuously cruising though, so isn't that a different license? Or can we just notify BW and say it's switching and that's fine?

Uhoh...... I meant kind of like fuel boats.... but now I suspect perhaps this is some kind of terrible insult on Reg..........

Whoa, that Tesco bag trick sounds like a real winner. And I guess maybe it's because I'm not in on the boatie culture, but the high curved prow didn't spring out at me as something that looked old-fashioned. Is it less desirable to most people? I mean, obviously I want to get a boat that - first and foremost - I like and suits me, since I'll be living on it for the next foreseeable few years - but I am also wanting to be mindful of the fact that one day I will sell it on and I don't want to be in a tough spot when I do so... Although I do intend to live for the next 50 years, hopefully. Why does Reginald have all that open space in the front? Was it a delivery boat?

I think after some asking, I was told the Harborough was from 1989, so you're close! It is quite dull on the inside - both of them are (although at least the Harborough doesn't have the inexplicably giant print of Hendrix on the kitchen - why??) but I think perhaps some of my past disappointments and slow purchasing have been due to fussiness and wanting to find the Perfect narrowboat whereas maybe it's wiser to settle for a functional, solid build, and let the inside take shape over time? But yeah, it doesn't look amazing inside. I wouldn't want the mooring in Shardlow and some things like tv etc. I don't see myself having any use for, so maybe I could negotiate price on that, too. The Midland Canal Centre one does seem super pricey - I also just noticed that it has previously been listed on Gumtree almost a month ago at £28000 before its listing now at £27000 so I guess maybe the owner is starting to realise the price is unrealistic, but also doesn't seem like they're up for reducing it a huge amount. Still, it's quite close to me - only half an hour driving - so worth seeing anyway, I reckon.

I figured it would be pretty varied... I think I am just feeling a bit exasperated right now. These dream scenarios of quick finding and straight-forward offer/survey/payment deals sounds so good... A carrier bag full of notes, though! What about a slick gangster leather briefcase and shades? I'm going to have a spy on these two: http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/50-all-steel-narrowboat-harborough-marine-with-desirable-mooring-at-shardlow-on-trent-and-mersey/1055371963 And http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/49ft-narrowboat/1055917626 (which has very little info, but I have since discovered is 1989 Midlands Canal Centre with a 35hp Isuzu engine and was last blacked 4.5 years ago, and last surveyed 3 years ago.) Both are kind of more than I'd want to pay and more than I'd expect to pay for a boat like this, but what do you reckon?

Arggg, how long did it take everyone else to find their boat. I have come close now to buying two boats that would be ideal for me (dreamboats) and both have fallen through at the last minute for different reasons. It is very frustrating! And now it seems as though boats coming onto the market are getting more expensive. I did not expect it to be such a slow process...

I'm going to take a crazy guess at you being one of these Bukh aficionados..... I'm not planning on going as far as the Arctic Circle, but it's always nice to know that the option is there.

Hellohello, Ales and whiskeys all round! I've been away for sometime in Gloucestershire to not be in London, although I realise on my drive out that there are a ton of boats there and it's ridiculous that I didn't go and look at any. BUT I've returned with vigour. Also, I've encountered a new engine name: Bukh. Apparently Danish? Not sure what else is part of its reputation.