X Alan W

Was going to ask if it had an adjustable sprayer as "Seffle/ Bolinder but viewing the video it seems not that accounts for the smokey exhaust in the last 2 "piccies"pity as I found that to be able to adjust the sprayer a real bonus for a clear exhaust with differing loads on the motor

Have had no dealingswith Calor Cyl's of late but Europeon Cyl'ss empty weight is stamped on the base rim it varies cyl to cyl

Yes I got confused when I first started carrying as he "Ike " was referred to by both names took me a bit to twig they were talking about the same person

Thanks guys sweet sounding motor I presume it's a run either way but the red steel strip is the gear rod requiring it to run in the correct direction for the GB

Watched a video of one of the Braunston "Do's" & a featured bat was "Josher" Crane at that time it was don't know if it is still fitted with a one pot motor Exhaust was "Seffle side (left side looking forward ) & it had a regular beat at low revs no distinctive "Bolinder "miss fire is it indeed a " Seffle "if not what thanks .

I seem to remember a similar in appearance to that "tug"used to accompany the dredger on the Weaver late 60's early 70's

Jeannette, I attended the rally by road & during the wander around stopped to " chinwag "with Ike" (Argent ) & him diving down in the cabin of "Amy"& emerging with a big plaque I couldn't say for sure if it was the same as yours as it was while back but remember it was big & ornate IIRC it was a commemorative one for boaters involved in in some contract

I pretty sure you wouldn't be able to/get a mooring on the ship cut it's an out & out commercial water way when we used to load at Weston Point with multiple NB loads we had to be towed by tug on the MSC portion of the waterway/s used

Nothing to stop you moving a mile or 2 after work in the lighter evenings Is your business a shop so you work Saturdays ?

Plus living in the clutter for an extended time wife or self gets fed up & you are back to square minus 2

Many years back my friends Rob & Di Robinson sold their boat "Dorset & built a replica WB cabin on a 20ft pontoon aptly named "Shed" they lived on it at Norbury & Rob who had a thing about going "walkabout" took off the eventual trip was from Norbry,Llangollen & retn to Hurlston Chester ,Middlewich, SoT, Fradley ,S&W, & BCN,last heard at Lowensford & it was Bow hauled all the way Think they had a family break up &went there separate way as the last I heard Rob was creewing on the Replica "Golden Hind"& Di was living in Cornwall no idea of the fate of "Shed"

I have no idea if i'm correct but was always under the impression that the price of LPG/GPL was related to oil prices so high fuel =high lpg prices

Auto brake caliper paint sticks well without primer

A good #of French aires bog emptying is by way of "Flot Bleu units which dispense water & allow bog emptying they are an open to air unit so the smell is less. One stomach turning exercise in the recent advent of more Spanish camping cars is their habit of stuffing the spouts of the cassettes over the top of the potable water spout "Ugh"

Castrol & other "R "oils are pure or are ester enhanced castor bean oil not mineral or synthetic ;sheer strength & lube properties are second to none but it is highly hydroscopic the amount of water it can absorb is mind blowing so it's not good for long term use it needs draining within a couple of days of being left standing it also rots Magnesium as owners of Manx Norton 's& other race bikes have found to their cost it was the best lube for users of methanol fuel as it stuck in the places required better/longer & as said smelled good although being close to exhaust fumes in a enclosed area (speedway pits) with meth /R combi made your eyes water

I was not solely referring to windlasses /canalia if you have an interest (glad you do) in the older working days which I did from 1958 to 1969 & then went hotel boating with my pair of boats converted ,You are probably aware that the cans & hand bowl were required bits of kit for water storage & washing etc . you would not be able to boat in the same manner as in commercial days. Cut's not deep enough,to many stoppages lasting far to long back in the the day a now 2or more week stoppage was a half to a days holdup the maintenance on the cut in regard to water levels etc.were lock keeper /lengths man controlled the usual working day was around 5 am start & continue for the next 14/16 hrs non stop meals taken whilst traveling;Much of the infrastructure has been sold for other uses or demolished this is not a bad thing in some respects as the original was NLR but a problem seems that the occupiers of flats etc produced from industrial units now want boats prevented from mooring on what was loading lengths (deep water ) as it happens to be outside/near their flats, you consider paying what appears the going rate for painted ware silly money ( your prerogative ) one mans treasure another mans junk The usage of the cut as such has changed look at the boat #'s in marina"s /mooring that either never or only venture forth once a year & as they rarely move they have little or no interest in if the bywashs are running possibly don't know what they are/for If you are new to the system & everyone starts being new you will not have experienced how it was other than possibly by films/video 's obviously some thing you now cannot really experience. I hope you enjoy your time on the cut but for me the reason /time I spent on the cut has passed

As iv'e stated before the whole concept of canal boating has changed the "oldie" boaters from back in the day of the beginning of leisure boating were "INTO"canals & cruising now the cut is viewed in a different light an alternative housing estate & various other uses but really having little or no interest in the system I get the feeling that a good number of boat dwellers would be happier with a dry section providing they could source water /bog emptying"leccy" Etc .It's just a "there" commodity & the history of such is largely irrelevant no help by C&rt's diverging interests+ the "enthusiasts"are now viewed much as the boating families were by sections of Joe Public back then Dinosaurs just waiting extinction real shame problem is it's finite & the constant running down i'm sure it will lead to dereliction & unlike the past I fear if it gets beyond being used & goes it will be gone forever or just be a linear housing estate

Yes I knew of them & the Safe family used to lock wheel to Jcn lock (entrance to Derby cut ) if they wanted help John safes son was a bit 'Fly' as he got me to work both sides of the lock when hes hould have worked one side didn't mind as I enjoyed it

Why would you want to exit the boat in winter I know that present day the stoppages are OTT but if you are not confined to an area you can manage no problem ,in my working days I liked winter & a solid fuel heated NB is as good if not better than most land dwellings but each to his/her own my advise would be get a 70or near used NB & cruise to the available limits for 2or so years then change/modify boat to suit your likes/dislikes Don't over think it all you could probably have cruised for months but are still shall I in the words of the old adage shoot first ask questions after if required

Keep your eye out for an unconverted ex working boat they don't come much more open plan than that or as an alternative how about a sail away shell & leave as is

Are you really sure you want to get your self a boat? narrow beam tips your stated aims further away How about a 'Gin Palace"on the Thames

Long Eaton end of Stanton Ironworks possibly during late ww2 or just post. Cooled clinker/ash was loaded there for road construction My Grandpa (dads side) was lengthsman for that stretch at that time lived at Hallam Fields I stayed with them for periods during WW2 as both my parents were employed on war production & worked nights my dad was an artificial silk spinner ( British Celenese / later Cautoulds Spondon )& Mum was lathe turning shell casings at a factory on Cotmanhay Rd Ilkeston (after the war became a ladies stocking factory