captain birdseye

I was always told 15HP at 1000RPM, but 'modern' ones are rated 18HP at 1200RPM

I believe that is still the price for a new one. Last year David Bixter did have a couple of factory rebuilds going for about £10k. I'm a bit biased, but having owned a boat with a JP 2M in it and knowing various people with other two and three pot listers in their boats i prefer my RN. it is always up to what the individual wants, but when you see people spending £12000 on a new boat worrying about £5000 or so difference in the cost of a new engine seems a bit silly, it's less than 5% of the cost

I don't know about others on here that own or have owned a DM2, but the one in my boat went on new in 1987 and is still running well. It starts first time even in sub zero temperatures and keeps going as long as required. I'm not a brilliant engineer, and I do my own servicing, changing oil and filters regularly. Apart from that I had to renew the water pump a couple of years ago and replaced a couple of flexible hoses on the water cooling system as they aged.

Mines in the proper place so isn't a problem

And David Mack, a number of GU boats were fitted with Russell Newbery DM2s from new. If they can power a fully loaded pair of boats then should have no trouble with a modern boat weighing a quarter of the weight of the working boats. I have a DM2 in a 57' boat and is isn't underpowered, perhaps set up and prop size should be looked at.

whatever the maximum design speed is for an engine, that is the red line. For instance, my car red lines at 10000 RPM and my motorbike at 6500 RPM. I would run the car up to 6500 easily and be happy thrashing it up to 9000, but if I ran the bike all the time at 6500 I would soon wreck the engine, so for the same reason I wouldn't run an engine with a maximum design speed of 1200 RPM at that speed.

Never consciously tried, I'm not one to 'red line' engines but it revs OK and pushes me up the Trent and motors well on every waterway I've been on.

I have a Russell Newbery DM2 in my boat which is 18HP at 1200 RPM. I too have a 22 x 22 inch prop and a 2-1 reduction. It runs fine and clean, reving well. I would imagine that the OPs set up is more or less similar and should run OK. This was the prop that crowthers recommended and made for the boat when it was new. It was said that this would load the engine enough without over propping.

Stone or Great Heywood to Stourport and back is a nice route with the Staffs and Works not having any long lock flights. It doesn't go through much urbanisation and has the option of a trip on the Severn Valley Railway from Kidderminster and a trip on the River Severn if time allows

How about the Ashby and Coventry Canals. We have done this with our children. A day at Bosworth is interesting and then a trip on the Steam Railway. When you get up to Fazeley Jct. a side trip to Drayton Manor Park gives the children a day off the boat at a theme park, and the run round to Fradley from there is very pretty, and if you wish a trip in the other direction gives tou a day out in Coventry

They won't be Mahogany but will be Yarra, which is a very hard eucalyptus from Australia

I spent most of the weekend in the dredging tip which was the field next to the lock with a very young Mike Palmer and a couple of other people. We managed to tip a sloppy bucket of mud next to Mr. Noakes covering him with it. I remember the sequence where he was driving the crane, which was in fact turned off and they interposed footage of the crane moving between pictures of him in the cab with a soundtrack of the engine running. He came over for tea with us all in the accommodation looking very clean. He didn't eat much so I don't know whether he had already had had food at his hotel. The reason why it was said to be in Lancashire was that in the programme he went for a trip on NB Spey which is owned by some of the working party members. While at Marple talking about the then recent restoration they talked about work being done on the summit of the Rochdale canal and asked if he would like to come on a working party. The only thing being that the next convenient working party was on the Droitwich so, I presume for the sake of continuity the Droitwich moved to Lancashire. That is my memory of how it happened. I wonder if there is a copy of the programme anywhere out there it would be fun to see it again. As an aside, for David Mack and others from that era, the girl that later became my wife spent the summer of 1982 in Droitwich doing the catering for the work camps and subsequently came up to the Cold hole party that year which was how I met her.

I was too young for away working parties in those days. My brother went as part of PFSC mobile which of course was to become WRG North West a few years later. I did however spend lots of weekends at Droitwich, including the Go With Noakes weekend, and my wife first got involved there when she was seventeen. It was amazing when we eventually went up the canal by boat, but what amazed me was how short the canal was. We seemed to spend ages in the back of a landrover or transit van getting to site from Droitwich, and never knew where we were.

The area between the Junction and the Staircase is the best place to stop, better moorings than the main line, but a little further to walk to the Holy Inadequate for a pint

We have just renewed our flooring with Vinyl planking from a well known DIY store. Its self adhesive and easy to cut and fit. Edges can be sealed with a colour matched sealant. Only time will tell how hard wearing it proves to be

oddly enough I looked at the notice yesterday and it hadn't been updated so I enquired about the stoppage. Not had a reply yet, but it looks promising. The notice hasn't been updated yet

got an email this morning, reproduced below. I must try and get back for it this year The 2019 BCN Marathon Challenge will take place on the weekend of the 25th / 26th May 2019, starting at 8am on Saturday 25th May from anywhere on the BCN and ending at 2pm on the 26th May in the Oozells Street Loop, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the BCN arriving in Birmingham. The cruising log will be distributed shortly, highlights will include: • Starting point bonus: Anglesey basin Bordesley Junction Cannock Extension canal Delph bottom lock Fazeley Junction Parkhead top lock Walsall Town Arm • Bonus points for navigating the Dudley Tunnel • Bonus points for best dressed boat, the theme being 250 years of the BCN • The Shopping Trolley trophy for the largest amount of rubbish collected

We went past there on Monday too, and I can't see them draining the whole length to do repairs under that bridge, so hopefully we will still have somewhere to go this autumn

What closure creates this limit

Now then George, my beards not that good, or my daughter that old. Any how I've been told we are only going to the Boars Head on Saturday and Buggy on Sunday

Dave, We will pass you this weekend as we are maximising our cruising range by going all the way to Bollington for a pint

There is now another microbar five doors down from Bridge Beers which is open until 23:00 for after Dave closes

Stalybridge may not be the ideal town, but there are some f us that are trying to improve things. Boats regularly moor in the square in the middle of town for days on end with no problems. There are a couple of handy micro bars selling local beers from micro breweries. A very good butchers and deli. bakeries and a cracking proper grocer's shop to name a few. Remember you are in the north, not the rich south east.

I think it's time to head home whilst we can still get there

Mine runs on a round bar to the left of the centre door and via a crank to the floor to another crank that drives the gear change. I will get a couple of piccies at the weekend and send them you