cuthound
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Posts posted by cuthound
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On 06/04/2024 at 13:02, Alan de Enfield said:
A year or three ago "British Cycling" (the controlling body for cycling) contacted C&RT and suggested that if C&RT wished to inplement a charge (or licence) for cycling on the towpaths they would support it.
C&RT thanked them but declined as it was part of the Transfer conditions (BW to C&RT) that the access and use of the towpaths must remain freee of charge and unhindered.
Extract from the transfer documents :
2.4 The Trustee must obtain the Settlor’s prior written consent before:
2.4.1 ...........
2.4.2 ...........
2.4.3 restricting pedestrian access to any part of the towpaths within the Infrastructure Property; for example by charging a fee for access, save that consent will not be needed for any temporary restrictions either to allow maintenance/repair works or to protect persons from risks to their safety;
2.4.4 diverting the route of any towpath or part of a towpath, other than as permitted at Clause 3.5.1;
Note :
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Pedestrians: This category includes individuals who walk, use mobility aids (such as wheelchairs and rollators), and those with vision impairments. Essentially, anyone navigating on foot falls under the pedestrian umbrella.
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Cyclists: While cyclists primarily use bicycles, they are often considered part of the broader pedestrian and active transportation community. So, yes, pedestrian access does indeed include cyclists.
The above only refers to free access. I suggest CRT "think out if the box" and put turnstiles on all exits from the towpath and charge for these...
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9 hours ago, Ray T said:
Just purely from observation on my part, during my travels for BT, the smaller telephone exchanges had Gardner or Lister engines as standby generators. These were regularly run and well maintained, with not a lot of hours on them. @cuthound will know more. I don’t know if any finished up in canal boats though.
I recall seeing many 4 cylinder Listers in small TE's, but no Gardners. I don't know of any that made it into a canal boat.
The medium to bigger exchanges had Blackstone, Perkins, Dorman, Cummins etc and the very largest TEs had high speed (1000 rpm or more) turbocharged Cummins, Dorman, MAN etc or low (400 rpm) or medium (600 rpm) speed engines such as WH Allen, Ruston etc.
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:
Corrected that for you !
The problem arises when the boat you really, really like is only for sale at Whilton. If that occurs you either buy it and apply lots of due diligence or don't buy the one boat that ticks all of your boxes.
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2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:
The likes of Whilton give you the keys to 3 boats, you go on your own (no escort), view the boats, go back and get another 3 sets of keys and view some more.
Go in the Cafe and have a monster Fry-up.
Go back to the sales office and get another 3 sets of keys, repeat, repeat, repeat.
Seconded, I wouldn't necessarily buy from them, but they do have a wide range of boats you cab view unattended.
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On 02/04/2024 at 08:21, Rob-M said:
It is an electric drive and seems to like going round in circles.
Looks like a modern take on a Coracle 🤣😂
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22 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:
Mine is not even mounted on the boat unless I intend to go through a tunnel
Likewise.
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On 02/04/2024 at 13:47, Tracy D'arth said:
Faced with unstable cuttings, I cannot understand why the chanel is not dug out and large concrete pipes dropped in to form a tunnel. Tow path not required, one way working but a simple solution. Then the pipe could be covered and the land above sold for development.
A perfectly serviceable tunnel was made in Stoke-on-Trent whilst the bypass was reconstructed and it worked well.
BW did this when constructing Galton Tunnel
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On 01/04/2024 at 21:10, MtB said:
I first discovered Danboline back in the 70s for bilge painting and in my experience it does a first class job of sticking to pretty much anything, including silicone sealant and oily steel. Despite what it says on the tin nowadays, no prep is required. Awesome stuff!
Dunno about bitumen though....
I'd heard that Danboline is no longer as good as it used to be, just after I repainted my engine hole and lockers with it last year!
The original Danboline had lasted 16 years before speckles of rust broke through, so hopefully my repaint will last something similar and easily see me through the boating days left to me.
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2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:
If license costs reflected the cost of running the system, there would be no boats and no system.
If the thing is supposed to be a resource for the general public, walkers, cyclists, fishermen, leisure boaters, hirers,, then it should be publicly funded. It's not been a commercial waterway for a century.
Bit like the water industry, really. Trying to run it is a private concern when it's meant to be a utility is to guarantee failure. It can't be both.
Whilst I agree with this view, it is not likely to happen with the current or any future government in the short (say 10-20 year) term. In the meantime the system will continue to degenerate so needs additional funding from its users now.
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23 hours ago, cheesegas said:
Totally - I agree that there’s a lot of people who just hover around the same area simply because it’s cheap, and don’t let anyone else have that spot. However, it’s not just scruffy boats who do that, plenty of new widebeams are at it as well for example! Walthamstow Marshes in London is notorious for that behaviour. I also echo your thoughts on the NBTA, I’ve joined their zoom meetings out of interest and it’s like a student politics club, only more angsty and with less direction and meaning.
I’ve got a lot of snootiness from shiny boaters over the past couple of years when I chat to them at locks etc and mention I don’t have a home mooring. ‘You’re one of them’…‘trying to avoid tax eh’ and so on. I did some of the Oxford loop last summer and it seemed especially bad - my boat is a little scruffy and could do with a repaint at some point as it’s fading, and I have a tarp on the roof covering the inevitable two bags of coal I didn’t use over winter! Unmistakably liveaboard, along with the solar panels.
Strange, I always talk to all boaters, and say hello as I pass and am really envious of people like you and @beerbeerbeerbeerbeer who genuinely continuously cruise but recently have found a kind of "reverse snobbism" from some of the bridge hoppers, where they deliberately ignore you because you are "not one of them".
Pity really, because I have had great pleasure from canalling over the last 50 years, but don't want to see it come to an end or some canals closed because too many people are not prepared to pay their share to keep it properly maintained.
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1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:
You are assuming that most of the stealth boats bother applying for a licence ... can't really see them uploading a photo if they're not.
Then perhaps it is time for CRT to target unannounced boat checking in specific area?
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16 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:
I doubt that find a way to do it is the hard bit - find the money to enforce it, is
True, finding the money to do any maintenance, let alone enforcement now seems to be a challenge.
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Just now, nbfiresprite said:
You can aready hear the screams of outrage from the 'Bargees' about their human rights not to be identfiled or recorded.
They would scream even louder if CRT ever found a way to revoke unidentified boats licences in the same way to do persistent overstayers.
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1 hour ago, nbfiresprite said:
They should also require that a uptodate photo of the boat is upload with the application. This is the case with Waterways Ireland as it makes is easyier to spot a boat with a choned licence afterall most boat checkers don't known how to tell who the builder was. Ireland also has two types of licence depending on how long you plan to moor on Visiter moorings at any one time, with a lower licence fee for a stay under five days.
It would also be allow CRT to identify boats which display neither name or registration number, (as required in their bylaws) and perhaps take action.
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16 hours ago, truckcab79 said:
Would love to paint our engine bay but it’s already coated with blacking so it’ll be getting more of the same.
I feel your pain. What a ridiculous thing the previous owner did painting the engine bay with traditional bitumastic blacking as it is soluble in oil, so the first time you spill oil or get a diesel leak into the engine bay it will turn the blacking into a sticky mess.
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Try this to calculate kW ratings of radiators.
https://www.simplifydiy.com/plumbing-and-heating/radiators/power
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10 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:
I can’t speak for the Civil Service but that’s not how it works for an organisation like CRT at all. You can’t delegate accountability.You certainly couldn't delegate responsibility when I was working.
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2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:
No.
I want to know why he put a plastic cap, which plainly does not fit the tank filler, down the pipe in the first place.
And when is he going to fish out LadyG's short dip stick?
It was a pun on casting off. Let go was the term used by the working boatmen.
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16 minutes ago, MtB said:
And my wife, a keen knitter, used to refer to mooring up as "casting on".
Can't we just let go of this topic...
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One of the things that one of the consultants have been asked to do is establish the condition of the network.and the likely impact of climate change and changing water table levels.
This can only be a good thing as the CRT will know the scale of the cost of keeping the canals open, and this be in a better position to persuade any future government to contribute more.
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22 hours ago, LadyG said:
I buy a mix for the reason that my stove does not start well with coal and firelighters.
I use
Matches
firelighters
Kndling
Split logs, Silver birch preferred
Ovals, at £16.50 for 25kg
Six excell
Eight logs
Three kindling
£150
Firelighters £5.00
£20 to £30 per week
Logs don't stay in overnight.
Hardwood logs kiln dried are about £8,5 per net.
I have a delivery from those who deliver coal logs and kindling.
Cheapest logs are those you forage, but need to be cut and dried.
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Surely its not Christmas already
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2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:
I doubt 50% antifreeze, 25 or 30% more likely. The stronger the antifreeze concentration, the less heat (not temperature) the liquid can carry around the system
Typically, the systems use a header tank to both top up and allow for the expansion and contraction f the liquid a st heats and cools, although I have seen some systems that are sealed and using an expansion vessel and filling loop.
Boats are one offs with many variations, so I think that you may have to trace your pipes, but a length of 22mm pipe seems very odd to me.
Indeed. When I replaced the engine coolant and central heating system I initially used a 50% antifreeze mix. Fine for the engine, but the central heating system didn't get hot.
I reduced the concentration in the central heating system to 25% and it has been fine since.
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4 hours ago, Momac said:
But it didn't work
I did have an A series in one car that dis not leak oil but I think that was unique
I had a Riley Elf that didn't leak any oil (except for the time I changed the oil and didn't tighten up the bolt securing the oil filter... 😒)
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5 hours ago, Mike Todd said:
"Characterful Stone Detached Residence": characterful = semi derelict
"For many, the dream of living with the peace and serenity" - fails to mention that it is v close to motorway and dual carriageway roads and shares a site/access with a former industrial activity of undisclosed nature
Who'd be an Estate Agent?
A pathological liar?
Extended Tiller handle for cruiser stern boat opinions please.
in Boat Equipment
Posted
Yes, I ran over something submerged once by the Pooley Layby on the Coventry which ripped the tiller from my hands, and would have pushed me in had I been standing alongside the tiller rather than in front of it.