Mike Adams

Looks like it is still on its launching trolley. I expect someone 'borrowed' it and it came off the back of a flatbed or trailer. Maybe they just kept the motor. Mine is being reverse engineered into small pieces.

I shall be setting of on Monday. I find it better to start at about 6pm and go to 2am.

Yes - I just shut off the gas connect up the tube manometer, check the pressure and then shut off the cylinder. Then run the gas out until the pressure just starts to drop and leave it for 5 minutes. I have fitted a bubble tester as well as it allows anyone to check most of the system.

I've started to cut it up with a jigsaw lubricated with water and a little cutting oil. It cuts surprisingly fast and the water stops the dust and the blade getting too hot and burning. Another lockdown job I've being meaning to do for some time. As the council tip is only a couple of hundred yards away I should be able to gradually get rid of the bits over the next few months.

I was looking at some land on a backwater of the river Soar. On a map it shows it as part of a main EA watercourse. I noted the lock cuts and other sections are not marked as EA. Would these sections of backwater have riparian ownership such as you get on the Thames or would CaRT have any jurisdiction and control and be able to change mooring fees? Anyone any experience on this river?

Thanks I will try that first but I want to keep the dust down if possible

I think I will cut it up into sections with a jigsaw and take it to the local tip as commercial waste. It goes on weight so I am guessing 250Kg will not be too expensive. Its a shame to scrap it but if I don't it will still be here in another 50 years time and probably more expensive to get rid of later on. The only advantage of owning a wooden boat is it will quite quickly rot away. Thanks for the advice.

I would put it on ebay, but as it is traceable being a class dinghy, I wouldn't want it to end up on the side of a road somewhere.

My 18ft fibreglass sailing dinghy is now 50 years old and over the winter the floor has rotted. I need to get rid of it. It is on a roadworthy trailer. Has anyone any experience how to get rid of a boat like this? I don't want all the effort of cutting it up and taking it bit by bit to the council tip. There is about 250Kg of material. Would a waste recycler take it?

I am going to have a boat shot blasted and hot zinc sprayed followed by an epoxy coating. There seems to be a lot of talk about this microbiological corrosion and I wanted to ask what anyone thought about the properties of the zinc coating in preventing this type of corrosion or if anyone had any experience in this area. Clearly this is an expensive process and I know from previous experience how good it is in stopping general corrosion the question is does it work for microbiological as well or does it just carry on under the zinc surface?

There are lots of large live aboard barges around now and they tend to occupy all the decent moorings. They move early in the morning when they have to so little chance of finding a decent mooring after midday if you have a longish boat. Avoid Oxford stop above Sandford Lock, Abingdon usually OK, avoid Reading except for Tesco, Henley usually plenty of room, same at Windsor you have to pay at both.

I have just got around to checking out a 4LE1 (new) engine a bought as a spare. Unfortunately it is fitted with the 3 wire stop solenoid that needs to be kept energised to keep the engine running. I would much prefer to change it for the simple 2 wire type that only operates to stop the engine so that it is fail safe. These don't seem to be available so easily. Anyone have a source for these a at reasonable price?

I don't know what sort of raw water pump you are fitting but if it is self priming you could always just stick the inlet over the side until you find somewhere cheap to do it. I have put a seacock in just by letting the boat dry out on tidal water (the Thames) you only have to drill a hole for the skin fitting with a hole saw and one can easily be do it over one tide. In fact I have welded a patch on a boat by grounding over a tide, digging a hole and then welding a patch on. There must be somewhere to dry out somewhere safely on the Mersey. I have also done it by tilting the boat but that onl

https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/eddisons/catalogue-id-eddiso11000/lot-eea6be48-a016-40a8-a1f6-ace6008f4ac9 This auction contains a large number of new PRM hydraulic gearboxes and some enfield and new lister SR marine engines if anyone is interested.

What beam are you and is that your static depth? I am about that depth and touched one cill east of Newbury. Of course if you are wide beam you will have to go slowly in places and you are bound to hit the odd log etc and you will probably slide over some silt bars below locks but nothing unusual.

I think it is more likely being done to pacify the very expensive houses around there.

Most cruising boats are unlikely to go out much over the peak of winter so 16A should be fine. I managed fine with 16A in France in a very poorly insulated cruiser. If you have a very long boat maybe tap into 16A at each end. I had to switch off the immersion heater when boiling a kettle. Anyway gas seems to be allowed.

We have been very late in the UK in providing electricity at temporary moorings. Years of boating in France got us used to pluging in overnight to heat the hot water and use the electric kettle and often it was at no cost outside the major cities. Guess what happened then - loads of live aboard dutch barges and their like came along and plugged in, staying for months, blocking the moorings and using the sockets for welding resulting in a lot of them burning out. In London they could have easily put in cables while they are taking out the high voltage lines that were put in in the late se

If you just sub let part of the boat (a room) can you get away without a hire boat bss? I for one don't know the answer to that one.

Must be working it with another boat - no sign of any cooking facilities or fire extinguishers - might be quite easy to get a bss then with only solid fuel stove, no gas etc.

OK so you need a replacement engine and you need someone to fit it. 1. You will probably get a much better deal/job if you can move the boat out of London to the midlands. 2. I would avoid any recon engine since this is too much of a gamble and the costs of fitting an 'old' engine are the same or more. 3. You may be able to reuse the gearbox if it is something like a prm but not otherwise. 4. Don't get a larger engine than you need 20Hp would be plenty all the time on that boat. 5. Look at something like canaline you might be able to get a deal. 6. Many people mig

The best solution is to use a hydraulic drive with a variable displacement pump. I agree that a variable pitch prop wouldn't last too long.