northerntrades

I wager that if N.Bs. were as vulnerable to collision as boats made of less resilient materials owners/hirers would be far less understanding regarding collisions and scrapes with banks - bridges and other boats. I've owned wooden and GRP boats and have been subject to the, 'I'm bigger and tougher than you' mentality of some people in N.Bs. (Usually in hire boats or novices) and I feel that the forgiving attitude towards these numbskulls would soon evaporate if it was your pride and joy - and the safety of your family/friends being jeopardised by foolish people who fail to at least take a basic course in boating or even learn boating 'etiquette' which keeps the boating community so uniquely unified, tolerant and ready to lend a helping hand to any who may need it..

I can vouch that the hours the o/b has run the past three summers have be very few and like I said The owner (who was getting on a bit and starting to have trouble hopping on and off) told me he went out in it twice in the summer of 2013 when he bought it and didn't use it at all in 2014. The guy living on the mooring next to me confirms this and tells me that the boat's been on the mooring for 4 years and used sparingly during that time. Which is why I had some trouble with the gummed up carb etc when I first got her. The neglected state of the interior is prob due to it not being used much. Even so I think I'll have a go as you say Tony - while it's in the garage and summer's not yet kicked in. It does have a gasket and I've sourced a genuine Quicksilver kit online - twice the price of copies but I'd rather pay out than have the hassle that you had Tim. And if I blow the job Mandy's man at Methley will sort it out for me at a fair price!! Cheers for the advice.

Amusing yet terrifying to we GRP owners who would be matchwood if it was our 'Darlings' that these idiots smashed into! Approaching blind bends and bridges with that much speed on is madness. If the girls sitting on the top of the first boat had been thrown into the water who knows how it might have ended?

I've almost completed what ended up as a complete interior refurb of my boat. (I only intended making a bulkhead/blanket locker under the foredeck then got a bit carried away - that was almost two months ago!) My deadline to 'finish' refurb was the end of May - but I've been such a busy bee I expect to be finished by next week easily! I garaged and serviced my Mariner 8hp 4 stroke o/b over winter - the service included fluids - plugs - trim tab - defoul etc but then wondered if I should complete the engine service by replacing the impeller and gasket - but I've never done that before and as my engines only 5 years old wondered if it was necessary. (The tell tale seems to be in full flow and is constant.) I had a look on U-Tube at a demonstration on a similar o/b and the job looks straightforward enough but is it?! Am I better leaving well enough alone or should I get stuck in? I've got a fairly comprehensive tool kit - but I'm always a bit hesitant when it comes to jobs I've no experience of. (Specially when I don't have a workshop manual). Any advice would be very welcome.

My Patterjack's a total lunatic but she's becoming a top sea dog. They soon learn that boats can be serious places by the high tones of sheer panic! Get her a doggy life preserver and lock her up below decks if you're on a tricky manoeuvre. He/she will soon get the hang of it.

Found a clearview enterprises near Stourport marina don't know if that's the one? I'll have to remove a screen before I contact any firms for materials I guess. Yes - I will get every bit of advise as poss for the job - a guy on our marina did a large curved screen a few years ago and swears he'll never diy it again!! Though my screens are almost flat and obviously not very big so I'm hoping it won't be too difficult - famous last words!!?? I might as well renew the rubber seals they are really perished but I would think Capn Tolley's may well have its uses in less serious cases of pissin' ports and screens! Thanks all.

As I said though - the realities of living on water are not shown on these TV progs - people only see the best bits - generally fair weather - sitting above deck in the sunshine with a nice bottle of red waiting for the drumsticks on the barby and waving to the good natured passers by whilst being lulled by the gentle lapping of shimmering water and hypnotic birdsong! They don't show mid-winter freeze ups when the planking and walkways are death traps and the heating's about to die of exhaustion. They don't show the thieving scum making off with your valuables while you're out at the shops or the interminable battle to single hand through a flight of locks while being grinned at by day-trippers hoping and praying that you drown in a flurry of foaming water - they don't show the break-downs the toilet leaks or the mosquito's - in fact they don't show much that might contradict their stress-free image of waterworld. After all their shows are well sponsored and actually amount to little more than advertisements. If living aboard becomes a free for all where the waterways are cannibalised for personal gain God help us all.

Don't know how I managed to cock up the quote?? Yes it must be at least as expensive in terms of berth fees license etc - though the purchase of a boat (£10,000 to £50,000 would get you started) would be within the range of many people.. And It might be preferable to living on some skanky estate for many. I mean if nothing else the views have got to be better! I foresee the two canal progs on terrestrial tv adding a few thousand more boats to the waterways in the near future as they only show the best aspects of boating. And if they're learning from Westy and the way he slams that boat around woe betide us - new boaters will think nothing of bouncing down the sides of a few moored boats while screaming orders at over-worked lock keepers!!

Seals direct link works thanks - there's surely a seal amongst that lot that would suit?? I'm going to have to take a screen out to get the exact dimensions I guess - could be tricky with all this recent wind and weather we're having! Might as well renew Perspex while I'm at it - more expense. Triple drat!! Cheers guys

It has no doubt been discussed before but it makes me wonder where it will all end - ie. The trend toward using the waterways as liquid 'streets'. Is it a moral issue? Or just a case of priorities? Why have a boat - for the love of boating and the wild or as a solution to the high cost of housing?

Seems I've sprung a leak in the front cabin screens of my Norman 20 over winter. Drat! They're the non opening type that are sandwiched in aluminium frames and the through bolts look well rusted (cheapskate shoulda used brass or stainless eh)? Also the rubber seals are hard, crumbly and obviously perished. Double drat! Can anyone tell me if it's a difficult d.i.y and if and where I could get the rubber seals (think it's 'U' section?

Oi! - Leave our Norman out of it! In the right hands and in fair weather any suitably equipped boat regardless of size can do a bit of ocean cruising - power to weight ratios/windage/hull shape (big windows!) are the real limiting factors. Anyhoo back on topic - I've got Smiths vents and I've also got a leak - only a drip (like me) and it's nowhere near either of the vents - maybe it's percolating through the grp as I've searched and searched for the source of ingress but cant find it. Seems that most people seem to think the vents as such are ok but I'll check whether mine are correctly sealed.

Yet another twist in the saga of the amazing phantom filter!! I bought all the oils etc for my service from a well known online chandlery - I won't include their name because I really can't be sure if they are a bunch of uncaring cowboys or if they genuinely didn't know that my outboard doesn't have an oil filter.You see I downloaded a manual shortly after getting the engine but it's far from accurate and doesn't cover all aspects of the o/b. I should buy a better one I know. Anyhoo - the manual makes no mention of a filter but then it doesn't mention the starter motor either or a few other key components - hence my doubts. So I sent off for the stuff and included my engine serial number for the oil filter.(as per their advise) thinking that they would not send me a filter if it didn't need one - but they did so I assumed that it must have one. That's when I came to you guys, after spending a fair amount of time trying to find where the old filter was on the engine. The rest is history and it's agreed by all that the engine doesn't have one. So I applied to ebay for a return notice for price of filter plus return postage which they have dealt with and the chandler accepts liability and says I can return the item. All's well that ends well you may say - but the chandler goes on to say this -- AAAAARGH!! (No - I said aaaargh - he said this) - [Hi Neil Thanks for the email But they only make one oil filter for there 8hp models through to 30hp so unless you have one of those engines that the manufacture actually forgot to cast the oil filter molding on the side of the block in the factory and then doesn't actually even have a oil filter fitted at all then yes it would not be a wrong filter it is simply you don't even need a oil filter at all due to their huge mistake on the first batch of production of those engines at the factory. Sadly your serial number the same as all of those models of engines only show what it should of had molded and fitted at the factory and that being this filter and not any of the ones that were made without a filter. You must also not be aware then that if you assume your engine had a oil filter that due to the case of it not having a filter the oil should be changed and drained at least twice or three times a year rather than just the normal once a year like the same engine that was fitted with a oil filter otherwise you could risk severe engine damage internally with extra particles that can't be filtered properly through a oil filter. Yes you can return the oil filter if you brought the filter not knowing you didn't actually didn't have one even fitted on the engine.] sic So is he saying that the manufacturers are selling outboards that they forgot to make the oil filter assembly for? Or is he just having a massive giraffe and hoping I'll top myself in sheer frustration and confusion? (Maybe you guys are hoping the same as well by now!!)

Yes our season starts next weekend when three boats - two Normans and a live-aboard narrow boat (which has one season) take to the Aire and Calder for the first time since late September 2014. My newly fettled outboard will hopefully perform well and likewise the weather - though we won't hold our breath regarding the latter! Hope your season is a good one.