SUIGENERIS

Have a look at Nick Thorpe Boatbuilding on the web. He is a brilliant long established builder who is pleased to incorporate owners personal requirements. But he's always busy so you have to book up a year or thereabouts ahead. But it was worth the wait when he built ours!. Cheers. Mick

Have a look at Protective Textiles, They have a website. Made a brilliant job of our cover at excellent price, half what others quoted, and made out of Top Gun which is supposed to be the best material. And done within weeks!

Maldon, Burnham, both nice towns, and good pubs alongside , but you have to keep an eye on the tides as it mostly dries out at low water. Probably practical especially if using havengore creek, then the roach and crouch for an overnight before cutting inside the sands to bradwell and the blackwater. Much depends on the weather as all are shallow waters and get a bit of short sea chop, but a great trip. Have kept a boat on the crouch and the blackwater at various times.

There are some great circular magnets on ebay which are already drilled for a bolt. Using long screws through those holes and into broomsticks is the easy option. Cheers. Mick

Hi Darren. Just up at Harthill at mo. Off up the Ashby for a few weeks then heading back to Braunston. Will give you a look when we come past, Will text you when nearer. Cheers. Mick

Talk to Protective Textiles, Kingston On Thames. Our experience was brilliant products made at great prices. Just sent them a scale drawing and it was made using a material called Top Gun in two or three weeks. Fitted exactly! And it is still good as new. They have been at it for years apparently. There is a website. Cheers. Mick

Hi Darren. I bought mine from trinity marine, (they have a website) of course they open inwards and are fixed from inside so then I bought the plain brass surrounds (chromed in my case) from midland chandlers, which were the exact correct size when mounted on the outside. Still of course get the problem that because of the cant of the cabin sides the porthole retains some rainwater that comes in when they are opened. They are cast aluminium with toughened glass and seal excellently. If you're any where up Braunston/ Coventry way give me a call and come and have a look. Cheers. Mick

Best to buy a copy of "Through Europe at 4 Knots". Very entertaining but does show just what is achieveable on a small budget and with determination and an adventurous spirit. Recommended reading. Cheers. Mick

Try protective textiles, Kingston on Thames. They did a brilliant job for me on a cover for our forward end. They were really quick and beat everyone for price. They have a website. protectivetextile.co.uk Cheers. Mick

Probably best way will be to establish the cylinder bore . the AVA has 80mm bore, the PH has 87.3mm. The stroke of both AV and PH is the same at 110mm. But of course that means having one head off. Or maybe an injector out and somehow devising a way to poke a bit of wire about and measure it, but that's going to be a real feat of ingenuity. They are so similar in external looks that there may be no significant differences which you can identify. Hope that helps, cheers Mick

Suggest you try Nick Thorpe at Hixon. Very approachable about anything out of the ordinary, excellent standard of work and very competitive. Built our hull exactly to our specification, on time and price. He has a website. Nick Thorpe Boat Building. Cheers. Mick

Best way to keep pipes unblocked is to feed a length of small diameter chain through them, and fix a large enough keyring to each end so that they do not fall out, but allow sufficient extra length so that you can just pull it back and forth to clear detritus that gathers, in older wooden boats we use that alongside the keel below the ribs to keep the water passing through between them. Cheers. Mick

There is one in the bottom of lock 66 at Apsley ! How do I know ! Because my wife happened to drop it in there a couple of weeks ago. Wish I had thought of drilling it and inserting a steel pin! Tried fishing about with my keb but couldn't find it and just a bit TOO COLD for me to drop in and search it out. Will be pleased to think that someone will find it eventually. But they are certainly nice, and having had it for the last ten years or so, I guess I already had my value out of it. Still got my shorter one though, and will only let the wife use the steel cast one now! Cheers. Mick

Hi Athy, JUDD found a new owner last autumn, I think it is now moored at March. We met the couple whilst they were on their previous boat last year up at Leighton Buzzard, and have kept in touch since. Nice people ! They are well pleased with Judd and I suspect you will see it out and about a lot. Cheers. Mick

Is the Troy arm CRT water and is there a winding hole at the terminus ? Looked quite overgrown as we passed it a month or two ago. Cheers. Mick