NB Alnwick
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Posts posted by NB Alnwick
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I am not sure why anyone would want to burn 'house coal' except perhaps for nostalgia.
OK, it can burn with a bright flame and is generally easier than Anthracite to light but it produces the nastiest of by-products that will eat your chimney and leave tar stains on your boat. And, the smoke can kill you!
There are many good reasons why I think mining coal is still necessary but it isn't the best thing to burn on a boat. There are better solid fuel alternatives.
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We were looking for a bit of comforting nostalgia and here we have it!
All I can say is that the original Smartgauge was probably the most useful item of equipment that we ever purchased for our boat.
The designer also provided helpful advice on how I should wire my 24v battery bank.
In the many years that I spent as a moderator on here, I often had to intervene when armchair 'experts' challenged those who gave considered advice based on real reseach and experience. Thankfully I am no longer required to do this.
I hope Gibbo continues to help others on here in the way that he helped me.
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In my view a decent rigid aluminium ladder such as this one is essential on a narrow boat.
It can be stored on top to be easily deployable. Together with a suitable wooden plank insert in can double as a strong and secure gangplank.
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1 hour ago, Cheshire cat said:
I found that the hydrogen sulphide gas attacked anything with copper in it.
We once left our boat on charge from a mains hook-up. When we returned one of the batteries had failed exactly as described and all the brass and copper throughout the boat had turned black! And it isn't easy to clean it off!
These days, we disconnect the batteries if the boat is unattended and check battery health regularly.
It is obviously essential to disconnect and isolate a faulty battery immediately.
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Only go in if you have a ladder available for getting out again!
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As always, workmanship of which to be proper proud!
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Evidence again of the Kelvin’s reliability and ease of maintenance. Our gearbox still gives good service after 25 years with no maintenance other than an oil change in 2007 ish. In fact, so far, the only major failure has been the crankshaft on the C.A.V. Injection pump which was repaired by welding. That was in 2006 and we bought a brand new one as a spare together with some additional spare parts but so far, these have not been needed. It must say something for the Glasgow Bergius Company when the only item to suffer serious failure was designed and manufactured elsewhere!
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There are some occasions when one can open up the regulator a bit - my favourite is Braunston Tunnel. Other than that, there are times when deep mud or silt makes the engine work hard even at low rpm. That said, my bores may well be glazed - it is almost 30 years since they were last inspected! We did give the engine a good blow through when racing down the Severn Estuary - we docked at Portishead a shade over two hours after leaving Sharpness lock! However, that was 17 years ago!
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A lot of nonsense about Kelvin engines and their suitability as motive power for narrow boats often emanates from those who have little or no experience of living with them. It was George Bergius who suggested to Phil Trotter that our K3 would be very appropriate for a narrow boat and, although the engine is capable of producing 66 horse power at 750 rpm - on inland waterways, with the correct screw, it will rarely need to exceed 300 rpm or thereabouts. At canal rpm the power output will be in line with that of many other engines currently being fitted to narrow boats. The advantages of a properly engineered slow running engine like the Kelvin K series includes low service and maintenance costs, exceptionally good fuel consumption (we use less than two litres an hour when cruising), and an absence of any obvious exhaust smoke - which means it is always a pleasure to stand behind!
We also have to remember that in the days of commercial canal carrying, the operators were limited by financial considerations - a failed engine could be easily replaced without risk to life. Kelvins and similar top of the range engines were the choice of those who rated dependable reliability above all else. That is why they were often chosen by Arctic fishermen! -
1 hour ago, Fidelity said:
Looking at a Northwich trader and can't seem to find a definitive regarding the draft etc...
Phil Trotter at R. W. Davis told me that the designed draft is 30 inches. However, in practice, this is nearer to 36 inches when underway.
It also depends on how much extra stuff you have aboard - a full coal box, a full diesel tank, etc. etc. all add to the draft.
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3 hours ago, BEngo said:
What is the PCD of the model K flywheel bolts? I have a 24 in diameter double V groove aluminium pulley with 6 x 1/2 in dia. mounting holes on a 6 in PCD I would happily swap for beer coupons.
The boat is currently at Glascote Basin for its long overdue repaint - I will investigate the method of fixing the existing pulley when I next visit.
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34 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:
I don't know the specs for variants of the AC5R, and in particular for 24 volt variants.
We have a 12 volt AC5R, and even if driven fast ours only outputs 60A max, so it could be that the 24V one you have only has a maximum output of 30A.
Very much higher output alternators exist, so you should be ale to find one that improves the situation - particularly as it should be easy in your case to avoid belt slip.
The 24v version is rated at 55 Amps though I have rarely seen much higher than 30 on our ammeter.
The old AC5R model was a very robust and reliable alternator and I remember that we were fitting these to military vehicles in the 1970s when I was working in REME workshops.
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9 minutes ago, MtB said:
Prolly less work to swap the pulley size. Wrapping the flywheel means moving the alternator.
Yes - that is a possibility - and cheaper than changing a perfectly good alternator.
Can you suggest a source for the pulleys, please?
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We are planning to remove our three way fridge that normally runs on gas and replace it with a modern electric fridge.
The only drawback is that our engine runs quite slowly and in most conditions rarely generates enough electricity to keep all our batteries fully topped up. We have a portable generator that we use to augment engine charging.
The alternator driven by the engine is a Lucas/C.A.V. AC5R 24V and my question is could we find a direct replacement for this alternator that would generate enough to charge the batteries at much lower RPM?
We already have the smallest practical diameter pulley on the alternator and an 18" pulley on the engine crankshaft/flywheel - so changing the gearing may not be an easy option.
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The K series engines are magnificent. Easy to set up, easy to maintain and, when properly adjusted, easy to start and run on a daily basis with excellent fuel consumption and minimal exhaust smoke. All of which is excellent for cruising. The K series engine needs to be properly installed and mounted directly to heavy steel or oak bearers that are secured directly to the baseplate and it is best if it is matched to a proper Kelvin gearbox.
We have a K3 in our boat and it probably would not suit everyone, so I will list the possible disadvantages:
- A big slow running engine is not the best choice for charging batteries and providing electricity. We carry a portable generator for topping up the batteries.
- At certain engine RPM there will be vibration sufficient to cause a nuisance.
- The engine bangs and clatters (like any diesel) and this is louder than the exhaust note (which is quite soft) - we do not have a silencer fitted.
- A Kelvin needs a big screw - at least 24" in diameter and this means that the boat will be deeper in the water than most others. This hasn't been too much of a problem to us but it may prevent the navigation of some shallow waterways.
- Kelvin engines are usually fitted with a 24 Volt starter motor and this may mean that the whole boat is wired for 24 Volts - again not a problem to us but it may limit the choice of equipment. I would avoid a Kelvin that was not fitted with an electric start motor as original equipment.
I hope this helps - you can hear our's running here:
https://www.grahamoliver.com/alnwick/alnwick.htm#engine
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8 hours ago, Tonka said:
Which model is it
RM 6401 LSC
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Now that we no longer live aboard, we are planning to remove our three way fridge and replace it with a modern Shoreline 12/24 Vdc electric fridge which, we feel, will be more suited to our change of boating pattern. The old fridge will be removed during the next few months while we are at Glascote basin for painting. We would be pleased to offer our old fridge, free of charge, together with the room sealed venting equipment and a few useful spares to anyone willing to help to remove it. Please message me if interested.
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My boat will be out of the water this Winter so I can get it surveyed at the same time.
Just to add: GJWDirect were not the cheapest but with membership of RCR thrown in and no extra charge for paying monthly by direct debit they are clearly ahead in most respects and look to be saving me at least £200 a year.
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19 minutes ago, rusty69 said:
Dunno if it is cheaper for your boat but my GJW policy is £211 this year. Up £20 on last year.
Thanks - did an online quote request with GJW and it has come out £200 cheaper with no additional cost for paying monthly by direct debit!
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I have just receieved our renewal quotation from Towergate at just under £450 - an increase of more than £100 on last year!
We have owned the boat since 2005 and have never needed to claim - I am therefore wondering if anyone can suggest a less expensive alternative?
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2 hours ago, stagedamager said:
The red J2 is in Harrier.
Ah! the famous Montagu's Harrier
On some builds, the oval plate at the bottom is fitted with a dipstick tube for a flexible dipstick.
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We usually cruise at 180 rpm on canals - less when passing moored craft and anything up to 350 rpm on rivers and estuaries where we have a decent depth of water. That said, I doubt if this is of any help or interest to the OP.
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Pram hoods on boats should be banned!
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John Gascoigne former owner of nb Sabrina
in History & Heritage
Posted
I am resurrecting this old topic because a relative of John's is anxious to know his whereabouts or what has become of him.
Some one must have seen his boat, an R W Davis 70 footer named 'Sabrina' - although I am quite sure that he must have sold it and moved on to the land.