kelly_87

Hello all - Not to worry re: the dirty water in the engine tray - that I manually mopped and popped into containers - the rest of the water round the engine space is actually fairly clean (sadly not vosene clean!) which makes me think it's from the water tank, or rainwater... had a look today and there's no more than there was yesterday, and given the torrential rain.... although I guess I'll see tomorrow, as the back of the boat sits a fair bit lower than the front (full of diesel, little left in the water tank which is at the front) I'm hoping there's been a one time event and I'm getting the tail end of it- or that there's been historical ingress from some of the holes that I had blocked over when she was lifted out that werent doing anything, and what I'm seeing is water running to the back from the cabin bilges that will eventually stop It's wishful thinking isnt it... But am going to cut a hole in to see into the cabin bilge so may get some answers there... It's good to hear other people that have had this and are still (i hope!) afloat though - the big fear was that I was sinking VERY slowly. Does the fear of sinking EVER go away?! xx

oh my god - thank you for all being so helpful and reassuring! Im LOVING getting my hands dirty (literally - detangled a pair of Adidas joggers from the prop shaft yesterday... THAT was an experience) and although Im worried about the water there IS something really satisfying about trying to work this through myself rather than call a landlord (or my mother!) I did indeed mean pram hood (?!) - didnt realise there was a differentiation - v good extra vocab Going to do some poking today and see what I can find... it might be helpful to know that the bulkhead is a combination of steel and wood construction....? I was chatting to some guys on the canal yesterday, and apparently it's not uncommon to find boats with water in them - although it's not healthy I know? But just as long as she's going to stay afloat long enough for me to fix her, I can cope (just) ! It\s really irritating as wanted to clear the corrosion out and repaint inside the compartment, but obviously can't until I find where this is coming from I'll keep you updated - and many thanks xxxx

good question... a job for tomorrow!!!?? i certainly havent got an obvious access point to the cabin bilge... but a bit of investigation is probably a good idea . x

ooppphhh this is where my ignorance starts to show... the engine is in a space under the aft deck - which I lift a hatch to access - not big enough for me to get into physically (unless I were to realllllllyyyyy breathe in) with like, a large tray underneath - which isnt filling with any liquid - oil or water - given she's sat still at the mo... There is a bulkhead - but I noticed today it has a hole in- I think NOT a design feature, but corrosion or damage which I know needs some serious attention - Is it possible to have a partial bulkhead??? would that be a thing??? (TOTAL ignorance - so sorry) I'm not really living on her proper, so havent been using the water system at all - but certainly not hearing the pump come on (thank you for taking the time to puzzle this through with me by the way xx)

def not rainwater - old girl's cratch covers are up... x

Hello hello! Im new to boating and this forum, so please be gentle and excuse any ignorance! I bought a 30ft narrowboat to liveaboard about a month ago - and although I'm not quite living aboard yet (wrapping up my old life, easing into my new one), Im spending as much time as I can at the weekends and after work getting to know my boat. Bluebee is a 1987 steel hull narrowboat, air cooled lister engine, and I had her lifted out and partly replated on the advice of a surveyor about a month ago. When I bought her, I knew there was some water in the engine room - as per the survey - and as she hadnt been lived on for about 6 months, and her cratch cover had been off, I knew she needed some TLC - which she's getting in increments... poor girl. Last weekend after I moved her, I turned on the bilge pump, then mop-and-bucketed about 3 inches of water from the engine space... a week later, Im a couple of inches deep again. I checked the weed hatch (fine) the stern gland (fine - and repacked about a year ago) and cant see any obvious place it's coming in. Cratch cover is up - and I havent driven her since the first time I (thought) I'd dealt with the bilge water... My Columbo deduction is that possibly when she was lifted out, (craned) as the previous owner hadnt had the water tank at the front of the boat emptied, there may have been a spillage, and what Im dealing with is water running down the bilges to the back of the boat ... but does this sound likely? or possible? or have I done the unthinkable and managed to break her the very first time I drove her? I'm trying to learn as much as I can about maintaining her - but as a solo girl who's never driven a car, let alone a boat, it's VERY much learn-as-I-go Any advice greatly appreciated - please bear in mind that Im fairly panicked as it is, and every time I go back to her, I expect to find her sunk! Thanks so much for any help in advance - xxxxx