BilgePump

Ah gawd, now that conjures up images of a feline in a little captain's cap

When I read 'The strange voyage of Donald Crowhurst' the true log entries were some disturbing reading. You can chart his descent into deluded madness from the deception and isolation of sailing round in circles in the Atlantic..

No idea what it is but as soon as you've thrown it out you'll realise what it's for and that you then really, really need it.

I've seen a craft ale boat at one of the water weekends. Seating was for the use of all visitors to the various food/craft stalls and they were serving from a hatch with no customers going aboard. It may also have all been bottled beer rather than draught.

Rotten timbers, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm to the budget in the morning Sorry for the Apocalypse Now reference but seriously, as others have noted, all wooden boats are a nightmare. From a plywood sailing dinghy, a classic wooden cruiser, an historic narrowboat or the Cutty Sark. The maintenance regime is non-stop and the costs very significant.

Many thanks for the replies and apologies for not responding sooner; life got in the way after the post. Bow saws and axes, I've got a few and love them to bits but have a lot of cuts to make and other non-tree jobs to be doing.

Resurrecting this thread instead of starting a new one. I need a new chainsaw. Have a cheapo B&Q petrol one bought about ten years ago but it's always been a pain overheating, blocked carb, not starting etc and it's now destined for the tip. I don't want to waste money on another rubbish petrol one so I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for electric ones that are currently on the market. The job that it is needed for imminently has approx 11" diameter as the max that needs cutting through It will only be used at home so I'm not fussed about a battery one if it means that the budget goes further for a better, more reliable make. Not going to be used loads and loads so doesn't need to be professional grade kit, but I would like it to last and not be a waste of cash. Budget is £125 or a bit more at a push. Cheers in advance if anyone has any recommendations, any to avoid, or things to consider before buying.

Seconded, and also to Ade. They seem like two of the sanest people in this place.

You're making the right decision. A suitable little GRP project boat should turn up that fits your budget, resources and skills, one that you can enjoy on the water whilst doing it up. Keep checking in here and ask away with any questions. PS: Welcome to the forum by the way.

Got the price from the OP Quote "I added pictures if this helps and they say I can work on where it is £557.23 every three months but I may be able to pay weekly"

If this boat didn't get an offer at £2k then those that have seen it previously must have been scared off by more than one thing. Why has someone with access to a (boat)yard, skills, materials, tools and cheap crane/transport not bought it? Probably because it would become a money pit, even with all those resources to hand. It looks as though it has been a guest room kind of boat, quirky and cute, but never had an engine. It should be possible to fit an outboard bracket to the back, but the power needs talked of can only be supplied by a shoreline, genny or diesel lump engine to batteries, which will cost more than the boat to source and install along with shaft and prop. Outboards may do a few led lights and phone charger but they are useless at putting in the power that would be pulled by a fridge/freezer. A good outboard will not be cheap. Even secondhand at ten years old and more, a decent 20hp outboard is in the £1k-£2k range. Similarly a few hundred watts of solar wouldn't manage well. At best the hull will need attention to the rust and some welding prior to blacking but it may need major overplating, which again could easily cost a multiple of the initial cost. It will need relining at least above the gunwales, once all the deck fittings, vents and windows have been made watertight. Decent lining ply is not cheap per sheet, and you will need maybe a dozen. An electrical system, water and gas installation will have to be done using appropriate cables, pipes and fittings. What are gas pipes and leccy cables made of? Copper which is a bloomin' fortune. Calorifier, hot water heater, stove etc not cheap. Everything will need doing to BSS standards from the start to avoid wasting money. Paint, varnish, fabric etc etc Current storage cost is over £2k per year for a thirty foot boat. That would cover a licence and northern mooring for the same. However, the time and money required to get this boat to a stage where it could be put back in the water and used will be significant. Say a year of hardstanding, and then it will require lifting to water or truck. Not trying to put the OP off getting into boats but this type of project presents way too many pitfalls and large costs to be viable for most people including myself. I would instead echo a previous suggestion that a small GRP cruiser, that can be enjoyed in the summer for weekends from day one would be better to start with, on the budget that is available.

Wow, this thread is a blast from the past. OP hasn't been on here in a couple of years but have only just seen the posts. I remember Bullock Smithy when new at New Mills marina. We bought a 20' GRP faux narrowboat off the owner, his previous boat that he had built from an old hull and fitted out very competently. Bullock Smithy was a lovely boat and judging by the post from 2016 still is. The little GRP boat we bought had a most odd name, Raspertum. When we asked him what it meant, he replied that they'd had a few ales and just mixed up some Scrabble letters, it was a made up name.

That was my way of thinking until you realise that CaRT would need to put in thousands of them, at millions in kerching, and the full tilt cyclists would still think that they were little jumps to enjoy. CaRT have been 'gifted' a few thousand miles of shared footpath, cycleway, fisherbank from which they get nowt in revenue. It's not possible to make it into a perfect shared environment. Bottom line. We should all try to be considerate.

So sir, you uploaded a Cycleapp route to Facebook, showing you covered 30 miles of towpath in less than ninety minutes and you claim to have been cycling at walking speed all that morning when you ploughed into the orphans' Christmas outing?

No, wasn't contradicting you or thinking you wouldn't. There will always be selfish cyclists who rip along like they're in a velodrome There will always be selfish dog walkers who think that their animal should be allowed to terrorise others There will always be selfish fisherman who think they shouldn't have to pull in their rods And there will always be selfish boaters out there who think that....well we can think of a hundred answers to that one!

And any considerate cyclist should dismount and walk their bike past people where the width of towpath is narrow

Let's say bikes were banned on the towpath. Not going to happen but just say. Would it stop people? Nah It's illegal to cycle on the pavement or use a privately owned electric scooter on public roads, but does that stop people? It doesn't stop people who are otherwise law abiding in their life so I doubt whether even those people would be more wary of getting caught by CaRT bods than getting their collar felt by the local constabulary for cycling on the pavement. As for the sheer selfish idiots who cycle like it's the Tour de France or the criminals who ride nicked motorbikes down the towpath, they aren't going to give a merry fig about any 'ban' Don't penalise those who enjoy a safe and leisurely cycle on the towpath just because some people are complete ar****les.

Yep, poor phrasing. Not exclusive to marine environment, just that they can often be found in offshore boats needing to communicate over longer distances. I've only had experience of VHF which is obviously limited to distances of line of sight.

You'll always get entitled idiots who think that the world revolves around them and rules don't apply. About five years ago I was pushing my old mountain bike through Woodley tunnel (lower peak forest) with the front light on. Coming in the opposite direction is another cyclist yelling to get out of the way. Yep with a tunnel wall one side and a steel barrier on the canal side of towpath. I just stopped walking and a MAMIL (Middle aged man in lycra) ploughs into me in the darkness. Just behind him is his ladyfriend/wife/other who then proceeds to verbally tear him a new one for being an inconsiderate idiot and not getting off his bike. Think he did a bit of damage to his shiny new expensive two wheeler, just for good measure. All a bit surreal in the middle of a dark tunnel.

Just for confusion, SSB (Single Side Band) is a type of marine radio with a much greater range than the standard VHF

Some adverts on the web scream scam. Think of the ebay ad with 2 pictures. One is of a boat listed at a fraction of value and the other a nondescript gmail address. The description tells you to contact them. The account has 100% feedback on 600 trades over ten years. However, they also now seem to have a thousand insanely priced classic cars, caravans, motorhomes, motorbikes etc for sale. In this instance a legitimate account has been hacked and the hacker batch uploaded their current 'inventory'. In the past I've actually seen a legit ad and a scam one for the same boat running on ebay at the same time.

Night cruising can be wondeful. Have done more on river due to tide times than canal but it's a real pleasure. One key to getting eyes accustomed to the dark is to kill the cabin lights. Nav lights, compass, depth screen but not much else. On a good moonlit night it's amazing how much you can see

Yes, there is a lot of chaff on ebay, but also some wheat. Just searching for 'narrowboat' throws up all sorts from massive projects to luxury living. A private seller who is serious about selling their boat would probably be wise to pay for a listing on both AD and ebay (£20 for a month classified). Maximise the potential buyers who will see an ad. Like you say, word of mouth and having more eyes on the lookout for possibly suitable craft always helps, just like members here have sold their boats to each other by letting it be known that it will be coming to market soon. I remember Tumsh, hope she's okay..

No those are like the overstamped Weimar postage stamps of ten million marks. Check out your Monopoly board. Mayfair would be a few quid more than £400 and the hotel a snip at £200.