PeterCr

WhatsApp Video 2020-03-27 at 11.25.32 AM.mp4

So the interval is 200 hours and I'm currently to about 235, hence the question. I'd prefer not to leave it to do an oil change nearer layup time but change oil now, though the engine does get 3 to 6 hours use each day, not short runs. I use the oil recommended by the engine company. Like Roland I don't use the boat over winter and it sits for 7 months. So perhaps I should be doing one oil change now and one for winter.

My engine is currently due for it's oil change etc. Well it's overdue really. I'll be back at my marina to lay the boat up for the winter in about 40 or 50 hours. I know I should change my oil before the winter, however I'm wondering if I should still be changing the oil for winter if it's only 40 or 50 hours old as I've already changed it now.

We have wheelbarrow wheels, they work fine except that from time to time they flip up on their side so obviously reduce their effectiveness. You see them in some chandleries for extortionate prices, we got them off ebay for about 6 pounds, they're fine.

Thinking about a bent propeller. I had thought that if I had a very slightly bent prop shaft it might take some weeks for it to wear out something in the stern gland, and therefore a while before any noise began. But if the prop was bent then I'd assume the noise would have started straight away, not some weeks later. I might see about that when I'm back to my marina. I'd still like to find out what this reverberating noise is.

A bent propeller shouldn't be as much of an issue as a bent prop shaft I would think. We've been motoring along as normal so there's no problem I can see other than the noise, which is only annoying in so far as I don't know if it's serious or not. So if there's no obvious problem then a small bend in the propeller, which I haven't noticed when feeling around, should be ok hopefully.

I put the lump hammer on the bottom with the handle to within a mm or so of the shaft and did a full rotation. I don't see any movement. I tried it in a couple of different places. So that's though I'm still mystified about the reverberating noise. I had wondered about that exact same thing and moved the plate around a bit for that reason. Glad you found that as I suspect now that's what it is.

Good idea Tony, thanks. Yes the engine mounts are ok. Also the prop is fine thanks Rusty, I've looked at that. I did expect a bend in the prop when I hit the wood but it's fine.

2 or 3 weeks ago I started hearing a reverberating noise when motoring. It seemed to me to be about the same frequency as I would expect the prop to be turning, and increased with revs. Nothing in neutral. Not loud but definitely there. I'm wondering if I have a bent propeller shaft. About 3 or 4 weeks before that I hit a nasty piece of wood, though the noise seems to be more recent. I don't feel anything through my feet and not really through the tiller, though on rare occasions I do think there's something through the tiller, but may be imagining it. I have also had another strange noise, though rarely. Every now and then I get a clattering noise in reverse, nothing in forward. Most of the time it's perfectly normal in reverse. I have a vetus water lubricated stern gland/propeller shaft. If it's bent then it's certainly only minor. Any ideas how I could determine if it's the propeller shaft? Or what else it could be? Cheers

Passed yesterday, the duck/ducks are still in the cage, I only noticed one but there was something over the cage. Also I think a couple of chickens. No sign of the boater that we noticed. They did have food in a dish in the cage and a canny moorhen had it's head through the bars eating the food.

Can't sign it, I'm not a citizen or resident. But I'm still a boater. ?

Not quite so clear, further up the canal the weed is quite a problem, going through Blackburn I was down the weed hatch 10 times before giving up and accepting that our forward motion would be slow. Several boaters complained to us about the weed they encountered. We went up the L&L a couple of weeks ago and had no problems with weed, but it was quite an issue coming back.

We were in the middle of the flight when the lockie got a phone call from CRT telling him the restrictions were lifted. They decided to lock it anyway at the usual time for that day as they had no lockies organised for the afternoon, but then it was to be unrestricted from the next day he said. For us the main annoyance in the flight was the weed at the top lock. I cleared the prop when on the landing and got so much weed on the prop in 50 yards that I lost all forward movement and had to pull the boat in. The duck weed was so thick on one overflow that the water level of the pound was high and 2 boats in front of us had some real problems with water coming over the top of the gates onto their deck. The lockie was quite worried till they got it sorted.

We moored in the pound above the dry dock a couple of weeks ago, no problems. We did look at the pontoon but didn't like the look of it.

We've had a problem with too much mowing. On the L&L last week, in a lock with another boat going up. A van turns up and out pile 2 young blokes, one pulls out a huge mower and the other a strimmer. Bloke with mower starts towards us mowing and gets closer till he gets right to the edge of the lock approaching our boats while we are waiting for the gates to be opened. 5 people standing around the top gates. I asked him to stop mowing till we exited the lock, the reply was "don't worry about it" and he kept on mowing. Both guys wearing safety equipment, the people at the gates and on the boat no safety equipment, mower a few feet away. On the landing of the next lock while waiting on the landing I stood right beside the back of the boat so he couldn't mow right alongside the boat without running me over. So he moved to the other side of the path and kept going, throwing 2 stones into my paintwork. Probably the same for the second boat ahead of me. In the lock again he mows almost on the side of the boat next to me. Maximum of 2 feet away, again no one with any safety equipment. The strimmer bloke did stop but only once asked. I put in a complaint to the local office, in their reply they tell me they are getting onto their contractors about it. I did point out the likelihood of significant legal action if someone had, for example, lost an eye to a stone or some other calamity happened.

Just had a boat come up past us so all should be good now.

Just walked down to lock 33. The padlocks are off and the boom and mats are gone. The hire boat is gone too. Not sure where to. There were a couple of guys there who were doing the work on lock 33. They said that the work is now finished, they are just there to collect tools, and the lock is back to normal generally. They also said that they thought the hire boat was still leaking diesel and there was clearly diesel in the canal at Gargrave so I don't know if there's problems further down but my better half has walked down there for shopping so she may be able to report on that later. But currently lock 33 is now open as normal.

There is a hire boat moored above lock 33 at Gargrave that is leaking diesel into the canal. During the afternoon CRT guys were stopping boats from proceeding past Gargrave. As at about 5 or 6 last night there were padlocks on lock 33 and it had a boom and mats spread out on it to soak up the diesel. The CRT guys tell me the canal is closed till further notice depending on the leak but don't expect it shall last long, possibly reopening today. Lock 33 is also subject to another notice but that is unrelated.

Well it looks like you were all correct. 2 days of cruising and no knocking. Always nice to see a potential problem avoided!

I gave up using reverse in Burnley, unless absolutely essential, about 2 weeks ago after twice getting huge amounts of plastic on the prop when using reverse, in one case losing all propulsion in either direction, and steering, and ending up bow into the far bank on a corner. I agree, reverse seems to stir up the stuff and attach it to the prop. Heading back through Burnley in a few days, not looking forward to it.

Thanks all, sounds like I just get on with it. Maybe as Tony suggests it was something that was on the prop that disappeared before I checked down the hatch. I did wonder if motoring in gear in the canal was a little different to motor running in gear when moored up, thinking perhaps a noise might be there when motoring on the canal but not when moored. I'll find out when we set off again I suppose. Either way it seemed as normal under 1300 revs and as I normally cruise around 1000 it should be fine I assume. Fingers and toes crossed.

Moored at Granary Wharf now. Had a bit of a problem coming in though. In reverse coming in to a landing we hit a bit of wood, or it sounded like wood, with the propeller. Nothing we haven't done before, engine kept running. A little while later I had cause to speed up and got to 1300 revs and heard a knocking noise. Not loud on deck but quite audible below. Drop below 1300 and no noise. Revving in neutral and no noise. So I suspected something with the propeller or shaft. There was weed around the propeller but nothing out of the ordinary, nothing solid that would knock on something. Propeller undamaged and I could turn it by hand as normal, no noise or difficulty, nothing to suggest a shaft problem to me, though I'm no expert. Moored up and tried running it, in gear, moored. Got it up to 1500 revs and no noise either on deck or below. Anyone got any ideas? Cheers

There now, got the last spot on the pontoon. Nice spot, Lots of people beside us having their Saturday evening drink. We're expecting noise, that's fine. Walked around Leeds and am most impressed. Saw the indoor market and love it, just wonderful. Saw the Corn Exchange but it was getting later now, hope it's open tomorrow. In fact we're most impressed with Leeds centre all round, great spot. We didn't quite know what to expect but have been most pleasantly surprised, sufficiently to stay again tomorrow and look some more.

That's exactly what we're doing tomorrow night. We've been warned to keep moving till we get there, but that the Wharf is ok for mooring. We shall see. There's another thread on at the moment so I'm reading that about mooring in Leeds. Filled up with water, good advice.

Stalls everywhere, we could reach out and touch them, though they were very quiet setting up this morning. All very civilized and although we must have had hundreds of people walk right past our boat there was no poor behavior at all. In fact even in the main street which was absolutely packed, to the point where it was hard to move forwards, everyone was very well behaved. Huge crowd. Great day, the sheep show sounded a little naf but turned out to be just brilliant, I never knew there was so much to find out about sheep. And the presenter was excellent, well worth seeing. No Wellies required! The only sad thing was no sheepdogs. Maybe they couldn't make it this year, but not a sign of a sheepdog. I have seen sheepdog trials before and it's pretty impressive, but not this time. But otherwise a great day and worth staying for.