Grassman

Last year we paid £32 a night in Bristol Floating Harbour so I think that puts the £10 in Liverpool more in perspective. Admittedly Bristol isn't CRT waters but I still think £70 for a week in Liverpool isn't unreasonable. It was great while it lasted, especially with the free electric, but assume that will change also.

I thought both were being funded by HS2 as part of their environmental compensation (or whatever it's called). The Fradley to Handsacre part was due to begin on October 16th last year, and last for 6 months. HS2 hired a motor and butty from that hire company in Weston on Trent, and both boats have sat idle opposite Kings Bromley Wharf ever since then. So that's another £5k+ of our money that HS2 have squandered!

I like the magazine format and I still subscribe to both CB & WW but I think Canal Boat Mag declined after editor Nick Wall retired about 6 years ago. I'd never pay the extortionate prices for buying them from newsagents but with a subscription it's not too bad. They are both quite 'same old' though, but then it must be a challenge at times to keep coming up with new stuff. I think that of the two, WW is by far the better one. Mind you I write the occasional article for them so I'm a bit biased 😃.

Oh, I thought it was an American publication after reading the line 'However, the NBTA said raising fees would push the boating community further toward the breadline and pit bargees against each other' Or perhaps missing the s from the end of towards was just a typo 😕

Thanks for your helpful and thought provoking replies and I now feel better equipped for deciding what to do.

Thanks Tony. I should have been more specific with my question. I'm considering having a new engine (Canaline 42). I currently have 4 x 110ah AGMs which should last another couple of years after which I plan to replace them with lithiums. If I go for the Canaline 42 is there anything regarding its specification that I should request be changed or added so it's as ready as possible to accommodate lithium batteries in future? Also, how does the Canaline 42 differ from the 38bhp in that respect, if at all? I'm thinking alternator(s) but there could be other things too perhaps? It's just that when the time comes would the standard alternators that the engine comes with be suited to lithiums or should I ask them to supply the engine with different ones? I don't want the expense of having to replace alternators on it that are only a couple of years old.

I had exactly that experience a few years ago. I felt at the time that I'd been somewhat ripped off.

Would this be the same issue with a Canaline 42bhp engine?

Unfortunately they need to do that in order to get the continued funding (or more) from the government. In other words convince the government that their canals and rivers are for the benefit of the general public and not just a group of boaters. I'd rather that than see my licence increase 5 fold to make up the shortfall.

I don't have a problem with it. People are always asking for recommendations for boat related companies on here, something which I often find is very useful. I suppose the difference in this instance is because the supplier initiated the post. I've used Kinver Canopies a few times over the years, including a new cratch cover a few weeks ago, and have always been very pleased with their work. A few of our neighbours have used other cheaper companies for their cratch/pramhood covers, and the inferior quality and workmanship shows, particularly a year or so later.

I do the same, including a logging the number of hours my Webasto is running each week and what it cost based on whatever the current fuel prices are. I once worked out the price of each nugget of coal for the stove so I could monitor it’s daily cost, but soon gave up as not only was it a hassle, but it took my level of ‘sadness’ up to an unacceptable level even for me. 😀

It's probably similar the the Wood End moorings further down the T&M near Fradley. They were thrown off their moorings because the construction of HS2 meant they no longer had access to them from the road. Apparently those moorings will be reinstated once the construction work is finished, and they'll have a few years of peace and quiet again before the trains start running.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Yes, even allowing for the fact that it was back in 2007 I also have my doubts that it was a full on refurbish. Update - following all the advice on here (thanks to all), I'm going to have it checked out to see the extent of the damage is and then take it from there

Thanks for all your helpful advice and I’ll try to answer them as best I can. Goliath & Magnetman - During the last 4 years I’ve had the thermostat, the calorifier, the water pump checked, and I’ve checked the hoses/pipes for leaks. I will give Calcutt a call as you suggest. Adam – Yes the bubbles start immediately after start up but it was only on Monday that the coolant overflowed and the hissing from the overflow pipe started Tony, yes I think my/your fears are correct unfortunately. David – Yes I should have had it properly investigated when the bubbling first started. As I’ve said, I had everything checked out except the removing of the head because I suspected that would be a major job and cost. It’s seems it’s now pay-back time for me having buried my head in the sand for 4 years! As you say, I’ve nothing to lose having the head off now, or not much to lose at least. DMR – The previous owners had a re-build in 2007 but the paperwork was just an invoice from the marina they were in. They’d obviously subbed the job (to Calcutt I suspect) so the details were rather vague and just said ‘Engine refurbish, rework and rebuild engine, renovate cylinder head’. At a cost of £2,100, I reckon it looks as if it was a major overhaul even allowing for the marina adding their mark up to it. Annoyingly there was no record of the boat’s hours but I’m guessing it was about 7,000 hrs. Like I have, they’d also worked it hard doing a lot of rivers including tidals, since they’d had it new in 1995. DMR – I neither like or dislike the BMC so any replacement would do as long as it’s a decent engine. With the BMC I do worry about getting certain parts in future if anything else goes wrong, or are they all still readily available? Tracy – Thanks for the endorsement of the Canaltime and if I decide to replace the engine I think it would be my preferred choice. I’ve only heard good things about them. No doubt some will say there are better options and I’d also take a look at others such as a Beta as suggested by you Magnetman.

Thanks to all of you for the very helpful replies. Goliath your last sentence sums up my thoughts perfectly! 🙂. At least it did until I’ve now had an eye-watering quote from Canaline Engines 😮. I might well re-consider buying a new one now! I'm guessing it is serious, and a prime example of ignoring a problem until it gets really bad. But I admit it does make sense to get it checked out before I consider whether or not to shell out for a new engine as it might not be as serious as I fear. So if I can bore you with some details of how it has developed and has come to where we are now, perhaps some of you knowledgeable folk might be able to give me some pointers please? I'll try to be as brief as possible. Nearly 4 years and 2,000 hours ago when chugging along the canal at about 3 mph some coolant in the header tank suddenly shot out of the overflow spout together with a little steam. The temperature which is normally 70c rose to about 90c but then soon settled back down to 70. Since then the coolant in the header tank has constantly bubbled away from when the engine is first started and needs topping up, approximately 1/4 litre every 8 hours cruising and has required this for the last 4 years. The content of the header tank has never been particularly hot though. There has never been any sign of water in the oil and it rarely needs topping up with oil as it hardly uses any. I've had the skin tank bled, the coolant drained and replaced, checks for leaks, water pump tested, etc and nobody has got to the bottom of it so I just accepted that it needed the coolant topping up regularly. Since then I've done the Ribble Link, Thames Tideway twice, River Mersey, and last summer the Severn Estuary from Sharpness to Bristol, all with no problems such as overheating. I did have the skin tank enlarged 6 years ago which probably helped with that though. On Monday when cruising along the T&M it started p*ssing out of the header tank overflow, at least a litre or more. It stopped coming out after 5 minutes presumably because the level of coolant had reduced. The temperature rose by 10c to 80c and stayed at that for the 3 hours it took to get back to my moorings. But there was a constant rush of air coming out of the spout with a force loud enough to make quite a noise. Since then, within a minute of starting the engine it bubbles and steam comes out of the header tank overflow pipe and this is what makes me think the problem is serious. If I go ahead with having it investigated are there any decent BMC mechanics in the Lichfield, Fradley area who anyone can recommend please?

My 30 year old BMC 1.8 with 13,300 hours on the clock has blown the head gasket. Obviously the extent of the damage and subsequent repairs needed, wouldn't be known until further investigations are carried out, and on the basis that I'd have to pay somebody to do this which would obviously cost a lot, and might end up needing a major overhaul or even a replacement engine, I'm considering biting the bullet and buying a brand new replacement engine. I don't want a reconditioned one because I've read on here and heard elsewhere too, that they don't always turn out well. So I'm looking for advice on which engines would compatible on a 'like for like' basis. At a Crick show a couple of years ago the chap at the Canaline stand told me theirs would be an ideal replacement, with none of very little work needed to adapt it. Do any of you know if this is true, and if Canaline engines are any good? Also what other makes of engine might be suitable please? In case it's relevant, my current set up is a PRM 150 gearbox and a Colecraft cruiser stern. Also, because the boat is immobile would a supplier install it in the marina I'm currently in? The marina (Kings Bromley Marina near Lichfield, Staffs) have a work bay with a pontoon each side and reversed in, the stern is right by hardstanding so accessibility is good. I'd be grateful for any advice please.

As well as the photos perhaps it might be an idea to have an independent opinion/report as well, by a marine surveyor or another boat painter for example. Then if your quest for a refund becomes a legal challenge you would then have more scope to argue your case.

My two rubber mesh type mats I referred to (one on top of the other) have worked well for years. I chose this method on the basis that it protected the holes from being 'plugged' directly by leaves, and even if the whole step gets completely covered by leaves the rainwater will work it's way through them and will find the drain holes. I'm not sure I need to use 2 mats but I think doing so helps the water permeate through them to the bottom. These are the mats I'm talking about https://www.gclproducts.co.uk/p/rubber-surfacing/rubber-play-surfaces/rubber-grass-mats-23mm/?attribute_pa_pegs-ties=not-included&gclid=CjwKCAiAxP2eBhBiEiwA5puhNbz8DCgmDhVKkzIRldiqIP0YdqCYr5SllHi2LBSVeOk45PEjBwarcxoCTDcQAvD_BwE I think your method will probably solve your issue but as you say, the mats idea could be a solution if not.

She's very vague about the need to keep moving the boat, virtually giving viewers the impression that they can just buy a boat, moor it at the canalside somewhere and live there as long as they want.

When we were looking to buy a boat most of the brokers just gave us the keys and left us to it. Would a broker allow the seller to accompany prospective buyers when showing people around the boat? When we come to sell our boat I'd like to show them around and tell them things like what we've had done to it and a bit more about it's history than just what the paperwork says. I know it would be more hassle especially if there were a few time wasters, but I'd be quite happy to do it despite that.

I'm on the T&M shuffling between Great Haywood and Willington and this winter when it hasn't been iced over, there definitely seems to have been less boats on the move than normal.

No not us, that section comes under Stoke, we work from Fradley depot. You make a good point about the roots and water depth and we do try to take this into account. We can tackle roots but being in the water the chainsaw isn't as efficient so we only tend to do the ones which significantly protrude, but you're right, and also we wouldn't see any that are under the surface. However our workboat and hopper boats are quite heavy, especially the hopper which has the wood chipper on it, and draws over 2ft, so if it's shallow we can't get close enough to do any significant cutting even though we have long reach polesaws.

Not necessarily. CRT are doing some themselves, well their contractors are. The problem with this is that the contractors tend to concentrate on the larger vegetation and because they aren't boaters they miss out smaller vegetation which they don't think is important but it is is actually causing more of a problem. Places like sight-lines, on bends, either side of locks or bridge holes, opposite popular moorings, or overhead branches. Obviously not all volunteers are boaters either (9 of us are, out of our 12) but I reckon most OV work-parties would have one or two boaters amongst them. When we started doing it in 2017 we were the first volunteers that CRT used for the OV cutting. They ran it as a trial and obviously thought it was a success because since then they have rolled it out in other parts of the network. I don't know what the split is between contractor and volunteers though. My motivation for initially approaching CRT about it 5 years ago (we are all IWA volunteers) was that I felt if we didn't do it, it just wouldn't get done. The fact that my boat was booked for an expensive re-paint the following year had a bearing too . I wish they'd train and equip us to do some much needed dredging, but that's never going to happen unfortunately!

Several issues here I’d like to comment about Lock volunteers – I boat around 1,000 miles a year and very rarely encounter a bossy ‘know it all’. Supply – Generally most organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. People seem to have so many more interests and pursuits these days. Cost – somebody mentioned the cost to CRT of using volunteers. They could of course do without the lockies, but the training costs must be minimal, they provide a ‘face’ to the public which must help in garnering support for them, and they carry out minor maintenance such as greasing the paddles, painting lock gates, litter picking etc. With other volunteering it’s a case of cost versus value. I’m in a team who cut back the offside vegetation every winter. One of the reasons we do it is because all of us being boaters, we know it wouldn’t get done otherwise. It costs CRT a lot in training (chainsaw and chipper etc every 5 years), equipment hire (which sometimes involves hiring a workboat or hopper boat as well as equipment), and provision of PPE. For that they get around 3,000 hours free labour each winter in return. If you do the maths I think that despite the costs CRT do benefit from it and of course we boaters do as well.