hughc

Had the clever little emigrant taken the route he describes after having left the train he would have to have been walking round in circles. He sounds as if too much under age drinking at the Mill has left him with a severe mental disturbance, or perhaps some LM girl said no and it still rankles. The article is perhaps a little over the top. We have moored at Langley Mill for more years than I care to remember. The boatyard is totally secure, the transport links are very good and all services are available within easy walking distance.There is also a very good dry dock on site.Look at the photographs they give a better impression than the teenage rant of some bloke who thinks being photographed with a fag hanging out of his mouth gives him some level of street cred. Not in LM it doesn't. Regards, HughC.

Having taken the trouble to drive to Leicester to enquire of Knowles about some Lister conversion parts we were met with a similar and equally unfriendly response. It was his loss as we bought elsewhere but how do people with such appalling attitudes towards those who supply their bread and butter manage to stay in business?I despair of the British attitude towards customer relations. Avoid. Regards, HughC.

I'm fairly sure that John Boddy's at Boroughbridge stock Lignum Vitae. Regards, HughC.

The Butterley Company is a classic case of asset stripping by IIRC developers who have subsequently, having taken their profit, lost interest. Regards, HughC.

Try Langley Mill Boatyard where we have happily moored for longer than I care to remember. The Nottingham bus passes the gates and there are all the usual services including three supermarkets within walking distance. It is also very secure. Regards, HughC.

You cannot get a normal GU pair through Bishop's Meadow lock at Loughborough so the Erewash boats were built slightly shorter to avoid double locking here.Regards, HughC.

Our tug was built on a narrow (6 foot) baseplate with long swims and draws 3' at rest. I think however that she swims so well because of being trimmed level underway so that the cross sectional area is less and the water flow is smoother. Regards, HughC.

A sometimes overlooked benefit of towing a butty is that the pair will often travel faster than a single motor in shallow water when the butty is on properly set up cross straps as the motor's back end is prevented from digging in by the lift provided by the butty's front end. They also make damned good fenders. Regards, HughC.

I go boating to go boating not to lie around for half the day when the sun is up moaning about boats that are actually moving. Regards, HughC.

If I remember correctly BW fitted Armstrong AS2's in the latter days of carrying in order to avoid the increasing problems of direct cooling on heavily silted canals and because Armstrongs were cheaper than overhauling Nationals which in any case were not I think any longer available. Using a three to one box which reversed the rotation they were able to match the engine to the original National ie. Brunton propellers which kept the cost down.Regards, HughC.

If you want a Kelvin, and which vintage engine enthusiast would not, we have a J3 full petrol start for sale. If this is of interest please PM me.Regards, HughC.

Over the years we have taken Avon, Banstead and Meteor through Froghall. With Banstead we contacted BW for a profile and they attended, eventually, but that is another story,to ensure passage. We had I think the whole of that weeks group in the fore end so that we didn,t have to de-rig. BW advised us not to attempt the tunnel again but then for many years they had a notice at Cheddleton telling boats over sixty feet in length to turn there as there was no winding hole below that point even though it was possible to wind a full length boat just before the tunnel. BW's incompetence or their deliberate policy has since reduced this by four feet or so. Since the level was lowered we have been through with our 'modern' tug. In the late 1970's IIRC there was a breach or two between Froghall and Flint Mill which were repaired by inserting concrete channels as on the Llangollen. This limits the amount by which the pond can be lowered. The level has been dropped but of course no dredging was carried out so that beyond the tunnel especially it is very slow going for deeper draughted boats. There has I think been a move to limit the length and draught below Hazelhurst and we were certainly warned that if we got stuck BW would not come to our aid since Star and Town class boats are ' to big for this canal.' this when they were filling in the missing towpath with imported soil rather than doing the job properly. The photographs of fully laden stone boats working out of Froghall must all be the result of early twentieth century 'photo-shopping' then. Or perhaps, perish the thought, BW engineers don't know their waterways history.Regards, HughC.

It may be that the damage has been caused by the dipstick being pushed in at an angle and it has been rubbing against one of the shafts. We had the same problem when a box was supplied from new and the reason was pointed out by PRM fitter who we called out when the it failed after fifty hours use. Careful insertion always pays dividends. Regards, HughC.

Years ago our Holt Abbot cruiser was dropped from the boat lift at this marina. We were not present and were told about the incident by another boat owner. The marina owner denied any knowledge and became quite abusive. Don't go there. Regards, HughC.

The longest lasting pump switch I have ever used was taken from a scrap washing machine. They work on air pressure, the diaphragm is adjustable for on and off levels and they are free. Regards, HughC.

If you can't have a bath in half a mug of cold tea topped up with spit then you're not a proper boater. Regards, HughC.

I'm looking for an elctric start flywheel and fan shroud for an Armstrong AS2 if anyone can help. Regards, HughC.

The lack of boats moving isn't confined to the L & L. Coming down from the Pelsall rally last week there were no boats tied at the Dog, very few at Huddlesford and Fazeley. Only Fradley had anything approaching normal numbers. The busiest part of the route was the Erewash as has been mentioned in another thread. Thinking on this it is probably because of the massive increase in the costs of boating. I've just paid the licence for Wyrd - £722 for the year as long as they get it in one lump sum. Propulsion diesel at Shobnall was £1.42 per litre unless one bought over 100 litres when it reduced by 5p a litre. If you live on a boat and have no house to pay for then these prices are probably affordable.If you are reasonably wealthy then the same applies. If, as many do, you are boating for a limited time each year on a fixed income then the time is fast approaching when these costs are unsustainable. If the standard of maintenance and the provision of facilities was improving in line with the increased facilities then the expense might be more justifiable. But it isn't and they are not. As an example the Daw End is not navigable in any real sense of the word for boats drawing over 2' and the facilities block at Perry Bar is closed owing to vandalism. As a tailpiece to the trip we bent the prop. yet again on a large obstruction below the M1 bridge on the Erewash. BW say the stretch is clear but I nnoticed they had had to spot dredge to move their crane boat up to Shipley. Regards, HughC.

Check out James Walker and Co. Their Tico pad system allows you to solidly mount the engine whilst absorbing much of the vibration and thus reducing the transmitted noise. Not cheap but we have found it very effective. Regards, HughC.

Measure the angle of the propeller shaft relative to the bottom of the boat. If you are going to have to alter the engine beds mount the engine as far forwards on the new beds as possible. If the total angle i.e. the angle of the shaft to the bottom plate + the angle between the shaft and the engine will not exceed around 7degrees then fill the gap with a cardan shaft which can be any shaft that carries a universal or constant velocity joint at each end. The longer the length you can allow for this shaft the better. Cardan shafts will only accept mis-alignment in one plane. A good solution for the new shaft is to have CentaFlex make up one with two rubber joints and the correct couplings for the engine and original prop. shaft. Tghis will also reduce noise and vibration. It aint cheap but it is much cheaper than welding in new stern gear and still having to play around with shafting. Regards, HughC.

The ones I have used have two adjusting screws, usually with a dab of thread lock or similar visible. They are however usable and will adjust the on/off depths within reasonable limits. I usually attach a length of flexi- tube to the pneumatic input and at the lower end of this put a small metal cup to enlarge the cross section so that small pieces of crud don't block the pipe. Scrap washing machines are a very good resource for all manner of bits and pieces. Regards, HughC.

Air operated level switches from scrap automatic washing machines make efficient long lasting free bilge pump switches. Regards, HughC.

"Hell has no fury.....", is not a 'misquote' it is a mis-quotation. Pedants beware. Regards, HughC.