hughc

Add trim tabs to the rearward portion of the swim. Adjust the size and angle of these until the squat disappears. Two small ones on Wyrd lift the back end by about 1/2" at normal cruising speed, about 3mph I guess. Consider thin film hydrodynamics because the skin drag which IIRC varies as the square of the difference between the water flow and the hull speed is a vital factor. If the equations don't drop out add more terms until they do. HughC.

ammodels.co.nr

dpaws you have obviously misread my post. I was not, as you must be aware, directly comparing boats of different lengths. The scientific method relies on observation followed by the determination of a theory which can be tested by experiment. You appear to have missed out step one. Regards, HughC.

There is a photograph of the Avon on dock in the AM Models web site. As to trim both were trimmed as near as practically possible to level. the modern hull has a three foot draught over its whole 55' length. Regards HughC.

Tony Dunkley is, as one would expect, absolutely correct. In the 'real' canal world the results are exactly opposite to the theoretical calculations. As an example of a direct comparison, which dpaws seems to think TD's explanation lacks : I have many times taken a very fine lined motor the Avon along the Erewash canal and as a direct comparison a GUCC motor , Banstead, along the same water. The squat on Avon was significantly greater and although the draught on both was similar the Avon was much more difficult to steer than Banstead. Our fine lined modern tug has the same problem; the shallower the water the greater the squat. Regards, HughC.

Yet another step towards a six month 'boating season'. The incidence of long stoppages during the spring and summer seems to be on the increase. Regards, HughC

The finest and fastest swimming hulls were probably those of the Potteries boats working down the Chesire locks. thinking back to when we had the Avon it was amazing how much faster she was than any of the Fellows Mortons or Union boats we used to meet. A close look at the design of the Knobstick horse boats might help your design process.Regards, HughC.

Dacrylate Paints at Sutton in Ashfield make a product called Vinadac MIO which is used on steel bridge decks. It is smooth coating loaded with an iron oxide and is very,very slip resistant. There is a limited range of colours and it is easily re-coatable. We have used nothing else on steel gunnels for years. IIRC it is around £35 for five litres. Apart from being satisfied customers we have no connection with Dacrylate. Regards, HughC.

Admiral Class boats swim surprisingly well and handled properly they are quick. Effingham is desirable because it has been restored to a very high standard and the steelwork in general is as new.For thje price it is an exceptional buy, and no, I'm not the seller. Collingwood, in spite of the 'incorrect' lettering has probably done more revenue earning miles in the last twenty or so years than any other boat. Regards, HughC.

Some years ago the last extant Cromford canal narrow boat, a wooden maintenance craft or ice breaker in reasonable and certainly restorable condition,lay-and had lain for many years- submerged by High Peak wharf . This, against advice, was removed by either the Arkwright Society or Derbyshire County Council and placed on hard standing at Cromford Wharf. In spite of offers , by people who did know what they were doing , to preserve and restore the boat it very quickly dried out and the woodwork disintegrated until all that was left was the ironwork. Regards, HughC.

This was fifteen years ago and I didn't photograph the installation at the time. Banstead has gone through a couple of owners since then. We did fit a substantial thrust block on the tailshaft before the cardan shaft. IIRC the shaft face to face was 93" and to avoid undue oscillation we specified couplings larger than the minimum for the length. This meant we had a larger diameter shaft which was foam filled to lessen "singing." I did think that the installation was quieter and cheaper than the Aquadrive we have in "Wyrd" which Wilson Driveshafts has had to rebuild for us. Regards, HughC.

When we re-engined Banstead with a PJ3 we used a Cardan shaft made up with two largish Centaflex couplings. We could not find a new Metalastic insert. The set up worked really well and was quiet with no discernable "skipping rope" problems. Regards, HughC.

Fishing matches seem to affect water levels in two different ways. If the level in the pound being fished is dropped then the fish are drawn out of the reeds. If the level in the pound above the match is lowered then fewer boats will pass through the match. In my experience match fishing on the Erewash results in Case 1 and I have known Case 2 to apply around stone on the T&M. Regards, HughC.

Tom has a copy of the newspaper article about the launch of Heyford in which the original owner said that he intended to carry with her and she is certainly very strongly built. Whether or not he ever did I know not but she was certainly used as a self steer camper. With the boat came a long list of instructions which was hung in the engine room.The thought of possibly inexperienced steerers trying to handle a heavy full length boat and look after twelve children does make one wonder. Regards, HughC.

Heyford, now at Langley Mill. Regards. HughC.

The last few props. we have bought from Crowthers have been a heavy duty version of their high efficiecy design. They have considerably thicker blades and so far have coped with the Erewash reasonably well. I did bend one on an underwater steel obstruction in Stoke but as usual BW/CART denied any responsibility and the advice from our insurance brokers was to claim on our policy as fighting it through the courts would bring out CART's big guns. Regards, HughC.

As I have mentioned before when this problem has arisen it is possible to use a LADA Riva thermostat which is an external unit that plumbs into the cooling circuit hoses. It is not expensive. Regards, HughC.

I'm moving Wyrd from Langley Mill to Northampton and perhaps beyond in early June and am looking for crew. The boat is a rather tired deep draught narrow tug. I tend to start early and have long days whenever possible. All found. Non-smokers preferred. I realise this is short notice but if you can help please PM me. HughC.

Thanks for that Mike. Tom is in Belfast at the moment. I'll tell him when he gets back. Regards, HughC.

Tim that is an interesting piece of kit. We removed the first liner by running a couple of rings of weld around the bore to shrink the liner and then pushing it out with a scrap piston by rocking the flywheel. The second one, owing to corrosion in the block , snapped about half way down when using the same method. The only way we have found to work on the remainder is to very carefully grind slots in the liner and then just as carefully chisel out the liner from between the slots. I think we have about 6" to go. It is very very tedious but so far there has been no damage to the block. Regards, HughC.

I can see how this would help single handed boating but it is a bodge. Historically Aston was not difficult to work but successive district 'engineers' have failed to get their heads around how to hang the gates properly. For many years even after successive stoppages to try and cure the problem the problem has just become worse. Not only that but through many stoppages no attempt was made to clear the lock bottom meaning that deep draught boats often needed flushing in and out. This is after all the same crew who strapped timber behind the bottom gates at Stenson because if fully opened no one was strong enough to move them. This of course made life very difficult when two full length boats tried to use the lock. So it isn't well done CART it is just another cheap reply to a problem. Regards, HughC.

The use of the lower nut to support the weight of the engine which it then transfers to the thread of the stud is surely not good engineering practice. Having had 5/8" diameter studs break using this system I speak from experience. Using the top plate of the mounting as the location for the engine foot distributes the load and is probably the point at which the elasticity of the mouint is calculated. The engine alignment will be better catered for by using shims under the bobbin mount itself.Regards, HughC.

There have been a number of reports of engine mountings breaking. Most engines used in NB are converted industrial or automotive units sat on bobbin type rubber mountings. These engines were designed to use inclined and angled mounts when in a chassis to control movement. A 'bobbin' mounting does not do the same job. The problem of excess movement is exacerbated by lifting the engine to align it using the mounting studs and nuts. The higher up the stud the more movement is possible.If the engine is connected to a solid shaft then the gearbox output bearing will eventually fail. If connected to a flexible shaft then a fatigue failure of the engine mounting is the most likely option unless the rubber bonding fails first. If the original manufacturers mountings are unavailable then the best option, from my experience, is the mount the engine on solid bearers running the length of the unit and interpose a flexible membrane, and Tico is pre-eminent amongst these, between the engine and bearer.If bobbin mounts must be used then the engine should sit on the top plate of the rubber mount with no intervening nut. Regards, HughC.

Many years ago we had a beautiful little 20 ' Taylors of Chester boat with a 4H.P. Stuart Turner engine. As we left Trent Lock and turned upstream the propellor fell off. The origional shaft had been ground down and a larger diameter one carrying a 12" propellor had been tack welded on, not by me I hasten to add. Lashing the boat pole to the cabin door frame, it being a forward control boat, we hoisted a sail made up of a variety of sheets and towels and sailed up to Sawley. Regards, HughC.