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starman

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Posts posted by starman

  1. On 27/06/2023 at 18:46, adam1uk said:

     

    Judging by now bashed some bridges are, even on narrow canals — and how bashed most marina entrances are, I’d suggest than many boaters are quite capable of damaging things, even if their boats are theoretically able to fit through easily.


     

    Don't look at the bridges, look at the front of cabin handrails for evidence of how widebeams have bashed things - notably bridge arches.

  2. It's a good marina if like us you have a dog; a lot of areas to walk including a couple of enclosed meadows. And Napton reservoir adjacent and ideal for walking. The Meadows basin is prettier and (again if you have a dog) benefits from wooden gangways rather than steel gridded ones. If you just want to park your boat between trips, then there are plenty to choose from but if you want to spend weekends up there, hanging out on the boat and dog-walking then it rates highly. The staff seem friendly to us and there's a good little chandlery. Only downside is that there are wide locks either side.

     

  3. Well that's the worst over with - Curdworth to Catherine de Barnes. And it wasn't bad. It wasn't good either though. The Curdworth locks were fine - an excellent stretch of canal. Minworth were okay with a couple of dodgy paddles and even the first bit of GU down to Garrison Locks was pretty decent for an urban canal. But the last couple of locks - vile with bags of rubbish and hundreds of floating kebab/burger/chip trays. Why aren't they banned? No boating problems as such bar a few bursts of reverse to clear the prop. No sign of any 'closed towpath' either despite the CRT alert.

    Our only problems as such were at Camp Hill locks. One of those laughing gas cylinders got caught behind a lock gate and we managed to get wedged half in and half out of the lock. A CRT man was already on the flight sorting low water levels and between us all we got things  sorted after a bit of wrestling. And so on to the easy run to CdB. Not quite so easy; the top end didn't seem to have much evidence of dredging; it was slow going with a fair bit of reverse to clrar the prop. And so many tree branches floating around everywhere, from virtually telegraph pole length downwards. Why I just can't imagine. Plenty of rubbish too; we must have passed 20-30 gas cannisters - the local lads must be high as kites. But we are here; 8.30 start and 6.30 finish.

    Would I do it again? Probably not. Not difficult or dangerous just not very pleasant and a bit dull. I'll go North Stratford way next time.

    • Greenie 1
  4. 1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

    Insurance claim.  Get on to your insurers, they will be responsible for recovery to a boat yard and the replacement of everything. Don't go getting towed by someone uninsured and make a drama out of a crisis.

    Maybe he’s only got basic third party?

  5. 24 minutes ago, john6767 said:

    Personally I would go from Curdworth, eg by the Cuttle Bridge Inn, to Catherine de Barnes in one day, it’s not a long day really and stopping at Star City whilst OK is not really a plus.  We did Birmingham centre to CdeB via Ashstead and Camp Hill last week, Camp Hill grim but it all worked fine, and the GU summit was OK if not very interesting and a bit boring.

     

    Stopping at Camp Hill has been mentioned, I would say that is not possible anymore, at least there is nowhere secure to stop, much of the buildings there have been demolished and the services are not in use and the compound gates open and lots of fly tipping.

     

    Knowle locks are heavy work, but when we went through it was over run by volunteer lock keepers so was very easy and I could go straight across the pounds without having to wait.  I don’t really see it is much different going down to going up, and other than hovering in the pounds can be hard, they are the same as the other widened GU locks, like Calcutt which you will be very familiar with.

    Indeed I am very familiar with Calcutt - and a boat called ‘Firefly’ 😉
    Thanks to you (and all) for the tips. Things are rarely as bad as they’re painted in my experience but it’s best to be prepared. 

  6. We’re heading up the North Oxford so fancied trying the Warwickshire Ring. We’ve been through Birmingham many times but never done the Garrison Locks, Bordesley, top of the GU route back to our Calcutt base. 
    Any top tips welcome. Are the Knowle Locks as tricky downhill as up? (Our dog doesn’t enjoy being bashed about!)

    He does make up for that with scary barking but even so save-ish overnight stops appreciated.  

  7. 1 hour ago, BEngo said:

     

     

    Photos of general layout would help.  I assume the pipe from the engine is also 2in dia.

     

    Two inches ID will be fine, provided the bit  between the engine and the expansion box is no longer than it has to be and any bends are as large a radius as practicable.  Swept bends are good, screwed  or welded elbows are not.  Flexy pipe should be, in practical terms, straight, not used for forming bends as it tends to reduce its internal  area when bent.

     

    Try Ady Brindle for a stack. He made our stove chimney, so should be able to make an exhaust chimney.

     

    N

    The rest of the system is all bandaged up so I’m a bit loathe to unwrap. The system comes off the manifold in a swept elbow similar bore to manifold IIRC then about 10in straight flexy about 21/2. 
    In short the rest of it is bigger bore than the 8in of tailpipe. 

    57 minutes ago, David Mack said:

    Why not stainless? I made an exhaust stack by using something like this. As I needed an odd size I used a larger diameter, slit it down its length, pulled it in with jubilee clips, drilled and pop riveted through the overlap, then painted it with black heat resistant paint.

    I’ve always been a bit wary of painting stainless … and of my metalworking skills

  8. Our DM2 exhaust is a bit of a one off. It comes off the manifold via the usual flexy pipe into the ‘silencer’ (just an open expansion box) then exits through the roof via a 2 inch internal diameter pipe. This has a sleeve so it can carry a 3in stack. 
    It’s all a bit fussy but the chief question is - is that 2in bore outlet pipe large enough?

    Second question: does anyone make 3in   stacks (not in stainless)? The MC ones are horribly cheap and flimsy. 

  9. 37 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

    I think that I have tries to advise Starman on this a few months ago. I do not recognize that particular coupling, but I suspect the boss that is loose on the shaft is keyed so the key drives the shaft. The boss is then prevented from moving by the grub screws. It may even have been shrunk onto the shaft. I think that for whatever reason, and what David said is one very good one, the boss has been fretting on the shaft so the key and keyway are probably worn. As it has come loose so soon after tightening the grub screws I am sure it needs to come apart for measurement and inspection.

    You did indeed Tony. It’s curiosity really about the coupling and whether (as i suspect) it’s a one-off or maybe a Les Allen speciality. 

     

    57 minutes ago, David Mack said:

    I suspect that there was originally a metalastic coupling (rubber) between the two flanges, and that has subsequently been replaced with what looks like sheet metal. As a result the upper flange in the picture does not engage properly with the shaft. It all needs dismantling and looking at by someone who knows what's what. But you may have trouble sourcing a new metalastik coupling element - there is another current  thread running on that subject.

     

    It’s been replaced by what appear to be chunks of rubber or leather. 

  10. Has anyone come across a driveshaft coupling like this one? It’s on our ‘80s Les Allen with DM2 & PRM150. 
     

    it smacks to me of being a one-off - possibly put together out of a few bits around the yard. 
     

    Reason for asking is that there’s play where circled between the tailshaft and centre shaft. Everything will have to come apart to investigate and maybe the coupling should go at this stage too. 

    427668CC-861D-49C9-BA59-4246AA725DEA.jpeg

  11. 10 hours ago, cisamcgu said:

    Hi,

     

    We have just started on the Ashby, moored at Hinckley - does this mean that CRT might possibly close the canal ? To be honest, it was rather hard going, and the water levels look very low 

     

    Thanks

    Andrew

    We met up with a couple on a boat drawing 36” who’d made it to the end of the canal but admitted it was hard work in places but okay for the final 3-4 miles. We draw 30” and it was reasonably ok to Stoke Golding and horrible through the Babbington bends. 

    We turned around and headed for an easier life. Now on the Coventry…where it’s almost as bad in spots!

    • Greenie 1
  12. We have a gloomy galley with just a porthole each side and a central bulls eye in the ceiling . There’s also nowhere really for cooking condensation to escape except a badly placed mushroom. 
    So I could replace the bulls eye with a solar vent and fit a roof prism either side. 
    Or have a medium size opening roof box made (in steel), lined and with double glazing. 
    Can’t decide? Anyone got any thoughts?

     

  13. 10 hours ago, blackrose said:

    How do you post links from iplayer? I tried but couldn't do it. Maybe because I'm on my phone.

    Personally I wouldn’t worry - We thought it so awful we only managed a couple of minutes before switching channels. 

  14. 12 hours ago, starman said:

    Thanks all Will do the engine running test tomorrow and hopefully that will provide some answers. 

    Engine running and pumped stopped. Hooray and thanks. Volts reading 14.4 at  engine and 14.1 at pump. 
    PS to MtB and JiW I did check bilge and PRV last night too. 

  15. 7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

    I used 8 amps because I seem to recall my Jabsco instructions said fuse at 10 amps. At 4.5 amps the VD over 30 ft seems to be just over 0.5 volt as you say as long as that is 30ft in total. that is 15ft out and 15ft back. However the slower most electric motors run the higher the current they draw so if you are down on voltage the speed will be sower and the current would be more than  4.5 amps.

    But is this connected to the pump not turning off?

  16. 8 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

     

    Assuming 8 amps draw then I make it just under 1V drop over 30 ft and if that 30 ft is just the positive run you have another 30 f ton the negative so that would give close to 2V less at the pump than at the battery.

    It says max 4.5a on the pump. Based on that the 12v Planet calculator said 0.5a. 
     

    Now you’ve got me alarmed!

  17. 7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

     

    Sort that ASAP, it will cause the pump to draw more than the designed running current and that way leads to overheating and burning.

    I must admit it does baffle me: the cables are 4sq mm along 30ft which should give about .5v drop and the connectors are crimp at the fuse box and Wago at the pump. 
    I’ll check it all tomorrow. 

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