Mad Harold

Sounds like somewhere in the circuit the current is running to earth. The cicuit breaker should trip when this happens.

Try Norman and Mary's on the upper Peak Forest.The last boat I bought was moored there and was cheap,isolated with water and toilet disposal. Can't remember the contact details,but if you pop into TW marine (a short walk away) they will know.It's in the village of Furnessvale just by the railway station. Just thought,I can give you directions,to the mooring because it is a bugger to find by road. Through New Mills to Furness Vale.Turn left into Station Road,over the railway crossing,and you will see a farm gate immediately on your right.Go in there and there is a big house at the end of the drive,thats Norman and Mary's house and the mooring is about 500 yards along a track alongside the house.

I think I mentioned polyurethane foam and fibreglass construction as used in homebuilt aircraft when you were talking about stretching your Norman. The foam is easily sculpted to shape and covered in fibreglass and gelcoat,then power sanded to a finish. A point to watch though ,steel hulls with wood or fibreglass tops will leak after a time due to different rates of expansion.

As lock 1E is listed as closed due to lack of water,it's not surprising. I must be weird then! Went for a cruise from lock1E (closed) on the HNC to lock 9 on the HBC.Couldn't go any further because of the leakage from the bottom gates,it wouldn't fill enough to be able to open the top gates. Had I wanted to get somewhere I would have resorted to a "Spanish Windlass"but as I was just out for a "jolly"I didn't bother.So turned around and had lunch in the peace and quiet,apart from the sound of rushing water from the very leaky lock gates. Told others about the leaky lock gates and after sharp intakes of breath,was told that yes I could cruise but mustn't use the locks. Anyway,I enjoyed my little trip,it was a lovely day,and it was nice to get out on the cut albeit a short one.At least it gave the engine a bit of a blow out and got some water flowing around the hull.

I have heard the rumours about the Rochdale nine aka 'anal street. However they may be expanded in the telling. I went through solo one April at about midday and it was quite uneventful.There were lots of far eastern tourists photographing everything and they seemed a happy and chatty bunch.

You can do 30+ locks in a day !!! I once did 20 in one day single handed,but did I ache the following day! Actually thinking about hand washing,I may use disposable gloves,not the transparent type,but the blue or white ones that you see garage mechanics using. These I think will be ok to keep on while washing hands,so avoiding chapped,sore hands.

Hope you're going to use a gentle lanolin type of soap,otherwise after half a dozen locks or so your hands will be as rough as a number seven bastard file!

Why not fit a second alternator and use your boats engine. Am I being a bit simplistic?

That's a good long list of things you can do. But you missed off the only excersise a gentleman should do.....

It's really a matter for the skipper's conscience. Is it a liveaboard travelling for essential services? Or is it someone who doesn't give a monkey's? If you launch your high powered inflatable,chase the boat and board it,and give the skipper a good grilling,you may find out. It could be quite entertaining to watch!?

When I first installed my diesel heater (a different type than yours) although working perfectly well on the bench in my garage,when installed on the boat,it would start up and then shut down shortly after the fuel pump started operating. The cause was voltage drop due to using incorrect wire. As yours has been working this will not be your cause,but as Flyboy has noted the voltage going into the unit needs to be checked. My heater manual states that the unit works at between 11.6 to 12.4 volts. Is your battery in good condition?

Sufficient power? Fuel pump working? Glow plug working? Fan motor working? Combustion air inlet and exhaust clear? Heating air inlet and outlet clear?

I have done the opposite to what you are proposing.Sold my narrowboat to go back to GRP probably for different reasons to you. My narrowboat was built of 6,5,3mm in 1978 and the hull is still sound.It depends how well a boat is looked after for durability.If it is taken out of the water and any rust pitting seen to and blacked regularly it will probably be good for many many years,but if neglected it could rust through in a short time.That's why a survey is advisable when buying a used boat. Transporting a 40ft narrowboat by road is a job for a specialist haulier. Fitting your Normans engine in a narrowboat you buy,is in my humble view ,a pointless excercise.Will your Norman's engine need new engine bearers? Will the gearbox on the narrowboat be suitable? Will the prop be suitable? It sounds like a load of work and expense for for what? Buy a decent narrowboat with a decent engine and enjoy it. Your Norman will be a much more saleable proposition with it's low hours diesel engine rather than an outboard. I assume it has a z drive,so there will be additional work constructing an out board well in the transom or the fitting of metal structure to the transom to take an outboard.

Ah,right,didn't spot that. It would seem that the skipper of the cruiser didn't either.

Why isn't the sunken boat marked with buoys? With light reflected on the water,it would be difficult to spot.

Hm,need to be careful there lad. You can usually find projects that are ok inside but engine and electrics are dodgy.The hull may be corroded to a couple of mil within sinking. If the hull and mechanics are sound,and the interior is a disaster,then that is probably what you are looking for. However,be careful,because you will probably be swimming in shark infested waters! Especially in London!

You give your location as West London.Only been to that hell hole a couple of times but I suppose your first step before looking at boats is to decide where you are going to moor it and/or where you are going to cruise. Rumour has it that mooring in the London area is horrendously expensive!

But surely portholes look much more "nautical" and make it more difficult to break in.

The boat looks lovely,and a copper kettle too! When I bought mine it only came with an enamel kettle. If the hull and engine are as good as the interior and exterior,I am sure you will have many happy years with it. "Cor,who's that boat with that woman"

Thanks for that Alan. I trained as a teacher many years ago and forgot what was drummed into me at that time. "Don't assume that what is clear to you,is equally clear to everyone else".