warlock

Hi Folks, Long time no visit but I know you'll be able to help. The pump that empties the shower out has gone wonky. Can I use a normal water pump or does it have to be special to deal with grey water? Personally I don't see why a normal fresh water pump can't be used but then I'm a bit daft. What do you think? Thanks, Warlock.

WEll I'm now not so sure about the swap factor anymore. This only came up while chatting to the guy on the phone about it. If it really is as bare on the inside that I think I'm gonna need a lot of bread to throw at it. I reckon I can get 2k more for my boat than he wants for his so having that in the bank will go a long way towards making it habitable. I think I'm gonna tell him he'll have to wait until I've sold mine or he'll have to throw a few quid in my pocket to sweeten the deal. It's taken me 3 years to get mine cosy and there wasn't anything wrong with it's interior! We shall see tho..somehow it will be mine!

Hang on a minute..I don't want to star in some kind of Diet Coke advert! I couldn't cope with a wooden boat, I can't cut straight!

Brilliant..I've got skinny girl arms and I need to 'butch up'.

Oh lordy!! A big job has broke out! (As we used to say on building sites) Right, you're on. Just a thought, as it's a 'real' boat rather than a luxury clonecraft will it make me more manly and attractive to the opposite sex?

Oh sweet lord!!! I assume you had a survey etc. What's the interior like? Is it a fixer-upper? And you're right about treating it as a sale..that's what I intend to do.

I dunno how lumpy water capable it is. It's just dawned on me that it's 80 years old!!! How worried should I be?

The bank manager need never know!

Obviously a GOOD look will be had, and more than a peruse over the last survey. I think all old boats are unfinished aren't they? I mean, Colin ain't that old but I've still got a list as long as my arm of jobs I'd like to do! But if it's just interior and cosmetic stuff then I'm with Carl, I need a boat to keep me out of the pub when I'm skint and shouldn't be there! I'll be honest, she ain't the prettiest but as a live-a-board she'd be great...when she's finished! But calm down Warlock..You've not seen her yet.

This is what I did...thanks for the advice folks.

Hello Folks, Subject to a few small things (ie can I make it liveable) I'm very tempted to do a boat swap. Mine is a quite nicely fitted out narrow boat. The swapper is a 1930s dutch barge that needs a lot of work doing on it by the sounds. It's also had a bit of over plating on the hull although I'm not sure how much. It's got an 18 month old survey and was recently blacked and new annodes. So my question is would you take it on? it's got no shoreline mains, bathroom and not much of a kitchen so I'm not holding up much hope for the rest of it. But what do you think the kind of problems would be with a boat of this age? It's an old but lovely boat and I've been told by the owner when it's finished it'll be worth twice what it is now. The way I see it is like this, as long as I can quickly find a corner of the boat and make it liveable and get the bathroom sorted asap I could live with the rest and slowly do it up but would the other FMs consider such a swap? Discuss...Cheers, Rob.

Hi All, I wonder if anyone can help. I've fitted a new stove, all sealed round the collar with rope and fire cement, all lovely. But where the flue goes up through the roof there's a bit of a gap, what do I seal that with? Will fire cement do or should I use fire mastic? Thanks in advance, Rob.

My neighbour has one and the local canoe club won't let him join!

D'OH!!!! I think I'll try and lay my hands on an angle grinder...I'm far too lazy for a hacksaw! Cheers Matt.

Hi Folks, I'm fitting a new stove but How do I remove the flue from the old one? Do I just smash it up? I'm not keen on that idea as it'll mess the place up. How can I do it cleanly? Cheers Warlock.

Hello All, I've not been here in yonks but thought I would pop over for a browse! This deal sounds exactly the same as mine, I put an ad in the for sale section saying I wanted a boat. Young Bramley PM'd me saying he had one..we went for a look and within a month it was a done deal. Only difference is I had to find a mooring but I was lucky and didn't have too much trouble even in London! I've spoke to Bram a few times since and just noticed I've got a PM from him so I'd better go and reply..good luck! Oh and by the way...chicks dig boats!

I use a Voda 3G dongle with my G4 mini. It's good, occasionally I'll have to disconnect and reconnect but I think it's pretty cool and I have it on very good authority that it's uber secure..more so than wireless.

My neighbour has got one..he's called graham too. They have a pedal arrangement inside then underneath what looks like 2 flippers. He loves it, I'll find out where he got it next time I see him. He wasn't allowed to join the local canoe club and use it tho'.

Ha ha ha..nah I don't think it was Col, he does list to the back a little but nothing to worry too much about. And you're right it would've shown in the survey. Good thing is, now I've got an inspection hatch. I only pumped him out on Friday and was left with about 2-3mm of water in the hull but when I put my hand in my new hatch this morning it's about 2 inches again so I investigated further and discovered the dripping stop cock so let's have it right, if he'd been dripping like that when I bought him I'd have drowned by now! I've said it to everyone, you were really honest about all of Cols interesting 'features'. Nothing (apart from this) that's happened has been a surprise..infact mate, a few of the windows you said may leak haven't..you were too honest! And the probs I'm having recently are only things wearing out through over use. 40k will buy you a whole load of boat mate..will you live on it? If you're down south we can take our boats cruising for chicks!

Turns out between a drip from the stop cock near the tank and a drip from the pump under the bed it had filled the hull with water. Yikes, pumped it out tho and getting a man in to swap the bits out. Nah not regreting it at all mate..loving it. What's your plan to get back on the water?

Well there's something not quite right about the alignment, as I look down from the tiller bar the rudder isn't quite lined up, it's kinda off set. But the rudder does look a bit bent. Can't comment on the shaft as I've not seen it. I did think if it was just seized then the penetrating oil would clean it up and it would run freely but not smoothly. But it's as stiff as anything. I did try and get the tiller off today but it's all held together by 1 allen bolt and I can't get it off. I'm not sire if it has a race of bearings as it's all enclosed in a metal housing. I'm gonna try my best with the grease gun tomorrow and if not I suppose he'll have to come out of the water for a proper inspection. Thanks again for your hekp chaps.

Cheers Ross, I'll look there. That's where it is, under the step in the bedroom near the back door. I'll check the hoses too..How's life mate ?

Right then, I've put a load of shock and release in it, nearly a full can and it's still uber stiff. Is it worth packing it out with grease anyway to see if it just dry?

Thanks Dennis, I only got the penetrating oil from Halfords, I'll get a grease gun in Kingston tomorrow I reckon..I hope I can fix it, my mate is coming for the 2008 maiden voyage all the way from Manchester..don't wanna let him down.

Funnily enough when the Beeb went from 405 B/W to 625 colour the threw up a plaque outside broadcasting house saying 'The worlds fist high definition pictures were broadcast from here on what/ever/date! I remember those at Manchester airport, they were great..Bet they'd be worth a fortune now!