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KenK

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Everything posted by KenK

  1. KenK

    One side done.jpg

    From the album: Winter Rose

  2. KenK

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    From the album: Winter Rose

  3. KenK

    Boat Survey.jpg

    From the album: Winter Rose

  4. KenK

    Blank canvas.jpg

    From the album: Winter Rose

  5. This may be the stuff my front deck was painted with, I cleaned it with a power washer and all the paint lifted, fortunately nowhere else. One coating I've seen advertised is Protectakote (www.protectakote.co.uk) I've not tried it yet but asking around the marina a couple of people gave it a good recomendation. It should be good it's certainly not cheap. Ken
  6. First cruise 2007 Self, Better-half, Daughter and Daughters friend Thursday 5/4/07 Hi All, Weather for Easter looked great, BW assured me the K&A would be open down to the Thames so Thursday we packed up and headed for the boat. We’d cleaned her the weekend before and put everything we needed on board apart from food so why did it take three hours to get going. Anyway, left the marina at Greenham by 2.30 and set off. Reached Ham lock after a few minutes, boat coming up so sat and waited for them. Quick chat as we passed, dire warnings about strength of current, oh well. Just as we entered the lock chap arrived on a bike, would we mind waiting as they were on their way from Greenham lock, always happy to share as it is so much easier with two boats. Boat arrived steered with a bow thruster! The lady steering told me they intended to reach Oxford by Saturday afternoon so they were in a hurry. We ambled after them unfortunately there must have been someone ahead as every lock was against them, they had them set for us by the time we arrived, still every cloud as they say. We waved them goodbye at Woolhampton and moored up for the night. Down to the Row Barge pub for a well earned pint. It looks old world on the outside but inside it’s really a very modern restaurant, quite pricey but the food is good. We sat in the garden and watched the world go bye. It’s a good place if you’re feeling wicked, there is an automated swing bridge over the river and about a hundred yards further along the road a railway level crossing, time it right and you can open the swing bridge just after the barrier for the crossing lifts, the joys of motoring. Went back to the boat to eat and set up the TV for the girls, teenagers need their TV otherwise they won’t do the locks. Big thanks to Tony Brooks, tried his tip about using an extending pole from B&Q to mount the aerial, perfect picture on all five channels, no freeview yet. We had moored up above Woolhampton lock not a lot of space but a nice quiet mooring. Good Friday Woke bright and early at the crack of 9.00, quick breakfast and on the way by 10.00. Someone had come up earlier so the lock was set for us, sent the girls on to open the bridge, once you leave the lock you can’t stop until you’re through the bridge thanks to the very strong current entering from the right just at the lock exit, missed everything and pulled over to wait for the crew. There is a boat moored at the end of a garden on the left as you leave the lock it’s covered with old tyres hung down the sides. I don’t know how many times its’ been hit but they are clearly not taking chances. Crew onboard set off and ambled gently down to Aldermaston through the lock with another boat, they were stopping there to change crews, Ownerships I think he said, so the girls went to open the bridge. They were a little disappointed only managed to hold up 35 assorted vehicles, I pointed out it was a holiday, I didn’t realise they were keeping score. Stopped at the wharf for ice cream at the trust building and to use the facilities, why do I always get the crap job, if you’ll excuse the expression? On past Reading Marine quite a few hire boats being made ready. We stopped a little above Tyle Mill lock for lunch, lovely peaceful spot, so peaceful we decided we’d had enough and decided to stay the night; well you don’t want to rush things. Saturday Managed to rise a little earlier this morning after another good nights sleep, I think it’s the fresh air, my wife thinks it’s the drink, don’t know what she means. On after breakfast to the lock, lots of people about, evidently the Devises to Westminster canoe race was in progress and they were expected any minute. We stopped to use the BW facilities, just below the lock on the left, very nice even fresh flowers in the loo. Not long after setting off the first canoe appeared, the river is a little twisty at that point and a tree down in the water didn’t help, still we managed to miss him. From then on we had a steady stream catching us, not a problem until you reach a lock, they seemed to have some idea that the lock mooring was designed to allow them to leave the water to portage around the lock. It’s not so much the people in the canoes but the supporters at the lock, one gentleman tried to wave me off, I waved back, he went quite red or is it puce! I wouldn’t mind but once I’d dropped the crew I hovered the boat in the middle until I could go in the lock. Then they were complaining that the water coming out of the lock made it difficult to get back in the canoe, I was thinking of a new use for a boat hook but the dearly beloved told me to smile nicely and ignore him. I smiled and he nearly fell in the river, she’s clever my missus. Just before Sheffield lock the butty Betelgeuse, think that’s how you spell it, and her tug were moored nicely on the bend, the sluice is on the left so it was a bit tight, just as I swung the tiller a gentlemen in a canoe decided there was more than enough room between me and the sluice to pass, full emergency reverse and I just managed not to send him the white-water route. I reversed up to the tug for another go and the owner popped his head out of the engine room, he was having a problem with the engine cooling and apologised for mooring on the bend, I explained about the canoe. I’d seen him at Greenham island on Thursday, he told me he was taking the butty to the Grand Union were she is going to be used to move aggregates, nice to see the old girl being used. Spotted a canoe free moment and nipped into the lock some nice people watching the race had opened the gates. We carried on to Burghfield Bridge and stopped at the Cunning Man for a well earned lunch, Nicholson’s claims this is part of the Harvester chain but not so. It’s a great pub, good choice of beers, excellent food, friendly staff, good service and you can moor right outside. I did suggest staying the night but the ladies required some retail therapy at the Oracle, so we set off for Reading. The mill stream at Fobney lock had turned the exit into a no stopping zone so the crew walked down the towpath until I could pick them up. Probably makes more sense to drop the paddles and leave the gates open anyone coming up could motor straight in which would be a lot easier than trying to stop at the landing stage to drop the crew. Reached County lock but had to wait whilst two boats came up, there are some liveaboards moored just above the bridge, one boat sporting what can only be described as a mill wheel fixed over the side at the back of the boat being driven by the current. It seemed to be made from an old washing machine drum with bits of metal screwed to it, the shaft disappeared in a box, I assume to drive a generator of some kind, hydroelectric power narrow boat style, very eco friendly. I motored through the lock and we waited at the landing stage for the traffic light, whilst waiting we were joined by another two boats. Eventually the light turned green and off we set, the river runs quite fast and its twisty, there’s plenty of room under the new footbridges but High Bridge is another story, you need to turn early otherwise the current takes you into the left and anything on the roof gets knocked off. We heard later that the second boat following us had caught the bridge and lost his chimney, a bike and damaged the roof. It opens out after High Bridge and shortly you reach a junction, turn left and you can moor around the corner from the shops. We did so only to see another boat coming at us through the bridge, I’m getting good at emergency stops, fortunately the wall of water produced by the sharp reverse kept me off the office wall, the beloved looked impressed until she spotted the sheen of fear induced sweat on my brow. I don’t think the “I thought you knew what you were doing” was deserved, I never said that! They went shopping, I sipped a cold beer, good for the nerves I believe, and watched the world go by. The girls returned eventually, having purchased most of Reading, rather than moor overnight we headed for the Thames. Blake’s lock was lockkeeper free but it’s easy to use, then down through the last bit past the gasometers onto the Thames, we did a sharp left and moored up outside Tesco. This is one store where the wheel locks on the trolleys are fitted and they do seem to work. A quick trip to replenish supplies, then back to the boat and settle down for the evening, nice meal, telly working, everybody happy. Easter Sunday Another lazy start, well its Sunday. Wandered around to the petrol station to pick up a paper whilst the dearly beloved cooked breakfast. When I returned a gentleman from the EA was checking the licence, nice chap, offered him breakfast, but he didn’t have time. Set off up river after breakfast, through Caversham Lock, girls exchanged high fives when they realised they didn’t have to do anything except hang on to a rope. We stopped at Bridge Boats on Fry’s Island to fill up with water and empty the cassette, no charge for that but I did buy another mooring pin as we seem to have lost one. Glorious day, not a cloud in the sky and lovely and warm, boating at its best. So why was the river empty, lots of boats moored up but hardly anything moving, still their loss. We motored on up the river admiring the views, Reading looks nicer from the river, I suppose because all the houses seem to be worth millions. Reached Mapledurham Lock a little after 1.00 pm so I was expecting to do the lock ourselves but no it opened for us as we approached, motored in to find the EA chap I had spoken to that morning operating it, told you he was a nice man. He told me they were manning it over the lunch hour as it’s closed after 5.30 until the work is finished. All this talk of lunch started to make us all a bit peckish, we started to look for somewhere to moor, just after the lock according to Nicholson’s, but not for a narrow boat the bank is too high. Stopped a bit further along at Pangbourne Meadow behind a big plastic hire boat (Thames Cruiser). They were looking down on us; literally, the rear deck must have been ten foot higher than our roof. After lunch we motored on to Goring, thought we were out of luck as the mooring below the lock was full but a chap on a very nice Dutch barge invited us alongside. He told me they were heading up to Wallingford so we could have the mooring. It’s a small world turned out they used to have a narrow boat and kept it, as we do, at Greenham. They set off shortly afterwards as they wanted to make Cleeve Lock before the lock-keeper went home so we settled in. My wife used to live in Goring as a child so she went off to look up her old haunts with the girls. Good deal I managed to watch the end of the Grand Prix on the TV, that Hamilton kid is amazing. She came back later very excited she’d seen the perfect house for sale, only 1.1 million with its own 70 ft Thames mooring. There was a slight snag the house on the property needed knocking down and rebuilding, no wonder they say location, location, location. She calmed down after a glass or two of red; to help her feel better I cooked the tea. This being the first time we’d taken the boat on the Thames I canvassed opinions, the general view seemed to be it’s pretty and easy but boring compared to the canals, and this from teenagers who did the Tardebigge flight last summer. Easter Monday The girls were being collected by our friends today; they were going to Devon for the rest of the week. We left the boat moored up and investigated Goring, nice place, two good pubs and one expensive one. Shops are a bit limited but there is a Post office and a small supermarket. Checked the house prices in the local agent’s window, ok if you’ve won the lottery or work in the City with million pound bonuses. Our friends arrived at twelve nicely in time for lunch at the Catherine Wheel, girl’s choice. Turned out to be a very good one, good food and beer, if you’re into burgers the have the most extensive range I have ever seen. After lunch we went back on the boat to give our friends a quick trip before they set off. We turned round none of this winding stuff on the Thames, given the weather and the scenery they both began to see why their daughter liked it so much. We turned back after an hour but they both tried steering the boat, not much of a challenge on the Thames but when it is your first time it seems like it. They left for home and we decided as there were only two us we’d get through Cleeve lock whilst the lock keeper could do it for us. Not far after the lock we spotted what looked like good mooring on the left and pulled in for the night. It’s difficult on the Thames to decide if it’s ok to moor, lots of places have very obvious no mooring signs but many don’t whilst others charge a fee, the signs are often difficult to read from the boat. No one came to chase us away so we settled down for the night. Easier in some ways without the girls, only two to argue about which TV programme to watch, don’t know why I bother she always wins. Tuesday Still in very laid back mode we set off around 10.00 and headed up river towards Wallingford. The river is fairly wide, well compared to a canal, but also boring. There is not much to see and despite the still excellent weather very few boats about. We reached Wallingford around twelve and moored up on the left just above the bridge. The mooring is free until 4.00 pm then you have to leave or pay the fee to overnight. As it is next door to a noisy pub I suspect you could find yourself with problems at closing time on occasion. We wandered into town found a good Waitrose and stocked up on the supplies. This is one of those nice little towns ruined by traffic, it has a bye-pass so why they don’t create a traffic free zone I don’t know. We’d brought lunch so wandered back to the boat to eat. After a leisurely lunch we set off again towards Benson, just above the lock there are two boatyards with all facilities according to Nicholson, but how you use them escapes me the place was wall to wall plastic tubs (sorry Thames cruisers). No room to pull in that I could see, although the café was doing good business but I suspect the customers all arrived by road. We carried on passed Shillingford, where there is, if I am any judge, the best house on the river. We reached Day’s lock and the beloved spotted the facilities just as we motored bye. A quick reverse and we pulled up to the landing stage, its just around the bend on the left as your going up but you can’t see the sign until your past them. In addition to the sewage and rubbish disposal there are toilets and showers but these were locked and we didn’t have a key. Motored into the lock and the keeper told us they were for the campsite use only, ah well. Time was getting on so we decided to motor on and see if we could find a good mooring, Nicholson has some just above Clifton Hampden bridge, the ones on the left are permanent moorings and on the right occupied by a cabin cruiser with a very noisy parrot in a cage on its top deck. We kept going, just before Clifton lock the weir stream enters from the left, its navigable as far as the pub and there were supposed to be moorings so we gave it a try. The navigation was no problem, its as wide as the main river but when we arrived the only mooring was occupied by a narrow boat, might have been enough room for a small cruiser but that’s it. They started shouting at us as we arrived, I couldn’t hear a word over the engine but the missus was at the front, evidently they had tried winding three times and it was impossible due to the current. Certainly couldn’t do it there with them in the way so I carried on around the corner, just out of their sight there was a wide scour, deep and calm as a mill pond, turned the boat around in one and ambled back, I did enjoy the expression on their faces. We’d spotted a possible mooring below Clifton Hampden bridge so we motored back there was another boat there when we arrived so we moored up just beyond them. Enquiries revealed that they had stayed there before without problems. Settled down for a nice peaceful night. Wednesday We started back towards Goring, this was going to be our last full day on the boat as my Father in Law and his wife were coming on Thursday to borrow her for a week, I wish I was retired, unfortunately work beckoned. We cruised slowly back towards Goring intending to overnight as before just above Cleeve lock. The return journey was pretty much the reverse of the outward, stopped at Wallingford for lunch below the bridge just for change. We filled the water tank at Sheridan Marine at Moulsford; they charged a £1 for the use of the hose. We reached the mooring late afternoon and spent a couple of hours packing and tidying up, and then had a lazy bits and pieces meal. Chatting afterwards we agreed that although it had been a nice lazy break and one which we had enjoyed we preferred the canals. It might have been different if there had been more boats about but the few people we met who had done it in the summer said it was just busy and not always friendly. Certainly the facilities are harder to find and mooring could prove difficult especially if there was more activity. The boatyards we did use were helpful and friendly as were all the lock keepers we spoke to. Moored where we are we have to transit either the Thames or the Severn on our way to anywhere. The trip had been useful as we now have some experience of one end. Thursday Through Cleeve and Goring locks and moored up below the lock by 11.00, finished the final packing and cleaning. In laws turned up not long after we arrived and we swapped boat for car. We had lunch in the Catherine Wheel and then gave the in laws a quick reminder about the fixtures and fittings. We watched them through Goring lock and then set off for home both praying they wouldn’t sink her. I had arranged to meet them in a week’s time to take her back up the Kennet, by the time we crossed the bridge towards Streatley they had disappeared, an hour later we were home. Dearly beloved is off tomorrow to visit a friend for two days, but its ok she has left the list of jobs, deep joy, back to the real world! Ken
  7. Hi Moisha, Have a look at Gibbo's website www.smartgauge.co.uk. Loads of useful information written for non techies. Ken
  8. I have a soild oak floating floor on my narrowboat. It's laid directly on WPB plywood sheets without insulation. The boards are approx. 4 ins wide. Looks nice, doesn't creak but I'd agree with Blackrose it is cold underfoot. The other problem is it marks easily, so make sure any doors have a reasonable clearence. Ken
  9. Obvious! Don't buy an American car.
  10. Why are solar panels green? They are made using a semiconductor process which uses lots of power, dangerous chemicals, gasses, acids and alkalines. As it is a easy process, in semiconductor terms, the manufacturing is often carried out in countries that have cheap labour and which have few if any environmental controls for the disposal of the byeproducts. Hopefully over the life of the panel you might offset the pollution created in the manufacturing process but I would not bet on it. Oh and bye the way all the supermarket groups spend lots of money trying to be greener. Not because they care about the planet, although they might, but because if they can reduce the packaging and power consumption they can increse their profits. Ken
  11. Oh if only it were that simple not all canals have 72 foot locks. When single handing the best method, IMHO, is take your time, asses the situation and then use the safest method to move the boat through the lock. Remember the safety applies to you and anyone else around, when your singlehanding you get lots of offers of help not always from people who know what they are doing. Ken
  12. Hi Kris, No such thing as silly questions, silly answers are a different matter. In addition to the windlass, some locks generally in urban areas require a handcuff key, there are other names, which you need to use before you can use the windlass to raise / lower the paddles. Looks like a small T handle with a square hole in the end. Finally don't forget the BW Yale key which unlocks just about everything else. They are all available from your friendly chandler. Enjoy your boating. Ken
  13. I was not aware that scientists ever had a common consensus about anything but I like your theory. As coal was laid down by an entirely natural process millions of years ago, using your 100 year rule we have tens of thousands of years when we can burn it and be carbon neutral. Looks good to me or am I missing something. Oh I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy
  14. There does not seem to be any problem expanding the canal network. Lots of groups busy reclaiming long defunct canals and several schemes building canals where none existed. The Liverpool link and one has been proposed for Daventy. The problem seems to be who looks after the maintenance and how is that going to be funded. As far as I know only boaters and anglers pay directly, through their licences, the rest pay through the tax system. I can't see any other method working. BW do their bit promoting the canals via Waterscape and it is targeted at all users, but unless you have an interest already your not likely to use the website. The problem with using the canals to move water is the cost of setting up a structure, who is going to pay, in the end Joe public. Of course the time when the water is needed is the time we all want to go boating. I had enough of that last summer when some delightful farmer was extracting the last drop of water from the canal via a huge pump, wouldn't have been so bad but it was raining at the time. I was talking to a guy who works for W Berkshire, he told me the aquafiers are now still only 50% full after all the rain we have had. We need the same again to fill them. Evidently we only get approximately 8% of our water in the South from reservoirs so maybe the water companies should start building some big holes and let them fill up, after all you can go boating on them Ken
  15. I'd really like to know what people mean when they claim they are being green. Boats are no greener than houses and don't forget a lot, possibly most, boat owners have houses and cars. A few examples of the green lobbys bright ideas. In Germany a few years ago the Green party introduced a tax on beverage cans to encourage people to recycle. 25 Euro cents per can, however there were no recycling facilities available anywhere in Germany for either Aluminium or Tin cans. In fact Tin cans cannot be recycled effectively due to the nature of the material and the cost. The result the market in Germany for tinned beverages collasped and lots of people lost jobs. The Green party threw up its hands and claimed it was not their fault they were trying to save the planet. Windfarms, it costs more to make, install and connect one wind turbine in both monetary and environmental terms than even the best case projections give for the "green" energy produced over the projected 20 - 30 year life. A company we work with produce environmentally friendly paper bags and sell them to supermarkets to allow you to dispose of your organic waste in a "green" way. The bags are made from recycled paper which has to be imported from Spain as they can't find a supply in this country. So where is all our recycled paper going? To say nothing of the environmental cost of shipping the paper from Spain in trucks. Carl burning wood is not carbon neutral anymore than burning coal you still produce CO2 and various other toxins. Yes trees regrow but if you wait a few million years you get fresh coal seams. If you want to cut greenhouse gasses then you need to use nuclear energy but that of course brings its own problems. I think the idea which sums up the stupidity is that in some strange way we all have a right to a certain amount of pollution and if I don't use my share I can sell it to you so you can pollute a little or if your a rich person / nation a lot more and still feel good about yourself. Ken
  16. Given that coal contains more potential energy than an equivalent amount of wood you need to burn more wood to obtain the same amount of heat. In reality if you are burning any kind of fuel your producing CO2, so your not green but you are warm. To be honest I'm rather fed up with the green lobby, most of the proposals are rubbish and don't work in practice. Carbon footprint, I don't take the plane, it still flies, still chucks out the same amount of rubbish into the atmosphere, but my carbon footprint is less so I feel good about myself! And as for windfarms, yes I know I'm off topic but I enjoyed the rant. Ken
  17. I think most of the general public see all boaters as fairly affluent. I doubt that most of them make any distinction between inland waterways boats and gin palaces costing a million plus. If you don't use the canal system you probably don't see why your taxes should go to support it. I suspect the goverment is well aware of the general publics attitude the protests may change their minds but don't hold your breath. Ken
  18. Do you think the cuts will have a noticeable affect on the waterways from a general users point of view? I went to the last protest at Newbury and the impression I had was that the general public neither know or care about the cuts. The campaign gets lots of attention from the Waterways magazines and sometimes the local papers but I have seen little or nothing on national TV. If we put a few boats on low loaders and drove down the motorway at 3 mph AKA the lorry drivers protest that would get us noticed and probably locked up. Ken
  19. The main difference between the various models is the method of flushing. Some have a tank which you have to fill the others use an 12 V electric pump connected to the water supply. Ours is the latter version, works well. I agree with Purple Fairie get a spare cassette. Ken
  20. All the effort so far does not seem to have made any difference to DEFRA or the goverments attitude. Even the original reason for the grant cut, the EU fine, is no longer valid as the Treasury has given DEFRA £305 million to pay the expected fine. This goverment only listens to us when they want re-electing, after that they do what they want. Democracy! Ken
  21. On the Kennet at Newbury a few weeks ago on a nice sunny Sunday we decided to take the boat up to the diesel pump to fill up. Went up through Greenham lock without any problem, filled up, then decided to go through Newbury and turn above Newbury lock, needed full power to get through Newbury bridge to the lock. Went up ok but winding was a nightmare, two big blokes on the rear rope and full engine power and we only just went round. Back in the lock with another boat, when we opened the bottom gates the water from the side channels was creating white water. After you he said politely, out we went but the boat couldn't go as fast as the current even on full power hence no steering. We missed the bridge, just, and shot around the corner with the boat heeled over to slightly calmer water. Ok through Greenham lock, then the big mistake trying to U turn back into the mooring, normally we can just make it but not that day, we ended up jammed across the river. Its amazing how nice people are, after they stopped laughing. We had at least ten people hauling on the rope trying to pull the boat off, eventually with the help of a Spanish windlass and removing the rear button we got her round just as it was getting dark. I'm hoping for a few dry days before Easter so the flow slows down somewhat. Still forewarned is forearmed I bought a winch just in case. Ken
  22. This months copy of Waterways World has three versions of ratchet and extending windlass on page 104. One type is no longer available, just as well as it cost £150.00. I bought a couple of the extending type made by George Pope last year and they work very well. Open for the ground paddle and close for gates, plenty of leverage and no skinned knuckles. Ken
  23. That was I suspect an extreme example but it does give you some idea of the problems some boatbuilders have to put up with. I think if I was in the boatbuilding game I'd have a video of that running nonstop and sit every potential customer down in front of it before discussing their build. Ken
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