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tosher

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Posts posted by tosher

  1. I bent our original prop of unknown parentage so replaced it with a Crowther and the difference in the thickness of material was considerable. The Crowther was much more robust and solid and was much heavier than the original. Crowthers repaired and balanced the bent prop and it looked just like brand new when they had finished and it cost £90. (17 x 12)

  2. Well chaps thanks again for your invaluable contribution, it seems I have being doing the calcs all wrong. I have been using the balance blade as a percentage of the rudder blade (and NOT the whole blade) to calculate the balance ratio. What a numpty! So starting again using the few measurements I have I calculate that my balance blade is about 23% of the whole blade and to reduce that to 20% I will need to add about 70 sq. ins. to the rudder blade and leave the balance blade as is it is now. If I square off the trailing edge of the rudder + add a 1.5 inch strip to the base of it that should do the trick and will also cover the point that Rose Narrowboats made about some prop wash missing the rudder. When the boat comes out of the water next month I will do some proper measuring, take some pics and post the results. Many thanks again for all your help. tosher.

  3. Thank you all for the helpfull suggestions and advice and having concidered them all I have decided to carry out the following mods. Cut 1 inch off the leading edge of the balance blade and weld on an extension to the trailing edge of the rudder blade to make it sguare, not angled forward as it is at present. This will reduce the balance ratio from 31% to 22%. If I find this has not reduced it enough I can easily grind some more off the balance blade at the next blacking. Below is a picture off my over balanced rudder at it's last blacking. I do have a little bit of tiller "wobble" at the moment and wondered how cutting 1 inch off the leading edge will affect this (reduce it I hope) as it will increase the distance from the prop to the balance blade from 11 to 12 inches??? P1020033_zpsaotxppdr.jpg

  4. I think the perceived proportion is 20% of flight plate in front of the rudder stock. The builders I work with do this, our boat ( 60' Norton Canes tug ) handles beautifully and steers well in reverse. I'd be inclined to reduce the flight plate rather than add extra to the rudder. Good luck!

     

    Dave

    Thanks for your comment Dave, I just thought that reducing from 33% to 20% might be a little ambitious for the first attempt.

  5. Having read all the threads on rudder balance I'm sure the rudder on my 57 foot boat is over balanced. If the tiller is released at canal cruising speed the rudder immediately swings fully over and the boat is in the bank in about 15 seconds and only 100% concentration will keep it on a straight course. Having done all the measurements I calculate the balance to be about 33% at present. In an effort to improve the steering I want to reduce the balance to approx 25% when out for blacking next month. This will involve either (1) cutting 1.5 inches off the leading edge of the balance blade or (2) adding 3.5 inches to the trailing edge of the rudder blade to give the required 25%. Could anyone advise which is the best option to take ?????? Thanks.

  6. Thanks for all the useful tips and advice given it is very helpful and duly noted.cheers.gif .

     

    Reading the posts regarding tidal waves, lack of moorings, river clogged up with weed, VHF radio, regulations and by laws I have changed my plans. I have decided to go over Niagra Falls in a barrel, much more simple and far cheaper. fatigue.gif

    • Greenie 1
  7. Veering slightly off topic, our 62' NB has and electric bow thruster. A BT certainly wasn't on our wish list when we were looking to buy a boat but as this boat we bought happened to have one we thought it may come in handy occasionally even though we've never used one previously.

     

    In the 6 months we've had the boat I've tried it a couple of times just to try it out and it hardly moves the bows. The surveyor told me the electic ones are useless and I now know what he meant. Has anybody else here had the same experience with electric ones? It's battery is taking up valuable storage space in the bow locker and I'm seriously thinking of taking it out.

     

    I would question the surveyors knowledge of such things. Correctly used and maintained they work fine.

  8. Thanks Steve (Eeyore) for the info on removing pulley to change alternator belts, it was exactly as you described. Job now done and new belts fitted. I was amazed how badly cracked and perished the old one was and still working, it looked as though it should have broken long ago. Many thanks again for your help. tosher.

  9. Just done a routine check around my engine and noticed that the smaller of the two alternator drive belts is disintegrating and needs changing asap. Looking into how to do the job - there is one narrow belt (the damaged one) for the small alternator and one wide belt (which is ok) for the large alternator. To remove the old damaged narrow belt and fit the new one it has to be passed over and behind the large outer pulley. There does not appear to be enough room between the back of the large pulley and the engine block for this to happen to allow the smaller belt to locate on the inner pulley. Does the larger pulley have to be removed for this to happen, if so how ??????????? I would be very grateful for any info on changing this belt from anyone who has done it before. Thanks.

  10. But Elecsol claim that their batteries can't sulphate!! QUOTE "No plate sulphation. Incredible but true!" Just read their brochure.

     

    http://www.elecsolba...e-brochure.html

     

    I'm sorry but I'm from Yorkshire and I say what I mean and it's time for Elecsol to say what they mean too and stop lying!

     

     

    I to am from Yorkshire and say what I mean - my Elecsol's are in their 7th year of service and have performed flawlessly. I've looked after them and they've looked after me.

  11. Hi all. Just wondering if it's a good idea to use "Redex" in a modern diesel engine. I have been told that modern fuels, especially supermarket fuels, have a high Biofuel content and this and can cause engine problems. Using the occasional dose of "Redex" can counteract this. Any of you engine experts know if there is any truth in this???

  12. I once had trouble with my bow thruster motor slowing down after a few seconds, the classic signs of a dying battery. I had it drop tested which showed it was fine but I didn't believe it so I bought a new battery. Guess what happened when I fitted the new battery -- just the same. The lesson that a drop test is a pretty good way of testing batteries cost me £80. :wacko:

  13. It's just possible that the problem is wear in the cup on the skeg, that the bottom of the stock sits in. Ours was very badly worn so that the bottom of the stock moved around as you pushed the tiller, until it had walked to the edge of the cup at which point it showed extra reistance and squeaked as it took up a new attitude.

     

    I agree. I had the same symptoms as you describe and that turned out to be the cup bearing on the skeg. I have a "Warstock" type top bearing which is different to yours but had the same clunking sound.

  14. Anyone been moored at Swanley Bridge Marina since it opened or since the very early days?

     

    Anyone remember the original manager (that they fell out with and sacked) and a certain arrangement regarding 3 months in advance, in advance?

     

    I can't find my original paperwork (why would I? It was many years ago).

     

     

    We moored there for two years in the early days and only remember "Liz" in the office. We paid our mooring fees 3 months in advance but that's about all I remember. Don't know if that helps you.

  15. Slightly off topic but----- As a boater and a fisherman I always slow down to tickover when passing fishermen and generally speaking most of them acknowledge me if they are alone. If they are in a match then it is very different. A few weeks ago I passed a match on the Shroppie and conducted a little survey. I slowed to tickover as usual and started counting how many were fishing the match. My wife and I looked and smiled at every single one of them and it was peg 33 before one responded. We counted 77 fishermen in total and only 12 acknowledged us, five with no more than a grunt but only 7 actually smiled and spoke, the rest totally blanked us. Suggestions please for what I should do when next I pass a fishing match.

  16. I recently lifted my boat for blacking and replacing anodes (old ones 75% worn). I also fitted a new Crowther prop, exactly the same size as the old one which is of unknown manufacture. When I returned to my marina berth and plugged into the shore power I noticed that the Aquafax galvanic isolator volt meter was registering a voltage. If I remove the shore lead no voltage is shown. With the lead unplugged I measured the voltage between the shore power socket earth pin and the boat plug earth pin and got 200mv. The GI voltage indicator always showed zero before I lifted out. No work at all was carried out to the boats wiring whilst ashore. What could be causing this and should I be worried?????

  17. Very interested in your problem because my boat does exactly the same but only when cold, rattling in forward gear at low speed but much less in reverse gear. After 30 minutes under load when warmed up it's all smooth. It's an Izusu 42/ PRM 150 and Python drive. All done 2300hrs. It started after about 1000hrs but has got worse since I fitted a new prop,the same size as the old one but more meaty (a Crowther). Similar symptoms similar problem?

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