frahkn

Richard Millican ran Orion but they stopped building boats more than 5 years ago. Richard went on to other things. Most of their longer boats (I think they only built 11 70' boats but many more shorter ones) were similar in the bow. They have a tug type deck but placed about a foot below the gunnel. Many (including Richards own) are somewhat eccentric in various ways, mine certainly is! Don't know much more detail but I'm sure there will be others along who do.

Big Tom is self-identifying as female so its probably her girth or her boat. Just saying, innit

The broker, our surveyor and as it later turned out, all sorts of odd folk knew of Orion and said their boats were good. I had never heard of them but loved the look of the boat and how it handled. I still love the boat despite some of the eccentricities which I have since discovered.

My Beta 43 has done just over 9000 hours. It is 15 years old, in the first 5 years it did 4000 of these, in the second 5 it did virtually no hours while in the last five years (i.e. during my ownership) it has done almost 5000. It is not showing its age yet - uses no oil or water, starts easily etc.

Welcome back. As an ex Honeystreet owner I was pleased to see her looking well in Leicester a few weeks ago.

Thanks for this. I have bitten the bullet and bought a replacement ignition barrel but won't fit it until the problem becomes permanent. I can keep it as a spare in the meantime. When fitting it I will do as you say with the multiplug. I don't normally need the pre-heat even in winter but wanted to explain that it was not a 'power at the key' situation and that the starter battery connection was good.

My problem is slightly different; I get the usual warning lights, alarm etc when I switch on. Also the glow plugs heat normally (you can see the starter battery voltage drop when the switch is in the 'heat' position) - it's just in the 'start' position that there is nothing.

Can anyone get me in touch with Richard "black hands' Milligan? Thanks to someone who recognised my boat at Crick I now understand that Richard built an Orion (for himself) which closely resembles mine and has the engine in the same position (albeit a different engine). I could benefit from speaking to him about resolving some access problems with mine. Thanks. Frank.

We called into the chandlers in Stone, there were 3 staff chatting at the counter, no customers at all. We wanted a Beta part and were happy foe them to order it or for me to order it giving their address for delivery. They were completely uninterested, seemed upset to have their chat disrupted.

I have not used Kurst but my experience with Vactan and Fertan are exactly the same as Alan's.

My boat is one of only 11 full length boats built by Orion. The rest, except one, don't have the unusual engine position as far as I know. But the firm's owner, I am told, built a boat for himself which does have the same engine position. It is not however a Beta and perhaps access is easier. As Orion are no more, then strictly the answer to your question is "no one now". A more interesting question might be " why did you buy a boat knowing the potential problems posed by the unusual engine position"? Alas the answer to that is too long for this time of the evening. Good idea, thanks Tony.

Thanks Tony, the identification will help me. My engine is hard against the left side of the boat and is partially covered by two (yes two) transverse bulkheads. This winter I have arranged to have the engine moved but at present the engine mountings are the least of my problems. The starter and to a lesser extent, the solenoid, just cannot be reached. Two mechanics have said that the cheapest solution, should the starter fail, would be to cut a hole in the side to replace it.

Tony, I don't know it's the switch but I certainly hope it is (or an intervening connection) because the solenoid and starter are completely inaccessible. I know it's like searching for your keys under the street light but that's the way it is. I have a multimeter but there are a lot of wires on the back of the switch, how do I identify the start terminal?

I'm revisiting this because there is now a little more information which may aid diagnosis (though it doesn't mean much to me). For the last 12 days the engine has started first time each morning. This morning it wouldn't - there was nothing when I turned the key from 'heat' to 'start'. When my wife returned from walking the dog I was getting the RCR details out. She tried the switch - started first time! There is some vertical movement of the ignition key but the switch is not slipping in the panel.

My 31" draft boat does not move moored boats very much at all. I have never been shouted at for speeding. Granted I am usually at tickover (about 800 revs for me) but I think the Orion hull has a better than average swim. Of course this could be more imaginary than real but I genuinely have not been shouted at in the 5 years that I have owned the boat.

I have a Beta 43 and I have never exceeded 1200 in forward gear (or so the dial says) and only reached that on rivers. The engine is in a 70' boat with a 23" prop. Maybe my tachograph is faulty?

Thanks very much, that's a big help. I received no notification and I wasn't aware that you could expand the web site entry. Sorry to anyone I confused!

Hunts lock and Wychnor lock are closed from 8 tomorrow morning until 6 pm on Tuesday. Although this is on CaRT's site, it has not appeared on my e-mails. Does anyone know more about this?

That is an important point, I dawdle along the canal (though I am happy to facilitate anyone faster to pass me) but I like to work locks efficiently with no wasted effort. Even when I'm not involved (perhaps have moored up for the day) I still get irrationally irritated by crews who are inefficient at locks. That said, often 'help' does not make me quicker in locks and I imagine Mayalld would say the same. Generally I accept help, mainly because it would be rude not to.

Thanks all, I'm a RCR member so I may leave the initial problem solving to them (should it re-occur) as I am not very confident with pulling things apart and putting them together again. In any event, I will report results.

For the last few weeks I have had an intermittent problem with my ignition switch. When I switch on everything is as usual (lights, warning buzzer etc) but when I turn from the "heating" position to "start", occasionally nothing happens. That is nothing at all - no clunks or other sounds. When I let the key return against the spring and then try again, all is well and the engine starts normally. This morning it would not start after repeated attempts but a few seconds later my wife started it with no difficulty. As I am certain that the battery is fine and there is no clunk sound, I wonder if the (15 year old) ignition barrel could be faulty. Is this likely and is there more which I could do to clarify the diagnosis? Thanks.

You are mostly being wrong. The second sentence is clearly an exclamation, not a question. He knows what he's done, it's in his first sentence.

They don't say, I'm going to ask them at Crick, I'll let you know what they say.

Thanks but I should have said a workshop manual. But I see (page 51) that Beta will supply a Kubota WM on request. So you have solved my problem. Very grateful.

The documents on the Beta web site do not include a 'service manual' or similar. Does anyone know a source (paid or free) of such a thing?