Ian_L
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Posts posted by Ian_L
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Thanks....wasn't sure what they contained.
Luckily when I went with Fuzzy we didn't find any, but it's common at one of the locks in particular in Leicester to get Sariis (spelling grrr) etc. around the prop, as they are dropped in as offerings as well.
Thanks... but this has raised more questions. Offerings? To a God? On what basis? Which ethnic group or religion? We now have references Leicestershire as well, any other areas?
More please anyone.............
cheers
Ian
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Whilst chugging up and down the Paddington Arm of the GU yesterday I spotted lots of coconuts floating in the water. Not all in one place, but dotted around singularly for a few miles. My son, who commutes between Northolt and Paddington by NB every week says he sees them constantly.
Any clues anyone?
Cheers
Ian
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My last boat was ex-hire and was fine. I went out on Saturday for a pint of milk and surprised the wife by buying an ex-Black Prince ! Looks great and only 3 years old. Ex-hire are particularly great if you don't want the standard layout from rear bed to front sitting for 2 peeps. Ours is due to an expanding family and the desire to have enough beds for all of us.
A great deal appears to be the ex-BP 70 footers. They are fundamentally a floating bed centre but with some very simple removal of said beds you can pick one up for 52k
If as John says a 5 year old ex-hire is akin to a 30 year old private heaven only knows what Anglo-Welsh's current disposal list is like as most are at least 15-20 years old.
(Ok so the milk bit is a wee fib)
My last boat was ex-hire and was fine. I went out on Saturday for a pint of milk and surprised the wife by buying an ex-Black Prince ! Looks great and only 3 years old. Ex-hire are particularly great if you don't want the standard layout from rear bed to front sitting for 2 peeps. Ours is due to an expanding family and the desire to have enough beds for all of us.A great deal appears to be the ex-BP 70 footers. They are fundamentally a floating bed centre but with some very simple removal of said beds you can pick one up for 52k
If as John says a 5 year old ex-hire is akin to a 30 year old private heaven only knows what Anglo-Welsh's current disposal list is like as most are at least 15-20 years old.
(Ok so the milk bit is a wee fib)
£52? I wouldn't pay more than £40 for a 70 footer. Mine was advertised at £46. I offered 38 and got it for 37 after the survey. I bought this from Alvechurch who were acting as broker for a 2001 ex BP NB who was owned by one person since it was a BP boat. The previous owner had painted the outside and started to attempt a refit but failed miserably. It had most of the bedrooms ripped out but apart from that we spent about 10 k on:
New electrics: 3 kw inverter. extra cabling and wall sockets. Extra battery (stll needs another battery and upgraded alternater really but its manageable).
New appliances: Fridge-Freezer (240v), oven + hob, fitted kitchen units, washing/dryer machine (240v). lcd wall mounted TV and home cinema system.
Furniture: Three used 'Reception' type chairs (re-upolstered), Recovered and upholstered existing tatty fouton, two generous size used desks and drawer units (two students live on it now). New single mattress.
three used office chairs.
Various shelves and bits and bobs
Lots of paint for painting over the tatty melomime (spelling?)
Paint for walls.
Two new windows
New sealant to windows and rear cabin door
Tiling to the shower/wc/washroom and sink/cooker area of the kitchen
Stripping out existing kitchen unit and appliances.
Replaced sections of spongy flooring with marine ply.
New wooden floor boarding.
New light fittings throughout (halogen 10w thingies with chrome bezzels)
New Mattres and privacy curtain to double bed
New toilet/pan macerator (its a pumpout)
New Porta Potti back-up chemical loo with new wash basin.
New window blinds and chrome venetian blids with magnetic tie-backs.
Door handles lots of bits and bobs that add up the dosh.
That also includes license, survey, blacking, and labour for installing the inverter, a helmsman course and diesel engine mantenance course. Everything else was done by my wife and I. Incidentally, we are fortunate in that my wife is brilliant at tiling and sewing 8/10 for tiling and 10/10 for anything related to fabric and sewing. I rate myself about 7/10 at DIY but we got it done. My 19 yr old son is good with electrics so he re-wired the boat for the lighting. BP boats have a switch for each light whereas he re-wired it so the new lights are controled by light switches per room.
The boat is used as a liveaboard on shore-line power at weekends and in central London Mon-Fri. The only real problem is the washing machine drains the batteries very quickly so they only use it at weekends when in the marina on shore-line power. We plan to fit an upgraded alternator, a battery management system and possibly another one or two batteries. We'll see how it goes.
We are all totally new to boating of any description. I started looking at boats at the beginning of February and learning about narrowboats and canals, much of it on this brilliant forum. By the middle of June we had found a boat and bought it. By the middle of August, we were taking it down to Engineer's Wharf (a new mooring) in West London. A steep learning curve for the three of us but with focus, determination and plain hard graft... WE DID IT!!! My son and his friend pay me rent which is calculated to cover the moorings, insurance, license and a bit for maintenance. It's done him a world of good; the responsibility ( and a bucketful of cool kudos from his piers) is maturing him before my eyes, and we have acquired a holiday home, a base in London, common ground with my son, and a whole new interest. Love it!
Cheers
Ian
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Hi Colin.
Don't rule out ex hire boats but bear in mind they almost certainly will have done an awful lot of work, not just the engine, that is fairly easily put right, but everything.. When out of the water look for wear at the start of both swims (thats where people come in to moor).
Remember, a five year old hire boat (and hire firms can fib too) can be equivalent to a 30 year old private boat, the trouble is that other buyers will not quite believe that and offer silly money.
I bought an ex Black Prince 71'6" NB from Alvechurch in June. Cruised it to Bishopton on the Stratford
Upon Avon [narrow] canal. Spent two months re-fitting it then took it down to Engineer's Wharf in London [179 locks, 10 days] down the Grand Union [broad] without a problem. It was a bit tight in one or two locks, I had to keep an eye on the cill, but apart from that no problems. My student son and a fellow student now live on it and take it in and out of
London [Paddington Basin] every week. he has been round most of the London canals without any problem. It's not particularly bad to handle [no bow thrusters] they do really well and have coped with everything
that they have come across.
They have a large dining/tv lounge/kitchen, one fixed double bed room, wc/shower/washroom, large study/lounge
which has a double fouton in it, second wc, little washing room, 4 single
wardrobes and numerous cubby holes and shelves, a single bedroom and
study, plus a cruiser stern that seats six and a nice little bow deck.
The space is fantastic... certainly bigger and cheaper than a flat in
London and he's acquired a new hobby and is fast becoming a marine
engineer. All in all, a big boat has been great for us up to now!
In terms of the actual buying process from Alvechurch... they are crap (I don't care sue me!). But I strongly suspect that's boatyards generally. They only respond to pressure to get things done, and heavy pressure! Mr Nice Guy doesn't work. As long as you know that, and you know what you're in for that's fine. I don't know what their own boats are like.
Cheers
Ian
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We were planning on a 70ft tug for a liveaboard for two adults, two toddlers and three cats. We too started at 58' then went up to 65' then back to 62' and finally up to 70'. After many different layout designs we decided that we needed the extra space that 70' would give us.
This was the plan up until a week ago, and has now changed.
My missus still wasn't 100% comfortable with the amount of space with two toddlers so following a chat with the boat builder we are now going to have a......60' by 10' widebeam!
Was quite surprised that there isn't any real additional cost from the builder by swapping from 70' narrow to 60' wide.
I bought an ex Black Prince 71'6" NB from Alvechurch in June. Cruised it to Bishopton on the Stratford Upon Avon [narrow] canal. Spent two months re-fitting it then took it down to Engineer's Wharf in London [179 locks, 10 days] down the Grand Union [broad] without a problem. It was a bit tight in one or two locks, I had to keep an eye on the cill, but apart from that no problems. My student son and a fellow student now live on it and take it in and out of London [Paddington Basin] every week. he has been round most of the London canals without any problem. It's not particularly bad to handle [no bow thrusters] they do really well and have coped with everything that they have come across. and they have a large dining/tv lounge kitchen, one fixed double bed room, wc/shower/washroom, large study/lounge which has a double fouton in it, second wc, little washing room, 4 single wardrobes and numerous cubby holes and shelves, a single bedroom and study, plus a cruiser stern that seats six and a nice little bow deck. The space is fantastic... certainly bigger and cheaper than a flat in London and he's acquired a new hobby and is fast becoming a marine engineer. All in all, a big boat has been great for us up to now!
Cheers
Ian
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There's a tight bridge hole on the S Stratford too, just north of Wilmcote flight.....
In August, I took a 71' 6" NB from Bishopton on the Stratford Canal up to the GU at Lapworth and then down to Engineer's Wharf on the Paddington Arm of the GU. 179 Locks (took a comfortable 10 days) without a problem. Can't speak for any other canals at the moment.
cheers
Ian
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Oh, and can I ask please, why does it need to be unlocked? Could one buy one that is not, and purchase a SIM card from that company, or would that end up being much more expensive? So many questions, sorry. Regards, Brett
'3' www.three.co.uk have just launched a high-speed broadband truly mobile system. Three packages... £10, £15 and £25 per month including a free usb modem. Its currently available (I think) central London, Birmingham and Manchester with a role-out schedule for other areas. I've just ordered it. It looks the answer if you are on the canals in in these areas.
cheers
Ian
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The Eberspacher needs servicing, there's a couple of leaking windows, the fridge works only intermittently (so will be chucked) and the back step needs its drainage sorting out; but other than that, it's just the spongey floor at the back that needs gutting (and mushrooms harvested!). But that's a big job and we need to find someone who can do the carpentry.
Cosmetically there's lots to do, but that's what we wanted. We can make it our own bit by bit.
Similar to mine. I've just got a good deal on a BP and like yours there are areas with spongy floors. The compressed woodshavings they used were rubbish (to put it politely). If you are remotely handy (and I am probably about 5 out of 10) you can sort it yourself. I have just hacked the spongy sections out and patched in 3/4" marine ply blockboard and packed them to the right level with treated batons of wood. I will then cover in a rubber floating floor underlay and fit click-in floorboards. Not a difficult job... honest. Loads of grabfil, packing etc with everything treated with good quality varnishy type stuff and the jobs done! The leaking windows are easy to fix by clearing out the drainage channels and fitting new self-adhesive window seal and painting the frames with hammerite metal paint. Your back step has a drainage hole but no doubt, like mine, it will be gunged up.. easy to clean out
cheers
Ian
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I have just bought a 70 ft Black Prince Hire Boat built in 2001. It had one owner between me and BP and he ripped out all the berths and bulkheads, made an absolute mess of it and gave up. He paid 43k for it in 2005 and because he didn't put the work in (for what ever reason... there could be a host of personal reasons) he lost out to the tune of 6k when he sold it to me for 37k. Alvechurch were the brokers and I found the Marina Manager balanced and fair in his dealings with us. In fact, during the first week of gutting the boat he has been excellent with his advice, but very pushed to complete the work I wanted to pay his engineers to complete. The boat had a reasonable survey and its main problem has it has not been looked after for the last 2 years so there are one or two things on the services that need attendion as well as an internal refit. I am also upgrading the electrics. Incidentally, if anyone wants a very good surveyor, with a mind-numbingly attention to detail, then message me and I'll give you the details. The Marina Manager said he spent a full day on the survey, his fee was £455. Well worth it in my view.
Our plan is to drive it nearer home from Alvechurch to Stratford upon Avon this weekend, spend the next six weeks fitting it out and then drive it to its new moorings in London... an adventure for us as we are novices. We have spent four months researching though and we (my son and I) will have completed a helmsman's and diesel engine maintenance course. One tip re ex-hireboats from our surveyor: don't take any notice of the hours that the engine has supposed to have run. They don't mean a thing. The hire company engineers frequently whip an engine out on a mid-week morning and replace it with another workinging one rather than look to repair a fault on the boat. So your engine could have done twice or half as much... or any number you can think of. His view of Black Prince was that they generally look after their fleet and the hull on this boat is good and built from a good grade steel.
Now, one or two thoughts from you seasoned boaters if you could... my surveyor has measured the boat length (he says excluding fenders) at 71feet. My internet research has produced one 70ft narrow lock on the Stratford Canal, my chats with other boaters on the Stratford Canal has not produced any problems. Again the internet tells me there is a 70ft lock on the Leicester Stretch of the G.U. though as this appears to be a wide lock, I should be able to go in diagonally. I am concerned about hanging he stern on cills and the bow on lock gates. My helmsmans course has dealt with the theory of this but I am about to put this into practise soon so wish me well.
Cheers
Ian
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In your situation i would go for a inveter/charger combi unit, which works just like a computer/server UPS system if you familuar with that.
- With mains, it runs the 240 things of the main, and charges the batterys.
- Then when the mains drops, it seamlessly switches over to inverter mode. Till your batterys are flat...
- Many of them can also 'mix' the mains input, with the inveter output allowing you to draw peak currents the exceed your shorline rating.
Which also brings me to the point that no normal shorline will be more than 16amps, and most are fused at much less (8/6 even as little as 2/4amp)
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
The shoreline has a 32 amp supply. It's a new marina.
Ian
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You didnt put a link.
Or you could look in last months Canal boat and inland waterways and it shows you what to do. If you work out that your alternator can't charge your batteries in time then it opens a hole new can of worms like having a extra alternator wind/solar or a generator. If youre not careful the cost could mount up.
Terrific and very helpful response from everyone (I knew it would be!) Many thanks!
Cheers
Ian
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Hi Everyone,
If I could pick your brains once more it would be really helpful. I've learnt such a lot on this site... its brilliant.
I have just put an offer on a 2001 NB and things are currently looking good. However, I will have to re-jig the electrics and will probably pay a pro to do this job BUT... here is my situation:
The boat will be on a residential mooring with a 32 amps shoreline. The existing system is 12v with a 600w inverter and I want to upgrade this to a 240v/12v system with at least a 2.5kw pure sinewaive inverter. Ideally, I would like to run a domestic 240v fridge, separate 240v counter-top freezer, small size 240v washing machine plus all the other bits and bobs like laptops, TV, lighting, possible a cooker hood/extractor etc.
The boat will be used as a liveaboard most of the time but I need the option to up-spikes and chug away for a few days/weeks when the fancy takes me.
Questions:
do the 240v appliances run direct off the land line when I am in the marina.
will these appliances run off the inverter when I am cruising
will the diesel engine charge the batts?
Will the system switch over to inverter/12v batts automatically?
Is it possible to fit this system about 1K or am I being too optimistic?
Or to put it simply... how will this concept work? I know I am using a pro electrician but I need to be able to ask the right questions and not be bamboozled.
Cheers
Ian
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Hi Ian
some older boats were built with 6mm bottoms, so 8mm is not that 'bad', find a ruler and look at the difference 8mm to 10mm it ain't a lot.
You will of course be arranging an out of water survey and if it was built to 8mm and is still very close to 8mm then no worries, talk to your surveyor.
to change from bitumastic to 'epoxy' would require getting back to bare metal, not many boatyards will do it because of the mess.
I believe ten years for epoxy is probably optimistic but some one will know.
Good luck if it's the boat you want, still good luck if it's not there are plenty more out there.
cheers Bottle, thanks for your comment.
Ian
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I can't see what the problem is.
Presumably you mean the bottom plate is 8mm thick. That is true of probably 90% of the second-hand boats you'll find, and I can't see how it would have any stigma attached to it. It probably doesn't have any blacking attached to it either, it is normal only to black the sides.
Unless of course you mean that the sides are 8mm thick - which would be slightly thicker than normal and therefore a good thing.
If it's been blacked with ordinary bitumen, it's best to stay with that. The two different types don't go together very well (but there are others more expert than I on that topic who can advise you further)
Allan
Thanks for your input Allan and Dhuwenda.
The boat was built in 2001 and the quoted thicknesses are from the brokers spec so I assume they are the original thicknesses as there is no mention of a recent survey on the brokers details. I must have looked at dozens of boats now and this is the first I have come across that doesn't have a 10mm bottom plate. I would welcome any other views on having it epoxy coated though as doing that once, even though it is expensive, and then forgetting it for ten years really appeals to me.
Cheers
Ian
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Hi Everyone,
Not quite sure where to put this post but here goes:
I am currently looking to purchase a 2nd hand NB and have been researching things for nearly five months now [a lot of valuable info picked up on this site too!]. I looked at a good 70 footer last Sunday and it ticked all the boxes except the hull was 8mm thick. Does anyone have any views/opinions on this. I was wondering, for example if there is a 'stigma' which will cause me a problem when I come to re-sell in about four years time and if coating it with epoxy resin instead of normal blacking would help off-set this. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.
Best wishes
Ian
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Hi Ian,
I've just got a "web pod" from T-Mobile. It's £30 p/m on a 12-18 month contract, upto 1.8 Mbs in a good area and you can downlaod up to 3GB a month before being bumped up to a bigger tariff. It will work to some degree where ever there is any T-mobile coverage. I'm using it to post this in Shardlow and I'm getting 1.5 Mbs.
I would highly recommend it.
Mark
Thanks very much for that Mark. I'll take a look.
Cheers
Ian
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Hi,
To compound our problems, we are delighted that our daughter will be joining us for 3 days, the only snag is, she lives in London. Studying the maps (Grand Union and Railways), it would appear (to me at least) that our best option would be to meet up at Long Buckby Wharf, as it is fairly close to the railway station.
Please advise us if it is at all possible for a pair of boating novices to sail from Kate’s Boats - Nelson Lane to Long Buckby Wharf, sailing on Saturday and hopefully reach Long Buckby Wharf by Tuesday evening, or, are we being too ambitious?
Any advice will be gratefully received.
Rob and Heather.
A wonderful site here: http://www2.mihalis.net/canal/cgi-bin/index.cgi
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As I understand it; a Crusing mooring is a basic one with few facilities as you are only expected to be away from it more than you are at it as you'll be Crusing.
A permament/long-term (and to add residential) would have more facilities as you would be there more than you are moving and that they MAY also allow you to live-aboard, too.
I find these things so ambigous! Does that mean if you are away from a cruising berth 51% of the time you are complying with the regs.....?
I understand a residential mooring has planning permission, a postcode and the resident is liable for council tax and TV licence. It usually has full facilities like connected power, water, rubbish disposal, pumpout etc.
I understand a permanent/Long term mooring has no planning permission etc (you don't pay council tax/tv licence) but you have to drive to a water point, rubbish disposal, pumpout etc and you are allowed to live on board... but does anyone know if there is a time limit? I have even tried to get the answer from this one from BW and they waffled and waffled... so I guess you can stay there for ages. Anyone else got any thoughts or interpretations on this?
Cheers
Ian
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are you talking moorings or beds? on salty yachts cruising berths are berths that would be used when underway, often close to the helm position for quick response. They would normally be folded up and not used in harbour when you would want more space to spread out and relax.
Moorings. I'm currently looking through the brokers sites and often these terms are referred to as 'Possible cruising berth available by arrangement'. On the BW moorings sites there are 'permanent/long term' berths (moorings). But as yet, I have not been able to find a proper definition of the requirements that go with these titles.
Regards
Ian
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Hi Everyone,
can anyone recommend an internet service provider that provides broadband through wireless, wifi, radio-hotspot thingymajigs please?
Cheers
Ian
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You should always ask wherever possible. Make sure that the boats are well fendered. If you are forced to breast up and no-one is on the other boat, always leave someone aboard yours to explain when the other crew return. The departure of the inner boat is matter for common sense. Talk about which of you are likely to wish to leave first and perhaps move the boats when there are two crews available to do it. If you are on the inside and want to leave first, assuming the other crew are not around, make sure you tie their boat up securley before you leave. It is all just a matter of common sense and courtesy. i.e. don't tie a 70 footer on the outside of a 30ft boat.
Tony
Thanks. It does concern me a little that I could come back to my boat and find someone breasted up to me and me being on my own would find it difficult to get out if I needed to move on.
Ian
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Hi Everyone,
can anyone define what a cruising berth and a permanent/long term berth is please?
Cheers
Ian
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Hi Everyone,
Apologies if this has been asked several times but at least I have waded through the site and been unable to find it:
Breasting up. Whereby you tie up to another boat (makes me think of something else but.... won't go there) to moor for an indefinite period? Firstly, have I got the terminology right? Secondly, what's the etiquette here. Do you just chug up alongside and tie up, or do you knock and ask... what if there's no-one home? what happens if your neighbour wants to leave and you're in town shopping, or vice versa? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Ian
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These are the nearest thing to official contracts in the UK HERE
If you need them in Word document form let me know.
These are what are used in the industry and although there are no true legal requirements in the UK other than sale of goods act these contracts will stand up in court if you were to have problems.
That's brilliant Gary. Just the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thank you very much indeed!
Ian
Curtain poles
in Boat Equipment
Posted
I have little magnets sewn into the curtain hem at a strategic point and a tiny steel screw in the wooden windowframe and the curtain holds to the wall no problem. I use this method for venetian blinds as well.
Cheers
Ian