Machpoint005
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Posts posted by Machpoint005
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Groan.....look up corrosion in a decent textbook or on the web and you'll find that it is primarily an electro-chemical process! yes indeed rewriting the laws of chemistry/physics.
I thought it happened because the electrical fluid is insoluble in canal water...
Ian
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I was born with two spider catchers - I call them 'hands'.
Ian
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Can I use water from a de-humidifier to top up my batteries?
Depends how clean the condensate collection tank was to start with. Unless it was spotless, I'd say no.
Ian
(edired fro speelin)
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I think the real problem is one of discourtesy and lack of consideration, rather than incompetence. And, unfortunately, you can't teach that.
The voice of sanity! Dead right!
Ian
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Dont be mislead by the rail network, the rolling stock is maxed out and no spare wagons exist also the slots available were only at off peak times and unsocial hours because of passenger use on the network.
Exactly. That's why the money should be invested in rail infrastructure instead of dicking about with utterly unsuitable waterways.
Ian
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I don't insist, I just say 'darter' cos that's the way I say it. But I expect you'll be annoyed by me anyway
................................Not at all, Chris: my poor choice of words. It's just that when someone pronounces it darter, it seems as if my dayter is correcting them - which it isn't! Vive la difference.
Ian
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There are miserable grumpy git boat owners, there are idiots who hire boats (and some of them probably can't drive a car properly either).
There are cheerful, friendly, open boat owners, and there are hire boaters who are competent, or even expert. Takes all sorts.
In general, I find that canal users are more friendly and less reserved than Joe Public in the street. Perhaps that's because I'm oop north, but I also found it to be true on the GUC (admittedly, in April, not August).
Part of the pleasure, for me, is finding out which category folk fit into during the ten-second conversation when you pass a boat going the other way. If they want to carry on with a face like thump, that's their problem, not mine. If someone makes a mistake, then that's where anecdotes comes from, but there's no problem helping someone along the right track if it's done in the right spirit (the memsahib is the expert).
Ian
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Alde gas consumption is significant, but it won't be much different in cost to diesel when you have to pay road prices for it next year. I know you can still use red for heating, but there are practicalities involved which might not make it so easy.
A bottle of gas in a weekend? Well I suppose you would if you ran it fairly flat out,
The amount of fuel you use is going to depend on how hot you want the boat (obviously), but also on how well insulated the hull is. Admittedly you have to have a certain amount of ventilation (both low-level and high-level) but to keep the fabric of the boat warm in winter it has to be properly insulated.
An extra jumper is also cheaper than gas or diesel...
Ian
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The thing with agenda, data etc is that it's the plural that's become the English word - but it's a singular in English. (Peolpe who insist on treating data as a plural are just as irritating as people who say stadia).
Data can be regarded as plural if they [sic] are in a strictly scientific context, but other wise it's singular. The thing that annoys me is folk who insist on 'darter' instead of 'dayter'.
Missed this thread because I was doin' it in real life instead of in cyberspace, but I can't see the problem originally posted. It's not compulsory to read any post, or to respond. Thicker hides required.
I think it was Chris who suggested drafting a vitriolic response, then deleting it. I often do so. I might do it with this one...
Ian
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However desirable the idea (or undesirable, bearing in mind that most of the waterways network is de facto a leisure resource) I cannot help thinking that the environmentally friendly and economical solution would be to move freight over from the roads to the vastly under-used railways. The cargoes most suited to waterway transport - bulk cargoes that do not deteriorate with time - are also ideally suited to rail transport. Any of the arguments used for the expansion of canal transport can equally be applied to rail.
It's an appealing and romantic idea but common sense says the railways can do it much better. It was true in the latter half of the 19th century and it's still true. To mention but one practical reason: you can move an ISO container by rail (or road, of course) but not on a narrowboat.
Ian
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All would appear to be fine, until I noticed that the boat has ho internal door locks on the side and stern doors. I am a fairly adept handyman, I just need advice on what sort of internal locks / bolts that I need to fit to the side door (hinged hatch and centre opening doors, and to the stern door of a trad stern (sliding hatch and centre opening doors), without loosing too much of the opening distance of the sliding hatch.
Any advice on what to ask for and where to fit will be gratefully recieved!
Surprised that the side hatches lock outside - I'd have thought you would only ever want to open them from inside the boat. As for the other arrangements, it depends whether you habitually enter and leave the boat at the front or the back. Back is probably more conventional, so you only need the secure fixings on the inside of the front doors, and a big fat padlock to the rear. The difficulty is presumably that you need to lock the sliding hatch as well as the double doors.
We also have drawbolts on the inside of the rear doors, for some security when inside asleep, but since they open more or less onto the bed it's not really a problem. A mortise lock would be easier, I guess.
Hope this helps.
Ian
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I agree with Carl and Fuzzy, but there is a point beyond which a natural concern for one's fellow citizen turns into an unacceptable level of intrusion. I'd say, report a crime, but not licence evasion.
Curtain twitchers can be useful: I know that when we go away boating the next-door neighbour will be keeping an eye out... over-zealous, maybe but if I'm not there, I've no problem with it.
Ian
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I am probably wrong not being plumber but thought gravity fed system relied upon a header tank which is fitted higher than the rads. this header tank and heat from the boiler produces the flow of hot water to the rads and cool water back again. something to do with physics. i fink
Now waiting patiently to be shot down in flames and slink back off under the deck frames as im humbled by people with knowledge
No flames - header tank plus circulation pipework through the back boiler - convection drives the water around!
Ian
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Quoting the best bit here. This is from the Defra committee report:
"We were extremely surprised to discover that privatisation was one of the options being considered by BW’s ongoing strategic options review, and are disappointed we were not informed about this during our evidence sessions with BW. In our view,privatisation is not a serious option: the waterways network is a public asset providing wide benefits to society and some Government funding will always be necessary. It should be ruled out by Government. "(My emphasis). Thank you, ladies and gents.
Ian
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Hi, In 2003 I was on the Leeds Liverpool and just mooring for the night in Blackburn. Went into reverse and the engine ground to a halt. Never done this before. Started engine and went into forward and the engine stopped once again.
Went down the weed hatch and found this ASDA banner........ 15 ft long and 2 foot wide. I felt like returning it to Asda but they were some way back. Regards Patrick.
Write to them and demand a ransom, or you'll hand it over to Sainsburys.
Ian
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There are almost constant enquiries about condensation on this forum, in certain conditions it can occur almost anywhere, windows, storage areas and even cabin lining. The answer is always the same, get the correct amount of heating with ample ventilation and it will be curred.
My portholes (one each side) have carpet strip linings around the cylindrical part. They're always bone dry, though, so either they keep the brass warm enough or I've got plenty of ventilation. Probably a bit of both (and I have a solid fuel stove!).
Ian
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HMCE test for fuel fraud by taking a sample of fuel - they don't just look in the tank.
Every time you fill with non dyed diesel the concentrations of red dye will deminish, so it ain't rocket science to see if red diesel has been used recently.
OK, you can say that the fuel has been there since November 2008, but that excuse will become harder and harder to be believed.
Anyone who has had their vehicle siezed or dismantled at one of our ports of entry will know that these arn't the guys to mess with.
Fair comment, and seems to be based on real knowledge of the way things are. In other words, stay within the law and you're OK. Where have I seen that remark before?....
Ian
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...why can't the boat companies put a line on the tachometer, say at 1000 rpm or whatever equates to 2 mph on a normal canal, and tell the hirers to go at that speed past moored boats?
Slight problem with that: the engine speed is related to the speed over the water, but if the water's shallow the boat goes more slowly. This is because the prop is pumping water through the gap under the baseplate, or through the bridge 'ole, not necessarily moving the hull over the bed of the canal. When the water is deep the same engine revs give a considerably higher speed.
Good idea, but I'm afraid it wouldn't work because the calibration would clearly be so wrong for some of the time.
I suspect that's why there is no speedometer anyway: you would only get the relative speed of water and hull, not the true speed measured along the waterway.
Sorry - the laws of physics win again!
Ian
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I think that's a sweeping generalisation. They are not all a*!eholes, some of them are total pr*cks.
Chris
"All generalisations are dangerous, especially this one" (Churchill, I think?)
Ian.
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Ford in Germany did a very similar V4, I had one in a Saab 95, it was a good motor.
Tim
Thinking back, wasn't it also fitted in the Taunus??The Saab 96 (beetle) and 95 (station wagon) originally had a 3-cyl 2-stroke. When that was getting a bit long in the tooth in the late 60s, Saab looked around for a relatively unburstable off-the-shelf engine that would fit ahead of the front axle (longitudinally) like the 3-pot stroker. The Taunus 1500 was the answer, and it was fitted to all 96s/95s until production ended in the mid-1970s.
Yes, I used to have a real 95 too (not a 9-5 GM clone).
Ian
Edited to add: I think the reason for the enormous balance wheel was because the Ford firing order was different from the norm back in those days so both LH cylinders fired, then both RH cylinders - or perhaps it was because they fired alternately: anyway they were needed to balance it. The engine had a distinctive 'lumpy' sound, I remember.
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I agree, but the point I was trying to make - albeit clumsily - is the fact that although one may possess a large quantity of red diesel (stored off-site) bought before the tax increase, this is not an absolute guarantee, because of the possibility of retrospective legislation, that one would not still have to pay additional tax on red diesel not actually IN the boat's tank.
Chris
Yes, the point would be how much red (altogether) would constitute a 'reasonable amount'. A year's supply, including what's in the boat?
Ian
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I suggest you look at a "modern" diesel in a narrowboat... as if the boat engines most of us have are modern diesels.
At 1600 RPM the engine is starting to be very noisy and not something I'd want to sit on all day, this holds truw on most new boats I've been on...
I'd suggest 1200 rpm is normal cruising, 1400 is fast cruising anything below 900 is near as damn it idling with the clutch disengaging about 750.
I don't see any problems with my batteries charging and infact I don't see a significant increase in chrging voltage from 1200 to 2000 rpm...
As for overpropped I think it works just fine.....
but if you want to sit on a loud noisey diesel engine @ half full chat all day - be my guest.. One things for sure you'll be filling up a lot more often than I do ... check your fuel consumption chart from your engine manufacturer..
Looking at the beta website this is the reccomendations for my Beta 43 as fitted to my 58ft boat:
Beta 43- 43hp 2,800rpm max 1857cc 50 – 70’ boat 18 tons weight propsize (2:1 reduction) 18” x 12” - i.e. what I have fitted.
oh you'll also use twice the fuel I do as well.....
I will give you peak torque is @ 1600RPM ...
Simes.
I agree with you Simes. My boat (Isuzu 35 engine on a 50' boat) passes moored craft at just the right speed in the first notch (~800rpm) and cruises on normal stretches at a reasonable pace on 1000rpm. 1100rpm is about the max speed I would want to cruise as then the engine note gets louder and the peaceful chug chug effect is lost. I have a 17" diam x 11" pitch prop. Fuel consumption is about 1 litre/hour.My alternator (nominally 80 amps) will deliver over 50 amps with low batteries at 1100rpm (2200 rpm alternator speed) and about 35 amps at 800 rpm engine speed.
Chris
My engine is a Isuzu 55 with a 19" x 13" prop. On the S Grand Union I pass moored boats at between idling (800rpm) to a maximum of about 1000rpm. Partly this is because my boat is 12' wide and I've got to go slow anyway in case a boat comes the other way. On wide stretches of the Thames I don't slow down for moored boats.We're in the majority then...
Ian
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I guess Ian, that's not strictly always true. For example, legally owning a licenced handgun was fine until a few years ago when all handguns were banned. Although there was no offence at the time the handgun was bought, it was, and is, a very serious offence to own one after the legislation came in.
Chris
The offence is owning the gun after the cut-off date, there was no offence committed when buying it in the first place. There was, IIRC, an amnesty during which previously legally-held guns were handed in. I don't see the relevance to the present subject as no-one is suggesting it will be illegal to possess red diesel after the changes - whatever they may be - have been introduced.
Ian
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How about those inflatable lifting equipment used to lift beams?
Well Oasis too has been on the Nat news yesterday (on News 24 every hour)
Here's one such clip off the 11pm News
http://narrowboat.org.uk/2007/07/27/owners...aught-in-flood/
You would hope that the Beeb would know the difference between a narrowboat and a 'huge barge'. Apparently they don't.
Ian
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Miserable Canal Boat Owners
in Holidays Afloat
Posted
Well said, Julie. If it were not for the hire fleets, I beg to suggest that large sections of the network would have died off by now. The hire firms have some clout with BW, and you meet some fascinating people on hire boats.
To give just one small example, I've met people from the States, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Aus, NZ all on hire boats, and if it were not for the general friendliness of canal users I wouldn't have conversed with any of them. Long may it so continue.
Ian