Timleech

Gutless yes, but reliable unlike the awful Ford York diesel which replaced them Tim

They go back to the early sixties certainly, but how much further than that I don't know. Early diesel Transits had them, in the late sixties. Tim

Not at all, my post was just to note that fancy tiller pins aren't 'essential', nor are brass tillers Not in any way knocking those who have them. Tim

If you were able to step back a bit in time, I'm pretty sure you would find that fancy tiller pins, including the 'traditional' poker handles, were 'a bit of flash' for the working boaters and not the essential kit which they're seen as today. After all, they didn't use them to hang their lines A coach bolt would do the job just as well (without the nut). The same is certainly true of brass tiller bars, I remember them as being the exception rather than the rule in the last days of Narrow Boat carrying, certainly in the NW. Steel tube, with some multicoloured stripes if you were lucky/motivated to do it, was the norm. Tim

Yes it does mean you're not able to use the full 42hp, but don't let that worry you. If the prop is a bigger diameter than that recommended for 42hp, it will be to your advantage for starting, stopping, manoevring etc., also you may well find that general cruising is done at a more comfortable/relaxing rpm than with the smaller prop. If your test was done in shallow water, perhaps tied to the bank, you'll probably find max rpm will run a little higher with the boat moving freely in deep water such as a river. 32hp should be more than enough for a 57' nb in the real world anyway Some engine marinisers are wise to the nb situation and recommend a slightly oversize propellor. If in doubt, compare notes with other owners of similar hulls with the same engine & see what they have & how well it works. The main thing is, if it does the job for you don't lose any sleep over it. Tim

Zirconium is, I believe, better because it constantly breaks down to leave a sharp edge on the grit, whereas the ordinary brown discs just wear to a 'blunt' state. Or something. Tim

It looks as though we're talking about opposite ends of the boat Not obvious with the default typeface, but I wrote s t e m, you wrote s t e r n, I was thinking of s t e m fenders catching on cills or gate beams on the way up. There are, or used to be, one or two snags for the unwary on, for instance, the Wardle cut, where there was a length of railway iron across the face of the cill, just right for a fender to catch on when going uphill. I agree s t e r n fenders/tipcats should only be hung from above. Probably best for s t e m fenders, too! Tim

A stem fender should really be hung via weak links, traditionally a couple of strands of cotton rope, so that if it does catch on the way up the link will break and no serious damage done. This is even more important with a wooden boat Tim

Look at http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/images/B...d_and_Wales.pdf for a start Tim

The locker doesn't have to hold gas *under pressure*, it just has to ensure that any leakage falls out through the drain. As I see it there should be no problem drilling holes in it, so long as you fill them up again (with approved material). Tim

Quite possibly, I believe they arrived during Saturday. (I wasn't there myself) Tim

I wasn't saying 'don't do it', just that it might not be as simple as your little list implied Also the 'contingency plan' might just be a ball of greasy rag to stuff in the hole. Someone who isn't used to that sort of work could easily panic at the sight of water rushing into their boat, it helps to have a 'plan B' if you're not used to improvising in a hurry. Be aware if you do lose the key (the keyWAY is the slot it goes into), that they are not all created equal. Yes, a lot of them are just square section stock, but sometimes the keyway in the prop (usually, though sometimes the shaft) isn't quite deep enough & a new key would need to be filed down to fit (I had to do one on Friday for a new prop, it's not that unusual). If the prop sits on top of the key, instead of on the taper, it will work loose, & I've seen propellor bosses cracked where they have been tightened hard onto a tight key. If you are determined to take the prop off under water, slacken off the nut without removing it (always a good plan), then when the prop is loose on the taper, turn the shaft until you can feel the key/keyway at the top. Then remove nut & prop without turning shaft, & you should then be able to carefully remove the key with mole grips or whatever. Tim

I'd be a bit concerned if removing the prop under water was a simple matter. It's mounted on a taper, for good reason, and it should need significant force to remove it. Also reassembling it under water and ensuring it is tight, with the split pin properly fitted (often involves drilling a fresh hole) would be a bit iffy. You would also want a contingency plan in case the plastic bag became dislodged. Tim

Yes, usually screws in a long way, maybe 60mm or so. You might get away with screwing it most of the way out, & wrapping tape or other sealant on the exposed thread then retightening. These things usually start leaking because whoever assembled it compromised on getting both threads tight because the position of the supporting plate wasn't exactly right. The risk is that whatever you do to seal it may only be temporary, and it will start leaking again sooner or later, unless you can make sure that both threads (the brass tube is threaded both ends) are tightened fully home. THis might involve drilling fresh holes in the support plate, or even cutting it out and rewelding it after the tube assembly has been tightened. Tim

More pics here. You should be able to make out that the knees were replaced like for like. As far as I remember (it *was* 29 years ago!) the Starboard side wasn't as bad at the stern, we didn't replace nearly as much, Maybe that has been replanked since then? Tim

No offence taken, it was said rather tongue in cheek No, not sure what you're referring to with the stern (or back end? Hotel boats don't have a 'back end'!). I'll try to post some pics of the stern when I've got time. No prob sending her the pics, I'll email you some higher res versions if you like. Cheers Tim

I used to be quite proud of some of the work I did 30 or so years ago, until I read that Pride is allegedly one of the seven vices, though Tim

Wasn't it the case that the GU abandoned plans to use wide beam craft after the widening scheme was completed, decided that pairs of Narrow Boats were much better suited to the (improved) canal, partly because of difficulties with wide craft passing one another?? Or has that been conveniently forgotten by those who wish to keep wide craft on the GU today? Tim

They eat other insects, I believe, and are quite useful. My wife is liable to die if she is stung, especially if out of easy reach of a hospital, but has made a bit of a study of them & has a sneaking admiration for something which she has to treat 'as if it were a venomous snake'. They're usually only a problem at the end of summer, when they tend to fly much lower and make a nuisance of themselves, but their usual behaviour patterns seem to have been a bit mixed up over the last year or three. Tim

Gardners, back in the 'sixties when Turbo diesels first became popular for waggons & Gardners wouldn't have anything to do with such things, issued dire warnings about the use of 'turbo' oils in their engines, presumably because of the bore glazing issue. I can think of no other good reason. Lister-Petter have offered their own branded oil for years because the standard offerings are too high a spec and their use can lead to bore glazing. There are special products marketed by some oil companies specifically to break down bore glazing (and I'm told that they work!). I don't think these things would happen if bore glazing were just a mischievous invention. There are other reasons for running with the engine in gear, as discussed here & elsewhere. Also very good reasons for not doing so. I don't know about any 'canteen culture', I work by myself most of the time & haven't been inside a canteen for about 30 years, & never one where such things might be discussed. As it happens I have been working on engines (and boats) for 35 years, and I've seen genuine bore glazing from time to time Tim

Yes, it's a characteristic of the design (mechanical servo clutches, I believe, like many Hurth boxes. Never seen inside one, though) M4.17/ Technodrive TMC60 Nice enough engine, but I wouldn't choose that gearbox for the job. Tim.

I think you'll find that most or all 'mechanical' boxes in our size range use splash lubrication. Nothing wrong with that if it's done properly, but it's a bit poor if it relies on the engine being in gear for the input shaft bearings to get any oil. Actually the size of alternator (including Travelpower) being frequently fitted now would make a sizeable dent in the power output of a 'properly sized' engine for a narrowboat. It's when you get into the 40+ hp commonly seen now that there's a big mismatch. Another way of dealing with the issue is having an engine driving a hydraulic pump, and hydraulic motor on both the alternator - which can be a 'proper' mains voltage job as big as the engine output - and on the prop shaft. Fairly expensive, though, compared with a mass-produced engine/gearbox/alternator combination. Tim

Oh yeah?? Vetus M4.17, 42 bhp @ 3000 rpm http://www.abcpm.co.uk/vetus/diesel/ Technodrive TMC60, as fitted to the Vetus M4.17 (that's what is on mine) 'Pleasure craft' rating 47 bhp @3000 rpm 'intermediate' rating 40 bhp @ 3000, 'continuous' 26 bhp @ 2300. http://www.technodrive.it/italy/invertitor...epl_TMC_60E.pdf Hardly 'overrated' in my book. Only just big enough, more like. Tim

Not neccessarily true. It would if the box were well designed. Parsons gearboxes, of pious & immortal memory, were splash lubricated. They had a big oil collector/thrower ring on the input shaft, this picked up oil from the bottom & threw it up to a crude gallery sort of thing under the lid, whence it ran down to the places where it was needed. Of the Technodrive, and what arrangements it has, I know nerthing. Tim

Lots of room for confusion here (apart from the talk of 'rods'). Are you talking about a 'cratch' for a pleasure boat, or for a former working boat? Strictly the term cratch, as originally used with working boats, referred to the whole (demountable) assembly including the canvas etc. Maybe you knew that & that's what you were asking for? If not, I don't think there's anything terribly technical or particular conventions to follow. BTW I have a hardwood glazed 'cratch' & top plank assembly from a 'Liverpool clone' to dispose of, not very old, it needs reglazing though. Tim