NBDensie
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Posts posted by NBDensie
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15 hours ago, IanD said:
Except that as far as I can see nobody has actually "highlighted a failure to deliver" compared to what other comparable institutions (similar size and portfolio) achieved over the same period.
Saying "they haven't delivered what was in the prospectus 10 years ago" is meaningless, because I think most people are aware that the financial assumptions made/projected when CART was set up were -- to say the least -- unrealistically optimistic.
The blame for this can be shared between a government keen to get the canals "off the books" and naive CART management who fell for their spiel and thought they could magically transform CART funding, in spite of having no real evidence that this was possible -- and as it turns out, it wasn't.
Having all these magic "commercial freedoms" to supposedly be able to close the funding gap sounds remarkably similar to another over-optimistic proposal dating back to 2016, that has also failed to deliver on what was promised -- because what was promised could never have been delivered in reality... 😞
And thinking that by borrowing money and investing it in property you could make money to fill a government funding gap is the same thing that has lead multiple local councils into disaster and bankruptcy, much more spectacularly than anything CART has done. Compared to this, making a 5% gross return on investment is pretty good, isn't it?
Did CRT borrow money to buy property? I think you will find CRT's property was simply transferred over from BW.
In any case the % return must have a wide range of error since it depends on the estimated capital value of the property which in some cases could be rather difficult to sell.
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Is there now any problem with mooring at Market Harborough outside the basin? I have a possibly false memory that space there had been restricted. Thanks for any recent info.
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Isuzu filters are readily available - last time I looked Midland Chandlers sell them and many of the boat yards do also, eg Anglo Welsh at Great Heywood and Gayton Marina. I have been told that Canaline provide Isuzu parts and servicing but have not used them myself.
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I had the same problem with my last BSS test. The taps had seized during the winter and unseizing them caused the leaks. The hob was no longer manufactured so parts were unavailable and it had to be replaced. There were no hobs from anywhere with an appropriately sized cut-out. The nearest was a zanussi which required finding someone capable of recutting our granite worktop in situ. The cutout just fitted in the space with about 5mm spare. Nightmare!!
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We are due to be inspecting our hull next month for the first time since 2-pack was applied, 5 years ago. It has been suggested that we black it with normal blacking over the 2-pack to provide extra protection. It would also be a cosmetic improvement since the 2-pack has faded to battleship grey.
Any views as to whether this is a good or bad idea?
Many thanks.
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42 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:
When I 'shot' an engine mount, I bought a set of soft mounts as advised by a Chandlers, and had no end of problems with them. Eventually, I discovered my original mounts were R & D mounts, so I phoned them up. They asked for details such as Engine, gearbox, drive coupling and boat length and specified new mounts, with the front different to the back. They were neither cheap nor horrendously expensive, but did the job wonderfully.
The lesson learnt is consult the experts and you get what you pay for.
I agree completely with the principle. Now all I need is an expert - any recommendations for one that covers the East Midlands? Cost is not a major issue. However implementation is beyond my experience.
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Given the number of things that could go wrong I would be very grateful for any recommendations for someone in the Rugby or Braunston areas who could sort it all out
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On 23/09/2021 at 21:01, zenataomm said:
Agreed.
It would be interesting if IWA then reverted to running a National Rally to attract boat owners to cruise the outreaches to save them.
A campaign instead of holding linear floating caravan get togethers to award prizes to the most green and red painted clone boat.
Seems the way forward to me.
IWA do hold a "Festival of Water" every year as a cut-down National. Locations have included include Pelsall on the Wyrley & Essington, Northampton, Saul, St Neots, the Erewash, Waltham and most recently Worcester The intention is to choose the outreaches. However feasiblity is limited by the need for a suitable space (eg council-owned park or common) to hold the event and sufficient moorings for up to 100 boats.
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Thanks all for your comments.....
To answer one point: I have greased the the stern gear with silicone grease through the grease point every 6months-year.
Based on your comments, my current thoughts on what to do next......
1) I need to get the boatyard to recheck that the new engine mounts are appropriate for my engine. Engine mounts specifically stated to be suitable for an Isuzu 35 are available and look like my old ones. The new mounts look different.
2) The engine alignment should be rechecked.
3) Whether a coupling is right for water lubricated stern gear ("cutlass bearing"?) and what sort is open to question. Since the boat worked perfectly well without any stern gear leaks for 10 years with no coupling I think I wont pursue it.
4) I am not clear whether incorrect mounts could cause the increased noise levels and the change in tone. I now find the boat unpleasant to drive so need to do something. Perhaps get the mount situation confirmed first.
5) No one has suggested getting the stern gear checked - perhaps the rubber shaft seals and the prop/bearings should be checked for wear? Hopefully this can be done withoiut taking the boat out of the water.
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Recently we have had problems with engine vibration and gearbox "rattle" on our Isuzu 35 powered narrowboat. The local boatyard found that the engine was mis-aligned and the mounts were in poor condition. These were replaced. This seems to have cured the vibration and rattling problems.
However, since then the engine has sounded louder and rougher. Previously in deep water and low revs it "purred" not much louder than a car engine. Walkers on the towpath had asked whether the boat was electric! I cant see that happening now.
Do new mounts take a while to bed-in or should I look elsewhere for a solution?
Note that we have Vetus water lubricated stern gear. When new it did not leak at all but for some years, prior to the vibration problems, it has leaked about a tablespoon (15ml) of water a day. Now it is leaking about 1litre/day, but only leaks when the prop is turning.. I was hoping that stopping the vibration would improve matters but it didnt. Any links to the vibration or is it probably simply a matter of replacing the rubber seals?
Any thoughts much appreciated.
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4 years ago Densie was blacked with 2-pack. Since then the colour has steadily got lighter and now the hull is a white/silver colour though it's black when wet. Is this normal? Is this a problem? The coating looks solid with no signs of rust and minimal rubbing. The only downside is that I have had comments to the effect that it looks like it isnt cared-for. Do people normally cover their 2-pack with regular blacking?
Many thanks for any thoughts/comments or suggestions.
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If it's just to keep the batteries topped up wouldn't a small solar panel with an appropriate controller be sufficient? That is what we used last winter when we could not get to the boat for about 4 months and it worked very well. Personally I would be nervous about keeping a boat powered from the mains unattended for a long period.
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Some hire boat companies use Isuzu 35s. I pick up filters for my Isuzu 35 when passing Anglo Welsh at Great Haywood or ABC at Gayton Marina.
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I bought a solar battery charger to keep the batteries going during the winter. The panel is wired into the controller which is wired to the battery terminals. To make setup and removal easier I would like to put an unpluggable connector on the cable between the panel and the charger. The right thing for the job seemed to be an Anderson connector which seems to be what caravanners use..
However I cannot see how to connect the cable to the terminals which in turn plug into the connector. They seem to be made of solid stainless steel or perhaps aluminium so there is no way they can be crimped to the cable. Any ideas? Can one buy terminals which can be crimped? Are there other connectors which will do the job?
MJany thanks.
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Our macerator loo was pretty scaled up. The saniflo recommended descaler - phosphoric acid (IIRC) worked very well. We had previously just been using vinegar but I dont think its sufficient in the long term.
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Another non-boat one....
In my childhood I was very interested in science. One cold evening in my bedroom kept warm by an old fashioned single bar 1kW electric fire I decided to check whether the element was magnetic........
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We have a manual change over valve switching between 2 bottles. It has been working fine for the past 14 years. Today there was no supply from bottle 2, but bottle 1 worked fine. As I knew bottle 2 wasn't empty. I swapped the gas lines around so that bottle 2 was connected to the bottle 1 side of the change over valve. It worked. However bottle 1 connected to the bottle 2 side did not. So something wrong with the valve.
Is there anything I can do other than getting someone with gas permissions to fix it? Is this a common problem?
Thanks
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Thanks Tony, that is very reassuring and with the caveat of over-high voltages there should not be a problem. From Cuthound's reply I dont see that as likely. I am hoping that higher quality AGMs will suit our useage pattern rather better than Midland Chandler's special offer wet batteries, and will require less frequent replacement, especially now that we are losing the strength and confidence to manhandle 25 kg boxes into a rather confined space. It seems worth trying them.
When out we run the engine every day and in the marina would hope to recharge perhaps once a month. However this year lock-down meant we were not allowed on site until July.
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I have not bought the AGMs yet and was hoping to resolve issues before being surprised by them. The boatyard suggested that it did not matter much, but some web pages disagree. Perhaps there are particular brands where it's a problem.
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I am planning to replace my knackered 3 year old domestic batteries with AGMs. I guess they are knackered from being left undercharged for 6 months during last winter and lock-down as we are careful not to allow them to allow them to drop to a low voltage in normal use . Mostly they are charged from a 120 Amp alternator but occasionally from a Victron invertor/charger. I am hoping that AGMs will suffer less whilst not in use.
Do I need to change the alternator or the Victron in any way? I am getting different stories. The Victron manual states that the charger default settings are OK for their own AGM batteries but doesnt comment on other brands. However some web pages give dire warnings.
Many thanks
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3 minutes ago, StationMaster said:
But the proposed revised wording doesn't state that it pretty much leaves CRT as judge and jury over whether it is allowed - not a great position to be in if CRT decide against you - either go to court or kow tow.
There are two different things I think. The first is what are the rules. The second is the process if the rules are broken. The proposed changes (and AFAIK the original) dont really cover the second.
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ISTM the proposals are very reasonable and should make the position regarding Continuous Moorers much clearer. Also the strengthening of the rules on boat safety are to be welcomed as are those on tracking the ownership of boats. OK there are a few sillies that should be cleared up - eg 70ft boats with butties cant travel on the canal system because they would not fit in a lock in that configuration. The one I picked up was that it seems you have to travel with side fenders down all the time.
1 hour ago, Jo_ said:I've been through it and was incensed at the first proposed amendment to the Ts&Cs. CRT are suggesting if you leave your home mooring you have to behave like a continuous cruiser - not popping out for the weekend down the canal and back! AND the next proposed amendment would presumably have every widebeams lifted out of Dunchurch Pools!!
I think you are misreading the proposal. As long as you return to your marina after your popping out its no problem - surely that ends your journey. What would be a problem would be if you travelled up and down the same stretch of canal every day outside your marina without going back home, which would be a very strange thingto do..
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From memory the manufacturer's recommendations for the PRM120 were changed a few years ago. When I bought my boat in 2006 engine oil was recommended and that is all I have ever used.. The gearbox oil is changed every 1000 hours and has always been completely clean.
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We normally moor at Westport Lake when travelling south and Etruria just on the Caldon when travelling north - it leaves the options open should there be any shortage of moorings. Never had any problems at either.
New Mifi with external aerial socket
in General Boating
Posted
The battery in my old Huawei 5577C is dying. 3rd party replacement batteries seem to get bad reviews so I would like to buy a new Mifi. The problem is that the data sheets dont generally say whether the units have an external aerial socket. My existing aerial cables,I believe, are SMA with a TS9 adaptor cable so can deal with both types.
Can anyone recommend a modern mid-range Mifi unit with external aerial sockets?
Thanks for any suggestions.