dmr

Water going in is possibly less traumatic than diesel going out!! Looks a little bit like a Colecraft but hard to imagine them making a mistake like that....I believe they pressure test their tanks. ................Dave

But that photo doesn't show the dragon creature thingy on the side that is the most distinctive and memorable feature. We are spending the winter up here on the Rochdale, the canal between Littleborough and Hebden Bridge is truly wonderful (if you like locks) but we will head down to the K&A for a visit sometime next year. I am not sure that you could do this canal even if you moved the boat North. Getting up through Manchester is not pleasant and would be even worse in a wide boat. The approach from the Calder and Hebble end is better but I think the locks are short at 57 or 57 and a half, some of the shortest anywhere. There are a couple of widebeams up here but I suspect they are of the "house rather than boat" category that I mentioned.☺️ ................Dave

Maybe this instruction was an accidental carry-over from the instruction manual for a petrol engine compression tester?. I do also half remember that one or two diesel engines do have a throttle which is used to control emissions, however it would probably be ECU controlled rather than mechanically linked to any accelerator pedal, and not likely to be found on a narrowboat engine. ...............Dave

I can't remember, how long and wide is your lovely boat? would you get through a 57 foot lock? You really would fit in up in this part of the world. ..............Dave

In general fat narrowboats are built for living on, not for boating, so maximising the internal space is what its all about, in some cases this means a tiny front deck with the cabin turning in at the bow, narrow gunnels and zero tumblehome. Cant blame the builders, they are giving the customers the big square box that they want.. ...................Dave

Shotblasting and epoxy is quite an expensive process. Although I am unlikely to use a Nene service it would be really useful for others to know some details, so a public post rather than PM would be good. If I was going to use this service I would want to know....is it a drydock or a crane job:? is the work done indoors or outdoors? Is a particular brand of epoxy used or does the customer choose? Like other I feel that a description of available services would be very useful,currently boaters have to rely on adverts or word of mouth, neither of which is particularly reliable. .............Dave I thought you were on the K&A and Thames a few year ago? How on earth did you get to the Nene? or was it a lorry??? ............Dave

I call them "Josher Squashers" very common and not good looking, at least Hudson got the length and shape quite pleasing on his bow, even if the upsweap was possible a touch overdone. I used to think the Colecraft front was a bit too blunt but it is very practical giving a good gas bottle locker size, but a lot of people like the front of our boat and I can see its relationship to some old working boats. I find the Reeves front a bit odd. .............Dave

If you intend to keep the boat for any length of time then back to bare metal and epoxy is the way to go, but if its heavily rusted then getting back to bare metal will be a big job. ............Dave

But even with a demulsifier additive the tank needs sucking, the idea behind the demulsifier is to help the water to end up at the bottom of the tank. Additives are about a lot more than just diesel bug and water removal, modern diesel is of increasingly poor quality due to the addition of bio diesel, removal of sulphur, and also because the world is running out so needing to extract poorer quality stuff and refine a bigger percentage of what they get. Storing it for months in a boat fuel tank does not help either. .................Dave

There are loads and loads of fuel additives on the market and the difficult bit is deciding which ones are any good. I suspect that only a few people actually make them and so most are just purchased in bulk from these big chemical factories and rebranded. From what I read it appears that a few have chemistries which can actually create problems, but the big thing is that any water in the fuel can be a source of various problems and so emulsifiers are very risky. Demulsifiers that help the water to get removed by the filters are a better option. I am surprised that Fuelset is so popular with boaters as its an emulsifier and also suitable for petrol and diesel, a dedicated diesel additive makes much more sense. Dieselbug is only a small part of the problem, there are several non-bug mechanisms for forming solid lumps in the fuel. ..........Dave

Exactly as Ex Brummie says, filling our tank from 1/4 to full (1000 litre tank) does exactly the same, maybe 6 inches down at front and about 2.5 up at the back. I use the rudder visible above the waterline as a quick measurement of tank water level. ...............Dave

I think you should put clear tolerances on your drawings and get a written signed contract from the builder agreeing that the boat will be built exactly to the drawing, no money will be paid up front, and no money will be paid at all if there is any divergence from the drawings. You should also make it clear that you intend to take legal action if the job is not done to your satisfaction. Let us know how you get on 😁 ....................Dave

There are some very "odd bod" boatbuilderts on the cut, I expect they don't use CAD but they produce the very best boats and their names are held in high regard,almost worshipped. You could go and talk to them about your plans. We live in a world were the customer is king, or at least lead to believe he is king. The top odd bods have a waiting list and they choose their customers, the customer is most certainly not king. ...............Dave

Yes, that's exactly what Cox's do. They can completely rewind and rebuild the generator (and electronics). They suggest an overhaul every few years which includes new bearings, slip rings and brushes, and the grey paint whether or not you ask for it 😁. They also suggest a periodic revarnishing of the windings. I wonder if yours cooked due to varnish breakdown rather than over-work? ................Dave

Had a little walk round Hebden bridge yesterday, there are a few little craft workshops making all manner of things but not a CAD system in sight. We make some stuff here on the boat and although we both have a very long history with computers we don't use CAD. Not using CAD is a choice, not a sign of inability to use computers. I think the OP is really not going to enjoy the canals. People still paint boats with a paintbrush amongst many other things that show a total disrespect for modern methods. ..............Dave