agg221
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Posts posted by agg221
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4 minutes ago, cuthound said:
If they change departments or get promoted to a role where they can influence maintenance, they may then be in a position to influence things for the better.
The more CRT staff that can appreciate problems from a boaters perspective, then more likely those problems may be prioritised.
Exactly. I look at it like little grains of sand. Some will flow straight through but others will stick and gradually it will build something. The alternative is that the staff of CRT continues to have little connection with the waterways and that surely can't be a good thing?
Alec
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2 minutes ago, Goliath said:
Good news. And happy boating.
I can’t bring myself to call it Heartbreak Hill, although I understand why it’s called that. I really like that stretch and love doing it, single handed. So it’s no heartbreak to me 😃.
I like it because plenty of locks are close together which makes working them easy, setting the next lock in advance and so forth. The scenery is lovely and there’s some good places to overnight or stay a few days. Always plenty of water. The bits that are in working order work well. I do wish they’d fix the bust paddles. All in all a predictable pretty and relaxing flight are those Cheshire Locks. 😃I agree it's a pretty stretch. The problem comes when time is not on your side. I've done it twice, both on hireboats. The first was 25yrs ago on a Middlewich boat, taking it back at the end of a trip. The trip had started a day late as they had tried to swap the engine between hires and failed to finish on time. In the rush they forgot to adjust the braking band on the gearbox, which held out for most of the trip but eventually snapped (I should point out that until that happened we had no clue that there was an issue, we just knew we had lost a day of our trip and were on catch-up) and we had to get back from the Caldon to Middlewich with no reverse. It was a particularly bleak Easter too - grey and overcast with no sign of spring. The combination did not make for pleasant memories of that flight. We went through it this summer the other way and it was very attractive but we had a pre-booked passage through the Harecastle to make at 4pm and despite having pushed on the evening before to the limits of daylight and started early that day, we still only made it with 5mins to spare.
What was frustrating was the number of the paired locks where the second lock was not operational, even though everything was still there. It looked like when something broke they just wrapped a bit of red and white tape round it and left it.
Alec
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I suppose it's like a lot of other businesses - if you make widgets then the IT department or payroll or whatever may have no idea about those widgets - they don't need to on the face of it to do their job.
It looks like our purchase is about to complete, and for various reasons the best way from where it is to where it needs to be involves Heartbreak Hill, and I will probably be single-handing it through that bit. That would be a good place to take someone for a day out methinks...
Alec
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It is possible that we may have been instrumental in creating the thinking which led to the original scheme.
A friend who at the time was contracted to BW to generate its online maps was assigned to the marketing department. At the time, BW had a newly converted hybrid diesel/electric boat which was located somewhere up the Shropshire Union (near Adderley I think from memory). It was needed at an event in Stratford on Avon and then at an event in central Birmingham the following weekend. There was a big discussion in the office around the logistics of arranging cranes and lorries and where it could be dropped back in. When he asked 'why don't you move it by water?' my friend got the answer 'can you do that?'. It transpired that of all the people in the department he was the only one who had even been on a canal.
What then happened was that my wife and I turned up at the boat (called Waterscape) on Friday evening, meeting a few other friends at Market Drayton on the Saturday morning to sort car shuffles. We took it down to Gas Street on the Saturday, then on to Kingswood on the Sunday. My friend was then joined by others from the department on the Monday morning to take it down the southern Stratford so they got some sense of what going on a canal was like.
Obviously slightly different as it was technically their own boat, but the idea is sound. I would far rather that as many CRT employees as possible had an understanding of what it is that they are ultimately responsible for. They will all, at times, have decisions to make about what to prioritise (even the payroll administrator) and if that relates to their experience with boats it is more likely to be positive for the boating user.
Alec-
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Some very sound advice has been given. Assuming you go ahead, a couple of comments to add.
1. Have you considered where you want to moor? I suggest looking at a canal map, finding marinas in the area you are interested in and then looking at how far you can go from there with what sized boat. There are compromises to be made on size vs. range, but it sounds like you are less worried about travelling. The one point I would echo is to make sure that you can get your chosen sized boat from its mooring to a boatyard (and that you can also turn it round fairly easily).
2. If you are set on starting out with your own boat to your own design, have you considered having a conversion done rather than building from scratch? Try this for example: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liveaboard-barge-/185042584761?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0 (linked from the historic vessels for sale thread). Personally, I wouldn't overplate. I would gut it back to bare metal (not far from where it is anyway), have the hull repaired by letting in plates where needed and get the cabin windows changed to your preference at the same time, along with any other openings needed, and then have it gritblasted and epoxy coated inside and out. At that point, it is effectively as good as a new hull and better than many. Spray foam insulation and you are ready for the fit-out of your choice. The advantages something like this gives are that it swims better being designed for the job, the work needed can be undertaken by a much wider range of boatyards so it doesn't then have the long delay. You could get the work done on the Trent for example and then bring it across by road or water.
3. Final comment, building on what has been said above. On the principle of 'try before you buy' I would hire something for a month at Christmas. Boats are more available then so longer hiring periods at favourable prices is an option and it also gives you a sense of winter on the boat, rather than the idyllic summer days. I don't think it overly matters what you hire, or where. The point is to get a sense of the lifestyle and, by comparison, what you do/don't like about the boat you hire which can then inform your own design decisions.
Alec
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Yes, inch and a quarter is complete overkill, particularly when you consider that it only has a single pawl on the ratchet which I reckon would be the weak link in the system, I suspect it is simply a case of relatively early designs having not really sorted out the details at the time when they were made. Either that or the part I have got hold of comes off some giant ship's engine but the 2" bore suggests not.
While I have the current drive arrangement in place, I am planning to run the chain right down to the driveshaft where it passes through the box as I don't currently have the upper drive spindle. If the bits for the upper spindle turn up rapidly then I may change that plan. That does mean that I am not working to an as-designed distance, and my lower chainwheel will be the modified Gardner part so that won't have the original diameter either. As such, I could be the best part of a link out, but on half inch pitch that won't be much and the chain should stay engaged - as you say, it isn't going to be stressed very highly.
Alec
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2 hours ago, BEngo said:
My starting chain is 1/2 in pitch.
N
Cheers - the Gardner ratchet chainwheel has a 1-1/4" pitch so will definitely need the teeth re-cutting. A finer pitch is useful as even at a whole link out the chain may not be slack enough to need tensioning, which would save some work.
Alec
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2 hours ago, BEngo said:
There is no need to aim for the ability to wind the engine over by hand, at speed, if you are starting on petrol. Unlike a diesel, where speed means better compression and higher temps in the cylinder, a petrol engine will start easily just by being pushed over compression provided there is a good spark and a rich mixture. Hence the impulse drive to the magneto and the priming routine.
Tbe original arrangement has neither chain tensioners nor adjustment, except by adding thicker gaskets. The chain lengths and the casing dimensions are matched so that it all fits together as it needs to.
Disengagement of the starting chain is handled by centrifugal loading on the pawls on the upper spindle gear wheel and the starting handle also has a dog clutch to the upper starting chain wheel.
I could measure the pitch of the originalstarting chain, if that is helpful?
I would like to see some pictures as you progress, if you could please.
N
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Good point on not needing a high rotation speed - if I can avoid modifying the chain wheel it will definitely make life easier - if you are able to measure the chain pitch that would save waiting until I go back to the boat and poke around in the gearbox to see what I need to do. My thoughts over the chain tensioner are mainly because, unlike the original which was presumably designed around a particular measurement for chain length, I am somewhat stuck with how mine comes out which could be up to just under a link out and hence rather slack.
The Gardner unit works on the same principle with centripetal acceleration disengaging the pawl, and of course the upper spindle is still the same so still has the dog clutch intact.
Very happy to take pictures as this goes along. It might take a while as the boat and the lathe/mill will never be within 100 miles of one another, but I am determined to get this done!
Alec -
17 minutes ago, Horace42 said:
Alec. "...all you can think of..." blimey that's enough to keep me out of mischief or a while. I mentioned the 'project' aspect because I do not want any after-sales obligations or hassle and preferably nothing more than superficial cleaning, before I sell it, much along the lines you suggested.
The sales price will reflect this.
When viewing adverts, I would expect to see what you have described as something like 'older boat in need of TLC'. That doesn't generate any after-sales obligations if accompanied with 'sold as seen'. 'Project' seems to have become a euphemism for a wreck in need of a total refit. There aren't many 'projects' that show up over £30k.
Alec -
I'm not sure if these thoughts are helpful, but I am currently undertaking a private purchase of a boat, so coming at this from the other side if you decide to go that way.
People need to contact you to make enquiries or arrange a viewing. That means phone, text or email. All of these can be created cheaply on a disposable basis - a cheap pay as you go phone and then don't use it any more; a temporary email address created in minutes. The odds of them banging on the door are negligible, and you are moving anyway!
Documents give confidence. Ideally a purchase receipt (appreciating it may have vanished years ago in your case) in which case evidence of longstanding ownership such as datable photographs, paperwork from BW/CRT; evidence of the current licence and BSS, ie how long does it have to run; the most recent hull survey if you have had one.
If it looks clean and tidy, it indicates that it has probably been loved and cared for. Slightly faded and aged is a reflection of reality - a new owner may prefer to put their own stamp on the decor and if the price is a bit lower because it is a bit faded, it is easier to justify buying that boat. With the age of it, you are not trying to appeal to the buyer of a brand new shiny boat so a bit of fixing up is to be expected - it doesn't sound like it has deteriorated to the status of 'project' for which read needs totally gutting and re-fitting so I wouldn't describe it as that, just needing some TLC.
Taking photos after any cleaning/tidying/dusting gives a better impression! (you would be amazed how many take the photos first). There is no point hiding anything but equally it's worth taking photos of everything - bathroom, galley, bedroom(s) engine bay/room and a full length shot to give a general impression. As well as the photos, a layout plan really helps visualise what you are looking at, even if only hand sketched to approximate scale with dimensions.
A description with as many of the fittings listed as possible, ideally with approximate dates, is very useful. E.g. 12V Electrolux washing machine c.2020; central heating from a Webasto diesel heater installed 2015 etc. Also, any equipment which comes with the boat 'boat will come complete with all crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, mooring ropes, 3 windlasses' etc. This clarifies what you are actually getting which saves forgetting to ask and then turning up to your new boat to find you needed to bring mooring ropes and a windlass!
Apolloduck is a good place to gauge current prices - they may surprise you. Consider whether you want as much as possible or are pricing to sell quickly, and whether you are fixed and firm or are prepared to negotiate. If your pricing is fair, you can quite reasonably do the former but make that clear in your advert (I am buying at a fixed price, which was clear from the start which saves any false expectations/wasted journeys).
There is surprisingly little paperwork required, technically none. However a Bill of Sale can be useful for both parties, alongside a receipt for the money. You can find a template for a Bill of Sale freely available on a web search.
That's all I can think of!
Alec
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25 minutes ago, BEngo said:
I have now dug out the gearcase bush lining drawings. The Bush lining is 2.124 +/ - 0.001 in OD , 1.875 +/- 0.002 in ID and 4.375 in long.
The clutch shaft major diameter runs in the bush lining, which in turn is retained in the gearcase bush. The major diameter is therefore 1.873 in minus some clearance, plus nowt.
Referring to the picture in the parts list (which is the same for a model J or Model K though the sizes differ). The large diameter adjacent to the flange is the feature that runs in the gearcase bush. The next smaller diameter is to suit the (clutch) thrust bearing and the collar. The threaded portion matches the nut! The final portion is different sizes depending on whether it is a 2 or a 3/4 cylinder engine and this is the bit that goes into the split sleeve type coupling to the prop shaft.
The astern thrust bearing fits on the outside of the gearcase bush and is retained by the 2 1/4 BSP gearcase bush nut. The astern clutch and gear then fits on the OD of the astern thrust bearing.
Hope this helps.
N
Thanks for that - it's beginning to feel like you are dimensioning up most of the gearbox for me! The clutch shaft is slightly smaller than I had originally thought, but that doesn't matter as I will need to machine the parts a bit anyway.
In the meantime, the Gardner L starter parts have arrived in the post today and have a starting bore of 2". The chainwheel part has a bronze bush so it will be easy to turn this away and insert a new one to size. The ratchet part which clamps to the shaft is plain bored so a bush will be needed to take it down to size. Since it is not rotating it probably doesn't matter what I make that out of - a piece of steel tube is most likely to come to hand. The chainwheel is definitely wrong, and I think it would be better to get it as close as possible to the top wheel in size to achieve a 1:1 ratio on the starting handle to crankshaft, so I will probably end up turning it down and re-cutting the teeth when I know what the pitch needs to be. I suspect I will need a chain tensioner - I will probably use a flat spring like the Lister JP as it also provides a bit of friction to stop the chain inching round.
I am sort of planning for three phases/scenarios. The first phase is to fit this to whatever fixed shaft is currently in place; the second is to fit it to a proper clutch shaft, reinstating the bottom shaft of the box, which may or may not ever be necessary and the third phase is full reinstatement of the original box, which is not likely but would become necessary if there was an issue which prevented ongoing retention of the hydraulic box at some point, such as unavailability of parts (strangely, this is more likely to happen than the inability to keep the engine going!) It's the same line of thinking which leads to thoughts of installing a thermostart - I will generally start on petrol but the ability to get it going in the absence of a magneto and starter motor is appealing.
Alec -
4 minutes ago, BrandyMark said:
The diesel reservoirs on the thermstarts came with the engine so cannot help with like for like replacements, the proper name for these are "flip top oil cups" so maybe a search online will find some.
Regarding the need for one thermostart for each cylinder, the answer is NO, only one required. I have two because that's what the previous owner fitted.
Just a word of warning, if the thermostarts are allow to run dry, then they will just burn through the heating elements very quickly and they then are scrap - found out as part of my learning curve of Kelvin ownership! 24v thermostarts are not readily available so hard to replace (if anyone knows where they are available, then please let me know). 12v thermostarts were fitted to large numbers of agricultural machinery so can still be found so maybe worth designing a 12v electrical supply with suitable cabling to take the additional amps etc. Speaking of amps, Mtb, you maybe better off using a blowlamp because as we all know, any item with a heating element hammers the batteries and the K2 takes a lot of turning over so if your starting batteries are low then the extra load of the thermostarts may not leave enough umph to turn the K2. Having said that, the K2 will start within a revolution using the thermostarts so the batteries drain is normally not a concern if the batteries are fully charged.
Thank you for that. A search on flip top oil cups does produce exactly that component. Yours is a particularly neat installation, and of course it gives some extra brass to keep shiny!
Alec
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On 03/06/2021 at 22:00, BrandyMark said:
Agree with others, use 6mm copper and to make things easier, you could use compression fittings. (note: its not a "spill rail", its the air/petrol intake pipe and the pipework you are referring to is the diesel feed to the thermostarts). On my thermostarts, I just have a small reservoir on each unit which more than supplies enough diesel to get her started so maybe an option for you.
Those thermostart reservoirs are a very elegant solution. Can I ask, do you have a source for them?
Alec
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Yes - agree you shouldn't generally re-size oilite bushes. I would prefer not to but 2-1/8" does not seem to be available. I should of course use leaded bronze and cut oilways into it, but oilite is so much nicer to machine! In the end I think it will come down to how much pain I can withstand in the machining process.
Alec
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Just now, BEngo said:
I think 8 dia x 8 long will leave plenty of room, (provided your crankshaft has not been modified to be longer as part of the hydraulic drive fit.)
I am fairly sure the shaft through the bush is the largest part of the shaft apart from the flange at the clutch end. I will look at the bush drawing and my spare whitemetal bush this weekend to double check.
N
Thanks, that gives me everything I need I think. The crankshaft itself was not modified, although there will be some form of coupling on there to rigidly connect to the driveshaft for the pump, but that is an extension shaft anyway so can be changed if necessary.
In case you (or anyone else) is interested in what I am actually trying to do here - the position is that the removal of the gearbox internals means I do not have a hand start. The electric start works fine, but on a boat which is not used continuously it is very annoying to turn up to flat batteries and have to lug them a mile up a towpath to get them charged. It also has an elderly starter-motor, so again, although in good condition and recently overhauled, if it fails at some point it will not be a quick fix. Additionally, I find it very useful to be able to slowly turn an engine over by hand to listen for the creak of the injectors if there is a fuelling issue, adjust valves etc.
In the longer term, I will try to find/make all the bits to put the gearbox back together (have now downloaded the relevant drawings), even if they are not immediately fitted, as that gives me more options. In the meantime, I need a long-term interim solution. Looking at the ratchet and pawl hand start on engines such as a Lister JP2, they are a very simple configuration which would fit on the output shaft. They would require some parts made as they fit to the flywheel so a boss locked to the shaft is needed to replace this. However, it turns out that the Gardner L series hand start ratchet and chainwheel works on the same principle and is an independent unit that locks to the crankshaft, so the dimension questions were to establish whether it would fit. Handedness is not an issue, as there is enough length to allow it to be fitted to the shaft either way around, so long as I can slide it to the right position that the upper chainwheel (which is still in place) aligns vertically above it. I am not likely to be lucky enough that the Gardner chainwheel is a perfect fit (and it looks the wrong type anyway) but this is not a fast running item as it only turns when hand cranking. That gives me options of modifying the chainwheel on a mill (may be possible) or skimming it off completely and bolting the right pitch chainwheel on. Once done, all I need is a collar the other side to stop the ratchet from sliding down the shaft. There is no lateral force when starting so simple collars with locking bolts will do it. The Gardner L unit has a 2" bore, with an inserted bronze bearing. I will have to look at whether it can stand to lose 1/16 off the face and if not I will need to find some material to turn up to make it, but Bearing Boys have oilite bushes in 2" ID, 2-1/4" OD and 1/16" residual wall thickness would be plenty for this.
So that's the plan!
Alec -
1 minute ago, BEngo said:
The hole at the front of the gearbox lower casing is 8 3/4 diameter
The ahead clutch is 8 in OD
The hole at the top of the gearbox lower casing is 8 in x 8 in.
There is about 1/8 clearance between the outside of the astern clutch gear and the casing. The astern clutch gear just fits through the hole at the front of the box.
The engine ahead thrust bearing and housing occupies the small reduced diameter space at the front of the gearbox casing.
I would say that the largest item you could fit in the gearbox casing has to fit inside a cylinder 8 3/4 in OD and not more than 8 in long.
N
Thanks, that's perfect. If I'm reading you correctly, I can work comfortably within an envelope of 8" diameter x 8" long within the box along the axis of the shaft? That should give me plenty of room to do what I am trying to achieve.
I have found your drawings on Mike Skyner's site and they download fine. The shaft diameter through the gearcase bush is 2-1/8". Is that going to be the largest diameter on the shaft or is it stepped down where it goes through this (drawing in the K parts list suggested it might be)? I wondered whether the whitemetal bearing diameter may be larger, but that is not on Mike Skyner's site.
It all looks very promising at the moment.
Alec -
22 minutes ago, BEngo said:
As it 'appens mine is in bits. I will poke it wiv a tape tomorrow.
What do you mean by lower shaft diameter? The clutch outside diameter, the output shaft size (which was different for J2/3/4), or the size of the shaft in the back bearing which was the same for all cylinder numbers.
N
Thanks for that - would be most kind of you. Bear in mind I don't actually have these bits in my gearbox (various missing bits due to the previous conversion) so I am working from a K spares list for part names. If I'm reading it correctly, ahead is engaged by an inner cone fixed to the end of the crankshaft being engaged with an outer cone attached to the clutch shaft which passes through the box front to back, on the axis of the crankshaft (not worried about what happens further astern than that at this point). It's this clutch shaft I am interested in the diameter of, as opposed to the shaft which comes into play for reverse positioned vertically above it, referred to in the spares list as 'upper spindle'. The drawing of the K box parts suggests that the clutch shaft has a major diameter with a couple of features and then steps down at the stern end (for the back bearing?). It's the major diameter I am interested in.
Cheers
Alec
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6 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:
Crown Wharf?
A new one for me wrt Stone.
Mr Google tells me it is a Joules establishment. Another good reason for stopping there.
(Along with The Swan, The Royal Exchange and The Borehole. The McSpoons aint bad either)
I like Stone!
(Can you tell?)
ETA But I can give The Star a miss. Why drink Marstons beer when there is much better available just across the road and the bridge?)
Crown Wharf is indeed a Joules establishment. It is a new building but done well. A big, cavernous main room of the city centre pub type but with an outdoor deck to watch the boats go by and a few nice nooks and crannies if you want a quiet chat. It felt like somewhere which had been laid out by someone with a good understanding of what makes a decent pub (including the range of good beer!)
The Star was my wife's old local when she stayed with her grandparents, but it was shut on a Tuesday evening which was not encouraging. I hadn't been to Stone before (other than passing through on Middlewich Narrowboats boat at Easter in 1998), but I got a good first impression.
Alec
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Hello Everyone,
Although as per my introductory post I have been somewhat invisible for the past 20yrs due to other things taking priority, I have a longstanding interest in ice boats, particularly those of the BCN.
Twenty years ago, there were more people around who remembered the days of working boats, but very few of them had internet connections. Therefore I thought it was worth putting the question out there as to whether anyone can fill in any gaps. Below is a complete list taken from the BCN boat books (up to 1947) and various engineers' notes, with the additions from the 1952 list, plus the oral history I received either first-hand or from other people who undertook the same exercise before me. If anyone can add anything, or knows someone who might, even if they are not entirely sure of it, it would be useful in order to give something to follow up. Anything is of interest, from 'my uncle steered that' to 'I saw that one on the bank in 1985' if that extends the history.
Thanks
Alec
BCN Ice boats (alphabetical order):
Name Wood/Iron Build Date Cut Up Last Known Date Notes Antartic I c1830 1999 Converted Arctic W be1858 23/9/1887 Arctic W 1887 1947 Baffin W be 1858 1888 Baffin W 1887 1912 Baltic I c1840 2018 At Bath, full length cabin Bherring W be 1858 1888/9 Byrd W 01/01/1939 ? Empress I c1860 1970s Last seen being used as a mud hopper by the Coventry Canal Society Esquimaux (Oates) I c1855 2021 At Redhill Marina, converted Esquimaux W 10/11/1898 ? Fram W 01/09/1902 1947 Franklin W be 1858 be 1876 Glacier W be 1858 be 1876 Grant W c1863 22/1/1880 Iceberg W 1874 1939 Kamschatka W be 1858 be 1876 Labrador W be 1858 be 1876 Laplander I c1830 2014 Converted to steam McClintock W 1887 1947 Nansen W 6/11/1891 1940 Nares W 22/1/1880 1928 North Star W 1874 Sold 1904 2021 Returned to BCN as Samson by 1947 North Star II W 1904 2019 At BCLM as a land-based exhibit Pandora W 3/12/1880 06/12/1929 Parry W be 1858 6/1895 Parry II W 31/10/1895 2014 At Ellesmere Port, dilapidated Peary W 1910 2003 At Bates’ Boatyard, Puttenham Polaris W 6/3/1896 1938 Ross I 1847 2019 Deconverted at BCLM Scott W 01/01/1934 1998 Shackleton W 18/10/1934 1998 Speke W af 1858 c1888 Speke W 1/1884 1940 BCN post 1952 Atlantic 1999 Nansen II I 1998 Tardebigge ? Wilson W 1998 Worcester ? -
Hi,
Is there anyone with access to a J gearbox who could take some quick internal measurements? I need to know the diameter of the lower shaft. I also need to know the internal width of the gearbox case at this point, together with the centreline depth to the bottom of the case. Basically, I am trying to work out what the biggest diameter thing that will fit within the case on the output shaft is.
In the long-term I am looking out for the bits to reinstate the gearbox internals (currently just a straight through shaft as it's hydraulic drive), but for now I may have found a reasonably priced way to reinstate the hand start if the dimensions can accept it.
Thanks
Alec -
Further north, on the Four Counties a couple of weeks ago we went to the Shroppie Fly (booked ahead, everything was fine, drinks at the bar etc) and the Royal Oak in Gnosall as we were eating later than the two closer to the canal were still serving. They were quite happy to take a table of 9 at short notice (rang ahead) and the food was decent. We also went to the Crown Wharf in Stone, there were no restrictions and the beer was excellent.
Alec
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11 hours ago, stagedamager said:
Give us a shout if you need anything, my brother has a few Kelvin spares, including a few J bits I think, and has worked on that engine. She moored with us once the cabin was completed until May this year.
Thanks Dan, I'll drop you a PM when I have made enough posts for that to be unlocked.
Alec
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I'm sure a lot of it is perception of speed based on noise. This year we travelled with friends - us on a hireboat, them on their own boat. On the last morning their engine wouldn't start so we gave them a tow to the yard where we were returning the boat. Obviously more revs than usual and less speed. We had a lot of head popping out that morning to complain, as we went past at under 1mph... The counter to this was ~15 years ago when we moved BW's publicity boat Waterscape. We had a fairly tight schedule, so although we were well within sensible speeds the number of linear moorings on the route made it very difficult to get where it needed to be if we dropped below the 1mph that some people seemed to want. The boat was an early hybrid with an electric crossover which could be run with or without the engine. We found that if we switched off the engine and went past on battery only, nobody even noticed we were there at 2mph (measured by GPS).
Alec
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18 minutes ago, stagedamager said:
Congratulations on your imminent purchase. She is a lovely boat, she moored with us for a while at Langley Mill, if you need any help with the Kelvin, give us a shout, we have a Kelvin expert on site!
Best of luck!
Dan
Thanks Dan, I take it she was up with you fairly recently, after the rebuild? The owner mentioned that he had been up the Erewash. Very useful to know that there is a Kelvin expert available - they are lovely engines but I have spent more time on the phone over the past couple of weeks satisfying myself that there is enough expertise and are enough parts squirrelled away in stashes around the country to keep it going if needed than on any other aspect of the purchase!
Alec
Automatic float switch recommendations?
in New to Boating?
Posted
You don't have a wooden bottomed boat do you - your approach looks horribly familiar...!
Alec