mykaskin

I regularly run my JP2 in high compression. I tend to find on a good day the smoke clears on high compression, though if it gets a little too hot it will start whisping light blue smoke. I also starts to shake a little more than you'd expect which I assume is premature combustion due to the extra heat and compression in the engine. In most canal boats unless you drive it like you stole it, I would say unless you have a thermo-stat, don't run it in low. You can get away with low compression with a thermostat but it needs to be kept warm with some good use - not good in lock flights! Completely dry exhaust in all situations, so its a fault somewhere if you are getting oil in there. Make sure you burn away any oil getting into the cylinders with a good quality blast when ever you can: Cheers, Mike

Not that I am aware, probably hitting cills when fully loaded over the years. The energy has to go somewhere, mine has a similar bend.

Motoring (with the flow) but so is the ship in the background. The flat part is actually the front of the vessel, though they are designed to run both ways, with two sets of nav lights depending on direction. Here is a photo of them doing actual LASH work: GPS altitude is notoriously bad due to the way the visible satellites are placed. Yeah, that was a funny of the Youtube image stabilisation! Amongst a few other slightly odd bits. Im not impressed.

Last time I used this lock the answerphone was indeed in the lock hut. If you don't get a return call, then phone the CRT London office (or main help number) and they will sort someone out for the required time. Note that operational times are restricted at this time of year. If worst comes to worst, I'm sure the yard there wouldn't mind you mooring alongside one of the barges/boats moored near the lock, but I wouldn't set off without knowing you can get in. Mike

Hi Folks, It was recorded a few years ago now, 2006 to be precise, but I'm sure there will be some that will enjoy it. We were heading across the Humber Estuary, and had just left Hull's Old Harbour when a rope got trapped around the prop and rudder. Thankfully the river was busy, and we got rescued by a LASH tug, Shovette. It involved being towed against the 4 mph flow, as you can see, we weren't being towed slowly! Cheers, Mike

The pair are together on hard standing in East London not far from where they were originally built. They are still for sale AFAIK. Mike

I know, it's a bit old, but I've only recently uploaded the full video to YouTube (it was available elsewhere). It comes in two videos - a titles/trailer video, and the rest of the full length movie. The following is a link to the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8HwGbPmKqScKTi0VLoRTlTQ37OgeMwdR which includes both videos. Enjoy! Mike

Hi Folks, A video of a bit of fun at Alvecote: Enjoy, Mike

Yep, made it right to Langollen. The last bit was too shallow though, I think just having the horse boat running up and down it isn't blowing the muck out!

Boating at night is allowed by the regulations. If you don't like it get off the canals. Canals have a right of navigation originally by law. The clue is in the name!

Grills on paddles, another way CRT is eroding hertitage. You'll not see a view like this again:

This is a video of the empty return run from Whitwood Wharf after delivering 450 tonne of gravel of Fusedale along the Aire and Calder canal. It was filmed summer 2013. I could deliver some coal with this! lol Cheers, Mike

The odd line was to, a) follow the deep water where the pleasureboats and hireboats go, and I only just got through on the towpath side of the bridge 'ole so headed for that bit again! Will have to head up the Macc sometime loaded, been up unloaded, was amusing to say the least.

If you have the power and control, sometimes, single handed, its better to mooring stern facing upstream. It's hard work getting a boat with 1hp/ton to stop let alone reverse at 3-4 mph but it is possible as I've done it. Some rivers just aren't wide enough to turn in. Mike

What its like to own a historic boat, and load it well... In case you're wondering, I've find it better to go hell for leather into bridges, and get the silt and leaves really swilling around than take it slow and just come to grinding halt anyway!

Hi Folks, I've got another video for you guys, this time, part of the process of keeping a wooden narrowboat afloat: Enjoy, Mike

Jason Gallop starting the Bolinder on Spey:

If I want someone to pass the wrong side, I usually point at the other boat, and then with my hand in the direction of travel wave down the large expanse of water into which they should go!

I'll be in Brum this week, and going to Tipton and Park Head do's.

Never 'play' on rough water, you need to know what you're doing - even rivers need to be given respect or they will bite back. I won't be in London this winter, that is correct. Mike

Victoria does what she does best, splashing about in waves, and getting stuck on the bottom:

As the owner of a deep drafted working boat, that is being used commercially, and may weigh over 35 tonnes when fully loaded and draw 3'4" or more along the full 71' 6" length someone has to take control of the situation. When wanting to pass the wrong side I make a definite movement with the boat and indicate by waving my hand up and down along the side of the boat I wish the other boat to go. I've passed more boats on the wrong side because they were in the wrong place than because I wanted the outside of the corner ironically. There is at least one place where to pass a boat I need to be in the deep water in the middle of the canal as reeds have grown out from the bank and it's shallow and rocky on the towpath side, but there is plenty of depth for pleasure boats. The British Waterways Bye-Laws 1965: http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/foi/legal/BW_General_Canal_Bye-laws.pdf are still current (with later ammendments). No mention of 'Col-Regs' in the document, though the rules are similar, down to using horn signals on commercial waterways. My understanding of Blue Boards on the continent is that while downstream traffic has priority upstream traffic can choose which side to pass. This is usually because the upstream traffic is trying to avoid the flows and may want to come up the inside slow flowing part of a bend. I understand it would be normal to show the board continuously during this manoeuvre, but perhaps it's just shown when other vessels are about. It would be too much of a faff to do on a narrowboat! Mike

No problem with draft to Brigham, from there was 1m draft up to the lock as the weed was keeping the river levels up by over a foot. Normally very shallow. I didn't go any further do to problems with a Trout Farm intake. Currently only navigable to Wansford Bridge with large boats, but only with agreement with Driffield Navigation Trust. Dinghies can travel the whole length in water but can't be too big as to fit under the fixed bridge. I reversed back down to Fisholme (where the canal leaves the river), but you can wind at least a 50 foot boat below Snakeholme Lock. Silt allowing you can turn at least 62 feet boats at Wansford and Diffield - they didn't reverse the loaded Keels back down! There is a good 62 foot winding hole at Frodingham also. Cheers, Mike

I understand, but don't quote me, that Yarwoods was told off by FMC for using their design of fore-end for other carriers in later years. Hence the rather unusual shape of the Cowpar and Cowburn boats. I think ACC (by then owned by the GUCC) when ordering the new (Royalty) boats already had the different fore-end design specified in the plans, which was used for the rest of the fleet. Wooden boats also count planks, so I understand a 'Large Ricky' is a 6 planker as were the Royalty butties. Mike