stort_mark

Thanks. I just sprayed coffee over my laptop.

In both 2009 and 2011, for the weekend of the BCN Marathon Challenge, a hand-written sign has appeared on Phoenix Street Bridge that reads "WARNING - BCN CHALLENGE. RIDGEACRE BRANCH NO LONGER NAVIGABLE. DO NOT PROCEED" We know this. There is a dual carriageway across the Wednesbury Old Canal preventing any access to the Ridgeacre. Pedantry aside, the Wednesbury Old Canal is navigable to that dual-carriageway. I know because I was on a boat that navigated to the end in 2009. I know other boats have done it before and since. If the WOC is polluted, BWB, then clear it up! It's part of what you are paid to do. It is unacceptable to simply leave the pollution for future generations to clean up. Some of the companies responsible for pumping all manner of sludge into the Cut are still there. One, in particular, has been there for a very, very long time. Some years ago, a lot of people spent a lot of time and effort to save a part of the (real) Ridgeacre Branch, only for it to be decapitated by the Black Country Spine Road. We should not allow the remaining half-mile access to be closed by default. And certainly not by the lien that it is "unnavigable". Isn't it time some kind of rally is held on the Wednesbury Old Canal, perhaps with trailable boats on both the stub of the Balls Hill Branch and the Ridgeacre Branch?

You can have our (Tawny Owl) skipper if you like. He shouts at us when we don't bow-haul hard enough and doesn't let us stop at pubs.

Apologies. Was confusing the tropical island in "Lost" with Walsall.

We are going to tweet the BCN Challenge using the name nbtawnyowl, so "Most Facile Tweet Award" (aka The Gyan Riggs Memorial Cup). We get a lot of stuff stuck round the prop (technical BCN term for this is, I understand "s**t"), so there should be a competition for the Weight of S**t. Best looking crew? Last time, we spent a lot of time just looking at things. We reckon we are the best at looking. Minutes Bow-hauled? Number of Polar Bears and Black Smoke Monsters Seen? All good competitions. We will wing them all.

The planner is awesome So who's this "younger crew"??

I believe this is the Oxford English Dictionary definition of "boat ownership"

Cap'n Mrs Richard.... was Odana the good looking chick on the slow boat?

Well technically, it's one of the adverts DURING the programme. Mrs Richard will confirm that.

Funnily enough, I thought that too. 1970s would be about the only era there wouldn't be a lot of activity here! Errrrr.... since when have you been Mrs?

A question for the historical statos.... Are there many of these boats in original form? (i.e. are they rare?) If so, is it worth getting together to buy them and keep them unrestored?

Yes.... aware of exactly where it is. The point is that to the right of the older buildings is the white tower block that surely wasn't there in 1934. Yes..... I reckon it could well be 1974 as well now.

Is this watercolour really from 1934 as claimed?? It shows Farmers Bridge but doesn't it also show that big white tower block in the background..... ....or is it just me? EBay clicky thing

Safety line on a yacht is typically for use when you are alone on deck in heavy seas. It can also help you stand upright in that situation. It's still a nightmare scenario if you go on because it is unbelievably difficult to get back on any boat from in the water. More important might well be what a given crew has as the MOB plan on a big river like the Trent or The Thames. Always need to act rather quickly if someone goes in.

Yes. Just replied too. Seems we have a "cunning plan". The torpedos are a cracking suggestions. And the ramming bar attached to the pointy bit. Seems that the main opposition is the cat who walks by himself again. We will fart in their general direction.

We have a plan?

We don't really mean "Best of luck" though. I offered to help move TO one way or the other..... all sorted now?

Thanks for the fantastic replies. Really good to see all these views. (Loved - in particular - the suggestion to get a BMC 1.8. Err "No".) I have had a few offers of Isuzus, and I know there are a few available below list price. Would the Beta 43 require a bigger skin-tank? Our boat is, we feel, a little heavier than the average trad 57' (It's a Shotbolt boat and a few people have suggested this) so I do have a sense that the 43 is better than the 38 as I do want to do rivers. But then a couple of people have said that the Beta 38 is fine for a 57'...even for rivers.

I am looking at replacing the BMC 1.5 in our 57' boat. The engine is rather unreliable, leaks more than the US dioplomatic service, is noisy, vibrates like a gravel-sorting machine and is just taking up huge amounts of time. At 33hp, it is also too small, I think, for the boat. We struggled on the Trent - not in a big way - but enough for us to be uncomfortable on rivers now. It is coupled to a PRM150 and an 18" prop. I'd like to keep the gearbox (if poss) but am thinking of one of these new Axiom props. I am just not sure what to go for next. As might be expected, I want to have my cake and eat it: priorities are quiet, vibration free, reliable, small size, twin alternator. Because I love my boat, lowest cost is not a priority - I'd rather pay more and get better quality. The boat is a bit on the heavy side and has a trad stern. I had been leaning towards a Beta 43 (actually I don't know why) but a couple of people have suggested that the Beta 38 is big enough. I might be a bit constrained with the skin tank size as the original was too small for the BMC, and so we had another added externally and I think the size is 9.5 sq ft. I know everyone has their own loves and hates, but what advice would you give? Beta? 38 or 43? Nanni? Soemone suggested a Lister. I would dearly love a vintage engine but the reality is I'm simply not mechanically minded. I need something that just works. Switch it on. Switch it off. For ever. If it helps, I tend to be a "slow cruiser", rarely going anywhere more than about 2.2mph. Mixture of choice and habit. So speed is not a problem. I'm ot one of those people who needs to hear the engine. I do envy those people whose boats purr. So.....your thoughts, rants, oinions, etc most welcome.

And I thought it was just the pubs. The cooking on the Owl was awesome so what's the offer?? I was the worst bowhauler on the crew. When someone fell in, my contibution was "Look on the bright side, the Cut's deeper now". I'm good with GPS though. (Good to see you keeping well though...long time, no see!)

Well Team Tawny Owl's not going to come in last then. You lot can't get past ANY pub without stopping for hours.

I need to get the boat back to home mooring at Lime Farm from Ansty. I tried last weekend to move her, but ice too thick. Anyone know if the thaw we had darn Sarf this afternoon was enough to melt the icebergs in Warwickshire? Anyone been through this stretch today?

Another advantage of owning your own boat is that you get to spend far more money on all the damn things that go wrong (multiply by factor of four is you have a BMC engine) or break. You get the additional feelgood factor from knowing that you are keeping substantial parts of the Midlands in a job and numerous factories open across Asia. With boatsharing, of course, you get good-looking women chasing after you though. Swings and roundabouts.

On the same theme, it's worth noting that Naseby battlefield is within walking distance of the end of the Welford Arm. The source of the Avon can also be found in Naseby Village. Lovely part of the world, as well. The Naseby Battlefield Project does an excellent audio tour that can be stuck on an mp3 player/iPod. Personally, I found it more satisfying to record the tour onto vinyl and travel around the battlefield with a gramophone player.

I agree with your last comment in particular. However, while a boat moored on the canal is a or your home, it may be impractical to expect the stability (for want of a better word) to be similar to a house. As someone has quite eloquently put it, one needs to really consider a caravan if ornaments and smashed crockery is truly a concern. How do these ornaments cope with the occasional rough and tumble of banging a lock gate? I would suggest that when moving 'home' onto the Cut, there needs to be an adaptation to live afloat. No-one would expect to have to have everything lashed down as if they were competing in the Fastnet, but the movement of water from passing boats must - to some extent - be part and parcel of living afloat. It does all come down to consideration. I am quite pleased to see that I am not in such a minority as I thought earlier. We tend to motor around quite slowly anyway, but I have got into trouble frequently with strong cross winds: my desire not to upset moored boaters has taken priority over pushing the throttle to combat the wind. In future, I think I will probably reverse that prioritisation!