LEO
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Posts posted by LEO
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Hi,
I had a boat with a pump like the one in the photo, it's a Jabsco unit, with 2 bearings and grease caps, I recall they were designed to drip periodically, over tightening the gland nut to over come this was ruled out in the instructions. I used to catch the drips in a small plastic bucket. It gave good service and was used to circulate raw water in a heat exchanger system on a 1.5 BMC, The pump was purchased from Cleghorn and Waring at Royston.
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Sorry Try this link.
seem to be distributed by Saltdays price of this one is £29, but in other adverts they are more expensive. came up on Facebook, will try to get a better link.
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Hi Team
There is a model engine on offer on the internet at the moment, various sizes, types and prices. Looks interesting and might be worth considering to save boredom, from Masks, social distancing, mistletoe and pudding ---anyone ordered one?........
Merry Christmas, one and all and all the best for 2022, any guesses as to what the next virus will be called?
I see A? or the Coast Guard face prosecution in Paris over possible neglect in the Chanel.......
Mike.
Sorry, forgot to do a link thingy, too busy trying to adjust glasses to protect eyes from that new interior colour 'London White' (err, sorry am I allowed to call it thus, I am a slave to accuracy).
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I am wondering if the World has gone 'topsey turvey' I bought my first boat back in 1988, without a survey for £9500, it went well and I kept her for 18 years. I replaced her in 2005 for another boat, again bought with out a survey.. it's still going ( well with a Gardner, what would you expect.) I spent a lifetime working with with 'peeps' buying and selling properties and few went into the depth of questions/surveys potential purchasers of boats go into now.............perhaps it's because 'peeps' can't but properties now.....perhaps we can discuss the rise in boat values as aligned to house values as demand for 'liveaboards' increases ans=d stimulates values.
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Hi,
Interesting post, I think the problem will be the fire will produce too much hot water and one radiator will be insufficient to off load it it - I run a Kabola OD4 and this runs for days quite happily, it produces hot water for the calorifier, One rad, and the large expansion tank acts a radiator in the engine room. All the water heats to about 80/85C, and the fire has a hot water, oil 'shut off' valve which operates at 90C, not sure if your Refleks has such as valve, so the water may just boil. It works mainly on a gravity circulation system, but has a pumped bypass circuit which operates automatically.
Sometimes the fire shuts down if the water gets too hot, this is running the fire on it's lowest setting and the circuit has swept bends.
Hope this helps
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These are good small stoves, as said you need a new thermo couple, it sounds as though the end which projects in the burner pot is damaged, this occurs when cleaning the interior of the burner pot is carried out in a clumsy manner.
Fuel Supply - the small copper pipe between the carb and burner pot becomes blocked. Removal and cleaning is needed.
Adjusting the fuel supply screws is a 'no no' unless you know what your are doing, as is over riding the fuel shut off valve.
I find the best way to overhaul mine is to remove it from the boat and take it to my workshop.
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Hi,
I was faced with the same problem on my boat, I have tried my hand at most things and took pleasure at trying scumbling, First read up about it, get a sheet of ply, decide upon colours, base coat it, and the paint the scumble, use the combs. use the flogging brushes leave it to dry, results poor, keep on trying, pleased with it apply some varnish. Happy try it on the boat. Takes time......but the results bring pleasure.
I re worked the slide and surrounds.......
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13 hours ago, northern said:
Here's some more for you:
Tannoy / public address
Hoover / vacuum cleaner
Biro / pen
I suspect you know what was meant.
I'm not criticising diesel ranges, they're just not my preference.
Thank you. I've not seen it in person but might view this weekend, all being well. Without my amateur damp meter, I'm not sure I'll be able to tell if it's genuine damp or condensation/water run off from a boat that's stood a while. I spoke with Norton Canes and they reckon it's just suffered from a lack of ventilation in the past and more's been added in recent years.
The shower doesn't look great though!
Re. the Gardener, I'd read a number of posts on here reckoning on their reliability, ease of maintenance and readily availability of parts. With me not being mechanically minded I was steering towards the usual Beta/Canaline/Isuzu stuff until I'd read this. Most of the positive stuff I've read related to the 2LW and not 3LW. Are they equally reliable?
Hi,
I find the Gardner very reliable, and very easy to start, on the button. Both 2 and 3LW's equally so, 2LW's are happy on a narrowboat up to 70ft, 3 LW's the same. They are easy to maintain and spares not too bad. The 2L2's are good, but spares and be a problem, Not sure about 4 cylinder models in narrowboats, they are too big and never really work hard enough.
Most of the 2LW's have been recovered from South Africa, brought back as wrecks and rebuilt. Some people set the tick over speed too low, which can cause problems for the engine and gearbox.
Overall lovely engines.
There is only one way to sort out condensation and that's ventilation.....
Mike
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4 hours ago, Neil2 said:
Don't mean to be picky but I think you mean Dave Moore. Doug Moore was another "renowned" shell builder.
Correct, apologies for the error..............
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15 hours ago, northern said:
Thanks, all.
I've had a narrowboat before but only for leisure. It was only a 25ft Aintree built in 2016, so pretty new. Unexpectedly I spent most of the first lockdown and beyond on it. I was forced to work from home and rather than sitting staring at 4 walls moved aboard and loved it. So much so I wanted to give living aboard on something much larger a go. I'm not very practical but really enjoyed getting to understand how things work, i.e. couldn't understand why the Eber wouldn't fire up despite being on shoreline only to learn it uses the leisure batteries.
What I have learned is:
- I'm not interested in glossy showboats with crap shells stuffed full of MDF
- Accessibility to things is important (hence picking up on not being able to access the water tank in the boat I viewed)
- Get a fitout with as much hardwood as possible - it'll withstand any water ingress better
- Foam is the most sound insulation and the least likely to trap or attract moisture
- Shell design is really important - I'd love a tug deck - not just for aesthetics but also because of how it'll move in the water
I took a second viewing of the boat today. I can't fault the marina who's brokering it. They were quite happy I unscrewed the ply floor to check the bilges under the bed, and were generally very helpful. They spoke with the owner over the damp I've found and his feedback was that water/rain was blowing in through the vents at the bulkhead behind the cupboards, so had a cratch fitted.
An offer had already been made at the point of getting to the marina but I had first refusal after looking at it again. I chose not to match it and walked away. Reason being is that it doesn't match most of my criteria, if I'm honest.
I don't mind taking on a boat that's not without problems - a surveyor will always find something - but so long as whatever it is, is reflected in the price, isn't terminal and doesn't involve tearing it apart.
I've got around £75k to spend and a contingency fund which'll keep growing heavily each month. Anything from 50-60ft would be ideal, and either a trad or semi-trad.
This looks fantastic. Top builder and shell. I like the layout too. But the pictures show lots of evidence of water ingress on the linings and evidence of damp. The yard assure me it's a dry boat. Still, an awful lot of money for a 1997 boat which looks not to be without problems.
https://www.nortoncanesboatbuilders.co.uk/home/index.php/boats-for-sale/109-dora-venus
Hi,
Thanks for your reply, I have a 48ft tug style and the boat you viwed at looks excellent and a Doug Moore decorated back cabin!. Check the damp problems, Fixable?. The 'throne' looks as though it has a swivel seat.
I have had some damp problems with mine, they are minor though - one was caused by a porthole leaking - it just needed the bolts tightening (carefully. Brass/ steel) and the roof light to the back cabin was tricky to bond onto a bowed roof, also the brass bolts needs a sealing as these leaked, Had the boat 16 years now and this and the 2LW have been virtually faultless.
Boat prices at the moment are very full.
Hope this helps.
Mike
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5 hours ago, northern said:
The meter is only a 30 quid wood moisture reader but I thought better than nothing. I couldn't justify the £500 bit of kit the surveyor uses which needs calibrating and I'm sure will do a far better job.
The sub floor is pictured - the cupboard with the pump is on the portside against the bow bulkhead. The slight water marking/dampness shown in the interior woodwork is part of this cupboard. The hull linings of this same cupboard didn't read much, if any, damp, from memory.
And the second picture show is the adjacent cupboard at the bow bulkhead opposite. The floor looks to have absorbed water. You can just about see the water tank.
Hi,
This is fair comment, it's tricky buying boats at the best of times and the present time is crazy with many changing hands without even a survey. You are trying hard to do the right thing, and I do wish you luck, The sub floor void is the area under the floor, down to the top of the base plate. I think all boats have problems, even new ones but they do take time to show themselves. I've bought a couple of boats no survey, and have found faults, but have found it part of the 'pleasures of ownership' to cure these. The boats themselves have brought great pleasure in ownership........I remember one resulted in a a lot of water on top of the base plate, it took me weeks to find the ingress of water - a paint drip on a fridge vent, diverting rainwater into the boat.
Being practical helps if you are a boat owner and saves you money, relying on a damp meter does not help.........I know from experience in looking at houses and boats - I have never used a meter on a boat.....condensation levels do not help.
Not sure how many boats you have owned but the advice is to buy a cheap boat and learn about problems, or if you have the cash, buy a more expensive boat and learn about the problems.....but bear in mind there is no such thing as a problem free boat when you get it, it only becomes problem free when you have owned it for some years and know it's workings, that takes ages, (I nearly said they are a bit like a woman, but 'woke' brickbats might start flying about).
Have fun, the only other piece of advice- make sure you have a reasonable 'stash of cash' to pay for unexpected problems if and I am sure when, they crop up.
Hope this helps ----Mike.
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Hi, I suspect a lot of those damp signs are condensation and poor ventilation, 'Orrible things those resistance meters, you call Damp meters, you are only taking a surface reading. I would have preferred the water pump to be mounted in a tray to catch leaks and it does help if cold water pipes are insulated. The damp in the bulkhead will always show, I assume the sub-floor area has been checked and is dry.
I'm a retired Surveyor and hated those dammed meters, to use them properly you need a decent one which has been calibrated.
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I had a circular glass replacement cut at Amersham glass in Chesham - they have now re-located to Amersham, I had the edges ground as well.
Hope that helps.
M
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On 10/07/2021 at 22:44, Arthur Marshall said:
According to the BSC bloke, the internals of the valve clog up with the stuff added to the gas to make it smell, and gradually the pressure reduces. Mine has apparently dropped by about a third, which probably explains why the gas fridge isnt cooling as well as it did.
He reckoned they'd need replacing every five or six years.
Interesting, I fitted one, it failed within a few years.Check the instructions, the manufacturers indicate they have a very short service life. A post on here produced answers confirming similar similar experiences.
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The idea of a vendor survey is a good one, at least you know what you are selling, the purchaser should also have a survey prior to purchase, keeps every one happy. The requirements for a hull survey are increasing with insurance companies attitudes to older boats. I recently had a hull survey on my boat, combining it with a blacking, £400, not bad when one considers the cost of a BSC inspection, really you have to weigh up peace of mind and how deep are your pockets if problems crop up. Experience sometimes helps, when you make make an informal judgement taking into account the age of the boat, builder. useage and maintenance, but for most people, caution should be your watchword. Hope this helps.
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20 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:
If the red light had failed there was probably no current flowing through the alternator
I have done that with my 2LW, no problem.
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8 hours ago, David Mack said:
Is that a tank trap on the right hand end of the bridge?
Yes, I wondered about that, looks like one, and the building (left) looks as though it is constructed using stone.
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32 minutes ago, Derek R. said:
I know nothing of the line of the Wilts & Berks. canal, but it appears that if the house seen in the image of Mr Faulkner's Ariel was once a lock keepers cottage, and in that 1960's shot, there appears to be what looks like a bridge parapet in stone (mostly all gone now), then following a line that runs parallel and beside the Hayes Knoll road in the Northern direction, there will be seen a murky strip of water that might indicate the remains of part of the canal.
Looking more closely at the 'streetview' image, there does appear to be a stone wall beneath the ivy in this shot:
The murky strip from above:
I have a number of books on canals, but the Wilts & Berks gets only brief mention in any of them and in some - none.
The sixties was a good decade to be wandering around the countryside on two wheels.
Agreed, but thanks to his amazing records, he certainly chose some 'grim' cross country routes, but I guess there wasn't the traffic volumes we have now, (well in pre Covid days).
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My boat came out for blacking 4 years ago, and for my own interest I had a hull survey carried out, cost £400. It was interesting, the boat was built in 1998 and I bought it in 2005 without a survey. I am with Saga insurance, but they are ceasing boat insurance and I will be 'punting round' in November looking for another insurer - not sure if the survey will be too old, will have to see. But if you can combine a survey and blacking it helps.
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Mark,
Have sent you a PM and email. if you have survived 10 days quarantined in a hotel at Gatwick and engine trouble you deserve a break.........hope she fires up.
Mike.
Day Tank Full?
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4 minutes ago, billh said:
Is the excess fuel toggle on the injection pump set? This is usually needed for a Ruston cold start. If the engine can be turned over by hand (decompressed) the injectors should make a noise., if they don't, there is a lack of fuel or the speed control and/or excess fuel toggle are not set to max.
Interesting, and well worth following up, on that engine you can actually feel the individual injectors 'doing their job' through the pipes.
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Hi,
The batteries in Cypress are just 2 years old, the engine starts well normally, but it's not a 'quick turn of the key' starter, it'a vintage job! and needs some respect, It's dead easy to flatten the battery by just turning it over without any thought and cables do become hot under these circumstances.
I would not let anybody have a go a starting it without some thought and instruction. That engine needs careful use of the de-compression lever, easy starting on that engine is achieved by using the lever to decompress the engine, turning it over a few times with the starting handle, then turn it over on the starter motor getting revs up, then throw the decompression lever and away she goes.
Sometimes, with that engine a blast from a blow torch helps, it's a good engine that one, but takes a knack to start it, it sounds as though the 'numpties' trying to start it have not got the experience and just keeping a digit on the starter button will not get it going, doing that will just flatten batteries and heat up cables.
The charging system was modified to overcome problems a few years ago, it now has 2 alternators and a Battery management system, and the engine had new pistons and a through overhaul at Watford some years ago.
Letting anybody loose on a vintage engine, even down to trying to start it is not recommended.
It's a difficult times for engines and batteries, my 2LW started perfectly, after lockdown, but the batteries needed renewal.
Hope this helps.
Mike
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19 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:
The more I look at it I am sure that it is Marsworth, their is a lock cottage a couple of locks down from my photo with the same gable/chimney/roof so it looks like the locks have been combined (And a bridge added)
I agree with you, long drive to get a car to this point though.
Calorifier pump?
in BMC
Posted
Cleghorn and Waring may have parts or advice, you can move the Pulley along the shaft to get the optimum drive position, I use to use a Picador ally pulley, a fairly big dia. one as I did not want the pump running too fast. Depending on the liquid pumped these units have to be frost protected by draining down - generally unscrewing the cover screws. Mine came with a comprehensive manual - this may be available on line somewhere (try Jasbsco site) they are good pumps, I have the single bearing unit as a spare.