koukouvagia

At our last BSS the examiner completed all the details online while he was still on the boat. He then sent me a link so that I could print out the certificate. It all happened at the end of the examination. No paper involved and all very efficient.

How about that. A definitive, accurate, uncontroversial answer within three minutes

For what it's worth I used this felt tape as a stopgap until I could make a more permanent solution. I expected it to last a few months, but it's been working smoothly for four years. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shintop-Adhesive-Hardwood-Laminate-Flooring/dp/B07LG5SVNH/ref=asc_df_B07LG5SVNH/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309800630830&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16196094106365771654&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006886&hvtargid=pla-646796858124&psc=1

You might find this helpful I don't know about mold treatment, but I've used epoxy resin on top of Cuprinol wood hardener.

If you need to replace a skin fitting which has a back nut, a removable inspection plate makes access a lot easier.

Here's one I made from routed MDF and aluminium. It's still good after 15 years.

Years ago we had an Arctic stove in our first boat - a Springer. These are no longer made, but they sometimes turn up online. They are ideal for a small boat.

I always pay over the phone, never by BACS or Direct Debit. That way I can be certain that I'm paying the correct price. I've had so many mistakes made on my account over the years e.g. no historic discount applied, wrong length of boat charged for, VAT not added to the bill, mooring fees wrongly calculated etc. etc.

It has. In Jan 2021 it was for sale at £125K.

Yes he did. If you ask him he'll regale you with an epic journey he once took with a load of bricks.

Thanks Tim. Lots of material I'd never seen before.

I remember a good few years back that a tree fell on a hire boat below Stoke Hammond lock, killing one of the crew. I can't remember the details or find any record online, but I know there was a flurry of tree pruning by BW along that stretch shortly afterwards.

I think I used galvanised nails. However, since these were entirely encased with the resin they were not likely to disintegrate.

On our butty I removed the top layer of ply which had been laid over the original wooden roof. I quickly realised that original roof would not provide a smooth surface so I added a thin layer of ply (8mm, I think); I covered this with fibre glass matting, poured on resin and then sanded it down. The result was aestheticlly OK, but as I've mentioned before, the underlying problem was not really solved. Still it gave me a few more years of a leakproof roof.

That takes me back a bit. I put one of these in our first boat - a Springer. They were very efficient and didn't take up much room.

Up to a point, Lord Copper. In the past few years I have witnessed two people falling in the canal at Cowroast near the lock - one from a boat and one one from an upturned canoe. In neither case could the person get out of the water via the bank, despite being assisted by their crew. Fortunately, I keep a ladder on our mooring. I'm not sure how one of the persons who was, shall we say, somewhat portly, would ever have managed to get out of the water without the ladder.

One of the drawbacks of a conversion such as this is that there is only a very limited space (about 10’) for a crew member to get on and off. Neither I nor my wife are going to go leaping along the top plank; the hatch in the forecabin and the sliding windows are there mainly as escape routes; the gunwales are non-existent on the back cabin and very narrow along the rest of the boat; and clambering onto the back is awkward because of the limited space and the ellum. That said, we never have any difficulty, it just means that I have to be extra careful, for example, when going out of a downhill lock to line up the 10’ gap in front of the back cabin carefully, so that the crew can step on. It’s all a question of knowing your boat and how to handle it. I’m sure the OP will soon get the hang of things, no matter what the design is. (I should perhaps add that the hydraulic motor in the ellum does act as a huge outboard and enables me to glide into the towpath sideways). As an aside, our butty was made by Braithwaite and Kirk in 1911. They, like Springers, were more at home building storage tanks, but they managed to turn out 24 butty-boats which swam beautifully. So, in my book, they count as an elite builder .

I quite agree, My first motor bike was a BSA Bantom - dead easy to service and take apart. My last one was a 1000cc BMW. There wasn't even a carburettor - all electronic black boxes. Mind you the BSA needed constant tinkering; the BMW ran faultlessly for years with just an annual service.

I enjoy working on my boat, though I must admit I no longer have any desire to do the blacking. Also I call in an hydraulics engineer if I need any work doing on that side of things. I have my engine serviced each year, not because I can't do it myself, but I'd rather support an excellent local mechanic. I let the professionals take care of any welding that needs doing to an historic hull.

This will be only the second Braunston Show we've missed, but Sue is recovering from a knee replacement and has been told by her consultant that boating is off the menu for the time being. Hampton is not the easiest boat to get on and off. However, we've booked in to a nearby hotel so we'll be able to soak up the atmosphere. We had hoped that Owl, our old boat, would be attending, but unfortunately work which is being done on it will not be ready in time.

I've fitted these. They have a rubber ring to prevent moisture entering the cable. They seem to work well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KC5S96Q/ref=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_dp_1

Hmm. You may be right. However, I've had this fitted for about five years and I've never had to change a battery. There may be a button battery; I'll check at the weekend. eta Just looked it up. It does have a battery.

No external or internal power source needed. There's a sort of turbine which moves the counter.

The simplest and cheapest method I found was to use one of these garden hose meters. I reset the counter when I've filled the tank then I watch the meter count down. When the guage reads 250l I know it's time to fill up again. No 12v needed. Dead simple.