J R ALSOP

Our youth club hired a boat from Deans at Christleton(Chester) in about 1957, plywood cruiser, Stuart Turner petrol engine and Elsan which used a Creosote deodorant which we were told to empty over the back ( but not in a lock) I never drank water in Nantwich or Crewe ever since. Mr Dean owned the little wooden cabin on the side of one of the Meres at Ellesmere and if you were rushing, you got told off as he knew when you left the yard. Happy days.

The modern day equivalent of a Springer

Licence fees up again or a surcharge to use Marple and Bosley locks?

Wish you had let me know you were taking picture, I would have tidied up a bit. No its not a ex-working boat but I built it 42years ago, I named it Comet after the small Woolwich Comet I worked for Willow Wren in 1964/5.

Just as an aside, why is it called the Suez Canal and not the Suez Channel as it is connected directly to the sea either end?

That would be Bill of N/b Janus not sure when he passed away, He and his wife Shiela had a fish and chip shop in Matlock.

What about the cruising club at Acton Bridge, lots of cruisers there

Charles Hadfield wrote the Foreword in my book Working Boats published by David & Charles in 1988, they got taken over by I think Readers Digest, they are now back in a reformed management buyout but not in Newton Abbot.

I thought they were for tying your fenders onto.

I do believe he is South African

Herts & Middlesex has just been sold.

Never mind the hire boats, my first day out on holiday and i'm 12th in the queue.

I am a boater, have been for 65years, you are either a boater with a house, a continuous moorer or someone who lives on a boat for whatever reason.

Explained to the wife how all the electrics, Victron/Sterling work in engine room, she is now creating a Excell spread sheet with lots of boxes and wiring diagrams.

Or as I always say Caveat Emptor.

I always knew them as "Barrington Bombers".

Isolating transformer for me

The towpath along side the Agenda 21 moorings have recently had a substantial make over, its a bit like a new motorway now.

I will measure exactly the next time I go to the boat.

The prop thrust does not help engage the the clutch, that is done with lever, the gearbox is/was a ZF fitted to engine by Bukh on their G range 1-6 cylinder.

The 1" travel comes from the thrust between forward and reverse clutches when they are selected, the 1 gallon in 42 years through the stern gland packing to the interior of the boat is true, I only have to dust the area.

In my personal experience I built my my boat in 1979, I have a Bukh 2G105 29 HP Danish built engine, I have only put one ring of 1/2" packing in my stuffing box, the total amount of water dripping through my stern gear is about 1 gallon, I have have used plenty of grease as I think grease is cheap, stern gear isn't. The engine is mounted solidly the shaft moves backwards and forwards through the stuffing box about 1" a time every time I change from forward to reverse. My boat is available for anyone to inspect at any time, at the moment I am moored on the Northern Coventry Canal

There used to be some on the top gates of Knowle Locks in the early 60's.

Well it's a start, just need to work back down GU to Berko

It looks more like a GRP top to me with a T&G inner lining.