Jen-in-Wellies

If you do a search for anchor on the forum you will see a lot of discussion and conflicting opinions. The root problem is that the experience for actually deploying an anchor on a fast flowing river from a narrowboat, or wide beam in an emergency is very low. There just isn't enough real world knowledge to give much reliable advice. What does exist is for sea going vessels and this doesn't necessarily translate to inland craft. Buy the biggest heaviest anchor and longest heaviest chain and warp you can afford and pick up. Tie the end of the warp to something solid on the boat. Not the T stud at the bow as this can just be ripped off by the force of the boat coming on to the anchor. You've then got the best chance that it will work in an emergency. Now someone will come along and say this is completely wrong and they may be right. I've never deployed an anchor inland for real. Chances are they won't have either! 😀 Jen

In particular this. What grade of oil is being used? If it is some motor oil picked up from a garage, then it is almost certainly one for modern car engines and may be too thin for an old fashioned thing like a BMC as the low viscosity means it can't build up oil pressure properly if the engine is a bit worn. Is there a grade on the can? It might say something like 5W30, or 10W40. A BMC is better off with something more like a 15W40. If the oil has been leaking a lot and being replenished, then the oil in there is mostly going to be fresh stuff now. An easy and quick check before going on to the harder and costlier ones. Jen

Also supposedly listened to by Trident submarine commanders to check if the UK still exists or not. Done prior to opening the Letter of Last Resort. If the Archers and Test Match Special have disappeared, they assume there is nothing worth coming home to. Both waves come up short for audio quality. These jokes are increasing in frequency. 😀

No Tory party doners, or cabinet ministers hold shares in boat hire companies, or go on canal holidays?

Good point. Some things have gone the other way, with no booking. The Rochdale might not be the best example as it is closed to through trips more often than it is open these days!

Since COVID-19, there are many freelance musicians who are out of work as they cannot perform as indoor concerts are banned. Add one to your circle and you can have live music on your boat at a reasonable cost! Pick one whose usual instrument you are happy to listen to all the time. Don't pick a wind instrument player who can't wear a mask while performing. Violinist, or guitarist yes. Tuba, or kettle drum player, perhaps not. 😀 My own boat has either an FM radio on batteries, or a computer feeding a home made amp to speakers. Used for MP3, films, DVD's and so on. Not the most cutting edge these days, but still works. Jen

If the engine really must be moved, then you could count and record the number of turns made on each nut, then reverse that after. Still a good idea to check the alignment when finished as it may not have been perfect to start with. Jen

The lack of a tow path shouldn't interfere with my right to cycle through Harecastle Tunnel with a fishing rod. They said I should email them to book so the T&M summit pound could be drained before they would allow me passage. An outrage! Elth'n'Safety gone mad! CaRT ignoring cyclists and fishists in favour of boaters! Jen 😀 I don't think I am being unreasonable. I do accept that cycling through the tunnel with a carbon fibre fishing rod would have been dangerous back when there were overhead wires for the electric towing tug, but carbon fibre hadn't been invented back then.

I like the side gas lockers Simon Piper does. Can't remember the reason why mine was made with the more usual bow one, but it was something we discussed when planning the build. Jen

It is possible to get round it. Use a youtube downloader, like youtube-dl. Search for the URL of the video you want to see, plug it in to youtube-dl, which downloads the video file, then watch at your leisure. No autoplay, no suggestions, no ads, no YouTube comments, less tracking. Jen

So my theory that CaRT only put booking systems on the most popular and picturesque parts of the system may not be entirely correct then. 😀

The Tinsley flight to Sheffield needs booking a day ahead. It is on most boaters bucket list, well in front of the Ponty, Llangollen, Anderton, Central London Thames etc.

The difficult bit is finding the rack of glasses in the first place. 😁👓

I tried to cycle through Harecastle tunnel with a fishing rod, but they wouldn't let me. Effing CaRT. Only interested in catering to boaters. 😁

This is a picture from a BMC 1.8 manual. You turn the bolt head shown clockwise to see if the engine turns over. It will be harder work at some points in a rotation as you are compressing air in the cylinders and you'll hear various hissing noises coming from inside. These are normal. This is just to check that the engine will turn over and hasn't had a catastrophic failure. Fingers crossed. This pic shows a big fan on the front of the water pump, but you almost certainly won't have a fan here on yours as the pic is for a car, or van installation, not a boat. Jen