Manxcat54

I only wish I knew, it was built in 1979 and I suspect around the Midlands

Well I'm back from the boat, I sucked out must of the water with my vac, it was fairly clean by the look of it, and since this old girl was built in 1979 and has never had a drain plug, I think I will just leave well alone, I took all the old perished hoses off the engine, then tried a car shop for some replacements, they took one look and said no, so I came home and went online, I found the odd one quite easily (it is a reduced one 55mm down to 40mm) and the others I ordered from bloody Amazon. OK my next problem, how the hell do you remove the sliding hatch cover, when pushed fully open it stops at 2 big welded on stops, and when in the closed position it seems to come to a stop on an angle iron, which seems to be an integral part of the roof system? so without cutting off the 2 stops and removing the first mushroom vent I can't see how it can be removed, and before you ask, I want to remove some pretty bad rust on it's underside, and trying to do in situ would be a tough one indeed.

It's OK I have a wet vac, I am taking the perished hoses off the engine, it's a Peugeot 504 Diesel 2112cc used in the Ford Granada, I have been searching for spares and they are a bit hard to find.

it is side of the swim and it appears to only have top hoses at the top at either end, I looked at the bottom for perhaps a drain, but it doesn't seem to have one, I will pump it out, it's been in there since 2019 and I would like to put clean in. I'm heading over now to the boat, I do have Blonde moments, so I will examine again.

I am working my way through this old boat which I purchased, knowing full well it would be a total rip out and start from scratch, it is a tough old job, but I have some assistance. Today I thought it about time I got myself acquainted with the engine, I had previously cranked the motor over by hand, so I know it isn't seized. The engine electrics look quite shambolic, so I started there first, I ended up feeling pleased because I could actually figure out what went where, so I made a diagram and set that to one side. Now the plumbing! the hoses are knackered, and so I will make new ones, I removed the pipes and hoses to the skin tank, and I discovered that the single skin tank is absolutely full off water, I can't see a way of draining it, what should I do to empty the old water out of this narrow tank, any suggestions?

Didn't have much time after work, however, I did get one more panel in and added that silver tape, the 2 holes on the left are right through into the engine room, and I intend all but a few of my wiring cables to pass through these holes in plastic round trunking, then the cables shall be divided up and cable tied to a central channel running all the way through the boat, dropping down left and right as required. Also can anyone tell me what the regs are concerning 12v cables and the gas pipe, I wish to send some hefty cables for the water pump and fridge along under the Gunwales??

Something that worries me when I get to fitting a shower to my boat (which is a long way off, but best be prepared) in the area of the shower the ceiling will simply be 6mm Ply, probably painted. My concern is the condensation from the shower attacking this wood, so what is the norm for the material above the shower, should I use a waterproofing, maybe even some lining as in the shower walls, I have not actually seen anyone in all the video blogs fit anything, but it might be me going goggle eyed by watching too many.

When I upload the photo's from my phone to my PC they are all upright, I double check that, but when I load to the forum they turn 90 degrees?

Yes the box section on the walls is pretty awful, but it is still strong after being there for 45 years, I am 69, so I think it will also out live me

My pictures keep spinning sideways, I hate that, how can I rectify them? anyway just a quick update on progress on the build, it might not look like progress but believe me it is, the rust was awful in the area shown, it took some grinding and treating, not shown is the engine bay, I have pulled all the ceiling down, and myself and a friend have sanded all the steelwork ready for primer...onwards and upwards

Hi I know I am building my own boat from the old sorry thing I purchased (because I am not very wealthy) and I do watch plenty of build stuff on you tube, but is it just me that cringes at some of them, a couple have a brand new hull built, which can't be cheap, then they make these little films about the build, most of them don't have a clue about what they are doing (some are OK, but OTT) and they have idiotic music that is at least 4 times louder than the rest of the video, please tell me it is my age showing.

Pleased to read your comments on Vactan, there are some doubters around, but I discovered it nearly 30 years ago when painting a church steel fence in Yorkshire, I still sometimes pass it, and still no rust showing, that's testament!! I am a bit concerned in the corners where the plate steel meets the angle iron structure, however I am going to just smother it with vactan, and then the same with red oxide.

Whoops forgot the text, this is the poorest reading so far of the base plate, the rust around the one time bathroom area was frightening, I have got most of it down to bare metal, and I have used Vactan on it, then I will paint with red oxide, that should see my days out.

My lovely wreck 😍

Sorry but I am so tired and I cannot make my images spin correctly, been on the boat all day, very hard graft and that insulation is the pits, but we are moving on slowly, nearly half the boat stripped, all the wiring is ripped out and a few bits and bobs corrected, I am hoping by this time next weekend we will be ready for some paint on the inside.

Hi What is the cable size generally used in narrowboat wiring, I watch a lot of build video's and some seem to overkill the size, appreciated you need to consider the volt drop, also whilst on, what seems to be the preferred fuse type for both heavy cables ie battery, and fuses for lighting etc, are automotive blade fuses the norm?

Oh eck too late for most of it, gone to the bonfire, yes it was decent wood, but most of it was rotten. They say a 57 ft boat with ballast should weigh around 13.5 tons, this one was 18tons, probably due to the flooring and 1/2 inch solid 1970s ply on the walls, I think I have now lightened the boat by at least 3 tons.

I hope I am posting in the best place on the forum. I still cannot find who built the old boat I purchased, it was built in 1979 according to CRT, and someone mentioned Teddesley in Penkridge, but don't let that put you off, I am yet to see one with such a stern and bow, there is a locker at front of the well deck, only for storing ropes and hoses, can anyone add anything to the puzzle?

We checked the engine over and it has a chain driven camshaft (thankfully) it turns over so it isn't seized, we are waiting until the weather gets better to work on it, rest of the boat comes first.

I think I will do that, then see what's left

Hi This is the narrowboat which I acquired at a decently cheap price, knowing that it was in need of a hell of a lot of work, I had it brought to our Farm only last Friday, and I have been doing a few hours on it after work, and whenever, it's difficult because I have some spinal stenosis, and can only stand up for short spells. However I am doing quite well, the boat is a 1979 build, we think a Teddesley, it has a Peugeot 504 diesel engine with skin tanks to cool it. I have discovered that the wooden interior had been refreshed at some point by adding a nice decorative pine ply, this was both glued and screwed using very small cross head screws, which were rotten and could not be removed, the ply on the sides is 1/2 inch stuff, held onto the steel with brass screws (flat head type 1979) it's been heavy work. I vomited when I opened the U bend in the sink! anyway that's all history, I have virtually cleared the starboard side back until the engine. I found the easiest way to remove the ply was to locate the securing screw, then using a 30mm hole saw, drill/saw just to one side, thus the panel is released and it leaves a circular piece held by the rotten old screw, which I can just grind off. I had the toilet pumped out by a waste /cess tank guy, it is virtually empty, but I up to now not seen a way of moving it? but some t&g flooring is still trapping it, I was more concerned to find a hell of a lot of rust nearby on the base plate, I removed 3 big sacks of rust and I was worried, however I have cleaned quite a few areas back to solid steel and using my ultra sound tester, it all comes up as being 9.7mm, 9.4mm and the worst one was 9.3mm amazing, but I did see a video on YouTube I think it's narrowboat Precious, and he had similar rust, I have found my rust to be caused by a water leak beneath the shower, which is all now on the bonfire, I hope this makes some interesting reading for someone on the forum, and as you can see from the photo's I have a long way to go. Sorry but 3 of my pics turned sideways, I presume they correct themselves?

Has anyone used or heard anything about AQUA-STEEL Primer and rust inhibitor? it gets good reviews, I am going off Vactan after seeing the comments.

I have been following the Youtube blog Narrowboat precious Jet, and in Winter update #12 he paints the base plate (inside) with red oxide, it looks the business, so have any of you self builds out there used this to any good effect rather than any other paint?

Sorry if my posts offended anyone, all I needed was a little help with something I was unsure of, but what I ended up with was a very strange feeling of not really being welcome, into some kind of closed club, and some what I found quite condescending replies, maybe it is just me? I hope that in the future I can visit the forum with peace of mind in the hope that I get simple sensible answers when required, hope you all have a good day. Malc