monkeyhanger

The traditional finish for oak was, if my memory serves me correctly, raw linseed oil. It gives a soft sheen, enhances the colour of the wood a little, and could be waxed over if you're not satisfied with the finish.

And a HUGE thanks to you and the rest of the organising team for making it a great weekend!!!!!!! Jack

All the moorings in the basin have been managed since 1983 by CHUG (Canals in Hackney Users Group),which is a registered charity. The moorings are totally legal, with the consent of the local council( in fact,initially at the council's request) and rent paid (a great deal of it!)to the landlord. CHUG are NOT squatters!! The gentleman who complained does NOT have the right to a mooring there, but he is welcome to apply to CHUG for a mooring, should he wish, when he has a narrowboat. His application will be given due consideration. The gentleman was also made aware that the current situation is only temporary, while dredging takes place and new mooring pontoons are installed. As for noise pollution, this is something that all the basin dwellers have had to live with for several years while major building development has taken place. The property in which the complainant lives has been part of this development.

These two boats were regularly moored on the offside below Acton's lock on the Regent's canal in the late 1980s and early 1990s, often together. Jack.

I've read somewhere that it was originally moored there.

There was a wooden boat, called either "Jester" or "Joker" moored 400yds above Fishery lock. Seems to have been there for years, but I may have read on this forum that it may recently have moved

He's setting off for Ricky already!

Photo number 10 might just be "Harry", which, with a full length conversion, was moored in Kingsland Basin, Hackney for a number of years. When sold, the new owner sadly neglected to have a survey done, and shortly afterwards, after being drydocked for blacking, a rivet broke as the dock was being refilled. Remedial action was taken to prevent sinking, but the hull was found to be in a sorry state. Subsequently resold, the new owner had her taken to WFB (wrecking the 3 cylinder Dorman on the way due to lack of cooling water), where the hull was found to be in such a state that only the bow section was worth salvaging.A virtual rebuild and a new engine (a JP2)ensued. A sad story, but a nice looking boat now.

I can highly recommend Mick Betts. He lives on narrowboat "Agnes Blomfield" just below Cosgrove lock.If you go, please say Jack recommended him.

I have a JP2, and in that, the engine oil and gearbox oil are one and the same thing. If, by gearbox, you mean a reduction box (between the forward/reverse box and the propshaft), I'd recommend Hypoid 80 or 90 in that.

Probably best not to say when you're going.You've told everyone where you live, and nere do wells might guess your house will be empty.

Except that the mini flywheel weighs several pounds, whereas the JP flywheel weighs several hundredweight!

Natural rope. Have you used this stuff? Is it as good as "proper" creosote that we used to be able to get? If it smells like proper creosote it may be OK, because the smell used to stop the local cats using my fenders as a scratching post!

Just got new bow and stern fenders for my boat, and I would like to treat them with some preservative before I hang them on the boat. In the past I've used a mixture of old engine oil and creosote, but I've now used it all up and I can't buy any more creosote in the quantity I need ( about two litres) What does everyone else use, if anything?

I've had work done here:- Phelps transport 24-26 White Post Lane Hackney 0208 533 3399 I can really vouch for the quality of their work. They fitted new elements in my JP injector pump and recalibrated it. They are almost canalside too, being on the Lea, just before the junction with Duckett's Cut. I doubt you'd do better. Jack

As a moorer in London, I've got used to making sure my front doors are locked from the inside when travelling through urban areas, especially when working locks. It's very easy to be distracted and this can allow undesirables on your boat.

I've always felt that the white spirit cuts through the oil and grease, then the washing up liquid helps disperse the white spirit. Final washing with warm water gets rid of the washing up liquid. When I've used on engine bays of cars it has left a slight sheen on painted and plastic areas. I've always assumed that this was from the remains of the white spirit, but, from what people have said, it may actually be from the washing up liquid. However, in using this method for over 30 years, I can honestly say that I've never had a problem with paint not adhering properly. All I can suggest is that, if you are worried, try it on a part that is accessible or can be removed and cleaned with a different method should problems arise later. Jack

APOLOGIES--sorry, I should have said 4 PARTS WHITE SPIRIT and 1 PART WASHING UP LIQUID.If you were to use the first "recipe" you'd have a boatful of bubbles! Jack.

I've used it for over 30 years when degreasing engines,car parts, boat parts etc, in fact anything that required heavy duty degreasing. I was told about it by a mate who repaired London taxis for a living, and he swore by it. I've never had any problems with this method, but I do rinse off well afterwards. It's important to use warm or hot water to do this- cold water does work but not as well, and the heat from hot water aids the drying process afterwards. I also use "Bonda rust primer" if painting is required afterwards. Wonderful stuff. Not easy to get, but worth searching out. Jack

I normally use a mixture of 4 parts washing up liquid (Fairy is best) and 1 part white spirit. Put them in a jamjar and give it a good shake until they mix together. Use an old paintbrush (a 1 inch one will be about the right size) and paint all over the engine and engine bay, rubbing well into all the nooks and crannies, to get rid of all the grease and oil.Make sure that the area is dry when you do this, or it won't work.Once you've cleaned it all, wash off with warm/hot water. Allow to dry. Apply paint. Job done!

I got mine from my local plumbers merchant. Cost me all of 10 pence.

That boat is "Opportunity", owned by Laburnum Boat Club, which is a watersports based youth club on the Regents canal in Hackney

A warning to people intending to visit, or pass through London. Yesterday I boated from Cowley to the East End of London. There is quite a bit of weed on the Paddington Arm, especially on the London side of the North Circular aqueduct, and it gets worse the nearer to central London you get. BW had their weed scooper machine tiding up in the pool at Little Venice, but I suspect this is merely cosmetic,what with the tourist season in full swing. The weed extended all the way to my mooring at the east end of the Regents canal, and had quite an effect on slowing down my journey time. There is a lot of stringy weed growing up from the bottom, which meant that my trip involved a lot of reversing to clear the blades, and had an effect on my speed through the water, and there is great deal of floating green weed, which although this doesn't cause any navigation problems, it quite often looks like you're boating over a bowling green! I wonder if the floating stuff is the seed for the stuff that always wants to grab your prop? The situation has been bad on the Lea Navigation for some years now, and it looks like it's spreading! The weed grows in the summer, reaches its peak around the middle/end of August, and then dies away again, until next Spring when it begins all over again. Be warned that you may need to extend your journey times if you intend visiting the capital in the near future.

When I passed through Slapton on the GU a couple of days ago, I noticed, in one particular pound, six dead carp floating on the surface. Most were quite large, one looking to be over two feet long. I found it strange to find so many in such a small length of canal. Shortly afterwards, in the same pound, I saw three long black furry creatures slip into the water from the edge of a field. I assume that the animals were mink. I wonder if the two sightings were connected?