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Ray T

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Posts posted by Ray T

  1. traditional ropework

    in History & Heritage

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

     

    There were scrubbed white cotton top strings at the fore-end of working boats, but not rigged up like that. There is one too many, and it's the string that runs on the diagonal from the gunwhales, at the false cratch, and across the deckboard.

    Pairs of boats that regularly had to 'cloth up' to keep whatever they were carrying dry would generally leave the fore-end 'topcloth' on all the time, but folded crossways to the same length as the cratch when empty.

    Because of the rise of the gunwhales in the last few feet to the deck cant, the lower forward corner of a topcloth folded like this would hang over the gunwhales. To stop this happening the forward bottom corner of the folded topcloth was tucked up behind the crossways folds with the longest side of the triangular fold running from the bottom of the false cratch to about two thirds of the way up the deckboard. To keep the folded cloth in place, the 'white string' that had been over the false cratch when the topcloth had been unfolded back to the mast would then be put back on, along and over the edge of the three cornered fold from the bottom of the false cratch on each side and across the deckboard.

    The arrangement of white strings in the photo is a muddled hotch-potch of two different practices for different circumstances and had no place on working boats. It's clumsily and messily done, it looks silly and serves no purpose, . . . just another example of people demonstrating how little they know or understand about the traditions they believe themselves to be maintaining.

     

    Note added :~ the 'false cratch' is the A-shaped wooden framework that sits on the inner edges of the gunwhales about 3' along from the 'deckboard'.

     

    It would appear that you are not entirely correct with your statement: There were scrubbed white cotton top strings at the fore-end of working boats, but not rigged up like that. There is one too many, and it's the string that runs on the diagonal from the gunwhales, at the false cratch, and across the deckboard.

     

     

     

    just another example of people demonstrating how little they know or understand about the traditions they believe themselves to be maintaining.

     

    ????????

  3. From the Ashby to Wigrams Turn - where in between?

    in New to Boating?

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

    Well hellooooooo

     

    There's something really exciting about preparing for a trip - hope this excitement never fades!

    We were planning to do the reverse of your trip last week. We got the boat out of the marina and an engine mount failed. We nursed the boat to Wigram bottom lock, winded and back to Ventnor. All was not lost however as we hitched up the land boat and cruised to Gloucester, this has enabled me to visit the Waterway Museum and docks. Seems to be a banter of light ships there :)

     

    Just waiting for RLWP's hand to get better now.

  4. From the Ashby to Wigrams Turn - where in between?

    in New to Boating?

    Posted

    Coventry is worth a visit - cathedral, swimming pool, bus museum to name a few.

     

    Er, the Transport Museum is not strictly a bus museum but a museum of British Road Transport. It does have some busses but also includes Coventry's bicycle history, a memory lane to walk through, Thrust SSC and Thrust II. There are also many of Coventry's cars with a history of the once mighty car industry.

  6. section 8 canning dock ?

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

     

     

    Meanwhile, there is already one former lightship for sale on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal which would suggest the current local lightship market is saturated.

     

    Sula, up for sale with naylorpowell.com.

    Took some photo's on Thursday.

     

     

  7. Herbert Dunkley Collection

    in History & Heritage

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

    The first photo in post No1, is the motor Hawke with the butty Susan at Sutton Stop. These boats were at the time Captained by William Humphris and family. Their son, Mike, whom I visit had left the fold by this time and was in charge of other Barlow Boats.

     

    I am working off a tablet and am finding it difficult to copy etc.

    Snoring dogs.

    in Pets and Animals

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

    Millie Moo preparing for a snore fest:

     

     

     

    In the arm chair of course.


    So very true. Have a greenie.

    Every dog I have ever had has scored.

    The current GSD snores the loudest, presumably because he is the biggest of all ofor the dogs I have owned.

    Had a major success today. Managed to walk past 2 collies very closely without him lunging at them.

    For some time he has not reacted to dogs in his training classes, but it is only just beginning to travel safer to the real world.

    Once he is well behaved in most situations I will change my avatar, until then he remains an apprentice, rather than fully fledged cuthound.

     

    Lucky dogs !!!!!!

  15. Converting to butty

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

     

    But there is no point in looking at the total surface area - the only relevant part is that which is in the water, and with an empty butty that is generally bogger all.

     

    Yes, but the OP wants to use a de motorised motor as a butty so I took it to be that the whole of the rudder blade would be under water. No point in having some of the blade above the water as the "butty with a counter" will always draw the same depth unless the OP has other plans.

     

    Also from my research, it seems that when a butty was empty it was either towed breasted up or on cross straps, which in either case a rudder was not really required on the butty. Having said that I have helmed breasted up with two motors and the "working" motor coped with no one on the helm of the other boat with no engine running. Not so sure with long lining, with the set up the OP proposes?

     

    I'm not sure what the OP's intentions are with cruising or not with his de motorised butty.

  16. Converting to butty

    in General Boating

    Posted · Edited by Ray T

    I'm struggling to see how you would make a motor's rudder have a larger surface area to be effective. You cannot go up or down to increase that surface area.

     

    The only way is fore and aft with the prop removed.

     

     

     

    If you look at the fenders needed to protect the motor's rudder how many will you need if you lengthen that rudder? Also strictly speaking a boats overall length for licensing should include the fenders!

     

    I would suggest you find the surface area of a conventional butty rudder and then see if you can match that to a modified motor's rudder.

     

     

  21. Canal & River Trust Annual Public Meeting

    in General Boating

    Posted

    22 September 2016

     

    Canal & River Trust Annual Public Meeting

     

    The Canal & River Trust held its Annual Public Meeting in Birmingham today (22 September 2016) where over 80 guests came from around the country to hear about the charity’s progress over the past year and its plans and ambitions for the future.

     

    Allan Leighton, who was reappointed by the Trust’s governing Council to serve a further term as chair, welcomed guests before chief executive Richard Parry gave an overview of the organisation’s achievements during the financial year 2015/16. These included an increase in expenditure on the waterways and a growth in the number of people donating to the Trust and visiting, volunteering, and adopting stretches of its waterways.

     

    As well as talking about future ambitions, the meeting saw director of asset management Julie Sharman give a presentation on the way the charity manages and prioritises the maintenance of its unique network of 200-year old locks, bridges, embankments, aqueducts and other assets.

     

    After the presentations guests asked the Trust’s senior management team about topics ranging from residential boating and support for vulnerable boaters, to the control of invasive hogweed, and the role visitors might play in helping the Trust’s asset inspection teams.

     

    The Trust’s Council met after the Annual Public Meeting where they considered topics including the possible impacts of Brexit and the potential transfer of the Environment Agency Navigations, as well as discussing an update on the work of the Waterway Partnerships.

     

    The Council ratified the appointment of four new Trustees to the charity’s unpaid board, which is legally responsible for overseeing the work towards the organisation’s charitable objectives. Dame Jenny Abramsky, Nigel Annett, Janet Hogben and Tim Reeve* replace Tom Franklin and Simon Thurley who conclude their time on the board, having served two terms as Trustees in line with the Trust’s constitution (and Steve Shine who left the Trust early in 2016).

     

    Allan Leighton, chair of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “I’m pleased to see the progress that has been made at the Trust this year and I think the results speak for themselves. The number of people volunteering and donating has continued to grow, as have the partnerships formed with organisations as diverse as the Arts Councils in England and Wales, The Scout Association, Help for Heroes and Rolls Royce, plus numerous local authorities, charitable trusts and local canal societies.

     

    “As we look to the future we’re continuing to grow our influence and engage with more people so that the waterways are on a firm foundation for future generations to enjoy.

     

    “I’d like to welcome our new Trustees whose experience and calibre is a strong endorsement for what the Trust has achieved in a short space of time. They bring new and wide-ranging experience and perspectives that will help inform decisions on policy and strategy as well as oversight of the executive directors.

     

    “I’d like to reiterate my huge thanks to both Tom and Simon for all they’ve brought to the waterways since the formation of the Canal & River Trust. They have been absolutely fundamental in the charity’s formative years and have helped create a formidable legacy.

     

    “I’m sure that our supporters, partners and customers appreciate the achievements we’ve made as a young and growing charity. It was good to see so many faces in the audience today and I’m heartened that we have such a passionate group of people showing an interest in, and demonstrating their care for, our waterways.”

     

    For more information visit: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/our-structure

     

    ENDS

     

    For further media requests please contact:

    Jonathan Ludford, Canal & River Trust

    m 07747 897783 e jonathan.ludford@canalrivertrust.org.uk

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