David Mack
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Posts posted by David Mack
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It appears that Morrison's have implemented a national policy not to allow any fuel to be put into any cans.
This first time I read this I thought you'd written "It appears that Morrison's have implemented a national policy not to allow any fuel to be put into any CARS."!
David
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And what happened to Gertrude?
David
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I have seen permanent moorings on rivers like this to cope with large changes in level. Usually two poles or an A-frame at one end and a single pole at the other, and no ropes needed. Sometimes with car towballs fitted to boat and bank and a towhitch on each ends of the poles to provide a robust connection allowing rotation but easily removed.
David
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There's a document known as the "Emissions Matrix" which is on Michael Clarke's website here
This shows that a "pre directive engine" can be put in a new craft without needing to meet the emissions limits (but it must meet the noise limits which is easy in a Nb if you apply the RCD's Froude No + Power/Displacement calc).
A "new historic replica engine" can be put in a new craft if the craft is also deemed to be a "historic replica". I think this is what may provide the get out for new RNs and new Listeroid JP engines but I haven't and don't need to look into that so I don't really know!
Is a new British canal Nb really a "historic replica craft"?
Richard
More info on Mike Clarke's website here, including:
"Individual replica engines based on pre-1950 designs are excluded from the exhaust emission requirements provided that they are fitted to historical craft or craft built for own use as defined by Article 1.2(a)(v) and (vii) above. In this context ‘individual replicas’ may be built one after another and still excluded, provided that they are built to order and not series produced. "
On which basis such engines can only be fitted to historical craft (but not historic replica craft) or self-built boats.
But I suppose the limited number of new engines which RN build must qualify them as individual replicas ... built one after another and ... built to order and not series produced. Not so sure about imported Indian Listeroids (which to my knowledge are based on uprated Lister CS engines, rather than the JP).
David
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I think there has been plenty about this on the forum!
Please remember there are good guys out there aswell....don't tar all builders with the same brush!
I should have made that point! There's many boatbuilders out there I would be happy to trust with a new build. Its the bad guys who make life hard for the rest.
But in the case of Waiouru, the prospective owners look to have taken reasonable steps to ensure that they were dealing with a reputable builder, but they are still thousands out of pocket, and from what has been said it is hard to see what else they could or should have done to protect themselves.
Of course the 'boatbuilder' concerned could come on here and put his side of the story, but it seems he has chosen not to. Waterways World couldn't reach him for comment either!
David
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The Trent Charts are usually available from the lockies as you enter the Tidal section of the Trent (Although sometimes they have sold out!)
When we did the Trent after the National at Redhill a couple of years ago, I couldn't find the charts on sale anywhere - none of the stands at the festival or Redhill Marina had them. So we went without! No problems fortunately.
David
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I went there last year. I can definitely confirm that you can wind a full-length narrowboat there in the mouth of the slipway very easily, also that you could easily wind a pair there singly (ie both boats, one at a time). I cannot swear that you could wind them while breasted up, but I am about 80% sure that you could. There is plenty of good mooring just above the winding point.
We have winded Fulbourne there. I can't recall any particular problem.
David
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I had to get a new one because the old one was too short to reach the oil.
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That's advice I have not heard of before in the whole
'how to avoid getting stung if your boat builder goes belly up debate'
Watch out for sharks! Clicky and subsequent blog posts.
David
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Its usually done to protect signwriting, roses and castles or scumbling from general wear and tear.
David
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yes, what I meant was where a boat is described as 6'10" that should be it's max width.
A typical modern steel narrow boat is 6 ft 10 in wide externally at the top guard, tapering down to fit on a 2m (6 ft 6 in) wide bottom plate. So the maximum internal hull width is probably no more than 6 ft 4 in at waist level, reducing to 6 ft at floor level.
And because of a court case a year or two back, no boatbuilder will build you a 7 ft boat anymore, despite the fact that numerous ex-working boats are 7 ft beam and more, and get about with few if any problems. And so your cross bed is necessarily 2 inches shorter than it needs to be!
An unsuspecting boat fitter bought in a steel shell which was about 7 ft wide, fitted it out and sold it to a couple, who then sued him for a very substantial sum as the boat was deemed not "fit for purpose". By this time the original shell builder had gone out of business, so the hapless boat fitter had no recourse and was left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket. After the case was over the boat was up for sale for almost the new price. I've no idea if it sold for anywhere near that, but if it did the couple will have made a very undeserved tidy sum on the whole affair.
There is a thread about somewhere on here.
David
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if the RCD was to protect the buyer then it would be applicable after the first five years of a boats life also.
Or is it there to protect the more affluent purchasers of canal boats? and it disregards the people that can only afford a boat over five years? It's a little bit mixed up is it not?
The RCD is there essentially to protect the buyers of new boats. Its just the same for buyers of any new product. If you buy a new car you expect it to meet standards, whereas if you buy a second hand car you would expect that some aspects would no longer be compliant. For cars over 3 years old the MOT test comes into play, but this only covers the basic safety issues, rather than all the standards which applied when new.
Its pretty much the same with boats - the RCD compliance applies to new boats, and for canal and river craft at least, the Boat Safety Scheme requires older craft to comply with some, but not all, of the requirements of the RCD.
The rules are (inevitably) written around the volume boatbuilders churning out large numbers of identical craft, but apply equally to the small builders of bespoke boats we find on the UK canals system. There is an exemption for home built boats that the owner keeps for at least five years, presumably a ) to reduce the bureaucracy, and b ) because the home boat builder will have to deal with any faults arising from his own work, and there isn't any risk to unknowing buyers (although there maybe to unsuspecting passers-by). If the 5 year period wasn't included, then small boatbuilders would be tempted to build a series of craft "for their own use", only to sell them on completion.
I think the RCD actually requires that a self-built (or self-fitted out) boat may not be offered on the market without all the RCD compliance documentation in place. So strictly, the OP should not be advertising his boat for sale until this is done.
David
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Are you sure it is the fuel?
Is the engine being asked to do too much work by having something, thick weed, rope, plastic wire etc around the prop shaft?
Does the engine run smoothly in neutral, but struggle in gear? If so its likely to be prop/driveplate/shaft-related. On the other hand, if it sounds just as bad in neutral then its an engine problem.
If bleeding hasn't cured it then you probably have one of the following:
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- a continuing air leak into the suction part of the system (between the tank and the lift pump);
- water in the fuel; or
- a blocked fuel filter.
David
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I can imagine the above boat tied up to a tidal harbor wall,without enough slack,crew go to the pub,and return to find their boat hanging like a hammock from the said wall, due to an ebbing tide.
Like this?
(Limehouse, January 2006)
David
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They always seem to have a little purge at the start of the holidays, the same thing happened at Easter this year. I wonder if they'll keep on with it or not thiss time. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Or is it the start of the pre-Olympics year?
David
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better to set up the purchase of the standards on a membership basis where the updates and revisions are automatically sent to members free of charge. I believe American standards (e.g. ASME) are administered in that way.
I think you can do the same for British Standards. But don't expect the subscription to be cheap!
David
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There again, that is a very big narrowboat.
We shared a lock with one like that!
(HMS Exter, King George V Lock, Royal Docks, January 2008)
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Sounds a bit tricky.
But really when you think about it the bridges should have been designed ( with single boaters in mind) correctly in the first place.
If I was on my own and I encountered one I would be tempted to leave the bridge open...
Well they were designed correctly ... for use by horse-drawn boats. Having the open bridge on the offside means the towrope doesn't get caught up in the bridge. Same with swing bridges and lift bridges elsewhere too.
David
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Not just coloured but interpreted in art deco style. I'd like to know who did it.
Since there's a John Price & Sons (Printers) Limited at Brook Street, Bliston,West Midlands, WV14 0NW Tel: 01902 353441 Fax: 01902 404728
you could ask them!
David
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If anybody knows Mark Williams, (not "Mr Arthur Weasley", or the chap from the Fast Show...
... who is a past member of the Mikron Theatre company!
David
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That really is a wonderful postcard, do you know anything about the painting it is a print from? How is it possible to have an art deco iron foundry?
It is wonderful ist't it! Google found it for me, but I immediately recognised the view as one I have seen in a (black and white) photograph. I assume the photo was coloured for use as a postcard.
David
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Hello all,
I am the proud owner of above boat (well actually just the 1st 60ft of it!) which was first registered at Tipton on 1-10-30. Owner listed as A Hickman, address Springvale, Boat Number 34.
Would be interested of anybody had any further information on the boat, or could point me in the right direction.
cheers
I can't tell you anything about the boat, but Alfred Hickman's Spring Vale Iron Works was at Bilston. The site housed the last blast furnace in the Black Country, the Elisabeth, which ceased working in 1979.
Pictured in its heyday on a postcard here. Somewhere I have seen the photograph on which this is based.
Spring Vale Iron Works' other claim to fame is a boiler explosion in 1884:
More about the history of the site here
David
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Hi,
I need a couple of short (about 7mm) CSK machine screws for a router base. M4 is too samall, M5 is too large. I have found a pan head screw that fits the insert and the thread pitch appears identical to the metric screws although the diameter is (obviously) somewhere between the two. A quick Google doesn't throw up any M4.5 screws, so I'm wondering if it might be a UNF (or other Imperial) size.
Richard? You like stuff like this.
Cheers in advance,
Tony
There is a M4.5 thread (pitch 0.75mm) listed here. There is also a fine-pitched (0.5mm) M4.5 thread listed here.
2BA thread has a diameter of 0.1850 in / 4.7 mm and a pitch of 31.35 threads/inch (equivalent to a pitch of 1.234 mm), so may be what you are after.
David
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Having just brought a project boat that needs a new engine I could do with some help getting it to Stockton Top lock on the GU from bridge 32 just outside Radford Semele near Warwick. A passing tow would be very gratefully received (and paid for) within next week if possible. Please ring Chris on 07870745059.
Many thanks
Taking a paid tow would invalidate most boat's insurance, so I am not sure that offering money helps. And most boaters who are prepared to give a tow in circumstances like yours aren't it it for the money.
Better if its just your round at the pubs you pass!
David
Petrol for generator
in General Boating
Posted
From HSE:
"Petrol filling stations usually have to abide by a licence condition to allow only 'suitable' containers to be filled. This is usually interpreted as metal containers up to a maximum size of 23 litres or plastic containers up to a maximum size of 5 litres. A licence condition has the same effect as a legal requirement. The licence condition does not limit how many containers one customer may fill."
And no specific requirement for marking.
David