Albion

Sounds to me as though you've not actually got the bottom of the rudder stock actually in the cup. If it was just ahead of the cup or just behind it the height, angle and alignment would seem pretty normal but the rudder would be stiffer. The only other thing that has ever happened to me like that was when my wife, who was steering, got swept back against the bank in high wind winds. That ended up with a bent rudder stock, bent in such a perfectly straight alignment that you couldn't tell anything was wrong except that the tiller was horrendously heavy to use. Everything else appeard OK. I hope, for your sake, its not the latter fault. Roger

saltysplash wrote: Does anyone have any knowledge of the Perkins 3HD46 engines? snipped IIRC these were marinised by Calcutt Boats until a few years ago. They may still have info, sources of parts etc. Roger

Kristian asked: This brings up a question I was talking about to my friends the other days, why change oil in the gearbox? Just make sure its topped up. After all when did you last have a gear box oil change on your car. Gear box oil is not like the oil in an engine that get really warm and has carbon mixed in with it, hense it gos black unlike gear box oil, have a look it should be honey coloured. The drive to reduce the number and frequency of oil changes in vehicle engines and gearboxes owes more to the intense effort of vehicle manufacturers to reduce the cost of ownership by reducing servicing costs than it does to the lack of need to change the oils. Admittedly this drive has been helped by the oil manufacturers improving the oils (or they have been forced to develop improved oils at the insistence of the manufacturers, depending how you look at it), the metallurgists developing the materials and the development engineers doing component life testing. Many engineers still recommend more frequent oil changes than those specified in the service schedules particularly if you are a low mileage/short journey type of driver. Also, don't forget that much of the car market servicing is driven by the very significant and crucial company car market where cost of ownership over the first two years is particularly important. After the first two years, when the company cars are sold on, the manufacturers are less bothered what happens then. Roger

Hello Our boat is now 19 days old and wonder if anyone could help us please? Looking to buy a hand suction pump for changingj oil on the gearbox - any ideas where we can get one from please? cheers, Janice & Dai Something like this :http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?orig=ga if you want one that can contain all the oil for transfer to another waste oil drum. Or look on eBay using the search words 'suction oil' and you will see many small suction syringe type products that will require the pump to be emptied as you do the job. In my opinion it is still better to use the drain plug method on a gearbox (or an engine for that matter) if it is feasible to access it as you tend to flush out the dirt that settles in the bottom better than you do with a 'suction through a thin tube' method. Roger

Liam boasted: I don't understand all of this contact sport business. Personally I pride myself on entering a lock, passing through a bridge, mooring up and passing other boaters without a single touch. I think "contact sport" is just an excuse for people when they muck stuff up. Don't get me wrong, we all muck stuff up (like the time I hit the tree on the Shroppie and lost our chimney) but don't use the "contact sport" thing as an excuse 'Contact sport' means that rubbing strakes are there to be used not that you smash into everyone and everything going. Roger

Artymac asked: About three weeks ago I took a reference photograph of Border Reiver as she started across the Pontcysyllte aquaduct on the Llangollen canal. She's Reg No 505392 with the name R J Turnbull, Public Works Contractors, Jedburgh on her side. I gave my contact details verbally to the helmsman inviting him to contact me to view the finished product. I'm sure he had far more on his mind going over that aquaduct and has probably forgotten all about it. Anyway, if anyone knows the guy, tell him to contact me at info@5dfineart.com to have a look at the finished framed painting. I would have posted a photograph, but can't work out the system on this site. (It mut be age or something!) The last I heard of Border Reiver was that she moored at King's Bromley marina in the exclusive bit beyond the bridge at the end of the standard marina (where you get two pontoons per boat, electricity and telephone (IIRC)). From memory it had a big Gardner engine in it 4LW or 5LW. Roger

Jo asked: Its Friday afternoon, I am bored at work, and so thought I would ask a question about Fenders. It wasn't something I considered much before reading this Forum, but when the word does arise, it is usually about NOT using them and where not to use them. I admit to having four of the things, black slimline thingys, two dangling each side of the boat, at all times. Even in locks. It seems this is bad practice? I used to think that the fenders were there to "fend" off the boat from the lock sides, and from other boats along side me in said locks, etc. etc. Some comments I have seen lately on the Forum indicate that fenders are not the done thing, especially when sharing locks. Its true that I have been stuck in locks a couple of times, and my fenders have been the culprit, so I am now more careful with them and raise them where required. Anyway, what say you? My opinion is that fenders, including the thin pipe ones, should never be used while cruising and certainly not in locks. In locks you have enough to keep an eye on without worrying about whether you're going to get trapped or hung up on unecessary fendering. Fenders are useful for mooring up only IMO. As my boat builder said many times to me 'It's a contact sport' ;-))) Roger

Jamie asked: Hi I would just like to introduce ourselves we are a new company who build canal boats from shells, sailaways, sailaway lined, and fully fitted narrow and widebeam boats. We would be really grateful if you could take a look at our web site and let us know what you think. Much appreciated Jamie Skater marine It's a very professional looking, impressive and simple site to use but please get the spelling mistakes and typos corrected. There is only one page that I've viewed where there doesn't appear to be an error. It is disconcerting and jarring to see such a good site with such an amount of spelling errors. One that smacks you in the eye is the home page where 'competitive' (as in competition) is spelled 'competAtive' on two occasions (so someone obviously believes that that is the correct spelling). Tidy these things up and it will be a very good advertisement for your business. If you want it proof read for you then contact me off-list. Roger

Blackrose said: Well if the reduction ratio is stamped on my gearbox it's certainly not very obvious. The serial number plate has the serial number and also PRM150 2D if that means anything to anyone? PRM state in their handbook that: The top line on the plate is the serial number and the lower line is the spec of the box (model number, ratio etc). So it would seem likely that your box is a 2:1 ratio. If that is correct (and it seems likely as PRM have stated it) then your prop speed will be 1500 rpm for an engine speed of 3000 rpm. Failing that, then ring PRM direct on 024 7661 7141 or e-mail mail@newage-prm.co.uk

Blackrose asked: What is the figure for a 19" prop? (x 13" pitch) My Isuzu 55 engine is supposed to rev up to 3000 rpm and I have a PRM150 gearbox - does anyone know how fast the prop actually revs? The PRM 150 box is offered with a choice of three reduction ratios (1.5, 2.0 ad 2.8 to 1) so unless you can confirm what ratio your box is, it is impossible to say. It is more likely to be the 1.5 or 2.0 option but that still leaves the calculation rather open. IIRC the ratio is probably stamped on the gearbox serial number plate. Roger

Geoff Hammond wrote: Last week, whilst on the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury, I saw a narrowboat which I thought looked utterly superb. It was a modern tug and somehow it was elegant and strong at the same time. Its name was Levick. I spoke briefly with the owners and they told me it had been built by Richard Hurley and that it was twenty years old - though it looked new. snipped Does any one know the owners of Levick - I should like to ask them a few more questions. If that is the Levick that I think it is, two tone grey with tug deck and the name written in very large letters in white, bought not so long ago from Warwickshire Fly Boats, then I do know the owners, Mike and Angela. Contact me off-list and I'll phone them for you to check that they're agreeable, although I'm sure they will be. Roger