Bobbybass

I have a single drain rod with a 4 inch drain brush on the end.... Have used this for 14 years...and it works great. Its very stiff...I usually do the chimney with a single downward push. Hasn't damaged the lining etc yet. Bob

Thats what I was saying. I note a grid reference and also nearby road/bridge on a post it note. Takes a few minutes but may save your life in attack/fire/medical Bob

I use a cheap satnav (Garmin) and when I moor up I write down our position and bridge numbers etc on a post it note. I also keep a £10 mobile phone...charged... near the post it note. Apart from attack problems...there is also other emergencies such as fire or medical...and I think its too late to start thinking about where you are...if your boat is on fire or you're having a stroke. I don't getr carried away by security etc....but I think for the small outlay...its well worth while. Bob

I have 2....glad I did as one went off a few weeks back and I wasn´t sure I beieved it ? We have a spare ash pan for our Squirrel......one was a little hot so rather than empty it...I put it under the stove. Unknown to me....it wasn´t just hot...it had a few glowing embers...and they started emitting Carbon Yer-backside. Was glad of the 2.... A lesson for me !! Bob

Am I being silly....? Couldn´t you just make a clockwork one ? If you point it at the sun to start with...doesn´t the sun (near enough) follow the same path every day with a small adjustment for seasons. I would have thought that you wouldn´t need it to look for the sun....as the sun will always be in more or less the same place...? Clockwork...?....wada yah reckin ? Bob

There is a film on YouTube somewhere about how to lay a roller coat and then 'brush' it out. Found it : Personally....I would use several thin coats and then wet and dry in between. You need to take out all imperfections between coats...otherwise they get amplified as you add further coats. I used to paint high quality cars by hand. If ytou wanted to achieve a high gloss coat...you built up several colour coats....wet and dry in between...and then start to add a small amount of laqueur to the paint.....then wet and dry...and then more laqueur..until the last coars were pure laqueur....but thats quite a lot of work. If you follow that route you will achieve a great finish..dependant upon just how keen you are ..and how fit!!! Bob

I too..have a Camos dome.....for the past 2 years. I love it...and its matched to a Sky receiver that I bought on Ebay for £15. I pay a £20/ month subscription and that gives me the Discovery chanels...History etc...that I like. The Camos dome only needs a single core standard cable that handles the signal and also the positioning ..and this is controlled by a small 12 volt box that is in our lounge. You can select any one of 8 satellites.....Astra...Hotbird...Sirius..Euterlsat etc.....and it finds it providing there is no tree in the way. THe boat has been well shaken by passing speeders...and doesn't lose the signal...but occasionally in a huge rainstorm it may lose it. The Skybox will only pick up SKY...but I have a splitter/switch in the lead...and that goes into a cheap (No card) receiver..which allows me to watch the other channels/satellite. I had to phone Sky when I got the new style card...and they activated it after I talked through with an engineer. He 'told' me that the phone line allows to use to interactive services.....and also..tells Sky (phones them up at night) what channels you watch..and thats how they (the other channels) get paid...hence..they like you to have a phone line ! If you want to watch Sky at home...you really need to take the whole receiver with you...as taking the card out will tend to deactivate it and you have to phone up again and authorise it. Bob

I passed there a few days back...and although groundwork is done....ie..holes dug etc.....there was NO plant on site. Just a small fenced compound with a couple of Portakabins. Looked like they had run out of money..?...or maybe just stopped for winter. Bob

I got one from Argos for about £50..that has a 'masthead' amplifier...and you plug in a small power adapter inside the boat near the telly. It replaces a rather large one that had big stcky-out vanes and looked like Jodrell bank..and it does a much better job and is quite small. It is still aerial ( aluminium type) shape... I did try one of these little square plastic jobbies....but never got that to work very well. Bob

I was told that these 'tablets' have GPS so they also upload your exact position and thus can log 'overstays' Bob

Another example of how pumpouts...bring husband and wife closer together !! Bob

I guess you use the pumpout pipe as duel purpose to rinse the tank...?? Not a problem...but the pumpout pipe goes to the bottom of the tank and rinse water will not have much impact when flushed down there.. The rinse out pipe terminates at the top of the tank...Mine is at the opposite end to the pumpout pipe...and so the water hits the bottom with some force and then flows down to the pumpout end..giving a good 'flush'. I also put some rinse out water down the pumpout pipe to give a better flush. My wife and I enthusiastically rock the boat about as well and relish the results we observe through the transparent pumpout pipe..... Ahhh....togetherness !!!! Bob

We have a Beta 43 which has done 7000 hours since 1997. Its paired to a PRM160 gearbox. Oil is changed every 200 - 250 hours and the gearbox every 500 hours. Really happy with it. It starts mostly on first turn and I never use the heaters. There is no smoke from the exhaust, and although I check the oil every day it never apperas to use a drop between services. Oil used : Halfords own non-turbo diesel engine oil. The boat is a 60 foot and the engine has pushed it very well on rivers including Thames and Severn several times. I like it. Bob

OK...here are my comments....based upon several years of comprehensive experience.... I fitted my own pump out system...and I'm now really happy with it... The fittings on top of the tank....fit into a friction fit rubber insert....but the angled outlets....are threaded...so you have get a spanner on the top of the friction fit...fitting...and then tighten the angled fitting really tight.You could put some PTFE tape around it as well. Its tempting...to leave the angled outlet pipe loose in order to get it at the right angle...but DO NOT...do that... Get a spanner on the tank outlet fitting..and then screw the outlet pipe down really tight... I used to have the flexible (white) pipes on my pump out...but they stank....the flexible pipe breaks down and nasty gasses permiate through the walls. I'm really p****d off with Lee San for not telling me that !...I wasted so much time and money with the flexible c**p pipe..... Bearing in mind....that Lee San told me ...he does not own a boat...but has a CANOE !!!!!! I replaced it with the grey solvent weld...and I'm really happy with that now. The flexible white hose is like wrestling a python...and the solvent weld is so easy to work with... I do not have the slightest whiff from my system now.... It great...no smell......GREAT !!! Bob

Once clean...I get several tins of ordinary shoe polish from pund shop...and brush it over. Although the canavas doesn't absorb the polish..it makes the water roll off.

I was 'told' that once you have blacked with a product, you cannot easily change. If it is bitumen you may have to have it shot blasted if you wish to use something else... Bob

Thanks for your replies... My worry was that it was a problem with my attachments. I have now found several pump out nozzles wrapped in masking tape....so its a common problem. I have made a circle of Blue Tac...and that works great.. Thanks all. Bob

Hi. I normally cruise the canal network, but we are on the Thames for a month. I have had 2 pumpouts so far...one at an EA lock and the other at a boatyard. Its been a total pain to get the pump to work properly as they seem to suck air ? I have checked all of my pipework which is solvent weld...and there is no apparent problem with leaks ?. There is no back pressure in the remote tank as I have a vetus vent which is clear...and I remove the rinse valve when pumping out. I thought I maybe had a blockage...so I went rooking about through the removable service hatch (nice !) and the mascerator has been doing its job. There was nothing that wasn't the consistency of Muligatawny soup (sorry...is it tea time ?)...and my wife emptied some water down the pumpout pipe which flushed into the tank. Is there something different about the Thames pumpout fittings ?. I seem to have problems getting them to 'sit' and seal ? I put a lot of weight on top of the pumpout valve and could hear the 'hissing' noise diminish around the edge where it contacts my valve. The pumpout handles had the 'O' ring in place.. I haven't had this problem on the canals ?. Is it just the Thames or do you think I have a problem I'm missing ? Thanks. Bob

Someone told me that the new 'boating' ULS fuel will be dyed blue to identify it and stop people using 'red'. Any truth in that ? Bob

Accordinging to the new discrimination laws etc that came into powere this week...where you can claim discrimination even if it doesn't affect you...you may have a claim against the hire company even if they were not witness to it. You could claim that even though you were not a d**k head....by calling you a f**k**g d**k head...he was being abusive against the people who are d**k Heads...and you were offended on their behalf ! Bob

Bob

I fitted the whole kit and kaboodle pump out from Lee San using a 60 gallon under bed tank. After a year...there was a nasty sharp sort of smell that came from the flexible white hose that they provided. I tried many ways to hide this...but eventually gave up...went back to Lee San....had an argument that their ' flexible pipe was fine....it must be me'...and then I bought solid solvent weld pipe. This is wonderful...I no longer have the slightest smell from this...and would recommend people to fit it rather than the flexible. The flexible isn't that flexible either..its like wrestling a python !. I used Lee San..gentle sweeping bends to avoid blockage. Bob

Are you the Laurence Hogg of video fame ?. Well done.....I enjoyed them immensely. I agree with you...Volunteers are always wonderful people in any organisation but you need 'pay' to make sure that they are always there. It is hard enough scheduling paid/employed people to do work without them walking away...or taking on other commitments at the last minute. I have worked for charities as volunteer...and run charity shops. You often find that everyone takes the same day off...or has family commitments. This is definatly not a knock at volunteers !...but I agree with Laurence..If BW was properly run by real workers instead of something else that starts with a 'W'...it would be a whole lot better ! Bob

Hi... Yes...silly me..I meant the 8 steel bolts...not nuts. Mine is like the one in the picture.....but I do not have a bearing like the black one you have. My stern tube follows the centreflex and that is bolted to a cross member. The 4 studs that you can see on the right hand side are like mine. I bolted them up and one just started to get longer....and was in danger of hitting the gearbox housing. I hardly had them done up tightly at all so I am reluctant to use them in any way to 'lock' the shaft...as they seem so bloody fragile. Maybe..you are right about the 8 heavy duty bolts..maybe I need to put some back to take the strain from the stuck one ? I know that when you have them all undone...you then insert some back into the second set of holes in the left hand flange and do them up tight...which forces the joint apart with a bang....so I'm 'told' I may try the weedhatch route..that sounds like my best bet. Thanks for all your comments. Bob

I was realigning my engine/ prop shaft and loosened the 4 studs that hold the centreflex to the gearbox (PRM160) When I did them back up again...with no effort at all...I started to strip one of the studs out of the aluminium casting ! Now..I could ask why one end of the centreflex has 8 serious 3/4 head steel nuts...and the other end is held by 4 flimsy studs tapped into aluminium..but I wont !! I now have to remove the centreflex and get the stud helicoiled....but my problem is that one..just one of the s*****g 3/4 nut won't shift. How do you lock the propellor shaft so that it wont rotate when you heave on the nut ? I have tried jamming things down around the centreflex..but it's going to need serious force to loosen this last nut. I thought about opening the weed hatch and jamming the prop..but this seems a bit desperate. Is there a simple tequnique ? Bob