Swallowman

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=21339 Just like the one I bought for the boat some years ago - but cheaper. I have bought lots of Powerfix branded tools from LIDL and the quality is really good at the price. Not quite up to Snap-On but not far short - havn't broken or worn anything out yet.

Course it doesn't work - that's why it was in the cut! SWMBO took a photo of me moored in Gas Street basin up to my armpit down't weed 'ole on our very first cruise on Swallow - first pic on our page of the boat's website. http://www.nb-swallow.co.uk/styled-8/styled-22/styled-24/index.html

It's gone!! River level was lowered to enable some remedial works to the weir just downstream and according to friends who live in the flats opposite, some bods turned up on the Saturday morning to try and pump her out but like Fred Carnot's Army, failed dismally. Consequently the EA came along with the A Team on Sunday and Achilles was back afloat within an hour. it was apparently towed through the lock and away downstream but to where is another question entirely. Strange but true, a smaller red and green narrowboat is now moored where Achilles lay on the opposite side to the Council run moorings..

River level has been lowered considerably and Achilles is now about 85% visible. I took a few pics on my b***dy silly BlackBerry yesterday but I can't extract them to post on here. I have pm'd Dazbot8 but as he hasn't been on here since December last year, i don't hold out much hope. Wouldn't mind betting the EA themselves will pull her out and dispose of as scrap. Don't know what engine it had but it would be pity to lose an old one.

When I bought my first car (1947 Series E Morris 8) in 1969, I bought a Swiss-made Wanner 315 grease gun which I still use on my 1937 Morris 8 and Rover 3 litre cars. There were a few nipples that were difficult to get at with the rigid steel tube from the pump to the nipple connector and I found that by using a flexible rubber brake hose instead of the steel tube, I could get at the awkward nipples much more easily. It strikes me that the TAT nipples need the grease gun to be applied at an almost exact right angle to ensure a tight fit so the brake hose idea may allow a little more leeway if the space is tight. Good luck with all the work, with all Marcus's enthusiasm it will happen.

I always liked the T & M when Swallow was moored at Great Haywood - pretty countryside and nice people.

But if the bottle is already full with the neck under water as seems to be the case here?....... You would need a pump capable of sucking water out faster than it can get back in through the large holes on the top of the superstructure which are under water. I hope Marcus does get Fairstar floating again and wish all good fortune for next week. (Edit for fat finger syndrome)

The only time we were ever stoned was by 10 year olds already known to Police near Wolverhampton. Getting the camera out actually encouraged more of them down onto the towpath and two of of the little fatherless children chased us along the path as we headed North. This happened during a huge storm and the the first place we were able to stop and moor was under the M54 bridge. The Police did offer to come and take statements but because of the age of criminal responsibility...........

it would have been impossible for him to sit on his stool or stand up in Harecastle tunnel - I have only been through once on Swallow and I had to kneel on the rear deck of our semi-trad with my napper just over the parapet to see where I was going. I hit my head several times on the low roof and mentioned at the time on here that I wish I had my "work" bump cap with me.

Draper folding pruning saw to cut ropes and other detritis off the prop; even cuts steel tyre cords! £9.99 well spent.

What this actually means is that there is now no need for a lockie to supervise passage as people are being sensible about it. We went through in both directions last week and there was a lockie there on the way up reading his SUN (looking at the pictures ) and coming down three days later, no-one in sight apart from four elfin safety wallahs who came for a shufti. Lockie told us on the way up that on the day it happened, a boat was approaching the lock as the offside approach wall just gently slid under the boat as it went into the lock; crew a bit shaken but not stirred. The wall is still there under water and the fabric cover is to prevent erosion of the bank as the lock is used.

She was on the bottom of the very shallow pound when we went past last week. Water was coming out from between the planks at the stern as we slid by.

And still resting on the bottom of a very shallow pound when we went past last week. Very sad.