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Doug Scullery

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Everything posted by Doug Scullery

  1. Doug Scullery
    I'll certainly give it a bash next time I fill the water tank, from memory I'm not sure I'll be able to get the stern high enough without risking flooding the bow deck, though.
  2. Doug Scullery
    I was thinking of something like that, I was picturing a G clamp but i think mole grips might be better, do you think they've got the holding power? I was wondering about drilling a couple of holes in the rudder and bolting piece of sheet steel on, but how does one drill a hole under water?
  3. Doug Scullery
    I was attaching the risers to my boat today and I noticed some damage to my rudder, the top part with the rudder eye in it that stops the rudder from going too far either way was bent over at 90 degrees and the rudder was able to move freely under the counter. The bend looked decidedly cracked and indeed when I tried to bend it back the top part came off in my hand with virtually no force at all. I didn't notice anything when I was moving the boat yesterday but my best guess it that the boat moved too far back while locking down and the rudder was pushed hard against the cill. When I first bought the boat the same part of the rudder was bent over but to nowhere near as large a degree, I straightened it out by putting a bar through the rudder eye and bending it back by hand. My questions at this point are many: How serious is this? I assume that the rudder being able to swing round means that it can make contact with the prop but how likely is this to happen? Is there some sort of makeshift solution to stop this? Will this be an expensive repair? Do I need a new rudder? (the boat has only just been blacked and I wasn't planning on having her out of the water for a few years) Is this the sort of thing I might be able to claim on my insurance? Obviously I don't want my premium to go up but I'm mega skint at the moment, I really can't afford any kind of repairs. Any help appreciated.
  4. Doug Scullery
    Very much so. At the moment it's barely moving at all, there'd need to be alot of rain before it caused anyone any problems, however if there is rain talk to the locals (message me if you want an up to the minute gauge, I moor on the river in Saltford), boating down here is lovely but no fun at all when the levels are up. Two things to bear in mind about heading to Bristol are a) The section below Hanham lock is tidal, it's a geat cruise and really not scary if you've never been on a tidal section before but you do have to time it right for the tides, the best thing to do is call Netham Lock on your way down river, they like to know when they're expecting boats and will fill you in if there's anything you need to know. Also, Bristol Harbour is a fantastic place to go but it belongs to Bristol City Council not BW so you need to buy a visitors licence from them. edit to add: I've just been outside and if the leaves and whatnot floating on the water are telling the truth the river is actually flowing backwards where I am right now, there's no wind so I guess it must be.
  5. Doug Scullery
    Thanks for all the help, everyone. I think I'm going to go down the new hub route, it's only a tenner and I could easily spend that trying to find the right Allen key, I do have a set of smaller imperial sizes but it's definitely not them. At least this way I know that next time this happens I'm just dealing with standard parts and tools. In reply to an earlier question that I missed, I would estimate the mileage at about 1000 road and towpath miles, 2000 tops. This on a branded bike that retailed at around £400. Now it does get kept outside and the towpath does get pretty muddy but I'm still seriously unimpressed with this hub, the bearings were absolutely filthy, and although the seals looked much like the Shimano ones I'm used to you could feel that they were effectively decorative. Unfortunately each visit to the shop we bought it from will cost me £7 in bus fare, that plus the inevitable time it'll take for them to sort something out means they're gonna get away with this one. Clearly I've found where Specialized skimped on componentry on this bike, for the price point it came with unusually nice tyres, rims, shifters etc (the parts you can see!), I predict discovering that the headset, bottom bracket etc are equally shoddy. Let's hope at the very least I don't need rare tools to remove them!
  6. Doug Scullery
    The shop's a fair way away so as much as I think this should be their problem I think it'll be less work overall just to do the rebuild. It's probably about time I learned anyway. Thanks Henk. I'll let you know if I get stuck. Oh, one more question. Does anybody know if the Sram cassette will go straight onto a Shimano freehub? edit: Crazy, it looks like the complete hub/freehub is cheaper than a freehub alone http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=81858
  7. Doug Scullery
    Oh dear, what you're describing sounds exactly what I'm looking at here, what an awful, wasteful bit of design. As you said the alloy of the hub looks just like the Deore hub on my mountain bike, bar not being painted (and the fact that the seals are absolute pants, the bearings were frighteningly filthy for a 6 month old road-only bike). I've never attempted a wheel rebuild but I am confident at trueing up wheels, are you saying that the lacing is the easy bit and the trueing the hard bit? I'd been led to believe the opposite.
  8. Doug Scullery
    Well spotted. I've had another look down there and I can definitely see 3 slots, I will try adding the number 3 etc to my search terms and see if that turns anything up. I think that was the thread that first sent me in search of 12mm Allen keys. I've tried from both sides but unfortunately the holes are too small. I'm still open to the idea that it may need an 11mm Allen key from one side or other, looks like I'm going to be waiting for one of those to be delivered before I can even find out whether I can replace it with a standard unit. (really, really hope so!) From appearances I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be replaceable, but I can't be sure. Aside from the lack of an 8mm Allen bolt it looks just like the Shimano STX/Deore hubs I've had in the past as well as the brandless copies on cheaper bikes, I can't see any sign of rivets. It'll be a real waste if I can't replace it, the rims are actually really nice for the price of the bike, I'd have to go down the getting the wheel rebuilt route rather than replacing the whole wheel with a throwaway job. I'll try the oil trick, I've had similar stuff work before but there's something about the way it's stuck that feels terminal, if you know what I mean, like it's caused by a broken mechanism rather than just gummed up with dirt.
  9. Doug Scullery
    The freehub on my girlfriends bike (Specialized Expedition Elite) has given up after a little over 6 months use (it's sticking when trying to coast as opposed to disengaging when trying to pedal), very disapointing. I've taken the cassette (which is an Sram 8 speed) off and removed the axle and bearings as per usual. What I'm used to finding here is an tubular 8mm allen bolt that allows the freehub to slide off the hub, but an 8mm allen key goes right through. I tried a 10mm and that is also way too small, did a bit of Googling and it seems that some brandless hubs use 12mm allen keys (which I didn't even realise existed). I tracked down a 12mm allen key for under £2 in the plumbing section of Toolstation rather than the £8-9 Park Tools etc offerings but that is way too big, it wont even fit into the hole. Now before I spend time and money looking for an illusive 11mm allen key, can anybody tell me if I'm looking for the right thing. The picture shows some kind of grooves inside the hub, but they look much further down than I would expect and I'm not convinced they are for an allen key at all. I have some memory of the bike being advertised as having a "silent freewheel" (not that it was ever silent in the first place) but I can't find any info about that online now. There is no visible branding on the hub or freehub. If I do manage to get this piece of crap off (it's on a fairly nice double walled rim, as well) am I going to be able to replace it with a standard issue Shimano or similar or am I going to be faced with either tracking down another fragile "silent" freehub or rebuilding the whole wheel? Any help appreciated.
  10. Doug Scullery
    CRT Tweeted to say that we are almost certainly looking at another stoppage https://twitter.com/CRTContactUs/status/334328347398139904 Great edit They have now said "@dougscullery The engineer has said we are monitoring the issue with lock 11 and working with our contractor to develop a repair solution." Whatever that means
  11. Doug Scullery
    You got diesel? I could do with a little top up.
  12. Doug Scullery
    This looks like a recipe for disaster in so many ways.
  13. Doug Scullery

    Paint

    Doug Scullery replied to RickH's topic in General Boating

    I've used three brands of boat paint. The very expensive Craftmaster, which is excellent in every way, the equally expensive "Narrowboat Colours" which was also perfectly decent, but I believe is widely seen as a sub-par imitation of Craftmaster and the slightly cheaper Rylards, which I have achieved a decent finish with but it's not quite as easy to apply as Craftmaster. As someone else said, if you go with a recognised brand you can't go too wrong. I have taken to adding a slosh of Owatrol Oil, which is a "rust inhibitor and paint conditioner", to each coat, it thins the paint a little which makes it easier to apply (especially crucial with Rylards) and the whole inhibiting rust thing can't be a bad thing.
  14. Doug Scullery
    Yeah, I know. I never said it was a new article.
  15. Doug Scullery
    Accidentally double posted and don't seem to be able to edit from my phone. Please either delete this thread or use this space to discuss pumpout v cassette.
  16. Doug Scullery
    Did a bit of Googling to see how hire firms market themselves to the stag and hen parties that have been discussed lately and came across this article: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/a-stagdo-backwater-that-floats-my-boat-6813249.html Made slightly bizarre reading, definitely a fresh perspective!
  17. Doug Scullery
    Did a bit of Googling to see Howe hire firms market themselves to the stag and hen parties that have been discussed lately and came across this article: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/a-stagdo-backwater-that-floats-my-boat-6813249.html Made slightly bizarre reading, definitely a fresh perspective!
  18. Doug Scullery
    That's probably it. Means that pale non-slip is possibly the best of both worlds, cool in the sun but no problems with glare.
  19. Doug Scullery
    I often take my cassettes to the disposal point in a bike trailer. When it's wet this leads to them being splattered with mud from the back tyre. The easiest thing to do is to dunk the empty cassette in the canal before I bring it inside. I'm always afraid that a passer by is going to hear a splash, look over, see me pulling a cassette back on board from the offside and assume the worst.
  20. Doug Scullery
    Algae plays an important part in the ritual sacrifices that take place on the western K&A
  21. Doug Scullery
    Hmm, I wonder what is different about either our boats or our eyes that makes it a problem for me but not for you.
  22. Doug Scullery
    I've always wanted one of those, finding slipways to get it in and out would be a pain in the ass but they're so pretty. I remember seeing a company a while back that were converting 4X4 pickups (I think they were either Toyota Hilux or Ford Rangers, something like that) into amphibious vehicles, with one of those you really could go anywhere. They weren't even close to as pretty as the Amphicars, though.
  23. Doug Scullery
    Do you have a car? You could attach it to the back somehow and then enjoy the confused look on peoples faces as they wonder if it's amphibious.
  24. Doug Scullery
    OT but is that your shiny white roof? Do you find you get snow blind? I had a white undercoat on my roof for a little while and moving in the sun was absolute hell.
  25. Doug Scullery
    You actually said "dirty boaters" and "dirty people" as well as assuming that a) these boats are being lived on and, more importantly, that all of them, as a group, throw their sewage in the canal. How could you possibly know that? Do you watch these people 24 hours a day to ensure they never visit an Elsan disposal point? No, you don't, you see one person doing a bad thing and assume that all the people you percieve to be "like them" must do exactly the same thing, and then state that on a public forum as if it's some kind of fact. I did not suggest that you were rich, I suggested that you are automatically blaming bad things that happen on those with less money than you. An assumption, sure, but nothing compared to your assumption above, when somebody mentions dirty people on poorly maintained permanently and semi-permanently towpath moored boats it is not crazy to assume that these people probably have a lack of money, and that the person labelling and making unfounded accusations against said people is probably more comfortable, financially. At no pont did I suggest you were rich, I suggested you were better off than the people you are pointing a finger at, and at no point did I suggest that you have a brand new hyper shiny boat, but I do assume you have a better maintained boat than the dirty boats you speak of. Are you gonna tell me that either of those assumptions is wrong? (obviously I'm not asking you to means test the "dirty people" you seem so afraid of, but based on your observations of their lifestyle do you really think they might be better off than you?) edit: I don't know how to do a b followed by a ) without it showing up as a
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