boatyboy

Hi guys.Can someone point me in the right direction as to how i upload pictures to this sight,As i have a Sterling split charge diode,and i need to know how to wire it up to my alternator/starter battery/and domestic batteries(4 0ff).Its about 8" long x 4" wide x 2.5" deep,Has 4 large nut and bolt terminals on top.one with red paint on the end,and the other three black paint. The unit has heat sink fins top and bottom. Hope yu can help . Thanks Dave

Hi.Having a bit of trouble with my batteries not charging up enough.I had 4 new batteries fitted last year.I had them checked, they are all ok. Alternator ok too. The Alternator fitted is 50 amp .Can i replace with a larger output model. And can anyone give me a guide as to what upgrade i can go to safely. The engine is a 1.7 Vetus,yellow,and only one 'v' belt fitted. the engine is 9 years old. Ta in Advance............Dave

Hi.I had the same problem,now i've found it after nearly two years !! Just found out that there was no hose linking the deck filler (on floor of well deck up front)to the water tank. The brass fitting was just slid into the tank with no rubber hose between them. So after ripping the boat apart to get at the tank,water has stopped coming into the boat. One othe thing to check is the outlet for your shower pump out.I've got one of those plastic boxes with bilge pump and float switch.there was no mastic around the skin fitting and watse water was running back into the boat. Good luck....Dave

Sorry if you feel i have "Ranted" over this issue,but we met 2 boats coming down who enquired of us how far up we were going.We told them over the summit. Not sure you will make it one boater said,Why i asked him? Because there is not a lot of water up there.He had to call on BW to help him out.So there you go matey,i think i was right in informing other boaters who were thinking of going up the narrow.I know i would have been please of prior notice of the conditions !!!! So please don't turn this around as if i'm just a moaner with nothing else to do but alarm people when its not needed !!!

Evening everyone.Guess what ??? I had a phone call today from Tesco head office to discuss the trolley issue with me.They were so apologetic about what happened to us at Staleybridge. There is action being taken against stores for the loss of trolleys,and are ...In his words "We are setting up a team as i speak to drag the canal at Stalebridge", as they have also had recent complaints about several other canal side stores. They are now in discusion about fitting the pound lock gatget on all the trolleys. So there you go.when and if anything happens we will never know.But just goes to show that possibly the small guy can get things moving. Thanks to all who have given me contact details. I will still try to contact those people. Dave PS....don't hold your breath eh !

Cheers for that Nat.I will check it out right now.

I have emailed the local Paper regarding this,and have not had a reply to it.I emailed the customer care dept at whalybridge Tesco,no reply there.I have also scanned the net to see if i could find a way of contacting Tesco Chairman David Ried,but not found anything. Short of phoning the store to speak to the manager,i don't know what to do next,as it sounds like they are not interested anyway. If anyone is better at locating contact details higher up in tescos please forward them to me please. We are now well away from the Huddersfield narrow,but i'm still peed'd off at what happened to us. Dave and Di (still in Bugzworth basin in the rain)

Saw one a while back called 'grumpy git' and another called 'wet dream'

We decided to try the Huddersfield Narrow from the Ashdon end.Bad move.......We struggled through 4 locks and then became stuck in an old swing bridge hole just before bridge 104.We had to call the BW emergency number for assistance.they arrived an hour later and managed to rope haul us back out.They proceeded to drag the bridge hole and if i hadn't seen it for myself i would not have believed it.They pulled out 3 Tesco shopping trolleys and two push bikes,and a few other rusty items that nearly filled their truck up. Off we went again only to get stuck in the long bridge hole below the lock 6 near to Staleybridge.We were pulled back out again.This time two more efin trolleys a bike and a wheel barrow. We finally made it to the moorings just outside......yes you've guessed it Bl***y Tescos new superstore..The whole episode had taken 3 hours to cruise half a mile. During the evening after a few drinks we decided that in the morning we would turn back. We set in the morning through lock 7 to the winding hole after it. Guess what.....yeah you got it...A bl**dy Tesco shoping trolley and another push bike.This time we had no help,but i managed to drag them out with my boat hook.So now we were able to turn and go back down. The waterways guys were brilliant and could not have done more if they tried.They did tell us that in one day after lots of complaints they pulled out 150 + Tesco shopping trolleys. We do realise that it is due to the low water which made us get stuck,but Tescos know the trolleys get thrown in and refuse to put the pound release gadget on thr trolleys because in their words "Our customers don't like them" This problem must be sorted out,as people are just not going to risk it. tonight we have recieved a message from waterscape about the shortage of water on the Huddersfield narrow, and how best to save water. We are now in Bugzworth basin on the peak forest canal with about 10 other boats,sounds like the words out eh?

Why???I would have started it in that section if i was telling folk about stoppages !!

Waterways guy has just been and topped up our pound..He is now in the process of filling the next one up.So all clear for tomorrow.But he said we are not in the clear even though we are going down hill,as there are several empty pounds that way to.Oh the joy of boating in the summer. The wife and i both agree that it is almost better cruising in the winter.

Hi again everyone.We have now moved on from Todmorden on the Rochdale heading up stream and moored up below lock 35 (one lock before the locked summit lock) We can't go any furthur as there is hardly any water in the pound before lock 36.The pound we are in is gradually going down and we are developing a list to port. Yesterday just after the Guillotine lock at Todmorden it soon became evident that we were going to get stuck,which we did!! after much pushing of poles we got over that lump just to get stuck again. We were all on the boat in the middle of the Canal and were begining to wonder what we were going to do.we managed to push to bows over to the bank and both son and i made a 6' leap of faith to the shore where we were then able to go to the next lock and let some water down.This we had to do for the next few locks where we found the pound above virtually empty,so we could go no further.So we decided to stop for the night.We called BW and reported the lack of water,and two guys were there with us before we had even got up.they wanted us to cast off strait away. this we did and they stayed with us for the next 4 locks.Their was low water in every pound, unti we got where we are now. At least we will be going down hill tomorrow so will be taking the water with us. Just how bad is this prob going to get we asked the BW guys..their answer was "If it don't rain the canal will be closed in under 3 weeks. Hope you don't think i'm scare mongering but i thought you all might like to know and make the relevant phone calls before setting off. Dave

Hi guys. We are presently cruising along the Calder and Hebble canal,but at the moment we are moored up at Sowerby Bridge.I hope some of you will back me up in saying the locks on here are some of the worst maintained locks on the whole system.We knew that we needed the wooden spike for the locks but some of the cog gears on the works are so badly worn out that they get stuck and won't go up or down,I've already broken one spike!! There are a couple of locks where they only have that type on the top gates, and we just could not fill the lock until a boat came along with a massive spike about 6ft long.even then it was bending a lot. Next thing to grieve me was the hand rails around the tops of the gates.Hand rails are for holding onto.....am i right? but the paint that has been "Balmed on" over the years without any deflaking before hand is flaking off everywhere,which then has sharp edges,and my wife cut her hand on the paint. Are British Waterways so short of money that they are leaving the locks so badly maintained that they are dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have noticed that along the way there are lots of lovely new signs reminding tow path users that they must respect other users of the tow path,ie cyclists who must 'ting ting' twice to alert the ever increasing joggers/dog wakers (another subject i could rant on for years) and joe public out for a nice Sunday stroll. Its obvious BW has more interest in the safety of land lubbers than the actual people who pays the yearly licence fee. Right ....Now shoot me down in flames if you like,but from speaking to other boaters we have met over the last two years of our continuous cruise they all feel the same.Rant over for now.Feel free to mention the K&A,whick i now put in second place.Feel like starting a league ? Dave

Hi Christine.Thanks for the link,i will check it out. Cheers Dave

Good evening guys and Girls.Not been able to find the answer to this question on here,so here goes...Do any of you have or know the method or a link to paint coloured spirals on my barge pole.I want to use the 4 coloures of my boat.Perhaps its obvious what you do really. So can you help please. Dave and Diane moored up for the night above Kings road lock on Aire and calder (i think) or is it the calder and Hebble? N/B URQUHART CASTLE

Grand Union canal near Brentford last year around May time.I was walking ahead to do a lock and saw something black floating in the canal about 4 feet from the bank. It was a Canon Cybershot digital camera still in its paddes case. In the case was a couple of data cards.I dried them out and could not believe that they would be ok. But they were fine.One card was blank the other was full of pics of a young couple on Holiday abroad,also lots of shots of a new born baby.plus a few slightly naughty pics,nothing porno though . I still have the cards and have been wondering how i could get the cards back to the rightfull owner. So if anyone could point me in the right direction i would be very gratefull,and so would the owners. Dave

Evening guys and Gals.Wife and I are presently moored on the Aire and Calder,soon to be on the Calder and Hebble.We both remember from our hire boat days (20 year apprenticeship) using a wooden spike to open certain paddles on the locks.Well i need to make one during my visit this week home in Essex. Do any of you have any dimensions and /or pictures of said spike.If you do could you email the details please to ds9150@googlemail.com The reason for asking for emails as i can never find my posted topics once posted on here......Is it just me ?. One other question my wife just reminded me to ask is....Our narrowboat is 57' long,and i believe the locks on the C&H are only 58'. How tight will it be in the locks? Choose your answer carefully...hehe Thanks Dave and Di Narrowboat Urquhart Castle.

We feel the same about bl**dy dog mess. Yes i know its been on here lots of times.Don't you think its time the dog food makers printed the dangers of dog mess on the bags and tins? The other day on the L&L i walked up to do a lock and there was a purple bag of doggy do hanging on the lock winding spindle. I obviously had to take it off,then moral dilemer time.Do i just drop it on the floor which then makes me look as bad as the offending dog owner.No i carried it on the boat until we found a dog mess bin. I know you all feel the same way as we about the little bags hanging in the trees...So why can't these bags be made of bio-degradable plastic like super market ones?? Dave

No shortage of water this end of the L&L.Left rodley this morning heading towards the Aire and Calder.All the way down the lock no problem.The by washes were flowing well with at least a 3" of water going over. With the River Aire flowing so close for quite a distance why can't some of that water be pumped up into the canal ?? We are in Clarence Dock in the centre of Leeds now for a couple of days and i highly reccomend it,lots of space with water and hook up.All looks bright and clean. Dave

Do i know you

Not sure how many like us two were sucked in by the artical in WaterWays world about Google earth street view.now doing a Canal view? It was due to start early April.So we waited and waited for it to start,and it never did. DOUGH !!!!!! It was all april 1st joke.However joke it may have been but why not? Come on be honest and confess if you were taken in. Dave and Diane......NB URQUHART CASTLE just south of skipton L&L canal

I'm for keeping them down.I have the flush mounted rings,5 down each side in fact,but we only use to front and the rear ones.I make my own rope fenders that are a lot slimmer than shop bought ones.When we first got our boat she had those gastly solid rubber ones about 18" long,5 down each side.Well we lost 6 of those whithin the first half dozen locks.. Final note why i keep em down is that they have saved my blacking no ends. Dave

Hi Again guys. Can any of you throw some light on this confusing problem regarding my compact 1300 watt Candy washing machine?? Firstly i have an 1800 watt inverter on my narrow boat. But it will not run the candy even on a no heat setting,but it works ok on land line hook up. This is now the part that baffles me......It works fine on my Honda 1.0 kw suitcase generator,yes 1.0 kw !! My inverter works everything else on boat..Henry Vac...Telly...Drills...Kettle etc etc... So what is going wrong?? we are both very frustrated as we have only just installed the washer.Final note is that our previous washer was a Candy compact and until it blew up worked fine on the inverter. Please help..........Dave and Di on NB URQUHART CASTLE. currantly moored near the Anderton lift (29.4.10)

Thanks Allan and Alan. Yes see your point with that.Its just that nowadays i just tend to go along with most things she says,anything for a quiet life if you know what i mean. The thing is with this one is that i knew i was right,as i am a boat builder and have fitted lots of these type of fridges.and i thought it would be nice if i were right for a change. But i love her dearly and we are still talking...Hehe

UREKA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew i was right,all of you have backed up my small argument.I have just shown Diane your answers,and she has conceded her side of the disagrement,and now she's in a huff. I did actually know most of the things you have told me,but she would not take it from me, Thanks again guys. We are actually still speaking, as i do still want my sunday lunch. before someone says i should be cooking it for her as its Mothers day.She's not my Mother