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arbutus

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Everything posted by arbutus

  1. I had the same problem with my 2LW, a Walsh’s rebuild. Although I’ve now sold the boat. I assumed that it was because a fully charged starter battery was spinning the starter motor too fast. The starter motor seemed to behave itself when the starter battery was a bit discharged. I know the battery was discharged because I had a 24v to 12v converter to charge the starter battery. The converter blew a fuse, which went undetected for some time. During this period, the engagement of the starter seemed to get better and better. With a fully charged battery I found that a quick blip of the start button to just flick the starter motor followed by a prolonged push of the button seemed to do the trick (Most times). Could it be that with a cold engine the starter turns more slowly, while with a hot engine the starter motor and its Bendix drive works a lot quicker and has problems engaging with the ring gear because of its speed? My starter had that funny patchy “Cadmium” finish This is all supposition as I never took the starter motor off the 2LW to check how the engagement mechanism actually worked. When I visited the Walsh’s factory I do remember that they mentioned that the starter motor is from a Ford Transit.
  2. I think that you are going to have to compromise on the sleeping arrangements if you want a boat with a solid fuel stove. Most boats have either a convertible dinette for one of the doubles or an arrangement where two singles slide together. Countrywide Cruisers have Sir Melleaus. 58 foot. No pets allowed http://www.countrywide-cruisers.co.uk/sir-melleaus/ Just in case anyone else is looking for a hire boat with a stove, they also have a two-berth boat with stove, Sir Ironside, Again, no pets allowed. http://www.countrywide-cruisers.co.uk/sir-ironside/ Anglo-Welsh have a couple of classes of boats with stoves, starting from various bases http://www.anglowelsh.co.uk/Our-Boats/Our-Boats/2-4-Berth As has been said, Middlewich narrowboats have some boats with stoves Ash: http://www.middlewichboats.co.uk/httpwww.middlewichboats.co.ukclassic-Ash.html Sweet Chestnut: http://www.middlewichboats.co.uk/classic-sweetchestnut.html Willow: http://www.middlewichboats.co.uk/classic-willow.html From the pictures on the web pages I would guess that Ash and Sweet Chestnut were originally Anglo-Welsh boats. Norbury Wharf have Summer Wine http://www.waterwaysholidays.com/boat/nwsummerwine.htm
  3. Although you have the canal companion Welsh Waters, you might like to also get the Collins Nicholson guide to the Llangollen canal. Some people like using the canal companion, others prefer the Nicholson guide. I like using the Nicholson. Amazon.com have it http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Nicholson-Waterways-Guides-Counties/dp/0008101590/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452526417&sr=8-4&keywords=collins+nicholson+canal+guides If you look at the UK amazon site you can look inside the book to get an idea of the layout, the maps and the descriptions. Although the “look inside” does not actually cover the bits of the book you need which cover the Llangollen canal. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Counties-Canals-Collins-Nicholson-Waterways/dp/0008101590/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452526347&sr=8-7&keywords=collins+nicholsons+guide
  4. I’m sure you will have a great time. Here’s some random thoughts. The canal from Trevor to Llangollen is one of the highlights of the trip. Do make sure you have enough time to do the trip if you are leaving your visit there to the end of your week. Try to load a week’s provisions onto the boat before you start off, especially heavy and bulky items as there will not be many places to stop and stock up. Carrying stuff back to the boat on foot can literally be a pain in the neck. Here’s a list for starters beer, wine, milk, bottled water (if you use it), potatoes, fruit, toilet rolls. Ellesmere is the easiest place to stock up mid-trip. You can go up the canal arm and try to find a mooring. The town, and Tesco supermarket are at the end of the canal arm. There is a good delicatessen in the town Vermeulen & son. Make sure you can make a couple of evening meals, just in case you decide to moor overnight in the countryside or you find that you are running late and can’t get to a pub in time. You may like actually cruising and decide to go further than your original plan. Early morning and late evening can be the best times of day to cruise. Do start off early at least one morning when the mist is still on the canal. It’s best to fill the water tank every day. Water points are marked on the canal guides. It can take an hour a day to queue and fill the tank, especially if you like your showers. As the boat will be longer than the canal is wide, make sure you know where to turn the boat when you decide to head back to base. Turning points or winding holes are marked on the canal guides but are not always easy to spot. I’ve met a few hire boats that have missed their turning point and have had to continue to the next point. This added a few hours to their journey and really threw their plans into disarray. When you take over the boat, loading the boat takes time. Space on the boat will be at a premium. For your luggage, either try to use soft bags that can fold and stow, or if you have a car, empty your bags and suitcases and leave the empty suitcases in the car. If you moor in Llangollen there is a ruined castle on a hill that is a pleasant walk and gives good views, Castell Dinas Bran http://www.castlewales.com/dinas.html In Llangollen, I’ve hade some nice food at the Corn Mill. This is just over the bridge, overlooking the river. http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cornmill/ Don’t get confused by the signs in Wales, most are in both English and Welsh. If you decide to go on past Whitchurch, Grindley Brook locks can be a bottleneck with queues of boats, so if you decide to go that far, do allow plenty of time on the return journey. Coming from Llangollen, the first lock you meet will be New Marton. The approach to the lock can be confusing. Just before the lock is a bridge. Before the bridge is a water point, while after the bridge there is only room for a couple of boats to wait for the lock. So at busy times there are boats at the water point, some may be taking on water, others may be waiting for the lock. You don’t want to be cruising past all the boats on the water point and then find they are waiting for the lock and you need to reverse to join the back of the queue for the lock. Narrowboats don’t do reverse very well.
  5. With a mother and three brothers, if they all want separate beds, then you probably want to hire a six berth boat that will probably have two doubles and two singles. Probably between 65 and 70 foot long. For a first trip I’d go for an out and back cruise. If they find they like locks then they can travel for more hours a day before turning round and heading back to base, if they find that they don’t like locks, or if it’s a very wet week, they are not committed to so much travel compared to a circular route. I like the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal especially the southern section from Wolverhampton to Kidderminster. Try Napton Narrowboats from their Autherly Junction base or Countrywide Cruisers from Brewood on the Shropshier Union Canal. As has been said, the Langollen is also a good choice. For decent food try the corn mill in Langollen http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/cornmill/homepage/
  6. How about a few days on The River Thames instead? A different sort of experience to the narrow canals but lots of towns to explore and places to eat. It’s Fairly close to Heathrow and the locks below Oxford are all manned. It’s been a few years since I was last on the Thames so no up to date information unfortunately.
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  8. The photo can be found at http://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw192.2.31.1 It says the boat is moored a Banbury on the Grand Union Canal. Date 1957 – 1962
  9. I hired one of those boats from Napton Narrowboats. The canopy was in two sections so that each side could be opened independently. For security, the sliding sections were secured from inside when leaving the boat. We were asked to make sure that the canopies were unsecured while cruising, as the top corners of the canopy were vulnerable to hitting bridges. With the top unsecured it could slide back on impact and cause less damage. The steel canopies were very heavy to slide. When open it was tricky walking down the side of the boat as there was a long gap without hand holds. Also, the canopy overhung part of the gunnel, so there was less room for feet. For me, on hot days, I like a well insulated cabin with portholes that help keep the interior cool. I can go outside to get sunshine. It could also be difficult to draught proof the canopy to keep the boat warm in cold weather i.e. for most of the year.
  10. I like the new website. On a thirteen inch laptop the pages look clean and are easy to navigate. The new typeface looks good and is easier to read. It makes the old website look ancient.
  11. I can be the third man for a week. Any time as long as I’m back home by around October Fifth.
  12. Although I’ve never boated into Liverpool: Are you aware that you need to book a passage with C&RT to get out of Liverpool via the Liverpool Link you and have to give at least five working days notice? The form can be found from this link https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/liverpool-canal-link There is also some information on the revised arrangements for the Liverpool link that came into effect on First August 2015 https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/4231/liverpool-canal-link Information on assisted passage on the Wigan flight at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/2857/wigan-flight-leeds-and-liverpool-canal As well as the usual guide books to the waterway, you might also find the Boaters Guide useful. This can be downloaded from http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/guides They are worth a look
  13. A bit off topic, but if you are doing a complete risk assessment, have you got enough equipment on board in case someone falls in. My wife fell into the Staffs & Worcs canal. Having a lifebuoy with a line attached was literally a life saver. I was able to pull her into the side of the canal. We then had a problem getting her out of canal as she was in shock, in very cold water, with a damaged shoulder, caused by her falling in. After that incident I carried a rope ladder that could be either hung over a bollard at the stern (after the engine was switched off), or could be secured to the towpath with a mooring pin. I also carried an old wooden ladder on the roof for emergencies.
  14. I’ve just been and checked out the car park by the sanitary station at Greensforge. The lock did open using my standard BWB sanitary station key, although today the gate was already open, the lock was attached by chain to the open gate. There is also a notice saying long term moorers and authorised vehicles only. I don’t know how full the car park gets, but it is fairly small and could get full at a weekend. As an alternative, Ashwood Marina is a very short walk away. Along the road it’s no more than five minutes walk from Greensforge lock. You could give them a ring and try to arrange leaving a car there. The car would be well away from prying eyes.
  15. Here’s a news report and video footage of a farm vehicle damaging the old bridge at Bidford-on-Avon. It happened a couple of days ago. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33143889 And a link to the Avon Navigation Trust restriction notice http://www.avonnavigationtrust.org/Warning%20Restriction%20Notice%20Bidford%20Bridge%20010%20015.pdf
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  17. If you make for the Black Country Museum, then a lot of your holiday will be travelling around the old industrial parts of Birmingham. Fascinating if you like that sort of thing, but maybe not what a lot of people imagine a canal holiday to be. Tardibigge and the center of Birmingham are on a high plateau, so to get off the plateau you need to drop through a number of locks, whichever way you go. I’d look at going down the Stratford canals but turning before Stratford-on-Avon. An out and back trip will give you less stress on cruise timings. You could also turn around a bit earlier and plan to visit the center of Birmingham as well. If you do go down the Stratford canals, the boot inn, two thirds down the Lapworth flight is a bit of a Gastro pub that does good food. Also, there was a banter organised recently at the Bluebell on the north stratford canal http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=72843
  18. As time and distance are no problem, I’d use the Coventry and T&M to Great Heywood, turn right onto the Staffs & Worcs and then at Autherley go up the Shropshire Union. A pretty route, the Shroppie has easy locks and most are in flights.
  19. Occasionally the stove chimney did affect me, but on a still day the fumes exit by by head, at head height, so as the boat moves, the fumes were left behind, as opposed to the engine exhaust which I had to travel into. On a windy day, for most wind directions the stove fumes didn't get to me. Apologies for using the wrong term for the boatman's cabin or back cabin or whatever but I'm sure I got the message across. I should have called it the last 8' 6' of cabin space on the boat
  20. Until recently I had a boat with a Gardner 2LW and a boatman’s cabin. The boat was for holidays only. I really, really didn’t like the exhaust coming through the roof. I had a 28 inch exhaust pipe without a tunnel cutter so that the fumes went straight up. On days with little wind the exhaust fumes just hung about so that the steerer then had to travel through them and on many windy days I still caught the fumes. The exhaust looked to be clean burning but the engine would of course still be converting al least a litre of diesel every hour into gasses which were then hanging about my head. After a full days boating I would develop a cough, which was a bit worrying and my hair became very greasy. I’m not a smoker and I think that with pubs and workplaces now being non-smoking we have all become more used to breathing clean air. Not having a tunnel cutter meant that spiders and brick dust gets dislodged from bridges and tunnels. I did like having an engine room, the slow chug of the engine and the slow speed of the 22x22 propeller. I thought that the BMC area could possibly be redesigned to be more modern and useful depending on how the rest of the boat was used. I loved the stove in the BMC. It made cruising on a sunny but chilly day much more enjoyable. It also made the BMC cosy at night. The sulphurous fumes from the chimney by the steerer were not a problem, although a tin can used to extend the chimney would have been useful.
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  22. Hi Dbonar, There are two main publishers of guide books for the canal systems and each have their merits. These are Nicholson guides and Pearson canal companions. I prefer the Nicholson but you should probably buy both as the cost is small compared to the overall trip and the background information and layout of the guides are very different. Both guides show water points where you will have to fill up with water each day and turning points or “winding holes” where you can turn the boat around as most narrowboats are longer than the canal is wide. Nicholson gives more details of the pubs as well. From Autherley you will need two guides of each type to cover the canals you might visit. The first link is to the UK Amazon site as the latest guide has only just been published and I couldn’t find the latest on Amazon.com. You can “look inside” the four counties guide on the UK site to see what Nicholson guides are like. The other links are to amazon.com Nicholson Four Counties & the Welsh Canals covers the Shropshire Union canal and others http://www.amazon.co.uk/Counties-Canals-Collins-Nicholson-Waterways/dp/0008101590/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1426756056&sr=8-4&keywords=nicholson+guides Nicholson Severn, Avon and Birmingham covers the Staffs & Worcs canal http://www.amazon.com/Severn-Birmingham-Collins-Nicholson-Waterways/dp/0007538987/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426759754&sr=1-7&keywords=nicholson+guide Pearson canal companion Welsh Waters covers the Shropshire Union from Autherley through to Chester http://www.amazon.com/Welsh-Waters-Shropshire-Llangollen-Montgomery/dp/0956277772/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426757829&sr=8-2&keywords=pearson+canal+companion Pearson canal companion Stourport Ring covers the Staffs& Worcs canal http://www.amazon.com/Pearsons-Companion-Country-Birmingham-Navigations/dp/0956277721/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426758391&sr=8-3&keywords=pearson+canal+companion Added only in case you do want the Four counties ring then Pearson Four Counties Ring http://www.amazon.com/Pearsons-Canal-Companion-Navigation-Paperback/dp/B00FFBXJC0/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426759056&sr=1-5&keywords=pearson+canal+companion+four+counties+ring Concerning routes: Personally I wouldn’t do a ring, an out & back trip allows you to learn how many hours cruising you like doing and also adapt to the weather. You ask about Wrenbury, Gailey, Great Haywood, Autherley Junction, or similar spots. From Wrenbury it has to be the town of Llangollen. The trip involves the famous aqueduct and is very rural. Call in at Ellsmere, with it’s mere’s or small lakes for the Tesco supermarket and Vermeulen famous delicatessen in the town center. At Llangollen climb the hill behind the moorings to reach the ruined castle, Castell Dinas Bran. Go for a meal at the Corn Mill which overlooks the river and is the other side of the river to the steam railway. From Autherley go to Stourport. Visit the village of Kinver, you could even climb to Kinver edge and visit the rock houses http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kinver-edge/ Kidderminster has two supermarkets next to the canal. General advice would be Allow one hour every day to fill the water tank Either pack your clothes in soft bags that are easily stowed on board or empty the suitcases and leave them in the car Try to load a weeks worth of the heavy groceries onto the boat at takeover. This saves heavy Carrying during the holiday, eg. Beer, potatoes, whisky, wine, sparkling water. Even if you intend to eat out every night, carry enough food for an emergency main meal in case the pub is shut or you don’t make it as far as you planned on a particular day. I always think that the holiday really stats the morning after you pick the boat up. Pickup day can be hectic, it can be difficult to adjust to the slow pace of the boat if you have just driven to the boat yard at 70mph and it can be awkward to find a pub to stop at on the first night. If you haven’t already found them, look at boaters guides for the canals you are thinking about http://www.waterscape.com/things-to-do/boating/guides
  23. An out and back trip to Chester sounds good. Although Napton Narroboats from their base at Autherley Junction is easier to get to. http://www.napton-marina.co.uk/routes/autherley_junction/one_week_cruises.php Autherley junction is on the outskirts of Wolverhampton in a semi-rural location. There are frequent trains from Birmingham International station to Wolverhampton, the trip takes about half an hour. Birmingham International is on the same site as Birmingham Airport, while Autherley Junction is a short taxi ride from Wolverhampton station. Napton Narrowboats have good eight berth boats. From Autherley there are out and back cruises along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal or along the Shropshire Union canal, although on neither route will you come across a town like Chester. The Staffs & Worcs canal is rural and gently drops down to the river Severn at Stourport so the locks occur intermittently. The Shropshire Union was built at a later date, so has cuttings and embankments with the locks concentrated in a few flights which are very easy to work through.
  24. Ashwood marina normally have a mobile crane booked for the first Monday of every month. Teddesley boat company at Penkridge might still do crane outs with their permanently on-site crane. Their web site says that they do.
  25. I went down to have a look at about midday on Friday. From what I could see, the width of the towpath had been extended at some time and the canal bed goes under the towpath, the towpath being supported on concrete posts. The leak could be under there. You can see the towpath extension from the photos looking towards the Mailbox. There were half a dozen men in bright orange boiler suits in a huddle, having a conference and looking at the drained canal. They were on the ramp leading down from the pedestrian bridge which goes over the turn. There was a scaffold pole stuck in the canal by the towpath where it extends over the canal. Some of the boiler suits being worn were in pristine condition and had Network Rail on the back of them. I assume that whoever they worked for, they had to be wearing the correct orange railway safety equipment before they could enter railway property and go and view the leak from the tunnel.
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