Jump to content

RCR to the... actually no don't bother


magictime

Featured Posts

"Hello River Canal Rescue, how can I help?"

 

"Well my engine made a funny noise when I went into tickover a while back and it's felt and sounded like it's struggling ever since."

 

"OK. Have you checked to see if there's anything on the propeller?"

 

"I will do, but I don't think it's that... I know what that feels and sounds like and this seems different."

 

:blush:

prop.jpg

  • Horror 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, magictime said:

"Hello River Canal Rescue, how can I help?"

 

"Well my engine made a funny noise when I went into tickover a while back and it's felt and sounded like it's struggling ever since."

 

"OK. Have you checked to see if there's anything on the propeller?"

 

"I will do, but I don't think it's that... I know what that feels and sounds like and this seems different."

 

:blush:

prop.jpg

So where are you?  Its not dirty enough to be Manchester or varied enough to be London or Birmingham. Liverpool prop fouls looked like that a few years ago but are less extensive of late. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, dmr said:

So where are you?  Its not dirty enough to be Manchester or varied enough to be London or Birmingham. Liverpool prop fouls looked like that a few years ago but are less extensive of late. ?

You're clearly a connoisseur! Well, we've just spent the past nine days - since I last cleared the prop! - going over the Huddersfield Narrow, through Manchester down the Ashton Flight and Rochdale Nine, and along the Bridgewater (as far as Stockton Heath when that photo was taken). So my guess is that most of it probably is Manchester crap, but that some more rural Bridgewater straw finally broke the camel's back.

 

I think I may make it a policy in future to clear the prop after Manchester whether I'm experiencing symptoms or not. Then again, I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that with the vision of floating syringes - at least four in lock 91 this time - still fresh in my mind...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, magictime said:

I think I may make it a policy in future to clear the prop after Manchester whether I'm experiencing symptoms or not. Then again, I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that with the vision of floating syringes - at least four in lock 91 this time - still fresh in my mind...

If you clear it in Manchester while still thinking about syringes you'll be extra careful.  If you wait till you get to Lymm you may forget to take as much care and could still have one stuck in the plastic ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

If you clear it in Manchester while still thinking about syringes you'll be extra careful.  If you wait till you get to Lymm you may forget to take as much care and could still have one stuck in the plastic ...

*shudder*

 

Yeah you're probably right. Might buy some gardening gloves to go inside my big red rubbery weed hatch gloves...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, magictime said:

You're clearly a connoisseur! Well, we've just spent the past nine days - since I last cleared the prop! - going over the Huddersfield Narrow, through Manchester down the Ashton Flight and Rochdale Nine, and along the Bridgewater (as far as Stockton Heath when that photo was taken). So my guess is that most of it probably is Manchester crap, but that some more rural Bridgewater straw finally broke the camel's back.

 

I think I may make it a policy in future to clear the prop after Manchester whether I'm experiencing symptoms or not. Then again, I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that with the vision of floating syringes - at least four in lock 91 this time - still fresh in my mind...

When we went up the Rochdale 9 there was a bloke sat on the ground using one of the mooring bollards as a sort of tiny table to prepare his fix. His staffie came running towards us and I expected trouble but it was just looking to adopt a better class of owner.

 

Helping a friend down through Newton Heath she had a huge prop foul. We got it off and put it on the roof to dispose of later....then realised it was full of huge leeches.

 

.............Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, dmr said:

...then realised it was full of huge leeches.

 

.............Dave

That's no way to talk about Mancunians.

 

Ashton canal is notorious for prop fouling, wait till you get the full sari funeral cloth on the prop. Beware the coconuts.

I've had jackets, trousers, electrical cable and tonne bags on props before now.

But its a pleasant enough canal to cruise, the locals are generally friendly even if drunk or drugged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last year on the L&L a hire boat came past us when we were moored up, the boat was doing maybe 1mph as the bow came alongside, then as the stern approached I realised the engine was doing about 2000rpm. I shouted to them they had a prop foul and helped them pull to the bank and then offered some advice on clearing it. As they started to get it off, the end of a long 14mm blue rope started to appear. After a few moments, one of the crew said "so that explains where the rope off the back of the boat went".

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Ashton canal is notorious for prop fouling, wait till you get the full sari funeral cloth on the prop. Beware the coconuts.

I've had jackets, trousers, electrical cable and tonne bags on props before now.

But its a pleasant enough canal to cruise, the locals are generally friendly even if drunk or drugged.

Yeah it's OK, but I'm having to revise my opinion about it being better than it was for prop fouling. Our old boat had a petrol outboard and I remember having to pull something (usually a plastic bag) off the propeller about once an hour when we cruised through Manchester about six years ago. On the two occasions we've been through more recently, I've not been aware of anything getting round the prop... but evidently that doesn't mean it hasn't been happening. Evidently just the difference between boats/props.

Edited by magictime
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, magictime said:

You're clearly a connoisseur! Well, we've just spent the past nine days - since I last cleared the prop! - going over the Huddersfield Narrow, through Manchester down the Ashton Flight and Rochdale Nine, and along the Bridgewater (as far as Stockton Heath when that photo was taken). So my guess is that most of it probably is Manchester crap, but that some more rural Bridgewater straw finally broke the camel's back.

 

I think I may make it a policy in future to clear the prop after Manchester whether I'm experiencing symptoms or not. Then again, I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that with the vision of floating syringes - at least four in lock 91 this time - still fresh in my mind...

Dmr is ‘The Connoisseur’ of the fouled prop. 

 

All your crap will be the Rochdale 9, I guess. Looked filthy the other week. 

 

A good pointer with the needles. 

I usually only worry about fish hooks. 

 

 

It’s not uncommon to see someone ‘shooting up’ in Manchester. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, magictime said:

Yeah it's OK, but I'm having to revise my opinion about it being better than it was for prop fouling. Our old boat had a petrol outboard and I remember having to pull something (usually a plastic bag) off the propeller about once an hour when we cruised through Manchester about six years ago. On the two occasions we've been through more recently, I've not been aware of anything getting round the prop... but evidently that doesn't been it hasn't been happening. Evidently just the difference between boats/props.

Sometimes just a bread bag round the prop is enough to hinder, other times it’s not until I catch some rope, a woolly jumper and whatever else. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Sometimes just a bread bag round the prop is enough to hinder, other times it’s not until I catch some rope, a woolly jumper and whatever else. 

I find bags the worst, I think they fill with water and cause problems, you give a burst of reverse and you think they have gone only to slowly inflate with water again 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I don't mind the bags and stuff (in the picture) , it's the human arm you've got there that worries me. 

We were doing a canal cleanup at Mill Hill on the L&L a couple of years ago with a bunch of Scouts in canoes.  One of the kids hooked a leather bike jacket, and when it came out of the water it had fingers protruding from the sleeves.

 

Sharp intake of breath from all the adults present, but it was OK - it turned out to be a Guy Fawkes effigy, and the hands were pink rubber gloves stuffed with straw!

 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could have been worse...we actually lost our propeller last time we went through Macnhester! Had just made it onto the Peak forest at Dukinfield when a mattress got caught round the prop and snapped it clean off! Fortunately wasn't too far to bow haul back to Portland basin?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Dave123 said:

Could have been worse...we actually lost our propeller last time we went through Macnhester! Had just made it onto the Peak forest at Dukinfield when a mattress got caught round the prop and snapped it clean off! Fortunately wasn't too far to bow haul back to Portland basin?

Err...what did you do then? Had the shaft or 'just' the prop failed? Either way it couldn't have been an easy or cheap fix.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, magictime said:

Our old boat had a petrol outboard and I remember having to pull something (usually a plastic bag) off the propeller about once an hour when we cruised through Manchester about six years ago. 

Petrol outboard plus point: easy to clear stuff off the prop.

minus point: sucking plastic bags through the cooling intakes is a less pleasurable experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I don't mind the bags and stuff (in the picture) , it's the human arm you've got there that worries me. 

Don't worry, it was (and is) still attached. To me, not the propeller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Mike55 said:

Err...what did you do then? Had the shaft or 'just' the prop failed? Either way it couldn't have been an easy or cheap fix.

It had just snapped the pin fixing the prop to the shaft so that shaft was ok fortunately. Portland basin were kindly able to put us in the dry dock and fix a new prop in a couple of weeks. Went into the canal (in some old trainers) to try to feel for the old prop with my feet but there was so much junk and solid objects on the canal bed ot was impossible. If the canal is ever drained around bridge 3 someone will find a fairly new axiom prop!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Dave123 said:

It had just snapped the pin fixing the prop to the shaft so that shaft was ok fortunately. Portland basin were kindly able to put us in the dry dock and fix a new prop in a couple of weeks. Went into the canal (in some old trainers) to try to feel for the old prop with my feet but there was so much junk and solid objects on the canal bed ot was impossible. If the canal is ever drained around bridge 3 someone will find a fairly new axiom prop!

Which they will promptly chuck back in. 

  • Greenie 1
  • Happy 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.