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Weed hatch accessories


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The manner of kit you can use on an open stern boat is quite different to that required if climbing under a trad counter.

For example, Bargee Bill's Prop Cleaner is quite useful if standing straddled with a foot either side of your weed hatch while using brute force to jerk upwards.

A cheap bread knife with a wavy serrated knife is good for sawing and hacking away without worrying about damaging the prop or shaft.

If your engine has a hand crank attached then put the engine in gear (decompress if poss) and gently turn it over ahead and then reverse while pulling on the obstruction.

 

Most of all, and for the entertainment value of others passing, rig up a hand pump so you can empty the weed hatch.  This should be done with fervour while wife and kids peer hopefully into the weed hatch and mutter encouragement.

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57 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

A strong and willing crew to bowhaul the boat whilst the poor sap, sorry I mean willing volunteer clears the prop, cause time means points.

Or is that just the BCN challenge?

 

Pictures or it never happened! :D

 

You got away with it last year because the world was shut ...

 

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What I'd like is some simple system for lifting the weedhatch cover.  A lifting eye above perhaps?  As I get older, the hatch cover gets heavier, and the lifting operation having to be done from the side so to speak disagrees more and more with my back.  A clear dedicated parking space for it would also be nice.

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42 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Pictures or it never happened! :D

 

You got away with it last year because the world was shut ...

 

No pictures because everyone was either bowhauling or weed hatch diving, it was the moment I realized exactly how competitive the Tawny owl team was

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15 hours ago, David Mack said:

Neither Fulbourne nor Belfast has a weed hatch. In over 25 years boating on these two boats there have been only 3 or 4 occasions when it wasn't possible to clear the prop using a short shaft from the bank. This sort of thing, on the end of an 8-10 foot pole.

IMG_20190620_131035-1.jpg

That was the case with hire boats when we first started. I was also fortunate enough to learn quite a bit from Jack Monk who lived in the lock cottage next to our mooring. As a result, I was able to remove a bundle of barbed wire, wrapped tightly around the prop somewhere in the Wolverhampton 21. I would not teach anyone to use the technique in today's H&S climate! (But I am sure Tony knows it!)

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13 hours ago, system 4-50 said:

What I'd like is some simple system for lifting the weedhatch cover.  A lifting eye above perhaps?  As I get older, the hatch cover gets heavier, and the lifting operation having to be done from the side so to speak disagrees more and more with my back.  A clear dedicated parking space for it would also be nice.

I know exactly what you mean!

 

However, we now have a chute hatch beloved of Tyler Wilson and a very different set of techniques and tools is needed.

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When I bought my boat it came with a "Prop Protector" fitted to the propshaft. Iti s like a small circular saw.

 

I was sceptical at first, but in 7 years boating the only thing it hasn't dealt with is a full sized canvas cratch cover and that includes time spent cruising on the BCN.

 

I also have a set of bolt coppers and a folding pruning saw, but haven't needed them since I bought my current boat.

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Just now, cuthound said:

When I bought my boat it came with a "Prop Protector" fitted to the propshaft. Iti s like a small circular saw.

 

I was sceptical at first, but in 7 years boating the only thing it hasn't dealt with is a full sized canvas cratch cover and that includes time spent cruising on the BCN.

 

I also have a set of bolt coppers and a folding pruning saw, but haven't needed them since I bought my current boat.

 

Better to have and not to need, than need and not to have.

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17 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

I have one of these and find it really useful. Propmate

I have one too and find it deals with most of my trips down the weed hatch. If I do have to put my hand into the water I always wear an elbow length thick rubber glove. Apart from protecting against Weil's disease, it also protects against fish hooks, which can get caught in the weed/rubbish that ends up on the prop.

 

I sharpened the blade as it was pretty blunt as delivered. The handle isn't brilliant, but I think the current version has an improved handle.

Edited by Mike55
Added final paragraph
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Slight change of subject, but referring to the chap in the wetsuit being poked with a pole.

 

Many moons ago I helped my brother in law repair and repaint a schools swimming pool. Job done, filled said pool with water. We then noticed the filter plate hadn’t been fitted to the outlet at the bottom of the deep end. I volunteered to dive down with plate, screws and screw driver. Problem was I kept floating up to the surface. So, brother in law held me down with a long pole. If you’ve ever been in deep water, doing a serious job and get the giggles you’d know how I felt. Job completed, a beer in hand. Oh! How we laughed.

  • Greenie 1
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48 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Slight change of subject, but referring to the chap in the wetsuit being poked with a pole.

 

 

The hook on the end of the long shaft was wrapped in the tennis net keeping some tension on it whilst the net was being cut off the blades.

  • Greenie 1
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4 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

That was the case with hire boats when we first started. I was also fortunate enough to learn quite a bit from Jack Monk who lived in the lock cottage next to our mooring. As a result, I was able to remove a bundle of barbed wire, wrapped tightly around the prop somewhere in the Wolverhampton 21. I would not teach anyone to use the technique in today's H&S climate! (But I am sure Tony knows it!)

Had to resort to that two or three times, even once when we were loaded. Easiest on GU wide locks of course - luckily we were going the right way as there was nowhere we could swing.  Barbed wire is a most evil stuff to deal with. With a hand-start motor like our JP you can often get serious stuff off if you can get the hook of the shaft into it and put the engine in (reverse) gear, put the decompressor on and turn it over with the starting handle.

Edited by Tam & Di
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36 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

Had to resort to that two or three times, even once when we were loaded. Easiest on GU wide locks of course - luckily we were going the right way as there was nowhere we could swing.  Barbed wire is a most evil stuff to deal with. With a hand-start motor like our JP you can often get serious stuff off if you can get the hook of the shaft into it and put the engine in (reverse) gear and turn it over with the starting handle.

Interesting - I had always been led to believe that it was even riskier for a narrowboat in a  wide lock as there is more chance of it turning sideways. 

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5 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

That was the case with hire boats when we first started. I was also fortunate enough to learn quite a bit from Jack Monk who lived in the lock cottage next to our mooring. As a result, I was able to remove a bundle of barbed wire, wrapped tightly around the prop somewhere in the Wolverhampton 21. I would not teach anyone to use the technique in today's H&S climate! (But I am sure Tony knows it!)

Top of Stoke Bruene between Christmas and New Year 93 is the only time I have had to do it,  to remove the metal banding from a child's play tent that I had picked up in MK. 

I can imagine cart's reaction these days ?

Edited by Loddon
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