Tankage for a month of splendid isolation.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

Don't even go there..... Ive managed for five years so I won't be spending money on fripperies,  It would stop the paintwork being worn, but I can touch that up if necessary.

 

Fripparies, or, makes the use of much easier and pleasant ?

 

 

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Fripparies, or, makes the use of much easier and pleasant ?

 

 

Cruising with fenders down? Oh dear oh dear, what proper boater would do that? 😉 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

Cruising with fenders down? Oh dear oh dear, what proper boater would do that? 😉 

 

No, they are looped up so a simple pull drops them

[LadyG]

9 minutes ago, IanD said:

Cruising with fenders down? Oh dear oh dear, what proper boater would do that? 😉 

Lol, I didn't realise they custom made mini solar panels, very smart, and  extra tripping lines from roof to gunwales!

My long centreline is the perfect length for handling,  the shorter one, I'd need to replace as it's plenty short enough,  I nearly always use the long one.

I darent post a photo as my roof is in need of a fresh paint job, I've been waiting for months for the right conditions and I've not polished my mushroom vents for a few years.

Edited July 16 by LadyG

[Gybe Ho]

12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Fripparies, or, makes the use of much easier and pleasant ?

 

 

Is that Lincoln or York in the photo?

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Gybe Ho said:

 

Is that Lincoln or York in the photo?

The glory hole - Lincoln, and the Foss-ditch

[LadyG]

5 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Is that Lincoln or York in the photo?

It's the Glory Hole.

[Gybe Ho]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The glory hole - Lincoln, and the Foss-ditch

 

Thanks and back to centre lines and solar. Would dual outboard centre line rings welded to the roof work and also eliminate the need for the fairleads?

[LadyG]

7 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Thanks and back to centre lines and solar. Would dual outboard centre line rings welded to the roof work and also eliminate the need for the fairleads?

The centre lines are attached to  a strong point, traditionally in the centre, so you can handle the boat, eitner side, it would not be a good idea to have  rings welded to the roof as an afterthought.

My main objection to adding fairleads is that under extreme force they could pop off, and create a H&S hazard. Of course if they were installed properly this would not happen, but ive seen some pretty feeble looking fairleads.

It is not unknown for me to change the centreline from one side to the other from the helming position. My main centreline is thick braid, maybe 14mm, and the other one is thinner three strand, which makes it much more difficult to hold n the wind and the wet.  I think the preferred rope is probably Hempline which also floats, I don't know how strong it is compared to the Marlow braid. It looks very traditional.

Edited July 16 by LadyG

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, LadyG said:

The centre lines are attached to  a strong point, traditionally in the centre, so you can handle the boat, eitner side, it would not be a good idea to have a rings welded to the roof as an afterthought.

There's usually a roof beam crossways underneath the centreline attachment point, so ones either side can also use this. Assuming they all use through fittings not just being welded to the surface as an afterthought... 😉 

Edited July 16 by IanD

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Thanks and back to centre lines and solar. Would dual outboard centre line rings welded to the roof work and also eliminate the need for the fairleads?

 

Yes I don't see why not - bolt thru on the edge of the roof / grip rails. Will act exactly the same as if tied in the centre and then thru' fairleads.

It would be stronger than screwed in fairleads if you intend using the cente line as a brake when mooring.

[IanD]

To return to the tankage question...

 

We've got 900l water/350l black water/150l diesel. Going by our recent trip with two on board (and a domestic-volume shower, and washer-drier on board), water would theoretically last about 10 days, black water about 18 days, diesel about 24 days -- all full-to-empty or vice versa.

Edited July 16 by IanD

[LadyG]

37 minutes ago, IanD said:

There's usually a roof beam crossways underneath the centreline attachment point, so ones either side can also use this. Assuming they all use through fittings not just being welded to the surface as an afterthought... 😉 

Yes, but  the standard method is to put one strong point in the centre point when the boat is under construction, so one can be pretty sure it's not going to pop off under any circumstances.

My thinking is that this is the best method, tried and tested, and gut feeling is that the handler on the shore has optimum control of the boat.

I might be wrong, but I sense the boat may tend to 'waggle" if attached to the cabin side top.

[IanD]

9 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Yes, but  the standard method is to put one strong point in the centre point when the boat is under construction, so one can be pretty sure it's not going to pop off under any circumstances.

My thinking is that this is the best method, tried and tested, and gut feeling is that the handler on the shore has optimum control of the boat.

I might be wrong, but I sense the boat may tend to 'waggle" if attached to the cabin side top.

 

You *are* wrong, once the rope comes over the handrail/fairlead and downwards the sideways/downwards force on the boat is the same wherever the end is attached... 😉

 

A single central strongpoint is the normal practice, ones at each side are also fine so long as they're securely attached not just welded to the surface.

Edited July 16 by IanD

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Thanks and back to centre lines and solar. Would dual outboard centre line rings welded to the roof work and also eliminate the need for the fairleads?

I have rings each side and two lines, the only downside I have found that if you need to pull the boat to the side in an empty wide lock the angle of pull is not so good.

 

Not glued on afterwards but specified in the build 

Edited July 16 by ditchcrawler
I like adding bits

[Gybe Ho]

38 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have rings each side and two lines, the only downside I have found that if you need to pull the boat to the side in an empty wide lock the angle of pull is not so good.

 

 

Ah it would have taken me a few months on the Cut to work that one out. Now I can see the advantage of the central ring plus fairleads shown in the earlier photo.

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

Ah it would have taken me a few months on the Cut to work that one out. Now I can see the advantage of the central ring plus fairleads shown in the earlier photo.

Wait until your see a fairlead ping off when the 5mm screws fail where they are tapped into 4mm steel

Edited July 16 by ditchcrawler
Spilling

[Lypiatt]

Quote "I might enjoy a 2 hour January cruise with the right gear, insulated salopette trousers are a game changer."

 

Absolutely, they were the only way I could do inshore fishing in the Channel during the winter 🙂

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Wait until your see a fairlead ping off when the 5mm screws fail where they are tapped into 4mm steel

Fairleads are OK on a relatively light GRP cruiser, especially if they're bolted through to steel backing plates to spread the stress because GRP is known to be relatively fragile.

 

For a narrowboat weighing typically 18 tons the forces when strapping it to a stop are much higher, and the fairlead attachment -- as @ditchcrawler said -- is often pretty feeble.... <PING>... <AARGH>

 

Of course a perfect boater would never do that, but where are you going to find one? 😉 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have rings each side and two lines, the only downside I have found that if you need to pull the boat to the side in an empty wide lock the angle of pull is not so good.

 

Not glued on afterwards but specified in the build 

But don’t you find if the boat has a bit of momentous and you give the line/rope a turn around the bollard it’ll pull and hug the side quite nicely?

 

 

[PeterF]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have rings each side and two lines.

Same here, then you can position the rings at the right point along the length of the roof to coincide with the internal bracing and not have to worry about a mismatch with solar panels. Just to add this was recent build and specified with this from new.

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, LadyG said:

Don't even go there..... 

I like to see the line resting on the roof, not hanging over the edge.

 

Ok, I'm going there! 

Using fairleads for your centre lines doesn't mean they have to hang over the edge. The line simply runs through the fairlead and then goes back onto the roof. That way you avoid the rope catching anything on the roof like solar panels, mushroom vents, etc.

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

But don’t you find if the boat has a bit of momentous and you give the line/rope a turn around the bollard it’ll pull and hug the side quite nicely?

 

 

Of course, its just when its floundering, a rear occurrence but its the only downside I have found.

[blackrose]

10 hours ago, IanD said:

Fairleads are OK on a relatively light GRP cruiser, especially if they're bolted through to steel backing plates to spread the stress because GRP is known to be relatively fragile.

 

For a narrowboat weighing typically 18 tons the forces when strapping it to a stop are much higher, and the fairlead attachment -- as @ditchcrawler said -- is often pretty feeble.... <PING>... <AARGH>

 

Of course a perfect boater would never do that, but where are you going to find one? 😉 

 

That very much depends on one's fairleads and how they're attached. My boat weighs 29 tonnes, so I don't jump off with a centre rope while the boat is moving and try to stop the boat on a bollard. I use the engine to stop the boat. I don't really understand why more narrowboaters don't do the same thing? Control the boat with your engine. Jumping off a heavy moving boat with a lot of momentum single handed and stopping it on a bollard is fine until one day you run out of luck and something gives way. Sometimes it's the bollard itself. We've all seen them uprooted on lock sides. Some people blame vandals but the real vandals are narrowboaters who don't know how to stop their boats properly.

 

20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Indeed, but as discussed, the Square sterned boats often become 'fixed' floating flats due the diffficulties of getting them 'off the bankside' and the cilling risks when locking. 

 

Interesting. I've never had those problems despite going though thousands of locks single handed. Why would a square stern be difficult to get off a bankside? Mine is tapered rather than square but from experience I can tell you that these "disadvantages" are highly exaggerated, mainly by people with no experience of square sterns. You've got lots of sailing experience. I assume you also think all the yachts and ships with square sterns have an issue getting away from their moorings?

 

 

The reason canal boats with square sterns become fixed floating flats is the same reason canal boats with round sterns become fixed floating flats: the people inside can't be bothered to move.

Edited July 17 by blackrose

[TheBiscuits]

5 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have rings each side and two lines, the only downside I have found that if you need to pull the boat to the side in an empty wide lock the angle of pull is not so good.

 

Use the offside line in broad locks to get a better pull angle.  Serious suggestion.

 

4 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Wait until your see a fairlead ping off when the 5mm screws fail where they are tapped into 4mm steel

 

Yup, I was once nearly hit by a flying one.  Not on my boat I hasten to add!

 

 

4 hours ago, IanD said:

Of course a perfect boater would never do that, but where are you going to find one? 😉 

 

On CWDF, obviously.  This place is populated by paragons of the boating world.

 

Some of whom still have a boat and some of those even move their boats ... 😉