New style of (sinking) pipe fenders-big problem in the making

[Guest]

 

Watching for changes to the stream of water that's being thrown back from under the counter and being sensitive to any unusual vibrations in the tiller can also alert you to even the smallest amount of rubbish on the blades, and as you say, what used to be called a 'chuck back' will often get rid of stuff before it gets itself too well tightened on.

When steering a loaded motor, canal boatman would be always be looking behind at the propwash just as much as they'd looking ahead where they were going.

These days, however, most folk seem totally insensitive, and much too slow in reacting, to what's going on with their boats, whether it's getting hung up in a lock or collecting rubbish round the blades.

I couldn't agree more about being vigilant at all times, and agree a qicu shift to astern will often clear a fouling before it really takes hold, but wouldn't be without a weedhatch on my own boat. There are many things that are traditionally fitted to leisure type Nb's that I think are pointless, but a weedhatch isn't one of them in my world. Others will disagree, but I would pay extra for one.

I can see that on a working boat with a much larger prop and deeper draught that a weedhatch would be less effective, but have never owned such a boat (yet )

Edited September 20, 2015 by Guest

[Paul C]

 

Still sounds a lot like "no" to me.

????

[Guest]

 

Watching for changes to the stream of water that's being thrown back from under the counter and being sensitive to any unusual vibrations in the tiller can also alert you to even the smallest amount of rubbish on the blades, and as you say, what used to be called a 'chuck back' will often get rid of stuff before it gets itself too well tightened on.

When steering a loaded motor, canal boatman would be always be looking behind at the propwash just as much as they'd looking ahead where they were going.

These days, however, most folk seem totally insensitive, and much too slow in reacting, to what's going on with their boats, whether it's getting hung up in a lock or collecting rubbish round the blades.

One of our worst prop fouls was on the Leeds Liverpool, above Leeds.

 

The boat was fine, Jan pulled into the landing and dropped me off to set the lock. As I waved her forward it was apparent the boat was struggling to move away from the landing.

 

Investigation down the hatch highlighted a large amount of clothing around the prop, it happened in seconds, probably when she slowed the boat to drop me off.

 

Not all prop fouls are the same.

[Tony Dunkley]

How many of those who think weedhatches are wonderful, know how, or have tried, to clear rubbish of the blades the way it always was done from the time canal boat propulsion methods progressed from using horses ?

[Guest]

One of our worst prop fouls was on the Leeds Liverpool, above Leeds.

 

The boat was fine, Jan pulled into the landing and dropped me off to set the lock. As I waved her forward it was apparent the boat was struggling to move away from the landing.

 

Investigation down the hatch highlighted a large amount of clothing around the prop, it happened in seconds, probably when she slowed the boat to drop me off.

 

Not all prop fouls are the same.

I got a wagon inner tube around ours at the other end of the L&L a couple of years ago just as we were coming into moor. . A really helpful guy on a work type boat tried to get it off without removing the weedhatch but it had to be opened up. Only had to go down the hatch a small number of times over 11 years with this boat.

A guy on our marina claimed to have chaged his prop down the weedhatch some years ago.

How many of those who think weedhatches are wonderful, know how, or have tried, to clear rubbish of the blades the way it always was done from the time canal boat propulsion methods progressed from using horses ?

Me. You just posted while I was typing, see my post ^^

Also used to clear converted lifeboat props and similar on the L&L as a youth. My mate's lifeboat "Kantara" had a habit of picking up junk. I have seen such boaters have to get in the water to these props.

To reiterate, I imagine that a weedhatch is more useful on a leisure boat with a shallower draught and a smaller prop, than a deep draughted, large propped work boat.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Guest

[MHS]

We have a weeding knife and propmate which can be helpful if you struggle to reach or see the prop or shaft. I have a hacksaw on board, but fingers crossed I've never needed to use it.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00TZVUVHC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1442773474&sr=8-2π=SX200_QL40&keywords=Weeding+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31OGI0gowaL&ref=plSrch

 

https://www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=165

[dmr]

How many of those who think weedhatches are wonderful, know how, or have tried, to clear rubbish of the blades the way it always was done from the time canal boat propulsion methods progressed from using horses ?

 

I've done it both ways and the weedhatch is the more effective method.

Maybe there is different stuff in the cut these days, probably less wire in the "old days" and less strong synthetic fabrics, less carpets and certainly less aluminium framed camping chars. You can get a medium sized bolt cropper down the weedhatch, or a hacksaw, You cant do that standing on the bank. Obviously if the boat is so deep that you cant reach then a weedhatch is no good but 95% of modern boats are not deep.

 

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

[Guest]

We have a weeding knife and propmate which can be helpful if you struggle to reach or see the prop or shaft. I have a hacksaw on board, but fingers crossed I've never needed to use it.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00TZVUVHC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1442773474&sr=8-2π=SX200_QL40&keywords=Weeding+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=31OGI0gowaL&ref=plSrch

 

https://www.miracleleisureproducts.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=165

Hacksaw for removing metallic stuff and a breadknife for rope and similar. A breadknife is also useful for attaching to a long pole with duck tape or similar.

 

I've done it both ways and the weedhatch is the more effective method.

Maybe there is different stuff in the cut these days, probably less wire in the "old days" and less strong synthetic fabrics, less carpets and certainly less aluminium framed camping chars. You can get a medium sized bolt cropper down the weedhatch, or a hacksaw, You cant do that standing on the bank. Obviously if the boat is so deep that you cant reach then a weedhatch is no good but 95% of modern boats are not deep.

 

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

Exactly; horses for courses.

The worst thing I ever saw around a prop was a tyre. We had to leave, but it was looking like they were going to have to drydock.

[Guest]

How many of those who think weedhatches are wonderful, know how, or have tried, to clear rubbish of the blades the way it always was done from the time canal boat propulsion methods progressed from using horses ?

Regale us Tony....

[dmr]

Hacksaw for removing metallic stuff and a breadknife for rope and similar. A breadknife is also useful for attaching to a long pole with duck tape or similar.

Exactly; horses for courses.

The worst thing I ever saw around a prop was a tyre. We had to leave, but it was looking like they were going to have to drydock.

 

We got a perfect fit tyre in the middle of Gosty Hill tunnel.

 

Managed to cut half way through with a hacksaw but it was still too tight on the prop to cut all the way through.

Eventually the good people of Hawne Basin lifted the back of the boat with their engine crane to get at it with crowbars.

 

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

[Ray T]

From A Canal People Rolt / Longdon:

 

 

[Guest]

 

We got a perfect fit tyre in the middle of Gosty Hill tunnel.

 

Managed to cut half way through with a hacksaw but it was still too tight on the prop to cut all the way through.

Eventually the good people of Hawne Basin lifted the back of the boat with their engine crane to get at it with crowbars.

 

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

Nasty. Having cut a tyre in half with a power saw on a bench recently, i can't imagine how you would cut one underwater by hand, weed hatch or not!

[Arthur Marshall]

I got a tyre off a boat last year through the weedhatch on a strangers boat. She had no idea how to open the thing or what to do, having had the boat 6 months and never been down it. Everything's easily reachable through mine (leisure boat cruiser stern) and the amount of rope that's come off it over the years would moor itbup a few times.

[Guest]

From A Canal People Rolt / Longdon:

 

Clearing the Blades.jpeg

That looks like what the guy produced to get the wagon inner tube off my prop. It was a long pole with what looked like a hooked blade on the end. Didn't do it though.

[Tony Dunkley]

That's just two, so far, Magnetman in post #40 and Arthur Stokes in the stoplock at Sutton's in Post # 61.

[Guest]

That's just two, so far, Magnetman in post #40 and Arthur Stokes in the stoplock at Sutton's in Post # 61.

try post 64

[Tony Dunkley]

try post 64

 

It's not just a matter of having the right gear, it's knowing how to use it that counts.

[Guest]

 

It's not just a matter of having the right gear, it's knowing how to use it that counts.

That's what my Mrs always says...

 

On a ore serious note, same could be said for weedhatches though?

Edited September 20, 2015 by Guest

[Guest]

Well on the phone where posts are not numbered I have no idea which posts are being linked to.

[Tony Dunkley]

That's what my Mrs always says...

 

On a ore serious note, same could be said for weedhatches though?

 

No, don't agree. I've never had a 'bladeful' that would have been better, or easier, got off by groping about down a hole in the counter bottom.

[peterboat]

I've always regarded weedhatches as being one of the most pointless and useless things that can be fitted to any boat, and this thread does nothing to convince me otherwise.

Having first had to mess about opening the thing up you're almost invariably going to be faced with dealing with something that you can neither see nor reach.

In 56 years of operating power driven vessels of many different types, I've never once had to resort to grovelling about down a weedhatch, which is just as well, because none of the boats I've either worked or used have ever had one. They are time consuming and not very easy to use, and this incident with MtB's boat shows that they really aren't much use either.

I pulled a dutch barge into torksey years ago it had a carpet wrapped round its prop. They had to send divers down to clear it The dutch barge was made by Ray Shepherd he modified that boat and any others to include a weed hatch because he realised the usefulness of a weed hatch. For me they are useful and I would not buy a boat without one

[Jerra]

 

No, don't agree. I've never had a 'bladeful' that would have been better, or easier, got off by groping about down a hole in the counter bottom.

Out of interest if you have never used a weed hatch how do you know?

[Tony Dunkley]

I pulled a dutch barge into torksey years ago it had a carpet wrapped round its prop. They had to send divers down to clear it The dutch barge was made by Ray Shepherd he modified that boat and any others to include a weed hatch because he realised the usefulness of a weed hatch. For me they are useful and I would not buy a boat without one

 

I wonder if he thought it would be possible to get something needing divers to get it off, like a carpet, through a weedhatch ?

[Guest]

 

No, don't agree. I've never had a 'bladeful' that would have been better, or easier, got off by groping about down a hole in the counter bottom.

That would be on a workboat though? Dead easy on my leisure clone-boat. I do understand your point, and I know that is how they used to unfoul the props on the L&L shortboats when I was a kid. I remember my wife's working boat family doing exactly that. I imagine it was the only way?

 

I wonder if he thought it would be possible to get something needing divers to get it off, like a carpet, through a weedhatch ?

Surely with a weedhatch in place you would have two lines of attack? The long pole with a cutter,and the weedhatch? Belt and braces sounds sensible to me. If all else fails, off to the drydock.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Guest

[Tony Dunkley]

Out of interest if you have never used a weed hatch how do you know?

 

Simply because I've seen people performing about down weedhatches for several minutes, including the time to get the lid off and back on again, just to get something off the blades that could be shifted in a matter of seconds with a proper cabin shaft.

 

Nb. By 'proper' cabin shaft, I mean one of the right length and weight with the correct type of head on it.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Tony Dunkley