Popular Post mykaskin Posted November 10, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 10, 2016 It was common once to see (and hear) pairs of boats coming up and down the Marsworth Flight. The Bollinder's single hot bulb engines in the early motor boats needed to be reversed to give any braking effort. Since sometimes the engine would go out on the change, especially when running cold in locks, it was a wiser choice to strap the boats in. Often even boats with gearboxes would use this method as it's quicker, and gets the steerer on the side of the lock where they need to be. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty40s Posted November 10, 2016 Report Share Posted November 10, 2016 They made good time Mike, they were up top of Buckby before the closure. Cracking pair of boats and a lovely couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detling Posted November 10, 2016 Report Share Posted November 10, 2016 I went up the Stockton flight this year strapped to my friends boat, we had 3 ashore and one driving both boats. Worked very well and saved me some fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stagedamager Posted November 10, 2016 Report Share Posted November 10, 2016 Much nicer than Beta 75 pair boating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FadeToScarlet Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Much nicer than Beta 75 pair boating. Quieter than AS3 pair boating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X Alan W Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Are there enough bollards /strapping posts left in the correct position lock side to enable a boater who knows/understands how to carry out this procedure ? or have BW /CRT removed them in their wisdom, as they seem to have done with the upstand on the single top gates on narrow locks to prevent boat strapping/gate closing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FadeToScarlet Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Are there enough bollards /strapping posts left in the correct position lock side to enable a boater who knows/understands how to carry out this procedure ? or have BW /CRT removed them in their wisdom, as they seem to have done with the upstand on the single top gates on narrow locks to prevent boat strapping/gate closing There's still quite a few strapping posts left, and an undertaking from CRT to keep them and not do things like fit handrail upstands to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stagedamager Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Most are in the wrong place though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanM Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 I went up the Stockton flight this year strapped to my friends boat, we had 3 ashore and one driving both boats. Worked very well and saved me some fuel. 'Strapping' refers to using a rope wrapped around bollards/gates to bring the boat to a halt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) 'Strapping' refers to using a rope wrapped around bollards/gates to bring the boat to a halt. Oh, not to the burly physique of the bloke doing it? They made good time Mike, they were up top of Buckby before the closure. Cracking pair of boats and a lovely couple. But when I saw Dane, only a few months ago, she had a Lister engine. Has it been changed already? Or are there two old Danes? Edited November 11, 2016 by Athy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanM Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 But when I saw Dane, only a few months ago, she had a Lister engine. Has it been changed already? Or are there two old Danes? Two Danes. I imagine the Dane you saw was the newly restored one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Two Danes. I imagine the Dane you saw was the newly restored one? Yes indeed, at Alvecote, where she turned many heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiltshirewonderer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) They went from towing to two abreast (whilst on the move) as they went past my boat towards Bulls Bridge Tesco a couple of weeks ago. Beautiful manoeuvre, made it look effortless. Which it probably was to them! I love seeing those boats when they are down here (Brentford <-> Hayes). Edited November 11, 2016 by wiltshirewonderer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 The dane in this video is the one owned by the booth fam for 30 odd years, can't beleive I missed her going past but at the same time i cant bare to see her. Engine was put in in 1929 and is her original from when converted from a butty (bath) They went from towing to two abreast (whilst on the move) as they went past my boat towards Bulls Bridge Tesco a couple of weeks ago. Beautiful manoeuvre, made it look effortless. Which it probably was to them! I love seeing those boats when they are down here (Brentford <-> Hayes). DANE is a very easy boat to do this with done it a few times you can put the tiller where you want and walk off and it will stay in that place make it very easy to do while single handed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Are they a cracking pair of boats? Dane looks good. Are they doing anything exceptional? Sorry, lost on me. I''d swop the engine for a more reliable BMC, that old engine sounds like it'll give up at any moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koukouvagia Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Strapping works wonderfully... until you suddenly discover that a bollard you've been using for years isn't there anymore! It's a great shame that the wooden posts which were placed in exactly the right position were never replaced when they rotted away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 I''d swop the engine for a more reliable BMC, that old engine sounds like it'll give up at any moment. Ooooh, wotta stirrer! Bolinders are SUPPOSED to sound like that! I hear that, apart from sometimes reversing when you want them to go forward, which can surprise nearby moored boaters, they are quite reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Ooooh, wotta stirrer! Bolinders are SUPPOSED to sound like that! I hear that, apart from sometimes reversing when you want them to go forward, which can surprise nearby moored boaters, they are quite reliable. I know, they do sound lovely. But I always think they are going to stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 I know, they do sound lovely. But I always think they are going to stop. Yes, I suspected that you were 'avin' a larf. Oddly, if one listens to a Bolinder inside the engine room, its beat is perfectly regular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 (edited) Strapping works wonderfully... until you suddenly discover that a bollard you've been using for years isn't there anymore! It's a great shame that the wooden posts which were placed in exactly the right position were never replaced when they rotted away. Funny enough there is or at least was a bollard in Danes hold where we strapped to it boat carried on with bollard attached. Are they a cracking pair of boats? Dane looks good. Are they doing anything exceptional? Sorry, lost on me. I''d swop the engine for a more reliable BMC, that old engine sounds like it'll give up at any moment. You want to listen to a semi gardener or seffle on tickover over they sound like they will stop. Unreliable?? I would love to see a bmc after 40 years of hard working years + the years of not so hard working and see if it's still as reliable. They do go wrong don't get me wrong but there victorian engendered so there built big bulky and simple although I don't think I'll be much good after that many years of working! Edited November 11, 2016 by billybobbooth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 I was havin a laff regards that bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrtm Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 It's funny one min everyone with a big enough check book wants bolinders the next min everyone would take them out (more of a statement for those who know what i mean) I was havin a laff regards that bit. I did see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 However... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athy Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 It's funny one min everyone with a big enough check book wants bolinders I think they've always been a minority choice, even amongst people who prefer old-style engines. Compared with Gardners, Listers, RNs and such, Bolinders are seen as a Dark Art. One has to be a bit eccentric to own any vintage engine, but slightly mad to grapple with a Bolinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbeerbeerbeerbeer Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 As an aside How many bolinders are about? In canal boats. Are there i10 or 20? Theyre not in the 100's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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