Narrowboat Journal

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Trent Lock to Old Junction Lock

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:18:34 +0100

"On the side, come alive"
Ooops, sorry, wrong lingo.
Read your Blog Steve and wondering how we missed you on our visits to the Fens.
Are you on the air on your boat?
AR
K

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Trent Lock to Old Junction Lock

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:19:28 +0100

Qrz?

de G4FOH

NB Tambourine

Blisworth Arm

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Harbro’ Arm (still)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:06:13 +0100

Coffee drop - see email.

500Kcs ?? Don't forget to listen at 1/4 past and 1/4 to for SOS calls will you.
We used 1500 watts, what power are you using?
Cheers
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Harbro’ Arm (still)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:38:30 +0100

Hey you are local already. Will have to arrange a Coffee delivery.
Hmm I bet you have been on 500KHz in the past. I have just built a TX.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:09:32 +0100

Can't agree on the Bedford to MK link, I've joined the Anti Bedford to MK Campaign, we don't want every Tom, Dick and Harry taking shortcuts to the Fens do we.

While they're widening the locks I suggest they raise a few bridges too (like that's ever going to happen).

M

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Harbro’ Arm (still)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:44:06 +0100

Folding chair legs?
All I can say is that it has something to do with tilting and rotating the solar panel. Whether it actually works is another matter but when life slows down in the winter (does it ever?) I shall begin cutting and glueing.

Glad to hear Meg's on the mend, post the news of what did it won't you.
As for paintbrushes instead of chainsaws I thought it was polite to paint the tree with a number or an 'X' before cutting it down. Oooops, did I really say that?
It wasn't me guv.

M, xx

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:49:40 +0100

Summer???

OK how about summer 2011?

A canal between MK & Bedford would be great but my digging days are long gone.

Now I have a widebeam I expect BW to promptly get on with making the whole system WB accessible.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Harbro’ Arm (still)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:16:49 +0100

Folding chair legs + project? Ho hum do tell more! Meg is doing OK today, back to the vet tomorrow, then we will know more. Paint brushes instead of chain saws? Whatever next!

Sue xx

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:55:50 +0100

Cuppa, you could have had several. Well done on the widebeam, now you'll be building a shed and next you'll be digging a canal.
Get it ready for the summer and maybe we can do some racing.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:41:31 +0100

Hi Mo

I got my widebeam

http://boatbuildblog.blogspot.com

Shame I was near to you at Ibstock where it was collected. Had I have known I would have knocked on you for a cuppa.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:56:33 +0100

Glad you like the piccies, t'was a pleasure for us.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:14:21 +0100

great photos of real Nottingham, I love ye old trip! glad you had fun. Ash

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Kilby Bridge to Wistow

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:36:16 +0100

Thanks for that Kevin, it's always good to know the history and I'll remember that every time I see her on our travels.
He must have been some guy to have a boat named after him, looks like he was truly appreciated.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Barrow to Sileby Mill

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:32:51 +0100

Got you, found the blog and will be watching developments.
Advice? Me?
Get a good editor is the first step.
I'll think on it some more.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:19:58 +0100

Take pictures, lots of them, I want to see this fitted, with an aerial up top.

You didn't say how much it cost.

I'm a bit jealous, I have to say.

Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:55:48 +0100

I took the boat down to Anchor (well old Bridge no. 1, as that's the only location with towpath access) and picked up the top six sections of a Clark SCAM antenna mast). Still working my head around the exact practicalities of fitting it...

In theory that should give about 9-metres of neatly retractable reach above the roofline (~7.5 metres above the waterline with it sitting on the baseplate), plus the height of whatever goes on top of it.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Barrow to Sileby Mill

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:21:37 +0100

Hello Mo & Ness

I finally managed to secure that widebeam shell I have been on about and I also have another project on the go.

On the boat blog I am happy to receive advice and tips

My Blogs

http://www.blogger.com/profile/03085698297660248209

Regards

Kevin

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Kilby Bridge to Wistow

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:43:49 +0100

This drudger "The Mick Berrill" was named after my dad who drove it for many years untill his retirement

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:18:31 +0100

Hi Both. Glad all went well with the wedding. Have not been to one of those for a loong time.

I may ask about moving him once they have sorted him out. He had an MRI scan yesterday and we are still waiting on the surgeons to get their act together. In the meantime it is costing an arm and a leg for travelling, and we have the moorings to pay as well at some point. But hey ho needs must and I am desperate to get Keith home. Miss him like crazy. I am managing really quite well. I sorted out our trolley problem, changed light bulbs and got on with some varnishing. I have also been selling coal, when I am not at the hospital. I do feel lucky that we are where we are though, not sure i would be managing quite so well if we were in the middle of nowhere.

Happy cruising. Hopefully we will see you at some point, when Keith is fit and well. Jo xxxx

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:38:23 +0100

Hi Jo
Brilliant wedding, weather turned nice just in time.
Sorry to hear about Keith, how horrible. Can't imagine how you're managing.
Pity he couldn't get his bed moved up to Harbro's hospital isn't it, that would help get over visiting difficulties.

We're on the move again, should catch up with you very soon.

Mo and V
xx

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:17:49 +0100

I hope that you had a lovely few days away. I know the feeling of not having a very good T-Mobile signal. The one in the Market Harborough basin is poor, and takes me forever to get into anything.
Was the weather good for the Wedding?
We are stuck in MH for how long I do not know as Keith is still in hosptial until they have found out the problem. He is having a jolly time though, being waited on hand and foot LOL.
Enjoyed reading your piece on the Crayfish. It is a job to know what to do with the. I do know a lot of boaters whio catch and eat them. You see boats with the cages on their roof's. I guess they are breaking the law. But they make a cheap meal.
Happy cruising when you get back to the boat, and hopefully we will see you at some point.

Jo xx

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Trent Lock to Old Junction Lock

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:58:54 +0200

Thanks Jeff, interesting use for crayfish, we'll get a pet heron to clean up the parts we don't eat.

No plans for the Midlands, no plans at all yet.
There's a pow-wow booked for later this year to decide which licence to get and where to use it, so watch this space.
Lovely to see you're still on the canals.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Trent Lock to Old Junction Lock

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:49:05 +0200

Hi both Jeff Anderson here, re your Crayfish dielema, after a recent BW National Canal clean up in Birmingham, when every tyre that was heaved out of the cut cotained a family of Crayfish, and having been informed by BW that if we put the 'little beggers' back we could be prosicuted, we decided to leave them to a very gratefull Heron, who had no problem with them.
Hope you are both well, love following your adventures, are coming back over to the Midlands at all?
Take care speak soon.
Jeff

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:42:09 +0200

Oh thank you very much !!!!!

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:37:24 +0200

I'm doing studies on that at the moment, I'm hoping the results don't turn me tea-total.
M

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:26:11 +0200

How about using that nice gas mask you bought in Devises?

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Sileby Mill to Trent Lock

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:13:32 +0200

normally caused by too much yeast in the evening, im afraid.
i only snore when ive had a couple, nowadays.

love+light to you+yours

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:39:11 +0200

As long as you don't want a picture of me putting the thing up, its hair raising until the last section slots into place. Not made any easier by someone walking about inside the boat.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:36:30 +0200

Hi Paul
Reckon it would have lasted another year, or more, because there wasn't much steel showing until the jetwash went into action. It's hard to tell the difference between appearances now and two years ago, once the crud is off, it looks the same to me.
What was a surprise was how I couldn't tell where I'd brush painted an extra coat and I mean a thick extra coat of Intertuf, there was no difference between that and the other guy's thin brushing of paint.
What I have done this time is treat a few patches of metal with Fertan rust killer before the bitumen went on. Almost can't wait to jetwash it off to see what difference that makes.

Someone pointed out that bow thruster tubes needed extra anodes and I can see there might be benefit there, the tube inside was bubbling with rust. Pity the paint roller or brush can't reach it to cover its insides with blacking.
I also noticed a few fresh water muscles growing in the thruster tube whilst none were found anywhere else, even under the bottom plate. That might also be because there's no tar in there.

Guess that doesn't help much.

Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Holme Pierrepont to Barrow on Soar

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:58:44 +0200

If I remember an earlier posting you used Intertuff for your blacking and we've used the same. I'd be very interested to hear your views on how long it has lasted and if it would have lasted an extra year.