Narrowboat Journal

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.

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

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:17:20 +0200

Anchor supplies now, I never have got in there. I bet I could spend a bit in there.
When you get the antennae up we want a picture please.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha - Boston to Cromwell Lock

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:14:56 +0200

Saw another one the other night, on Star Trek.
M

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha - Boston to Cromwell Lock

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:35:36 +0200

You're honoured seeing a Vulcan - that is the only airworthy one left in the world!

Cheers,

Mike

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Torksey Lock to Boston

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:33:34 +0200

Thanks Eddie, I'll get some clear black varnish in satin or is it satan?

Yep, two whips back to back on a Moonraker adaptor. hoisted it 20 feet and got 1.3:1 SWR at tuned freq.

I'll let you know when I'm next up and running and the inverter has gone quiet enough to hear other stations.

Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Torksey Lock to Boston

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:22:49 +0200

Hi Mike
I didn't fancy getting served by a witch inside a wardrobe so didn't go there for a pint. Found a little tearoom place up the hill near the castle instead. Healthy walk, healthy toasted tea cake with lashings of healthy butter. Washed down with black coffee.
Scrummy.

That litle tunnel is quite deceptive, we saw a two storey plastic come through one day, the skipper said he had at least 12 inches spare. Now I know why they regulate water levels on this section.
Phew!!

Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Torksey Lock to Boston

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:50:20 +0200

When our son and his family were living near Lincoln he and I had a couple of pints in The Witch & The wardrobe. We also saw a widebeam going through the hole - quite impressive.

Keep up the good work,

Mike B

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Torksey Lock to Boston

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:24:55 +0200

The first comment re Monday 3rd I couldn't resist. Then you go on about Birketts, ah Birketts, he used to bring some real good stuff to the rallys and the shop was a treasure trove, justt old junk like in my loft now.

So you have got the radio now, will we work one day? drop me a mail when you are on, I may find a free rig.

Double whip dipole? is that 2 mobile whips fed int' middle, someone made the middle bit to do that.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Torksey Lock to Boston

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:52:50 +0200

You asked for it.

1)Paint the wood black.

2)Die

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha –Sheffield to Ferrybridge

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:13:51 +0200

Nope, slid the egg to the other side of the frying pan.
M

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Doncaster to Torksey Lock

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:11:51 +0200

Hi Paul

Brilliant, I reckon two should do the trick, one each side.
Might be useful on canals too, they'll never see who went past.
Thanks for the rail info, you are perfectly right of course.
Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Doncaster to Torksey Lock

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:05:12 +0200

Hi Eddie
Forget is about right, they ramble on and then it's "now what was I going to say? Over to you while I think of it." and they never do which gives them an excuse to go back on the air the following Sunday.
Rig is Alinco DX70TH, should keep the batteries happy on 10 watts and give me hours of entertainment messing about with long wires and whips.
She inside asks when am I going to have time for all that?
I dunno.
M

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – New Junction Canal to Ferrybridge

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:00:23 +0200

Hi both
Lovely to hear from you now you're on the unsalty waters.
Sorry but we've told the world where you are so don't be surprised to get visits, sleepovers, requests to sell Canadian passports.
We were a bit surprised at your first choice of cruising, we don't intend doing that area until last, when all the paintwork has turned brown.
I can recommend the Trent, nothing much has changed in 200 years, the tide still comes in and goes out twice a day since they invented it.

Keep in touch, happy cruising, keep that engine clean.

Mo

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – New Junction Canal to Ferrybridge

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:49:04 +0200

Hi,
We have had a couple of boats shouting as they pass hey are you the lightkeepers from Canada?must be friends of yours!!!!
We are off to Kinver for new covers, just blacked the bottom,then on to the river Dee, have you sailed it yet?
Did Standedge tunnel twice,wont bother again, not impressed with Huddersfield narrow, locks are in serious need of attention,but apart from weather, we are enjoying the lifestyle,and meeting lots of interesting folks.
Geoffs old stomping grounds is where you are now, it seems the canal life has changed somewhat since he was a child ! pity, but then nothing stays the same forever,happy sailing,will catch up to you one of these days maybe.G and M sorrel2

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Doncaster to Torksey Lock

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:58:40 +0200

The railway bridge slides at right angles to the track (to avoid crunching the rails) which just happens to be at an awkward angle to the canal.

Here's an idea for "strapping an outboard motor to the stern" http://www.waterwayroutes.co.uk/galleries/months/09/06/09060504_outboard_motor.htm#next

It probably makes steering round sharp corners very easy - but only in one direction if you have a more rounded stern to the boat.

I head somewhere that RCR have a bracket for attaching an outboard motor to the rudder of a narrowboat to rescue stranded boats. I assume it works something like this. Perhaps they would lend it out for your next trip.

In response to:Narrowboat Balmaha – Doncaster to Torksey Lock

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:53:10 +0200

Yeh they ramble on these old codgers and forget the important bit, what's the rig?