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macroft1
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Posts posted by macroft1
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I tend to favour ropes just a tad longer than the boat, but do remember to keep them away from the prop!
Thanks.
What length would you suggest for the mudweight rope?
Regards.
Mark.
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Can any of you knowledgeable people on here advise me what length mooring ropes I need for my boat?
It's an 18.5' Norman.
Regards.
Mark.
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What about the speed limits??
Surely if they're racing in a 20 knot wind then they would be speeding!!
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I don't think The Broads are suitable for any type of racing - it's bound to cause problems!!!
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Hi Mark,
I would say 6 inches diameter by the same high, filled with concrete would do..
Or 8 inch base tapering to 6 inches inch top.. although I think a non taper looks better.. I'd do out of A2 or A4 though and not mild steel though.. if it goes well you should try making and selling them
Thanks Alan.
I agree with what you say about Stainless but being the typical tight Yorkshireman I like cheap so it's gonna be mild with a good coat of paint.
As for selling them I suppose I could make them to order - they do seem to be difficult to get hold of.
As you suggest I think I'll try 8" tapering to 6" and 6" high. I can always add or take off material later.
Regards.
Mark.
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I'm about to make a mudweight for my Norman 18.5.
Has anyone got one from a similar sized boat that could you could measure up for me to copy?
Rough tape measurements will do - bottom diameter, top diameter and height would be ideal.
Thanks in advance.
Regards.
Mark. -
Thanks for the comments.
I've managed to find a manual for it and it does look to be correct as it is.
I'm hoping it's enough to stop forward motion when necessary.
Regards.
Mark.
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I always used a length of 10mm diameter tube.
One end stuck in my lug hole and the other over the edge of the inlet.
I could hear minute differences and adjust accordingly - worked a treat!!
Regards.
Mark.
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Can any of you knowledgeable people help?
I have a Yamaha 9.9 4 stroke outboard with a remote controller which I bought last year and have yet to use it.
The handle for forward and reverse moves through 90 degrees forward but only 45 degrees in reverse.
Is this correct or should it go through 90 degrees in both directions?
Regards.
Mark. -
It is all down to the size of the canopy.
Our replacement canopy in 2010 was £2246.00 and that was for just the replacement canopy using the original frame.
When we need to replace it next time we will have more input into the design that is somewhat awkward in the way that the the zips were placed behind some of the frame uprights. This was hardly what should have been expected from one of the well know canopy makers on the Broads, it was as if they had never had spent any time on a boat.
My advice Mark is to make sure that whoever makes your canopy does so to your full instructions regarding roll up doorways, zipped out sections, be they front screen, side or aft panels.
The quality on our canopy is very good, but some of the practability is slightly lacking.
Regards
Alan
Like I said before - what an expensive hobby but a small price to pay to considering the lovely people you come across.
Thanks all.
Mark.
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As some of you know, I run the Norman site and we too have not been able to get hold of Gary at Coverit. He does spend a great deal of time out and about for days at a time fitting covers. He tends to do them in bunches so he can spend a few days down south for instance. I've heard nothing to suggest that he has gone out of business. It could be worth trying again a few times as, if you mention Norman Boats, he should give you a £50 discount.
Failing that, why not try Richard (Snugtopz) down at Bramerton Woods End? His prices appear competitive for Norfolk at least!
Thanks VetChugger.
I'll keep on trying Coverit - their website does suggest they're still active.
I've a couple of months yet before I need to make a decision.
Regards.
Mark.
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Hi Mark,
Our first boat was a 19ft boat similar to yours and I paid £600 just for the canopy which to me was a fair price (We made the bar ourselves). £1k seems a bit expensive but I'm a tight git for 3rd parties and our prices here are a bit cheaper as we are away from the broads where prices are higher due to the demand. So it's probably a fair price.
To reduce the cost down though you may want to think about making your own canopy bars. It's really easy and you can buy the straight bars and bends so no cutting. We made our swimdeck in a few hours using such things.
We used this supplier: https://www.seascrew.com/browse.cfm?316-STAINLESS-STEEL-TUBE---TUBE-FITTINGS--BOAT-HANDRAILS&l=0000000031(Stainless) https://www.seascrew.com/browse.cfm?20MM-NYLON-TUBE-FITTINGS-FOR-BIMINI---CANOPY&l=0000000737 (Nylon)
It may knock bring the price down a bit so maybe worth thinking about (it's easy to do, measure with the tallest of you standing underneath and give width of your palm above your head to make sure you have enough headroom).
Thanks for your words on our project, glad to hear I've not bored you to sleep yet!
Good luck,
Alan.
I own an engineering company so making the frame is more than possible.
The trouble is - add that to all the other jobs then factor in the weather and time becomes very short. I'm aiming to have it ready by the 1st April and there's the BSS to think about plus major repairs to the trailer. I've lost the last 3 weeks due to the high winds - it's currently sat on my front garden under a cover.
I've no need to tell you how long these things take and compared to yours mine will be very basic - a little like camping but on the water!
Someone has recommended Eddie Andrews based in Hickling for the cover and I've just spoken to him. He says that £1k for the canopy and framework is very reasonable.
It's not cheap this boating lark!!
Regards.
Mark.
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Hi Mark,
Some of these smaller canopies can be a right pain to get hold of (it may just be a couple of people). I'd suggest keep trying to call them eventually they will hopefully pick up the phone. I just google search and 01942 883310 is the only number I can find.
You may also want to try the Norman owners website (http://www.normanboats.co.uk/) I think they have a forum in there and I understand it has quite a following.
Worse case you may find the larger players like Jeckels will hold patterns but I suspect that will be expensive. I'd also suggest doing a google search (upholsters near "me") you may find some local companies on nearby trading estates that will come out and measure for you. We did just this for our first boat.
Good luck
Hi Alan.
Thanks for the info. That's the number I've been calling but to no avail.
Wroxham Boat Covers said they can do the canopy and framework on their site for £1k.
I can drop it at theirs and leave it until it's finished. Then from there to Hickling where it will stay on the trailer when not in use for the season.
I'd be interested the hear your view on the price. The cheaper the better for me but quality is also important.
Well done on your project by the way. I've been following it with interest.
Regards.
Mark.
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I have a Norman 18.5 that I'm refurbing.
The canopy was stolen when the last owner kept it moored on the Bridgewater Canal and I'm trying to get a replacement. I know that there are companies out there that will manufacture one that's made to measure but I would have to take the boat to them and that's a problem.
Does anyone know of a manufacturer who may have the patterns for my particular model?
Someone suggested Coverit in Manchester but I can't get hold of them and I'm wondering if they're still in business.
Any help would be great.
Regards.
Mark.
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Good luck Mark.
I fitted one to a boat I had many years ago on a dry mooring in the Thames Estuary.
Used one of these as I could get a good turn of the chain from the mooring buoy round the post and get a padlock through it to keep it secure. I have seen a few boats on the upper Thames and other rivers use these with a locked chain when they moor in City centres in case someone thinks it's funny to cast a boat adrift
Not wishing to teach you to suck eggs, but if it's a new fitting to the boat make sure it's secured to a solid piece of deck or put some supports behind the deck - I used half inch marine ply with a home made steel plate over it and plenty of sealant on the bolts.
The part of the deck where it's bolted too is double the thickness of everywhere else.
The new stainless one I've bought is to replace the original tatty one which is chrome plated ferrous material and well past its best.
It'll be bolted through the deck with 4 off M6 stainless bolts and nylok nuts. Underside is two 6mm thick plates. It ain't going nowhere!!
Regards.
Mark.
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Many thanks. I put samson post in ebay and there's now one on it's way to me.
.Mark.
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Excuse my ignorance but can someone tell me the proper name for the part in the attached picture.
.Mark.
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Excuse my ignorance but can someone tell me the proper name for the part in the attached picture.
.Mark.
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Good luck Mark.
Dont do what a friend of mine did when he repaired a trailer. He bent a piece of steel plate into a swan neck to mount the trailer hitch to - but forgot to brace it!! First time down the road it started to lose it's shape and ended up scraping the front of the trailer down the road to try and get it home. Maybe hard to imagine what part of the trailer this was, but it was embarrassing being in the passenger seat!!!
You sound a lot more sensible and knowledgeable though.
I bet that was interesting!
I'm a engineer/toolmaker with 32 years experience so if I get it wrong it would be extremely embarrassing.
.Mark.
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Mark,
Sorry but I wasn't trying to be flippant about buying a new trailer, but would hate to hear it all went pear shaped on the first outing!!
I did think maybe you could retro fit brakes seeing as you seem to know what your doing with a wrench, but most of the sites I have found are US based. Maybe speak to a local trailer centre to see how much it would cost, but from what I have seen it wont be cheap.
Shame you cant borrow a trailer to at least get the boat weighed?
I am sure you will be fine and good luck.
Baitrunner - no apology needed. Yours and everyone's comments have been a great help!
Having heard all the opinions I think I'm going to do the right thing and graft bits from the existing trailer on to a braked caravan chassis - belt and braces kind o' thing!
You can buy braked Al-Ko chassis on ebay for around the £100 mark and people use these to make car transporters so an 18.5ft GRP boat shouldn't cause them any problems.
As someone said earlier - better safe than sorry!!
.Mark.
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Mark as above. It's too hard to tell the weight and I believe the weights on the manufacturers websites will be completely empty and probably less the engine. Best advice is to quickly run it to a weighbridge and see.. (try and google weighbridge near your postcode.. some councils also have them or there maybe another public one).. as you say it's better to do it before the police stop you and march you off there. Good luck.. fingers crossed!
There is a weighbridge at the firm opposite mine so getting it weighed is no problem.
My real problem is that I've just noticed the trailer has a bent axle and I really don't want to use it on the road at all until it's fixed. What I intend doing is to remove the boat from the trailer at my house and then take the trailer and weigh it.
The boat is supposed to weight 521kgs so as long as the trailer is less than 229 then all should be good. Then a weekend at my factory will have it as good as new.
The trouble is that I can't verify the weight of the boat so can't be sure if I'll be wasting my time on the trailer or not.
It's all very well to say just buy another trailer but just about all my budget has gone into buying and restoring the boat - her indoors won't stand for much more!!
If anyone knows how I can verify the weight of the boat it would be a real help.
Regards.
Mark.
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don't forget that the vehicle you tow with may well have a manufacturers gross train weight limit, and that any extra baggage carried in the vehicle may reduce the weight you can tow as well.
Grendel
It's a V8 Land Rover Discovery capable of towing 3500kgs.
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Hi there. I've recently bought my own boat. It's a Norman and was advertised as a 20 footer. Since measuring it I've found it's actually an 18.5. This isn't a problem as it's plenty big enough for two but now unsure as what to do with the trailer that it came with. The trailer is unbraked and the max gross weight 750kgs. Looking on the Norman site the weight of 20 footer is 835.25kgs and therefore requires a braked trailer but the 18.5 weighs in at just 521.6kgs and should be ok with unbraked. I was hoping one of you knowledgeable people may be able to verify the weights as over 300kgs seems a lot for only a foot and a half difference?? It does feel very light on the trailer and one person can easily move it around. I'm just trying to stay on the right side of the law and any help would be appreciated. Best regards. Mark.
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From what I understand it's dogs that cattle don't like and if you read about someone being injured or killed then there is usually a dog involved.
The advice when walking your dog through a field where cattle are present is to let your dog go and make for cover if the cattle are upset by it - the dog will always escape.
Cattle are usually inquisitive around humans that's all.
Mark.
Mooring Rope
in Technical Questions and Answers
Posted
Thanks.
What diameter?
I was thinking 12mm.
Regards.
Mark.