Smoggy

In reality the best helm is usually the kids, anyone that has never driven a car in fact.

I can't find the post I was referring to Wussername but I'm sure it wasn't in referrence to one of yours, it was mentioned that if some is stuck under your boat the helm is obliged to get away but I'm stuffed if I can find it. No offence meant.

I usually use Johnsons at st.olaves for lift out work, he's very reasonable and does what he says when he says, I assume you meant Richard rather than Richardsons.

I'm glad you added that as yes I certainly had just got confused by the cats. I have to add that if anyone gets under my boat you can rest assured I will NOT be trying to move it anywhere to get away from you, engines off will be the first action no matter how many rya qualifications someone has.

Can't help with the lift/shift but was the boat sitting low in the water before it started filling up? If so maybe a hull fitting or drain normally above waterline leaking. Is it just downstream of commissioners cut by any chance? Think I saw you a few weeks ago.

Would that central point be the helms bladder?

I guess it all depends On the steering setup, still a good tip none the less, my boat has a rudder indicator but still has a bit of tape on the wheel.

Most wheels can be a full turn out though CC, all the boats I've had could.

More an issue on the southern rivers and more as you get closer to gt.yarmouth, don't use short ropes straight across to posts, use longer ropes at an angle and the boat can rise/fall a lot more while staying in the same place in relation to the quay, long angled ropes are usually referred to as springs, someone will probably be along soon with a piccie of what I'm trying to describe (badly).

Always moor against the tide not with it, you'll approach slower with better steering control and better stopping. Boats don't steer in reverse, a burst in forward is needed to get the back swinging then carry on reversing. Try reversing in a quiet bit of river to see which way it goes, single prop boats will have a sideways kick depending on prop rotation, it can be helpful.

Besides being a hireboat no-one's being named, I doubt Richos would release that info freely.

That was easy enough to find, definately one for Richos to see, there's no way they did not notice that one and should not be covered by the CDW.

Not as creepy as without a mask....

Now stop all this moaning about not getting enough air through your face coverings! I did some maths and worked out one of my boat engines can draw 7020 litres of air a minute at full chat, now I don't how much energy you are expending but I recon that's plenty.

I have been out with my boat yesterday and today, ok it was the new to me 2.75m rib on a trailer and it only went to work and back, best bit is I don't have a towbar (yet), it's only 2 streets along the road so we just pushed it, we didn't encounter any choppy water just a couple of dropped kurbs, got some funny looks mind you. It seems the easiest way to convert a flatbed trailer into a rib trailer is to use the foam packing machine at my guvnors expense...... The perfect support solution and self centering too, just needs the edges trimming and tidying. We use this stuff under light aircraft engines getting sent all over the world so the surface loading under a hull should be virtually zero in comparison. .

I would never have hired a boat years ago if it involved a lengthy course and a test before I could take off, and had I not hired I wouldn't be boating now 20 years later.

I was thrown out of one, it was before the gerkins were crinkle cut..... We used to flick them at the glass doors and race then to the bottom, still can't think why we were asked to leave.

That's the hire industry gone then, don't fancy next years tolls......

So you were in front and paid for her order, but she hadn't ordered yet as you were in the way????? Pleeeaaase explain as I so want this to be real story.

If you happen to own a karcher window vac or similar the make boating in damp weather much easier as you can use inside steering positions and clear the misting easily as you go, I've seen many a hirer sitting on the top steering position in the pi55ing rain because the inside helm is well and truly misted up, <smug git mode> always cheering sitting in my saloon with the eberspacher blowing at the screen and wipers on a good intermittant setting. </smug git mode>

Bang on with that one, if it's cold you can use heating or put on a jumper but too hot and all you can do is wilt and whinge about it, sleeping in cold is just a hot water bottle or second duvet, too hot and your not sleeping.

Wind is more of a pita than rain when boating, it makes everything harder, rain is just an annoyance as long as the screen isn't constantly misted up. It only rains outside the pubs, never inside, just saying....

My princess had a very similar angle adjustment setup so maybe an out of the box job, blade fitting looks normal universal type. I changed mine for pantograph arms and got a much bigger swept area. The scrappie idea is probably a no-go as most cars have a motor attached to the arms by a linkage under the bonnet, would be very messy on a boat, unless you can find a cable setup and get a longer cable so the motor sits below deck somewhere, you need the right sweep angle as well to get the best blade size/swept area.

Of course being able to swim relies of having your lungs full of air, hitting cold water in surprise often changes that to lungs full of water in the first gasp.

What you need is an orthotist about to start up a private practise, now I just happen to know someone.....