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LondonRascal
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Posts posted by LondonRascal
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7 hours ago, Ricardo said:
Defiantly have that off you Robin , I do loads of oil change's a yr mostly 4 its a proper pain with a manual pump , how much ?
It is free - I have a number of things to hand out to a few people that I have made notes of bits and bobs like light fittings off Trixie. Thing is the pump is not with the boat but I will see about getting it somewhere suitable to collect and let you know via PM.
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The thing is marine engines (especially in small river craft) are just car and van engines at their heart the base engines on which they are built are many years old - it is why we are only now beginning to see common rail diesel engines entering the smaller marine engine market, yet these have been the mainstay of cars and vans for several years now.
I think change will come. It always does, one day. We are aware that shipping moves many thousands of containers in one bulk carrier and they get along a fair rate of knots as they cross the worlds seas. They also pump out masses of emissions and while it is all well and good to say for the tonnage they carry per mile verses the emissions they produce for that it is not that bad, it is still bad what comes out their funnel's and there is no getting away from that. A lot of this is because heavy oil is burnt when in open seaways because it is cheaper.
Despite this, there are now murmurings about how things could be improved so if that is just beginning to be talked about for shipping I could see recreational boating finding itself being looked at for emissions one day too. I short don;t rule it out.
I doubt anything too drastic will suddenly happen, you may get the Broads Authority want to adjust Tolls to take account of engine type, age and horsepower and calculate some crude emissions scale based on such and charge accordingly. But the bigger issue I can see is as country after country line up to ban diesel cars, and sales of such are falling through the floor, where would the base engines come from that the likes of Beta Marine and Nanni marinise?
I could see that being the bigger issue where they get harder to source and cost more whereby the likes of Toyota might eventually set an end date for the manufacture of diesel engines and then Ford, GM and so on follow suit. I am sure the Chinese would only be too happy to step in with the tooling to produce these older bases but would the buyers of Beta, Nanni, Vetus etc be so keen to buy what they may see as a cheaper 'clone' of a once reputable engine manufacture?
On a closed river system that the Broads is, I could see one day a proper infrastructure of electric charging points - in the meantime I think what will happen sooner than any of that is the resurgence of small, perhaps even turbo charged, clean burning petrol engines on boats. Morden fuel injected engines don't suffer quite the same woes in damp environments, are very quiet, offer a good amount of power for their size and weight leaving only the big elephant in the room to contend with: Highly flammable fuel in large amounts on boats.
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Not that old, but here is a section from past family holidays which bring back fond memories:
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Just now, FairTmiddlin said:
Decided not to diy the job then. should have been easy with a small suction device to remove the oil
Duly bought small suction device to remove the oil - along with new battery, and fully synthetic oil of the correct grade to go back in. Having sucked out just over 200ml no more would come - consulted service manual on the operation and found I had only sucked out the contents of the oil tank - which should be free of oil when the engine is not running. In order to remove the rest of the oil the tank and a bunch of hoses would need to be removed to obtain actual access to the engine and from there the sump.
Since I did not have the hose clamp removal tools I stopped and sent an email to Shaun and away went the stress and hassle.
Should anyone want a 60w, 12v oil suction pump which provides a flow rate of 5L per minute let me know. No charge.
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Well it has been a case of almost there, nearly there, not quite there..
George has been working away on the boat but hitting all types of issues, firstly the weather delayed the compounding starting, then we have had issued with supplies sending items needed and getting in estimates for other work to be done from third party contractors and I have been pushing the collection date right back to the last moment - now this Friday to assist George and the guys as much as we can to take some pressures off.
Bailey & Stone turned the canopy around for the boat in about week, and was formally fitted last week. I am told it looks great and they were very easy to deal with not to mention speedy and came in with a great price. I have not seen the boat and though others have, and indeed have photos I have declined to want to see them.
But I am very excited to see the results to the exterior this Friday, but know that after the weekends get together at Salhouse, Trixie will be returned straight back to Ludham Bridge Boatyard for the final works to be completed. This will include all new headlining to the entire boat with recessed LED down lighters. Some re-working of the position of the sprt light and removal of the existing TV aerial (small job) but that has lead to the larger job of the cabin headlining coming down to gain access to the wiring looms. I therefore decided to replace with new as part of the refurbishment works and I have deiced that Jekells will be given the work in this respect.
At some stage Bailey & Stone will be proving all new seating for the interior - re-shaped foam in four simpler sections. Currently there are a number of additional infill foam pieces to make a single berth, the likelihood of this being used as a berth is small. I want the option of it still being able to convert if required mind you, but would be about 4" narrower after the works - slim people only need sleep here. The upholstery is a very soft and natural Chenille fabric from Ross Fabrics called Plush Sage.
I felt this would be neutral enough without being too bland and will complement forthcoming new flooring inside the boat (in the cockpit there is the possibility of some 'Teak Carpet') though it would be ideal in navy with red lines though I understand stock of that is in limited supply. New curtains will also be the order of the day at some point.
Once this is complete then it will bring the first phase of refurbishment to a close and we can be able to use the boat.
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It has been sometime since I had anything to really report..But NYA have been working away and solving issues and finding more to then solve and I am happy to say that:
I have two sets of brand new belts fitted and to the correct tension with new screws to hold the safety covers in place correctly too.
The ongoing coolant leak was traced to the bodge where a threaded valve had sheered and been 'glued' in with some gasket putty. This was removed, the engine block where it attaches cleaned up and new threads put into the metal to accommodate a new valve and now all that is awaited are the correct Yanmar seals. The thermostat housing was also removed and taken to the workshop to clean up and inspect.
Previous dangerous bodge:
New valve connected to thermostat housing
Work now moves to the RIB engine and oil system.
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27 minutes ago, 40something said:
Tingdene didn't buy the business for what it was, they bought it for what they knew it could be with the right investment.
I wish they would put some investment into the assess roads at Brundall - oh and some 32Amp shore power would be handy too.
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6 minutes ago, Katie said:
we pick up Cerise lady from George on Friday
I pick up Trixie on Friday too - it is going to be a close run thing to get all the gear sorted, and then I join B.A. at Stalham. I am sure it will come right in the end
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They have big plans with 'Aedis' the new development ...
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I think Fourways is looking for a boat that is small and easy to manage, cheap to run and moor and so would be handy if came in under 30ft.
I personally would find a Viking far too compact and for everyday cruising and staying over on etc an Outboard is not my choice. However, there are many other aft cockpit boats between 24ft and 27ft that you could look into, under £15,000 (if I just take as a top end budget) that have inboard diesel engines.
The bonus of an aft cockpit is the outside space and cruising along on a nice day in the open, the downside is the accommodation space is reduced when tied up and down below after a days cruise. Hampton's, for their size pack in a great deal of accommodation in three distinct areas from saloon to galley to cabin and also allow you to cruise along with the roof back. However, they have a big following (like Seamasters) and you do have some owners who go above and beyond with refurbishments and make them stunning - the price then increases, equally you can find far more basic boats which will need some attention for a lot less. I'd be looking for the middle ground. Nothing too fancy and pricey, but avoiding the bottom end where you will have hands in pockets right after the Contract is signed to put things right on known issues.
Rascals' top tip would be to buy something like a Sun Seeker Predator, but you;re clearly sane and sensible so how about 27ft Elysian Aft Cockpit or Centre Cockpit boats and also Freeman 27's to my eye always look modern externally, and have a lovely interior. Try to keep an open mind as to type and concentrate more on budget and do go look and get a feel of the boats past the adverts (something I should do myself).
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I should really update the Indy Maintenance thread here, but I will just post here initially to report that NYA have now fully removed the thermostat housing, re-tapped the threads, fitted a new valve and await the Yanmar seals to arrive to then re-fit.
They have also now changed and tightened to spec the new belts. I can also report that if you think Volvo Penta parts can be high priced, come and own a large Yanmar lol.
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Well, that is a shame but in January I arrived full of expectation, a lot of questions and seeking advice and help and was prepared to spend but sand after stand I was left wanting. There was as usual a real lack lustre feel to the entire event with it seemed exhibitors feeling they simply should attend as their closest competitor was and they ad to keep face.
I have never been to the Southampton show but am told again and again how much better it is, and hope to go in 2019 and experience it myself. The London show could have been so much better so much more both in terms of the layout and style and what was actually going on they tried to fix things far too late I think.
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2 minutes ago, oldgregg said:
Would that be the one named after Trigger's tool of the trade?
Surly they would not sweep something like that under the carpet..
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12 minutes ago, Ricardo said:
Me I'd be counting my blessings right now .
As I am. The point is, I did ask for them to be done because I felt 'a hunch' that it should be. It was literally the day before departure that the final parts arrived for the spares too. You may have had a belt go, or an impeller so we had that covered. I had tried to organise as much as I could from critical servicing and checks to safely equipment like brand new life raft and ensuring the Gen Set was in fine condition after a long period of being unused but never would I have thought about something as important as that being literally stuck together. Visually you had no idea until it was removed and here is the photo:
Also it was a pretty hard sea trial we had and after we went over the engines no leaks were present, if there had of been it would have been a priority. Indeed it only showed signs of weeping midway between Plymouth and Weymouth during one of the standard engine room checks Griff was undertaking. He gently tightened up the bolt I believe, not wanting to do it too much - little did he or anyone know there was no thread and the thing was held together with some putty compound!
Still look at it like this, all is well that ends well and it is now something sorted. They are also kindly sorting the RIB so I can finally get that in the water.
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The very fact there is any hint of confusion shouts the sign has failed its purpose. It also looks awful with its layout. The last part did not need to be centre justified and that just makes it look very clumsy so far as the typography is concerned.
Many good signs have a great deal of thought go in not only to their layout, but the font and size of such font and especially what they are conveying. In this case, I would have thought it simple to have stated:
Private Land. No access to village
It is not a directional sign after all, neither really is it an information sign, it is more of an authoritative sign giving a statement. By adding the additional text about Somerleyton Moorings confuses the layout and causes more information than needs be.
Another sign at the Somerleyton Moorings could then be erected to to cover the point one can get to the village stating something like:
Access to village from these moorings.
Anyway, it is done now. I think the Broads Authority seem to be settling for black signage with white writing - though the size, layout and style of each sign remains to be brought into a standard form.
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1 minute ago, Simon said:
Thats really bad, have you been in touch with the initial so called service comp.
There is little point. A lot of time has passed now and frankly I feel they would deny such and say it was all done and prove otherwise, then I have to go to the expense of proving such and where would it end? A Court...?
So no, it seems pretty obvious that due to the fact I was on a tight timetable and moving the boat for good, corners were cut. But it also seems that the past yard who had 'cared for' the boat over the last 3 to 5 years were doing a lot of things on the cheap - bodges and so on a plenty. I know the previous owner was extremely hands off, the boat also rarely moved and if it did would be a short cruise from the previous saved plots in the Plotter. All in all I think he had been a bit hood winked into thinking things had been done when they only appears on the surface to have been.
Still, she is in good hands now and I do have a complete spares innovatory onboard which I am not dipping into and will set about ordering a complete new set. Things like oil changes, fuel and oil filters and impellers can all be done 'in house' so to speak. More complex tasks like taking intercoolers apart and finding the correct anodes and flushing such I'll leave to the professionals - one advantage there is if they break it I am covered, if I break it...I am on my own.
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I have had some horrors being found in Indy's engine room.
Before we left Plymouth I had asked the local yard to service the engines, change impellers, belts, filters (both oil and fuel) and of course had the tanks duly cleaned and we then changed the Racor fuel filter elements ourselves. I then obtained spares for everything also. This cost near on £700.00 foe the engine servicing alone but I felt a lot more confident.
You can imagine my surprise when NYA get in the engine room to adjust the belt tension to then send me photos showing how terribly old and worn they are, clearly not having been replaced, and new belts now on order. But yesterday they reported back about my coolant leak.
This is where the coolant returns to the port engine having been through the closed circuit of the hot water tank - it has a ball valve but the leak is on the engine block. It began as weep and now is a steady run. Upon removal they find horror of horror that at some stage the thread had been broken clean off - rather than replace it has been carefully 'glued' back in place and then PTFE tape wrapped to hide the glue. In short the thing was held on with some putty/gasket type materiel, under pressure and had that blown off we would have had a rapid loss of coolant, steam, overheating port engine and that would have been potentially a very serious and dangerous thing in some of the conditions during her delivery trip.
I know it helps to have some knowledge of engines and engineering but there is only so much you can 'see' and when you have asked for work to be done and paid for it, you expect it to have been done. In my case I am very grateful that NYA are so on the ball and also so communicative showing what they find and the fix after even if you are not personally there to inspect all photographed and emailed. This leads on to the fact I have no faith the engines have in fact had a complete service and one wonders if they simply changed the oil to make it look nice and fresh and golden. I've spoken to NYA who can do it probably in accordance with Yanmar specifications - we also need to have the Intercoolers apart as it is unlikely the anodes (6 on each) have ever been changed, and that is before we get to grips with the Turbo's. I'm told that once major interventions are made it gets better and turns into more routine (read cheaper) maintenance. I hope so!
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Better late than never but all sorts of things to catch up with here..
First off, it was great to meet some new faces who had taken time out to come and get involved, along with the old rouges lol. Pauline and Sam really did a wonderful job with keeping the troops fed and watered and Mike kindly had bought the food and combined it was really warming to see a group of people come together and help another's project through this Forum.
I took some photos, I took some video and here is a little idea of what we were all doing. I think we achieved far more in a short time than any one had expected. Tim was there with his good sense of humour, though at times it did go a bit off and down to the level of Grif's jokes.
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Welcome to the Forum
Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app -
1 hour ago, 40something said:
Great little boats the Norman 20's and this one looks to be in really good condition plus comes with a 30hp Honda engine
It sure is, but too much boat - I don't need beds and a hob sort of thing, just a simple 'open' boat for a bit of fun and going places in for a few hours. The more I look and read the more I am going off the idea based simply and strangely for me, practicality reasons.
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1 hour ago, Ricardo said:
Can I be impatient and ask why exactly did you purchase the sheerline ?
The plan was for something small and easy to handle for my Mum and Simon to use that they could come to easily since they moved up from Uxbridge to Cambs and with more time on their hands be able to get out on the rivers more. Having bought it, we are both of the view it may be a little too compact. In hindsight perhaps something more like an Ocean 30 would have been better, but I am going to see how we feel in 12 months time as to if it is a keeper or not.
It is a 'ready to go boat' (or will be soon) for them to use or me originally it was to be part funded by my Mum but in the end I have taken it all on and they are the main beneficiaries.
1 hour ago, Ricardo said:one thing I do know is you pick a boat to do a certain job , day boat , river boat or sea boat , OK you can do the sea n river bit with one boat but that's probably going to be too big to be a day boat hence the tender , that's what tenders do , open up new area's to people, they are not something destined purely for the med lots of people use them from their boats on the broads I'm one of them
This all began last weekend when I was frustrated that I could not get on the water on a lovely day. It got so bad that next day I went off in search of hiring a day boat, alas without luck. For the remainder of the weekend I got thinking over and over on solutions to this. Yes, I have the Williams and yes had that been ready to go I would have no doubt got it down and used it - but it really is a very small 'toy boat'. Once you are in it moving about is very hard since the driver has their little spot and the passenger their seat and a small well for their feet.
A dinghy of the same dimensions would offer more actual usable space to put stuff as it would not have the centre area taken up by an inboard engine! Therefore if we wanted to go to Coldham Hall for a meal and then head back after the Williams might be ideal. If we wanted to go for a bit of a longer trip say down to the New Inn at Rockland, by the time you've got there you will be uncomfy having been sat in the same position unable to really move your legs for so long. Equally it does not really lend itself for a stop for a couple of hours on Bargate - well it is doable at a pinch but hardly a comfortable place to 'while away the time'.
So my idea was to get some kind of open boat with an outboard on it. However, looking about at them and the costs, then looking at smaller 'day boats' or 'weekenders' they all seemed either a bit too much in size (I don't need sleeping accommodation) or for a boat that would get a few hours use on in a day too much money for what they were . Then I found the little Broom and thought it covered it all - cool looking, not much money and a heap of fun. Nice and basic, and would solve the itching to get on the water when I wanted to and yet have a more comfy seat and even space for a cool box!
So, where does that leave things now? Well. the Fletcher caught my eye as it is far newer, same actual length (15ft), has a nicer interior, a bit more 'leg room' and still has that 'head turning' factor. If (and it is a big if) I ever did go down this route I would simply get someone who collects and moves trailered boats to go an collect it, and bring it to the Marina. I would get the bottom primed and antiflouled then swap the engine for a nice 4 stroke unit - Marine-Tech do some reasonable Mariner models I have found.
Once done, put it in the water and treat it thereon in as any other boat. Rather than keeping it somewhere and then launching it when needed, the recovering it, then putting it somewhere once again until the next time I would keep it in the water behind Indy. in short the least amount of faffing about the better. Who does that with one of those boats? Who keeps on of those boats on a river? That would be me then. It is why I don't think i could ever 'pick a boat to do a certain job'.
I might find in 12 to 18 months time the novelty factor had gone and it was time for me to part company with it. Being a Gemini, I am impulsive do get bored easily and seek the next thing to get into - currently it is 'speed boats' the next thing on the horizon could be sailing boats.
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7 minutes ago, JawsOrca said:
Robin, having suffered the pain of too many boats, how about looking at just getting a GRP inflatable RIB with a 9.9 on the back and sticking on the back of Indy, there are lots of accessories out there which makes something like a small(er) lighter RIB easy to launch and recover from davits of swimdeck..
Which is exactly what Indy had from new and what the previous owner set about removing. Indy originally had hydraulic raising mounts that would come out the swim platform to cradle the smaller RIB. These were all removed and brand new Teak laid across the platform making the space more usable (and it is great for stern on or just getting down to the water point not stepping over a RIB there).
I am as I say being a bit lazy and now turning crazy with the above post. Something leads to something else...I can't get rid of the Williams it just feels too much part of the boat overall but anything else could be perfect for a bit of fun for a year before the novelty wears off and move it on.
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Well, it had to happen. I had a peek into the world of 15 to 16 foot 'speed boats' . Oh. My. God.
Well let's just say this, you can sure get some fun toys for not a lot of money if you want to bring some of these boats back to life, you can also spend quite spectacular amounts for brand new models.
I have found Fletcher boats seem to have a lot of choice in terms of models, prices and equipment - but I really rather like a 15ft model from 2000 with 196hrs on it's Mercury Black Max outboard which is rated at 90hp (alas a 2 stroke again). Originally used once for a film shoot and kept undercover since. Perfect condition.
It comes it at double the cost of the Gemini but looks about four times the boat. I need to look away now and get on with something else to distract me.
Old Broads Boats
in Broads Photos
Posted
Not only that, but dug out the 1997 brochure. Diamond Cruisers I believe only operated from Horning for a season. Truly awful boat with what was effectively a tarpaulin as a canopy, scratched perspex wind screens and steering cables so slack you had more than half a turn on the wheel before anything happened. However, it was so cheap for the hire one could not moan too much.