Water Rail Out And About - Aug 2021

[grendel]

well a quiet morning, winding down the wooden boat show, and attend the boat Jumble, Water rail now has 2 new blue fenders to add to her collection, after lunch it was time to get packed up and head somewhere, Geldeston staithe was my preference, but it was already taken, with 3 other woodies along that straight, also the weed was quite bad along there, about turn and backtrack, eventually ending on the quay heading where the logs are on the bank, then a quiet afternoon watching the canoes, paddleboards and dayboats passing by.

[grendel]

Tonight's mooring

[grendel]

well the waters not that cold, so i found a swim spot just round the corner, with a tree root to assist getting out, als i found i can just drop my swim ladder off the quay heading and use that to get in and out by the boat, so a couple of quick dips have been had.. more to b e had later.

[annv]

Hi Grendel just seen your wiring that's caused by over heating in the first instance you could try tightening the two screws the cable might just be loose, other wise bulb wattage to high best change for LED light, the wring could well be OK apart from the over heated ends, it might also be a good thing to check the tank breather pipe is not restricted, low fuel level shouldn't affect fuel flow. John

[grendel]

John, the wiring is beyond redemption, we are planning to do a full rewire, and that was the last original set of lights, so we will make do with LED battery ones until the rewire. the fuel issue was some horrible waxy sludgy slimey stuff in the bottom of the filter, it was last changed (we found ) quite a while ago. I  had tested for air flow restriction by cracking the filler cap open, and it wasnt that.

[grendel]

up bright and early, went for a quick dip and now sitting watching the sun rising from behind the trees, while the kettle boils for coffee.

[Vaughan]

10 hours ago, grendel said:

the fuel issue was some horrible waxy sludgy slimey stuff in the bottom of the filter,

This sounds like paraffin wax, which separates out from diesel when it is frozen.  The bottom of a little sediment trap filter is a typical place to find it, after freezing weather.  It doesn't actually do any harm but its consistency means that it constricts the flow of fuel in the pipes.  Hopefully it has not got as far as the injector pump.  I suspect that it is this wax which some people call "diesel bug".

Trucks often used to freeze up on very cold nights, before the introduction of minus 17 degree diesel.

Edited to add : this is the reason why you should change the fuel filters in the spring and not in the autumn.  Otherwise, after a hard winter, you might have to do it twice!

Edited August 16, 2021 by Vaughan
line added

[CambridgeCabby]

My late fathers lorry drivers had small paraffin heaters which they used to light and leave on underneath the diesel tanks when parked up overnight in subzero weather conditions , cannot imagine health and safety permitting  such behaviour today 

[ChrisB]

We always had sump heaters under the cars and tractors in winter. Someting like these:-

[ChrisB]

[ChrisB]

Special Award

 

[ChrisB]

Suitably aged:-

 

[Vaughan]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

 Hopefully it has not got as far as the injector pump.

It might be a good idea this winter to disconnect the fuel line at the tank and blow right through the system with compressed air.  Fuel tanks don't often freeze (at least not in UK) owing to their sheer volume.  I don't know what engine you have, but DPA rotary injector pumps also have a filter, in the housing of the fuel intake pipe, at the outer end.  It is only a little gauze filter, but enough to restrict flow if it has wax in it.

[Polly]

Thanks for taking us on your adventure! I really enjoyed it.

[CambridgeCabby]

2 hours ago, ChrisB said:

Suitably aged:-

 

Grendel or Water Rail ??

[grendel]

well its taken me half an hour to be able to reply, but today saw me depart the waveney just short of geldeston at 7.30 am, plan was to arrive at reedham at low tide so I could catch the tide both ways down the waveney and up the yare, anyway I have ended up on the staithe at Lodden, there were plenty of spaces and the batteries dont like the fridge running all night without being on shore power, so i was lucky and got on a post with 59p left I actually arrived at reedham about 15 minutes early so had a little remaining tide to punch. tried to point out to a mooring vessel that leaving it in gear in tickover was making the shore crews job more difficult. as the boat was determined to leave the quay heading.

anyway i am here, though the internet speed is useless.

[Smoggy]

Loddon don't do signals.

[grendel]

chedgrave was fine a month or so back, but doesnt  have the electric point and showers

 

[grendel]

well I have had a nice relaxing afternoon without internet, Griff turned up with BA a short while back and we shuffled a boat up to give him room, I used the showers mid afternoon while it was quiet, but really after the 6 hour trip to get here its just been relaxing and having a quiet afternoon, Peter Rabbit 2 is a good movie I found.

[grendel]

despite being plugged into the electric all night the boat next to me started up its engine at 8am, and just sat there running it. by 9am I had had enough and despite the drizzle it was time to cast off ( this is the same boat that told me yesterday that he was in neutral and out of gear while mooring, despite the evidence to the contrary as two of his crew vainly struggled to hold the boat against the key heading, due to the prop wash.)

never mind, it was a good few hours trip from Lodden to Norwich, where I have just arrived, threading my way around the swans, and canoists, and people in a row boat, who were in the middle of the river, and managing to spin on the spot, today will be a wander round Norwich, once again I have managed to get on one of the electric posts here.

[grendel]

well I went and paid my mooring fee, and have had a wander around Norwich, I managed to purchase a whistling kettle to replace the now non whistling one that fell off the cooker going round the yellow post Thursday.

[BroadAmbition]

What does the new one whistle?

Always look on the bright side of life?

Griff

[grendel]

36 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

What does the new one whistle?

Always look on the bright side of life?

Griff

ride of the valkyries

[BrundallNavy]

57 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

What does the new one whistle?

Always look on the bright side of life?

Griff

I’m singing in the rain.  

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Polly put the kettle on?