Taylors of Fenny

Our boat was built by Ian Taylor at Fenny Marina and we started our maiden voyage to Oxford on Good Friday 2007.

Ian did most of the work himself, with help from Ron and Barry.

The good news is that from tomorrow, 1st July, Ian takes over the business at Fenny Compton and will be trading as Taylors of Fenny bringing over 25 years experience to the business.

Ian will be offering a comprehensive range of services for narrowboats including, electrical service and repairs, gas service and repairs, plumbing, repainting, engine servicing, heater servicing and much, much more.

He can also supply Epifanes paints and varnishes, Vetus marine diesels and equipment, Webasto diesel heating and Kuranda marine equipment.

I’m sure he will be very successful.

Posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 21:54
Comments (0) Category(s): Build our Boat , Southern Oxford

The Gas Man Cometh

Twas on a Monday morning the gas man came to call.
The gas tap wouldn’t turn - I wasn’t getting gas at all.

It wasn’t Monday but it was a Flanders and Swann sort of day, and our Gas Man cometh on Thursday and again on Friday,

We’d spent considerable time getting everything right on the boat for our cruise to film the Stourport Ring - even a weekend cruise to make sure.

When I arrived on the boat on Wednesday evening I turned the gas on in the gas locker and put the kettle on.  I had gas for 30 seconds, then it went out. I checked I’d turned the gas bottle on properly but that didn’t help so perhaps we’d run out, but turning on the other bottle didn’t help either, and neither did twiddling the changeover valve.

Lifting and shaking the gas bottles gently confirmed that the one we were using was at least half full, as expected, and the other new one was definitely full so why no gas?

Our gas bottles are in a stern locker under the seat for ease of access.  Two tails go from the bottles to the changeover switch and regulator then a continuous pipe goes to the cooker (our only gas appliance) with an isolation valve next to it - and I hadn’t accidentally knocked that off.

Taking the pipes off the changeover switch allowed me to blow through that and disconnecting the pipe at the regulator output showed no gas there so it must be the regulator.  That’s as far as I’m prepared to go with gas fittings and the dangers of tampering with them so a quick phone call to Alvechurch Boats who we would be cruising past later in the day and they confirmed they could look at it for us so off we went.

Their Engineer went through the same diagnostic process and also thought it was the regulator but then decided to check what nether of us had checked - the tails from the bottles. We both knew nothing could go wrong with those !  Well would you believe it.  The non-return valves in both tails had seized up at the same time - and they’re both still shiny new and only 14 months old.

Well past 5 o’clock their stores were now closed and the Engineer past his finishing time.  I’m sure he would have stayed to finish the job but he couldn’t without new tails.  During the evening I conduced the un-scientific test of bashing the end of one of the tails on the concrete and putting it back on the gas bottle and we had gas.  It proved our theory but I left it all turned off.  He returned in the morning, fitted new tails, tightened it all up and got their CORGI registered fitter to check it.  We’re cooking on gas again.

—– o O o —–

And just in case that hasn’t bored you to death we had plenty of other tasks to keep us going.  The GPS display that allows us track our progress could only find one satellite so it didn’t know where we were and that took some hours to coax into life - even though it worked fine when we last left the boat.

And the desktop and laptop computers both denied existence of each other so I couldn’t synchronise any files - that was eventually traced to a Norton update since we last used the boat.

And the mobile phone charger stopped charging, although the phone display still said it was being charged, so we lost contact with the real world when the phone battery went flat.

Now we’re all sorted and cruising again so look out for further updates.

Posted on Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 11:18
Comments (0) Category(s): Build our Boat

New Bow Fender

We have a new bow fender for this summer’s travels.

The original one, supplied with the new boat only lasted one season.  It had been refastened several times and it was beyond hope - there was nothing left to repair.

That was a traditional fender made with rope all the way through and I wondered if one with a rubber core would last any longer.

So, a new rubber cored fender is now fitted.  It’s surprising how heavy a bow fender is and I didn’t fancy hanging over the bows trying to fit one upside down so I simply reversed the boat in our normal moorings.

With the nose inwards and the fender sitting neatly on the jetty I could take as long as I liked to adjust the chains.  I simply pushed the boat back a little to let the fender hang to see how it fitted.

Now all we need is a few locks to press it gently into shape, then, no doubt, I will have to take up a little slack on the chains, and we can see how long this one lasts.

Posted on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 19:31
Comments (0) Category(s): Build our Boat

Happy Birthday to Waterway Routes

Waterway Routes (the boat) is one year old today.

It was on Good Friday 6 April, 2007 that we started our maiden voyage, heading southwards along the Southern Oxford Canal from Fenny Compton to reach Oxford.

We’ve been to lots of places since then, including Llangollen (twice) and around the Four Counties Ring, the Cheshire Ring and the whole of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN).

During that year we’ve done 1,307 miles, 754 locks and 84 lift/swing bridges and consumed 1154 litres of diesel at an average of 51p per litre.

Most of the winter has been safely tucked up at Sherborne Wharf while we spent a little time working on the boat to prepare it for this summer.

Our summer cruises will be to the south and west of Birmingham, including the Avon and Stourport rings so watch out for us that way.

Posted on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 00:01
Comments (0) Category(s): BCN , Build our Boat

Canal Boat Magazine

Look our for the October 2007 issue of Canal Boat Magazine - on sale from Thursday 6 September.
 

Waterway Routes is reviewed inside.  See the pictures and read the story.

Posted on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 18:32
Comments (0) Category(s): Build our Boat

Back to Base

We’ve completed our return trip from Fenny Compton to Oxford. The boat is back with the builders for 2 weeks to complete the build and deal with a few snagging items. Then we will collect the boat and start heading northwards. The initial plans are to head for Birmingham via the narrow canals - Oxford, Coventry etc. Thank you to all those we talked to on route and to those who left comments on the Blog - please keep the comments coming.

Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007 at 21:05
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

Proving Trials

Off to Fenny Compton yet again.  I think the car knows its own way by now.

Today the electric motor was used for our trail run to the winding hole at the Wharf Inn and back.  Manoeuvring around the marina was an excellent demonstration of how the bow thrusters worked.

Departure was using the diesel engine, then as soon as we were straightened up on the canal we shut down the diesel and turned the key for the electric motor.

Silence.  Then we moved the throttle and we heard the rush of water and some noise from the electric motor.

Well the engine trap doors were open so we could take measurements and check everything was working.

There is just one problem, to be fixed later.  The meter which shows how much current we are taking is reading too high.  For now we have to remember that when it reads 100 amps it’s only drawing 75 amps and so on for other readings.  It can easily be fixed later.

We made measurements of current drawn and speed from a GPS then put the engine covers on and cruised silently back to the berth in the marina.  It was lovely to talk to people on other boats without shouting.

The next trip to Fenny Compton will be on Friday for the maiden voyage.  All being well we will leave Fenny Compton around lunchtime and head south towards Oxford, returning the following Thursday or Friday.  Please say Hello if you see us around.

Posted on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 18:18
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

Fast Forwards (and Backwards)

On yesterday’s blog I showed pictures of Peter Bloor, the signwriter, naming our boat.

While I was watching him patiently working on the boat I also had another camera fixed on a tripod taking time-lapse video of him.

Now I’ve had time to edit the video and upload it to YouTube.  It’s my first experience of YouTube, but everyone else seems to be using it so it seemed time for me to try.

Have a look at Peter’s signwiriting in 30 seconds or so in these clips (you may have to click more than once).

Now you see it

Now you don’t

Now you see it

Now you don’t

Posted on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 11:32
Comments (1) Category(s): Build our Boat

I Name this Ship … (well, Narrowboat) …

Another trip to Fenny Compton today to see Peter Bloor, the sign writer at work.

It’s fascinating to see him work and layout the wording using chalk and masking tape.  Then all the lettering.

First the same cream as the lining for the main colour, then a light blue for the side shading.  Finally returning when the first two colours are dry to add the dark blue shading.

And then the decisions about the size of lettering for the bows and a quick dash to measure the cratch cover to ensure it doesn’t cover the end of the lettering.

Posted on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 20:31
Comments (3) Category(s): Build our Boat

Boat Safety Scheme Certificate

Just a quick visit to the boat yesterday to see the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) Inspection taking place.

Although new boats don’t need a Boat Safety Scheme Certificate our builder, Stephen Goldsbrough Boats, organises a full certificate from an independent surveyor for our confidence.  It also prevents arguments four years later when the first BSS inspection is required.

Jeff Greatwood from Alrewas was the surveyor and we watched him carefully checking everything and ticking off the checklist before issuing us with the BSS certificate.

That’s now in the post with the paperwork to British Waterways for our licence application.

Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 12:08
Comments (3) Category(s): Build our Boat