Comments for Globetrotter

Comment on Turn your blog into a printed book! by iBoatr

iBoatr — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:39:08 +0000

Try the Blurb bookmaking website, for photo books (even better than iPhoto) and written book (untried but cheaper than the service you mention). Or try Amazon’s CreateSpace for a book of your blog. Let us know how it turns out

Comment on Turn your blog into a printed book! by Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:27:42 +0000

Oh my word, that would be just too tempting… A bit classier than my monthly paper back-ups in their ring binder.

Comment on Sold by Mike

Mike — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:31:51 +0000

Thanks Sue
I still live on Globetrotter so not exactly boatless!
But its soooo tempting to see how much of a trad working boat I can scrape together – moneys no good in the bank right now.

Comment on Sold by Sue

Sue — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:06:35 +0000

It’s all very well you selling this boat you know. But what are you going to blog on now?

You best hurry up and buy another one!

Oh PS.. Well done on your sale

Comment on Ecofan broken and repaired! by Mike

Mike — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:49:39 +0000

Is this not what I did? Or perhaps you sell them?

Comment on Ecofan broken and repaired! by Mike

Mike — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:36:22 +0000

The most frequent cause of failure for the ECOFAN is a bad TEG module. This is the thermoelectric generator that converts heat to electricity to power the fan. The manufacturer will not sell replacement TEG modules but you can find them on eBay. They are quite simple to replace. Just remember to use a thin layer of thermal grease on both sides of the TEG module prior to assembly. Do a search on eBay for ECOFAN REPAIR

Comment on Simpson to Marsworth by Mark

Mark — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:54:16 +0000

Mike,

Re your visit to Marsworth.

The majority of boaters moored at Marsworth have a day job and work all day. So, if you get back from a long days work, I sometimes get in at 8.00pm, I have no choice but to run my engines until 10.00pm. We have a rule at Marsworth that no engines or generators after 10.00pm.

Kind regards

Mark

Comment on A quick peek at Portishead by Durham Bubb

Durham Bubb — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:33:47 +0000

Anyone contemplating this journey should bear in mind that the actual rise and fall of the Bristol Channel is around 46ft, It has the second highest tidal range in the world. Currents can run at 8 knots on the Spring tides. You will need a pilot to make sure that conditions are safe even on a calm day this stretch of water deserves a lot of respect ! The usual procedure is to take the outgoing tide from bristol, and then rest up on the mud at portishead until the tide comes in again. This trip is not one for the faint hearted.

Comment on Beeston Iron Lock by Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:23:42 +0000

Having read your article I have a couple of points to make. Firstly. The ‘mud’ you refer to on the lower side of the iron lock is in fact a sloping brick wall. It is sloping as due to the unstable ground it was the design Thomas Telford used to keep the canal in and the surround ground out. Therefore, although annoying, it is a necessity and with the bridge so close it is easy enough to get off before hand.

In regards to the warning signs at the iron lock in my opinion there should be some above and below the lock where boaters wait to go through such as they have at Bunbury staircase. At the iron lock you generally can’t see the signs until you are already in! Therefore lack of attention to the signs is less a fault of the boaters and more of British Waterways.

Thirdly. The reason boats get caught on the ledges is due to the change in design in boat since the lock was built. Old working narrowboats had curved sides without bits sticking out and so wouldn’t get caught. Having been through this lock multiple times in an old boat, double breasted and without ropes I can say that with knowledge and experience there is no problem. There is only one area of the lock that has curved inwards and if this part is avoided then two boats can easily go up and down at the same time.

In regards to the instruction from the hire company like anywhere else people will lie. As Mr Hardern has said above often people will go to hire companies and say they have masses of experience when in fact they don’t. As a result all boaters have to sign a disclaimer if they are claiming to be experienced. If they don’t wish to sign this then they will go through the same instruction as everyone else, which may I add has been highly commended. In the boat instruction books there is also detailed descriptions on how to carry out certain operation such as locks so the boaters have no excuses, especially as the owners of the hire company are available 24/7 for any queries.

Comment on Beeston Iron Lock by Chas Hardern

Chas Hardern — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:28:54 +0000

Hi Mike, You will have already quessed that I run the ‘offending’ boatyard below Beeston Iron Lock. The boat in question – ‘Thorin’- was obviously crewed by supposedly ‘experienced’ hirers. All of our hirers are thoroughly quizzed regarding their previous experience, both at time of booking and on boarding the boat. If there is any doubt at all of their abilities they are accompanied 1/2 mile down the canal towards Chester, turned in the winding hole, and escorted through the Iron Lock, and through the Stone Lock also, if they are still unsure. However, there will always be some who have been on the canals maybe once or twice before, maybe many years ago, possibly on a dayboat, who will claim many years experience and therefore ‘know it all’ Quote from my colleague “I’VE BEEN BOATING FOR 30 YEARS!!” “Well, by gumm Lad, you must be a slow learner!”