----- Original Message ----- From: "michael askin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 11:37 PM Subject: Re: [canals-list] Trip Report Thames Tideway
> ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Terry" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > I put the revs up to about 2000 and was running well, after about 1/2 hour > > my water temp had only risen by abot 5 to 10 degrees so I was happy. > > (Thistle was at just over tickover so we were trunning a bit slower than > > with boats separate). > > It's surprising how much difference putting another boat alongside makes. If > you are towing any distance, especially if you need any speed it's usually > better to pull the boat along. > > When I was bowhauling my boat back to Uxbridge, a kind sole took me into > tow - alongside. It was painfully slow, but thankfully we needed to single > out to get through a tricky narrows. We remained single all the rest of the > way, and made life alot quicker! > > > When I first spotted smoke from Hannah, and then shortly after seeing her > > slowing down and getting ready to deploy her anchor I radioed Thistle to > > let > > her know I was going to slow down to give initial assistance. > > I'm not having a go at Hannah (or her owners for that matter), but this > incident seems to show a short fall in most narrowboats... The engine never > gets any real work, so as soon as its pushed it fails. I've seen this quite > a bit with tidal trips. > > The problem obviously rears its ugly head in older smaller engines, as to > get any speed the owner will be running it near (or at) flat out for about > the first time in it's life! I also notice newer engines, a little too > powerful for the canals, have problems when for the first time it actually > gets warm - as I assume has happened here. But the fact that you arrived too early at Richmond bridge, despite all the problems, would suggest that the passage could have been made comfortably at normal *canal cruising revs* ? It is human nature I suppose, to want to push on and give plenty of margin for error. However, this is one of those occassions when the accuracy of a GPS unit, giving speed over the ground, combined with accurate planning is most useful! > > If you ever get chance before a tidal run, give the engine abit of grief for > awhile (perhaps a quick run down the Lee), just to check it out! > > I don't have this problem as my SR3 is regularly running near flat-out > trying to make 4mph down the GU. In open waters it manages just over 5mph, > and so coming down the Thames last month gave it hours of near flat-out > running without major problems. Have you got the optimum propellor on your boat or does it have a very short stern swim? Cheers Phil PS Thanks for a really fascinating read ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/ygtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
