Recent content by blackbeard

It's possible to get a bit of calcite build-up on the spindle on which the paddlewheel turns, giving the problems mentioned above, you can push the spindle out and clean it up or else use de-scaler. Vinegar mentioned above acts as a de-scaler.

My cooker is about 23 years old now, which might be relevant .... If I close all the taps on the cooker, and then turn of the main gas tap, and then try to light one of the burners, it lights normally but goes out completely after a second or two. Fair enough, the butane in the pipe was under...

On my little boat, the engine stop (ie thingy you pull to stop the engine, it then cuts off the fuel to the engine) was initially in the cockpit near the engine speed/gear level. But, in the cockpit, in the only places to put it are places where it fouls sail speed/gear lever or else tempts...

Thanks for replies, everyone. Bournemouth beach - Seems that we shall have to look for black and white flags, or anchor close to beach and swim ashore ...

From what I saw from afar during the Bank Holiday weekend, there were still lots of boats (majority small motor boats) in the relevant area ...

A couple of unfamiliar experiences recently: We brought some sailing dinghies ashore on Bournemouth beach for a cafe stop, as we have often done before, and were politely asked to leave. I don't know the reason for this, maybe inexpertly handled boats plus a dense population on the beach is a...

Boat has been afloat over winter. When I tried to start the engine, I could get no cooling water, the inlet was choked with sea squirts. Tried clearing them (with a wire through the seacock/skin fitting) but as soon as I got one out, another took its place. I can't run the engine long enough...

Sounds like the voice of experience .... haven't had a good look yet. At first sight the combustion chamber looks OK but I will have a closer look. Now to find a valve spring compressor ....

Thanks to all for advice. Nut (and associated valve gear, and cylinder head) are now OFF, following a week or so marinating in Plus-Gas, plus a deep hex socket spanner with a very long bar (courtesy Halfords). I noticed that the washer beneath the nut (according to the manual) was absent...

... so, following much advice on how to do it, I have begun to partially strip down the engine preparatory to taking the head off and getting rid of what I suspect to be a great deal of carbon. I have got as far as the valve gear which I now need to take off the engine. It's held in place by a...

Age 70? mere youth! Ah! to be 70 again! and there 's plenty of people older than me still sailing. Old sailors never die .... and they are ahead of you in the queue for the best moorings .. Blackbeard, 77, still sailing

For what it's worth, I have a 25-foot bilge keel boat, draft 1 metre (British Hunter 245) and my main anchor is a 10 kg Britany with 14 m of 8mm chain plus 8-plain nylon. Boat tends to stay where put. As I can anchor in fairly shallow water, 14 m of chain is plenty. Britany works for me, but...

Thanks to all for some very helpful comments. It's good to know that it's not just me! The boat is very good to me, it doesn't demand much in the way of muscular effort, and the jib is self-tacking of course. Anchoring is a bit of a pain since by anchor is a 10 kg Britany on 8mm chain which is...

I ask because after having spent quite a lot of summer sailing s/h on a 25-foot yacht (Hunter 245) I am left feeling as if I have over-trained (as in training for running) and need a bit of a rest! despite not having (so far as I can recall) done anything especially taxing. Is this normal, or is...

I have a memory of a chap who used to raid skips to keep an old boat going …. he salvaged a rope which snapped during a critical berthing manoeuvre. Would have been much cheaper to buy a decent rope.