Recent content by georgebertie

In the fuel crisis of 2000 I was in Plymouth,no road fuel was available.And the Land Rover was empty.But I heard that there was an exemption for essential personnel in certain categories of the care profession. My wife was a midwife,I worked for Social Services..A friendly fisherman...

What a fascinating thread. Thank you.

There’s a possibility that I will need to replace the water pump.(It’s the indirectly cooled model) Genuine Yanmar pumps seem to be nearly £700 .Others much less.Is there much difference in quality? Can someone explain the vast difference in pricing? I think that I may have seen that...

It’s a very old pvc coated cockpit cover,faded but afaik still reasonably watertight.Would a dose of Fabsil hurt it? Would there be any reaction with the PVC.? Are there any other products that can be recommended..bearing in mind that cosmetics are very low on my priorites.

A few years ago, I dropped anchor in a creek somewhere up the Fal. A pleasant young lad arrived to collect the dues,and asked if I was “local”. Apparently,the fees were reduced if one was. How does that work?Some element of discrimination surely? I wonder if he really did work for the...

The ring that locks and unlocks the spiral extension will often crack, or break.Putting a small hose clip around it saves the day,and also stops the screwdriver rolling away when you put it down on a sloping surface. Especially useful when working at height or on a scaffold.

I was told once, a long time ago,that one of the Severn Bridges.....probably the old one,has a repeater transmitter for the Milford Coast Guard. Could you be listening to a more powerful transmission from the bridge and a poor one from the ship...yacht...whateva? Just a thought.

Reminds me of the time when I was walking past a VERY large and VERY expensive motor yacht in Plymouth. The (I presume ) owner hailed me and asked if I had minute .” Of course” I replied,being a helpful sort of chap.” “Would you mind tying bowlines on all of the mooring lines...

I hope my memory is not playing tricks,but I seem to remember reading of a similar outfit where the maiden voyage ended in tragedy. I think that no trace was ever found of the sidecar or its occupant. Again about 60 years ago.