A boating subject about boats and Boating.

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oldgit

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How many hours/how much boating have you done this year.Been anywhere unusual or different ?
Better than or worse than previous years.Despite whinges about weather,no single cruise or trip has been cancelled by us this season.
Fuel has also gone down,dropping from 110p to 78p an the moment !
Whats not to like. ?
 
Well we managed 21 logged trips and somewhere over 52 hours of engine run time.

For the Thames, a logged trip is only counted when we pass through a lock, so quick launches to visit the local pub etc. do not count.

Analysing the engine hours shows this to be the most hours in a year that the boat has done in its life (based on averaging the other hours across the lifetime)

I guess the high hours shows that the weather affected the style of boating as high engine hours probably shows that the amount of river boating compared to sea boating is high.

So actually quite a good year despite the weather limiting the sea boating element
 
I wonder why I bother keeping my launch. She's sat in the Boathouse 24-7 and rarely goes out. I think maybe 3 times this year for an hour or so and certainly not through a Lock.
 
Well we've had a pretty full year for boating - not surprising with a new, to us, boat to play with. Up as far as Abingdon and down as far as Teddington although not, unfortunately out onto the tideway yet.
No major headaches, got to know the boat and re-aquainted myself with a single shaft drive trying not to use the coffee grinder any more than necessary!

Mostly successful at finding moorings were we wanted to be - sometimes surprisingly so - and the river seeming to be on the quiet side for much of the time. Only had to self service a couple of times between May and September so no real complaints there. All in all the licence has been good VFM I would say.

Even managed to get to see Byron a couple of times !
 
I think we've only missed out on two weekends since the last red board. The furthest trip was Teddington to Abingdon. We've been to Windsor quite a few times and managed plenty of long weekends, ending on a Monday morning and doing the school run by boat.
And our first year with a tender, which has been great fun.

However cold and wet it gets, the only thing that will keep me at home on the weekend is a red board
 
Lots!!!!

Henley festival.
Rewind festival.
Penton hook.
St kats.
Chatham.
Ramsgate.
Untold club weekends.
Lots of short trips / night stops / weekends.
Out for the weekend last weekend.
Over 100 engine hours logged.

And the seasons not over yet!!!
 
byron said:
I wonder why I bother keeping my launch. She's sat in the Boathouse 24-7 and rarely goes out. I think maybe 3 times this year for an hour or so and certainly not through a Lock.
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I really miss having my boat on the Thames as I keep it now in Spain, but if you need a spare pair of hands to take your boat out, I'm your man! Just pm me to work out something?
 
Medskipper said:
I really miss having my boat on the Thames as I keep it now in Spain, but if you need a spare pair of hands to take your boat out, I'm your man! Just pm me to work out something?
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Sorry! I'm more likely to lend my Missus out than the boat but no would want her anyway.
 
Started off based at Fambridge, a couple of runs up the crouch to check everything after servicing etc. Then took her round to Chatham, from where we were supposed to take her down to the south coast for a month in August, unfortunately a family member called Gizmo became very Ill with eye problems at the end of July. Several thousand pounds saved his sight (never ever use animal friends insurance who we are pursuing through the courts) Took him out in the Thames estuary once mid treatment which Nicky was not happy about & stayed downstairs with him the whole time. The bright side being she needs relatively little spending on her this winter (although may upgrade bow thruster)
Plan to take her down to south coast early next year as we have enjoyed the two holidays we had on the Isle of Wight & it would be superb to have our own boat down there.
 
byron said:
Sorry! I'm more likely to lend my Missus out than the boat but no would want her anyway.
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Byron, you misunderstand me! It was an offer to help you take it out so you can use it, not to borrow it. It was just a thought as you sounded perhaps unable to do it on your own? It may be the time that is difficult to find?
I am sure your wife is perfectly lovely :)
 
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Not Thames, but similar.....

Gt Ouse based.... 2 or 3 long weekends. 1 major trip.
No record of hours but covered over 600 miles, mainly on the big trip.

St Neots to Kings Lynn... then by sea to Wells, on to Gt Yarmouth and the broads for a few weeks. Then back out to sea to Lowestoft. Then on to Southwold and a little beyond. Then all the way back to St Neots.
Quite an epic 6 week voyage. Much of it single handed. I think I got my moneys worth this year!!!

All on a 1970's Freeman. Never missed a beat.... no maintenance required other than a bit of oil and water in the engines.
 
Medskipper said:
Byron, you misunderstand me! It was an offer to help you take it out so you can use it, not to borrow it. It was just a thought as you sounded perhaps unable to do it on your own? It may be the time that is difficult to find?
I am sure your wife is perfectly lovely :)
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Cheers! Sorry! Got the wrong end of the stick mate.
My problem is getting on and off the boat.
I have Arfur Daley in the ankles and Arfur Askey in the knees.
Once on I'm fine
 
byron said:
Cheers! Sorry! Got the wrong end of the stick mate.
My problem is getting on and off the boat.
I have Arfur Daley in the ankles and Arfur Askey in the knees.
Once on I'm fine
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Yes I thought your post sounded rather wistful? I'm retired so have a reasonable amount of time on my hands and still quite agile, so if you wanted some help now and again I'm only too happy to come out on your boat with you and help you. Stop by a pub, have a beer etc. just an offer of kindness if it's of interest at some time pm me.
Barry
 
Medskipper said:
Byron, you misunderstand me! It was an offer to help you take it out so you can use it, not to borrow it. It was just a thought as you sounded perhaps unable to do it on your own? It may be the time that is difficult to find?
I am sure your wife is perfectly lovely :)
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I think he was talking about the expense, rather than her appearance :p
 
I think the weather has been very good this year.
The highlight of our year was a two week holiday including a trip out of the Humber to Wells Next the Sea and back. The weather was fantastic - some days positively continental. I had a swim off the bathing platform of my boat and emerged not needing a towel to keep warm - something I thought almost impossible in the UK.
I have driven the boat almost entirely from the flybridge - retreated downstairs only a couple or three hours out of 120 in total. This suggests the weather can't have been too bad.
 
Keep meaning to get on board and check hours this for this year,pretty convinced we will be up around 100 hours plus.
Boat had 100 hours when we purchased,now showing around 850.Apart from usual servicing and a penchant for destroying domestic batteries, no real problems.Will need to buy a couple more.looking for largest capacity that will physically fit in locker.
Fingers crossed.
 
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I launched my refurbished Shetland F4 in May this year and it resides at PH marina. My first boat and I've fitted an engine hour metre and I've logged 83 hours :encouragement:

I've been as far as Marlow upstream and Hampton court the other way. Running a 1984 mariner 60hp that guzzles fuel at 1 ltr per mile at 4 knots.

I've had a ball and net some lovely people and made some great friends on my pontoon at PH.

Jon :-)
 
Spent the day stripping down the heat exchanger as one engine has been running consistantly hotter than the other.Although a bit manky,nothing really to cause any temp difference.
Decided reluctantly to have quick look at the much blimming harder to get at oil cooler...
Hey Presto .....loverly collection of twigs,seaweed and.......chunks of impellor and some tubes blocked with crud.
Hours meter is reading 900.800 hours over 5 years......
Really miss me old outdrive boat of course... those wonderful hours spent ashore, those sunny weekends spent waiting for bits to arrive,all that excitement as the boat is lifted out yet again in a stinky pool of gear oil and / or hydraulic oil wondering how much it will cost this time,plus lying on your back trying to dig out those pesky little barnycules from obscure crevices deep under the transom shield and then giving up and painting over them anyway.
Sheer Bliss ..the good old days. :):):):nonchalance:
 
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