Leek for a few days and questions from Bryce

 We have spent 5/6 days at Leek on the Caldon canal and have had to move today as our water tank was getting low. Leek was chosen because we could receive post (mail) via the local post office and get the tiles for the revamp of the wood stove area. Jaq was waiting on some parcels and with Morrison`s supermarket near the canal the end of the Leek arm made a nice mooring.

The last 200yards of the canal is very overgrown and the best option is to wind(turn) the boat at the last bridge and reverse back 100yds in shallow water as far as possible. We are moored in the last mooring before the overgrown bank side begins.
Progress on the tiling is that it is finished with just some minor work to complete  so you will have to wait for pictures.
As the stove had to be removed we took the opportunity to paint it with heat resistant up to 600C matt black. The stove had to be lit to cure the paint but it seems we did not heat it enough as in the late evening Jaq fancied a small fire to take the chill off. After 20 minutes the smoke alarm went off because the paint was giving off  fumes. Turning the main lights on we could see a haze around the ceiling. So windows and doors open including the side hatch and the fire built up to a high temperature to speed the paint curing. Always a good idea a smoke alarm which together with the carbon monoxide alarm makes us feel safer in what is a very small area that can quite quickly fill with fumes or smoke.

 

 

Bryce in Canada has posted the following comment on the last blog post. I will try to answer all his points but any reader can feel free to comment if I get something a bit wrong.

Bryce said...

The prime mover is located where, on the
boat? And in relation to same, the fuel tank, the weed hatch and related. The engine/prime mover is a marine version of a Mitsubishi design for what originally? Starting the engine utilizes electricity and what are referred as glow plugs? Water cooled using water from the canal?
Would an air-cooled design with a fan
work as well?
Interesting to meis how many Honda marine designs are in use?

As to the weed hatch, is there not some
form of protective cover surrounding the propeller which is how many blades and
of what diameter, RPM when underway?
Transmission is mechanical or electrical,
and range of speeds/throttle settings?

And I'd never fit vertically in any narrow boat. My friend Mike tells me they
don't make NB's as high inside as I stand vertically. Maybe what we call here a
cabin cruiser perhaps, however the draft is often deeper than a flat-bottomed NB

 



Glow plug



The prime mover is a 4 cylinder diesel engine located below decks. It is accessed by lifting a metal hatch beyond the doors at `A`. The engine I believe might have been used in a small car but it was for sure an industrial engine that perhaps might have powered a fork truck.

 Glow plugs pre heat the engine around the cylinders to help when starting from cold, they need 6-8 seconds to do this.

Coming towards the stern is another hatch at `D` that gives access to the weed hatch.

 `C` goes down to the rudder that sits to the rear of the 3 bladed propeller.It is about 13inches and has no protective cover. RPM is about 1100 when cruising.

Speed is 3-4mph and is just a one lever forward/reverse of the automatic gearbox. Transmission is mechanical.  

`B` is the fuel tank filler. The tank holds about 140 litres and is immediately below the filler.

I have mentioned on the blog in the past that I don`t keep much in the way of records. Some boaters keep records of miles and locks travelled and all sorts of other things which is fine as we all travel through life in many ways.
Anyway i was on the CanalWorld Forum and someone asked what amount of diesel members boat engines used. Obviously all sorts of factors will need to be taken into account to get an accurate consumption, engine size, speed etc.
So filling up soon after this I kept the receipts and 67litres costing £63.05($95) over 53 hours of the engine running produced a figure of 1.26 litres per hour. This is roughly £1.18($1.80) per hour. That figure if cruising will not only move you to a different location but will give you hot water and electricity and most important a stress free life, bliss as Jaq sums it up.

Talking of engines and diesel reminds me of being asked via e mail about the power source aboard Nb Valerie. We have below the decks a 33hp 4 cylinder Vetus engine. It is basically a Mitsubishi engine that has been marinised by Vetus. (pictured below left) To answer the readers power source question fully lets go below decks to look around.

[Image][Image]












Above this view of the engine shows the black oil filter and just out of site above it the fuel filter. The silver coloured thing is the electric fuel lift pump. All these 3 things are easily accessed for servicing as the above picture shows.


[Image] On the right is pictured the Eberspacher also located in the engine bay but operated from inside the boat. It is a diesel fueled boiler that supplies hot water to a storage tank and to four radiators in the boat. Our heating is mainly the wood stove but this boiler is ideal for a cold morning when the stove is not in use.





[Image] On the left is the weed hatch with the cover removed. It gives access to the propeller when at best some plastic bags and string or plants have become attached to the prop. At worst it could be anything from a car tyre to a blanket or carpet. The latter are best if attracted in summer as the amount of time your hands are in the icy water is considerable to cut away the items. [Image] Last of the picture tour below decks is the rear end or to be nautical the stern. The yellow lump is the gearbox from which the prop shaft emerges. The shaft exits through the stern via a Vetus water lubricated bearing system. it has it`s good points but I find it drips water in every now and again no matter how much grease i insert as recommended between the seals. The vetus replacement unit is very expensive but I have replaced the seals within the unit for just a few pounds from a bearing/seal centre. The red canister top left is the fuel filter/water separator in the fuel line. Fuel passes through 2 more filters before it reaches the injector pump. So there you are your questions answered. Please feel free to ask questions as in this case by e mail or even via comments. This is a great life but i am quite willing to share my experiences if you feel it could be the life for you.


Just like to say hello to the crew of `CASSIE TOO` who as they passed used sign language to ask how Jaq`s foot was.
Also the crew of `SOKAI` recent liveaboards who after a brief chat cruised off. Next time we can have a chat over a cup of tea but I`m sorry I was in the middle of tiling and had the wood stove removed and sitting in the cabin. 



The engine is water cooled but not by canal water although some boats are. Our engine is cooled by a large thin tank that is attached to the hull. Water  circulating through the tank cools because the tank is in contact with the canal water. I suppose an air cooled set up would work but without the fast air intake as in a car across the radiator some pretty big fans would be needed. I think the simplicity of the boat skin tank wins.

OK Bryce you`ve had your 15 mins of fame with part of a blog dedicated to you. Who knows perhaps one day you might pop over to see Mike and Phil and we will get to meet you.

 

 

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