Winter stoppages on the canal system.With winter fast approaching its time to pre plan our journeys around the waterways. One of the most attractive things about boating is the freedom, not everyone has the advantage of being able to take off on an adventure with a drop of a hat. Unfortunately, during the winter this could be difficult with many things standing in your way, one of them being the winter Canal and River Trust stoppages.As many of you may know the CRT every winter release mult....

Repairs to a narrowboat engine can be expensive. In this article we will give advice on how to maintain your engine to help prevent breakdown later on.Keep it CleanA clean engine will be a lot easier to maintain than a dirty one. This is because you'll be more likely to spot water or oil leaks and potential issues, which left unattended for any length of time could end up costing a lot more to repair. If you paint the engine bay in a white or very light colour it will reflect the light and make ....

Sinking Is Every Narrowboaters Worst Nightmare!Every boaters worst nightmare is for their boat to sink, especially if it's due to their mistake. Apparently boat sinkings are on the rise, according to the River Canal Rescue they numbered 119 during 2015-2016! Which is a fifty percent rise from the previous year. In this article we talk briefly about how to minimise the risk of sinking your narrowboat.Main Causes of SinkingSome of the major causes of sinking are; water in the engine room, leaking ....

Checking The Stern Gear on a Narrowboat will need to be done when the boat is out of the water for a blacking of a hull survey as you will need to get underneath the boat to locate it. It is extremely important that you ensure that the engine is switched off before embarking on a stern gear check.What is a stern gear?A Stern Gear is the general term for the propeller, the propeller shaft and any supporting brackets or bearings. The stern gear assembly is a general term used for the part of the b....

Changing the oil on your narrow boat is only a problem if you don't know how to do it. You have a few options available; 1. You can ask another boater (can be difficult especially if you're a man!)2. Call in the experts from a marina which of course will cost you a few quid or 3. Learn to do it yourself. If you are still reading I am assuming you have opted for option three and are going to give it ago yourself. Good for you! The engine is the heart of your boat it not only p....

Owning a narrow boat as a rule brings mainly, enjoymentand a lot of fun. But it also can have its down side. Things can, and do sometimes do go wrong just from time to time, but armed with some knowledge and a bit of experience you can overcome most problems yourself without too much trouble and expense.TheProblem One problem you may encounter is “Man Overboard” let’s look into this situation, highlight possiblecauses, and give you solutions and provide you with knowledge ....

Narrowboat Problem... the engine won't startOwning a narrow boat as a rule brings mainly, enjoymentand a lot of fun. But it also has its down side. Things can, and do go wrong fromtime to time, but with some knowledge and a bit of experience you can get overmost problems yourself.The ProblemOne problem you may encounter is “The engine won’t start” so let’s look at this problem, highlightthe possible causes, give you the solution and provide you with some knowledge so hope....