Never quite done that but I remember after working on a friend's bike we set off two up to check it out. After a wild swerve and narrowly avoided accident at the first bend we looked at each other and said in synch: "I thought YOU tightened the rear wheel spindle". Tony
OK, I'll come clean. The mansion is actually a caravan on Canvey Island (the roof leaks a bit but it's sound enough so long as you don't slam the door too hard). The race cars are a 1958 Morris Minor (just needs a bit of work to get it running) and a pedal car I was given as a kid.
Well then the taxes can't possibly be as bad as the mansion I imagined! I will certainly take you up on your kind offer, and further, will carry on your noble traditions and maintain your good reputation! I'll even give stray cats a good home, one at a time of course, in homage to your generous kindness. A better off than that I doubt you'll be made, and a goofier guy to leave your caravan to, I doubt you've ever met! HEYY! That boat too! I love your boat!
Well, it were a mansion to us... Launches into a series of quotes from Monty Python's 4 Yorkshiremen sketch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE
Actually, I wasn't offering to give you the mansion & cars (though you can make me an insanely high offer for the pedal car if you want; I don't quite fit in it any more). As for the boat, we're currently at Torksey lock, having just come off the tidal River Trent and are going to explore the Fossdyke and Witham navigations. We will be passing close to something that will definitely stir your loins - The Bubblecar Museum! http://www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk Should be fun. We're also hoping to stop at RAF Coningsby, home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, but I bet the bubblecars are more exciting. On the way downstream the Trent, a few weeks ago, we saw the Red Arrows practicing overhead, which was impressive. Less impressive (owing to the sort of trifling navigational error that anyone could make) was running onto a shoal on a falling tide and having to wait 6 1/2 hours for the water to come up again; only 1/2 mile from our destination to make it even more annoying. Tony
Lol... I think this has went a far distance from where it began, no one having tightened up a spindle on a bike before a test ride, but, then there was an outcry of "you never cared, you're only interested in my..." where as I love your boat too, and then had to wax poetic, and ask for your floating castle in the sky! So, darn it, a series of notes can sure get away from the origin! There must be a simple way of getting a boat unstuck... after all, they've been doing that for thousands of years, and waiting for a tide, when on a lake, is never going to happen. Seems to me a sling, triangular portable pivot poles, and then a bit of chain or cable hoist would move the end of the boat off a sand bar. Not that I have those things lying about either... but if I had a long boat, and water hazards in my canals, I'd start putting together and testing... and making something I could then duplicate and sell! "New! Improved! Portable boat sling and getcha unstuck rig! Now for just 399.99!!"
On a canal, no problem. You're travelling slowly and the water stays at the same height. Usually you don't need a pole; putting the engine in reverse not only drags the boat back off the bottom, it pushes water underneath to increase the effective depth. Running down a river on an ebb tide you ground much harder as the current helps force you on to the sandbank or whatever. Then the water level is going down all the time so if you haven't got it off in about 30 seconds that 18 tons of boat just becomes deadweight holding you fast. Never mind, it was a nice day. Regards, Tony p.s. What have the Romans ever done for us? Well, they built the canal we're now on (the Fossdyke Navigation), the oldest UK canal still in use.
Yep, and you can tell it's Roman, just like their roads we're at the end of a 2 mile dead straight stretch. Almost unheard of on English waterways. OK, I agree; from a piece about someone's front wheel falling off this thread is getting a bit ridiculous. Tony
That's gonna leave a mark.
ReplyDeleteNever quite done that but I remember after working on a friend's bike we set off two up to check it out. After a wild swerve and narrowly avoided accident at the first bend we looked at each other and said in synch: "I thought YOU tightened the rear wheel spindle".
ReplyDeleteTony
HA! Very glad you two didn't wreck, you've been a constant source of commentary and content.
DeleteI knew it. You're only interested in my commentary and content.
DeleteYou've never cared about me (sob).
lol... well, I want your mansion and race cars too!
DeleteOK, I'll come clean. The mansion is actually a caravan on Canvey Island (the roof leaks a bit but it's sound enough so long as you don't slam the door too hard).
DeleteThe race cars are a 1958 Morris Minor (just needs a bit of work to get it running) and a pedal car I was given as a kid.
Well then the taxes can't possibly be as bad as the mansion I imagined! I will certainly take you up on your kind offer, and further, will carry on your noble traditions and maintain your good reputation! I'll even give stray cats a good home, one at a time of course, in homage to your generous kindness. A better off than that I doubt you'll be made, and a goofier guy to leave your caravan to, I doubt you've ever met! HEYY! That boat too! I love your boat!
DeleteWell, it were a mansion to us... Launches into a series of quotes from Monty Python's 4 Yorkshiremen sketch.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE
Actually, I wasn't offering to give you the mansion & cars (though you can make me an insanely high offer for the pedal car if you want; I don't quite fit in it any more). As for the boat, we're currently at Torksey lock, having just come off the tidal River Trent and are going to explore the Fossdyke and Witham navigations. We will be passing close to something that will definitely stir your loins - The Bubblecar Museum! http://www.bubblecarmuseum.co.uk Should be fun. We're also hoping to stop at RAF Coningsby, home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, but I bet the bubblecars are more exciting. On the way downstream the Trent, a few weeks ago, we saw the Red Arrows practicing overhead, which was impressive. Less impressive (owing to the sort of trifling navigational error that anyone could make) was running onto a shoal on a falling tide and having to wait 6 1/2 hours for the water to come up again; only 1/2 mile from our destination to make it even more annoying.
Tony
Lol... I think this has went a far distance from where it began, no one having tightened up a spindle on a bike before a test ride, but, then there was an outcry of "you never cared, you're only interested in my..." where as I love your boat too, and then had to wax poetic, and ask for your floating castle in the sky! So, darn it, a series of notes can sure get away from the origin! There must be a simple way of getting a boat unstuck... after all, they've been doing that for thousands of years, and waiting for a tide, when on a lake, is never going to happen. Seems to me a sling, triangular portable pivot poles, and then a bit of chain or cable hoist would move the end of the boat off a sand bar. Not that I have those things lying about either... but if I had a long boat, and water hazards in my canals, I'd start putting together and testing... and making something I could then duplicate and sell! "New! Improved! Portable boat sling and getcha unstuck rig! Now for just 399.99!!"
DeleteOn a canal, no problem. You're travelling slowly and the water stays at the same height. Usually you don't need a pole; putting the engine in reverse not only drags the boat back off the bottom, it pushes water underneath to increase the effective depth.
DeleteRunning down a river on an ebb tide you ground much harder as the current helps force you on to the sandbank or whatever. Then the water level is going down all the time so if you haven't got it off in about 30 seconds that 18 tons of boat just becomes deadweight holding you fast. Never mind, it was a nice day.
Regards,
Tony
p.s. What have the Romans ever done for us? Well, they built the canal we're now on (the Fossdyke Navigation), the oldest UK canal still in use.
Wow, a Roman built canal still in use? That's amazing.
DeleteYep, and you can tell it's Roman, just like their roads we're at the end of a 2 mile dead straight stretch. Almost unheard of on English waterways.
DeleteOK, I agree; from a piece about someone's front wheel falling off this thread is getting a bit ridiculous.
Tony
"Hey with this new alloy front wheel I can do wh.."
ReplyDeleteAllen, good one! XD
Delete