Kismet Logs

These index pages also include the log of Kismet, a 50ft narrowboat, my Dad and I are fitting out.

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We spent sometime on the outside of Kismet since we bought it in January, but not much time inside. We decided to go to the Crick boatshow quite late, and therefore we put in some temporary partitions, and other bits. Some pictures of the inside below

16:53 Set off from Hempholme, weather a bit windy, and wet. I managed to persuade Dad to open the bridge, since it’s nearly always me who has to do it normally!

18:44 Reached Wheel, but the tide was too high to get under the bridge. We had already called the bridge keeper, but it took him a while to noticed us as we were hidden from view moored next to Valiant, an old humber barge.

21:00 We continued to push the spring tide into Hull, but by the time we reached the first bridge we had to wait awhile for the tide to drop more.

22:00 We moored in Old Harbour for the night next to Humber Princess waiting for the tide to drop, and then start rising again. I managed to moor the boat facing downstream, just for fun more than for any good reason – I also thought it would be good in the morning as we would be facing the right way. I really wish I hadn’t as all night long the water rushing by the stern kept me awake most of the night.

04:32 Early rise today, the tide is the only reason Dad gets up early. It was still windy today, and was mostly against the tide. A few waves splashed over the bow, but nothing really serious. It was as well as the glass in the front doors are not very well stuck in. The prop was cavitating well from all the up and down, so we could not go very fast.

06:27 Trent Falls, 11.8 mph! Aren’t spring tides brilliant!

07:25 Keady. The windy was still ripping up the river, especially when the twists cause it to be wind against tide. In places it was rougher than the Humber. A strange rattling has started every now and again – can’t place it.

08:10 Below Owston ferry, after having a rest from steering, I went back to the stern again. Imagine my surprise went I saw large amounts of water spewing out of the temporary engine cover! I realized pretty quickly that it must be the weed hatch, and after getting Dad to put the engine back to tick-over, an inspection under the cover proved it. Before water could get into the air intake – thankfully right on the top of the Isuzu, I got Dad to stop the engine, and we used the bilge pump to empty most of the water. A lot was also flowing into the main part of the boat, and after securing the weed hatch really well, we started to empty the hull. I think we got 20 gallons out of it!

08:52 Stockwith, and the rattling has returned. A quick look at the weed hatch shows it to be loose again. Dad gets a big hammer out, and really gives it some whacking. The boat in the meantime has swung sideways, and its heading for some trees on the east side of the bank. The bow starts to hit them at about 3 mph (the speed of the tide), before it is safe to start the engine again. Some quick reversing gets us out OK.

10:52 Torksey, and so far so good. We reduced speed a bit more to stop any more cavitation.