Expensive NARROWBOAT Repairs & A 220 year old CANAL Lock.

In this weeks vlog we have the pleasure of meeting two very kind Canal & River Trust Volunteers Trevor & Tony who guide us through the Grindley Brook staircase locks before we discover some unfortunate news in our engine!
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We are Adam & Lauren, we live full time on board our 59ft Narrowboat with our dog Shanti. We are excited to welcome you into our daily life as we continuously cruise around the British waterways.
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f you would like to support our channel, please like & comment our video and if you feel, you can buy us a coffee to help support our channel,: buymeacoffee.com/floatinghome
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You can find us on Instagram:
Adam: / adam.floatinghome
Lauren: / coley.hoops
Ben & Emily KZbin channel: / benandemily
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We love reading your comments on what you thought of the video :)

[@Andrea29987]

8:21 what lovely and knowledgeable lock volunteers :)

[@MakingNewMemories]

Quick and easy way to determine if you have any leaks from the engine - Oil - check the dipstick. That should tell you if you've been loosing any. If the pressure gets too low you should have a gauge on the control panel showing pressure. If it's where it usually is (about midway on most gauges) you should be OK. - Water under the engine/in the bilge most probably from the stern gland. Majority of stern tubes you need to turn the greaser a couple of turns after each journey. You'll know if you have a leak there because you'll see drips of water coming in. - Checking the coolant in your engine before you start each day and keep an eye on it daily, that way you'll know if you're loosing water that way. You don't want it to get too low, that's probably why the head gasket failed. Again, there should be a gauge that shows coolant temperature. The other way you can loose fluid is from the gear box. It usually has a drain plug on the underside where you may get a leak from. You can check by running your hand underneath to feel for any excess fluid. If you can, try doing what's called a WOBBLE check before starting the engine each morning. Water Oil Belts Batteries Leaks Exhaust.

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you SO much for this!!

[@Awakenedsoul1583]

Its a Clothes wringer, oh the memories are flooding vack when I stayed with my gran who loved in the country, she had one, when she washed the clothes in a huge sink in her kitchen after she used the washboard to scrub them, she would rinse them and then put them through the wringer to take the heavy water out before hanging them on the line to dry xx

[@simong3460]

The contraption at the side of the canal is called a Mangle, it used to be used for getting the water out of your clothes after you washed them before the days of washing machines and spin cycles. Great vlog thanks Simon

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks for that Simon! Now you say it we can see that for sure :)

[@1Polglen]

Very usufully they were. Had one on the farm. Good for bulky work clothes. Watch your fingers.

[@Goodchappy]

That "wash" is called a bywash. Nice crazy couple. I hope you get the leaks sorted. 🙂

[@moulder171921]

Thanks another great vlog

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks so much for your kindness will!

[@aarondavies9642]

Amazing video can’t wait for the next episode ne to have the same pump it dose work wonders pumping oil when changing oil on an engine ect 👍😀

[@Awakenedsoul1583]

Hey Adam, Lauren and Shanti. Love your vlogs, I hope Lauren snd Ben do a duo, 🙏❤️

[@thefloatinghome17]

A Lauren & Ben duo is a great idea!

[@rayandjotravels]

Tony and Trevor seemed neat guys. What a wonderful job they do. Hope the leak gets sorted x

[@thefloatinghome17]

They were indeed- and very informative, thank you we are getting there with the leak!

[@sonialovely913]

Awww… Sure hope you get the leak sorted soon. So impressed with how resilient and capable you both are. Best of luck wishes for everything to work out!!

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks a lot Sonia - resilient - definitely .. capable.. let’s see haha x

[@freeliving7819]

The volunteers seemed like very kind guys, sorry to see your engine problems but we’ll done you two for giving it such a good go! Another great vlog!

[@thefloatinghome17]

They were indeed :) Thanks for watching!

[@cyndeeh]

Ty for showing the locks, and the interview! So interesting! Watching from the US. Just love you 3 !

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks so much Cyndee, have a great day :D

[@traveladdict1]

Check the stern gland, it seemed to be dripping more than normal, depending on type it may just need tightening or more grease or the packing may need replacing.

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you - we will check that today - this is why its great having a KZbin channel for advice like this (:

[@christinebrock4991]

Thank you both for my weekend, water and countryside fix. You are living the best life xx

[@thefloatinghome17]

It is our pleasure Christine, its heart warming to read its part of your fix for the weekend :D

[@iandavies326]

You guys had huge patience and continual good humour with your engine problem - truly inspiring 💕

[@thefloatinghome17]

We have to laugh at everything! Thanks so much Ian ☺️

[@hazelp1831]

Thank you for sharing another awesome video! Hope you can get the leak sorted soon. Look forward to the next installment of your brilliant adventures ❤

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks for this kind comment! same time next week :)

[@timbrownfiesta1]

Ild try cleaning your chanels out for the deck boards and drains also tighten and grease or repack the stern gland , you could also try a cheap electric bilge pump to keep at hand with a bit of hose to help pump the engine bay out in to cans , washing up liquid will break up some of the oil in the water pour it in mix it round and pump it out should be a lot better

[@outofmybackpack]

Woooooo we love you!! ❤

[@outofmybackpack]

Trevor - what a guy 💕

[@thefloatinghome17]

We love you too!

[@kayaker9912]

I would love to meet the volunteers, they seem like fun guys. So sorry you are having engine issues, it is never boring is it? Have you ever done Neptune's Staircase? When visiting the UK many years ago, we found this and saw many boats go through and it was fun to watch a boat from start to finish. Best of luck with your engine issues going forward!

[@thefloatinghome17]

Hey, yes the volunteers are great! We haven't done neptunes staircase before but we would love to :) thanks for the comment and for watching

[@sylviagoodman3094]

What a lovely man who helped you with the Lock, you two amaze me every time I watch ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@thefloatinghome17]

He was lovely indeed - Thanks so much for this kind comment :)

[@IamaDutch-Kiwi]

What a fascinating story about the locks. George and his colleagues do a fabulous job. Good job on the engine issue too. Always good to be self sufficient where possible. Enjoyed the journey on the way to Wales. Thanks for the share. ❤👌🙋‍♀

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks for your kind words! Sorry we are late to reply to this comment :)

[@shirleygreaves9650]

Amazing video as always, beautiful countryside and Shanti is the star of the show. Take care you 3. X

[@thefloatinghome17]

Shanti is always the star isnt he :) Hope you've had a great weekend Shirley x

[@laurencoley2560]

Never a dull moment ay!

[@thefloatinghome17]

Never!

[@clare3927]

Can’t wait to see the welsh canals ! Great watch , tanks 😊

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks Clare, we have actually just uploaded our newest video entering Wales!

[@georgesargent-childs780]

On route to wales! Exciting

[@nadiamartin9380]

love watching you guys, would love to here more story's about your travels and how you've funded yourself along the way xxxx

[@thefloatinghome17]

Hey Nadia, thanks for the comment! thats a good idea wed love to share more about this. We just posted our newest video where Adam recites one of his poems he wrote in India :)

[@martinhams6850]

Thanks

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you :)

[@martinhams6850]

@@thefloatinghome17 My pleasure guys

[@martinhams6850]

Hi guys , there is something over night from seeing your last main video let’s say , by trade I’m a old school coach builder but not marine . What I’m trying to say your engine , to me that looked like with Lauren scooping up the mess ( bless her ) was a broken sump ? Lauren ? In my thoughts Martin 😊

[@bensboatbramble]

I really enjoyed Trevor and his subtle humour. Lovely bloke. I empathise with that feeling you get when you see the bilge more full than you expected. Not fun! All the best, look forward to following you over winter 👍🏼

[@thefloatinghome17]

Hey Ben, yes Trevor was a great sport with a very likeable nature and humour, we all love a bit of banter on the canals! Thanks for the kind words :)

[@effkay3691]

Trevor, I love you

[@Paul.simpson84]

I saw cruising the cut clean out and treat the engine bay, afterwards I am sure I remember he put some nappies in there to soak everything up.

[@carolinefisher1973]

Thank you for another great vlog Adam, Lauren and Shanti. I hope you get the narrow boat repairs sorted out soon.

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks Caroline :)

[@BenandEmily]

Loved this 🌟 felt so sad when Lauren looked in the engine bay though 😔 xx

[@VEOSEEO]

You both and your puppy are such a joy to watch, your lifestyle is like a fairytale 🧚‍♂️🏰🏠

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you so much!

[@VEOSEEO]

@@thefloatinghome17 your-welcome☺️

[@thehealthjunkie8996]

Great video as always. I do hope the engine is ok now and that you managed to get all the liquid out. How cool you had that pump for the beginning part. Did you get to meet up with Ben and Emily? Those guys on the locks were so very kind too. xx Hugs to you both. Hope to be living on a boat in 2023 also! 🙏🙏👌👌

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you! Yes we have been with them all week for dinner parties, games nights and lots of other fun, they will likely be in the next episode :) Thats exciting you will be living on a boat - hopefully we see you on the cut next year x

[@thehealthjunkie8996]

@@thefloatinghome17 Thats so fab. Glad you had a lovely time with them! Yes hopefully I will. I maybe on the Kennett & Avon Canal but you never know where I buy my boat from?!

[@dc7279]

Interesting commentary and content

[@49BRITTANIA]

Based on your vlog footage , i'm inclined to agree with the observation another viewer made about the dripping of the stern gland that appears excessive and may be even worse when the shaft is revolving. Not expensive to actually repack stern gland with grease, and also check if needs Stern gland rope needs replacing and tightning until dripping ceases. Just a suggestion that may prevent spending further thousands of dollars!! Hope this helps? Great job with your vlogs! Cheers. 🙂

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks so much for this helpful and considerate comment and taking the time to give us all this information :) a few people have mentioned the stern gland now so will definitely be looking more into that tomorrow - glad you are enjoying the vlogs :)

[@gtg_vicki]

chips n curry sauce. mmmm nom nom nom.

[@thefloatinghome17]

The best combo!

[@clare3927]

It looked like an old mangle , remember using one at boarding school! God what a mare all that water and oil , hope you ve found the problem? Can you get in touch with the guy who fixed it and see what he thinks? Sending a lorra lorra luck x

[@michaelpilling9659]

Hello You Three - greetings from Poland What a superb video. A lovely cruise through beautiful some countryside. Trevor and Tony were wonderful. Politely telling you how to operate the paddles etc. What a great job they do. So sorry about your leak. May I suggest you check the Stern Gland. It may need regreasing or the packing may need replacing. Not teaching grandma to suck eggs, but this gland stops water seeping into the boat via the propeller shaft. Your channel isn't moneytorised. I would be more than happy to make a contribution towards any repairs that are necessary. Buying you cups of coffee may not be enough! I hope you had a lovely time with Benny and Emily (and Alan the cat). Lots of love. See you again next week. Stay safe please.

[@Andrea29987]

10:54 massive pasta maker? 😆

[@UKCM]

Great vid guys. Might I suggest getting some Oil Absorbent Granules for clearing out the engine compartment. Hopefully get to see a vid collab between you guys and Ben and Emily

[@lorrainenorman8594]

Another great video! Can’t believe you still have engine problems though! Hope you get it sorted soon ❤

[@Suzy-yd2ko]

I’m new to your Channel and what a delight it is to watch,such a beautiful way to live,are you able to grow anything on board x

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thank you so much, yes we actually have an allotment on the roof, if you go back to our first or 2nd video we show you some of it there x

[@tonycarter3756]

You were right about horses being windy ,mine is terrible when she coughs but l still prefer them to engines.At least you can talk to a horse without feeling to embarrassed .l guess the stern gland might be leaking ,you can usually smell diesel ,it stinks .As a family we went to Llangollen from Whitchurch in 1976 ,lovely canal and the flow was’nt so fast then .

[@newlifecomingsoon]

I went to see a cruiser stern yesterday (my offer accepted btw😌) same issue…but because the pram hood wasn’t up so rainwater got through the joins in the plates…it needs a good clean out; perhaps on yours most the water seeped through from above? I am starting to see that narrowboaters work ‘fulltime’ 😂 what am I getting into eek 😅

[@thefloatinghome17]

oooo how exciting for you!! yes it definitely is another job in itself lol :) we seem to be getting to the route of the problem now! did you buy the crusier stern then!?

[@newlifecomingsoon]

@@thefloatinghome17 the process is only starting, need a survey and pay deposit first…hopefully will be fine

[@lujeancastleberry7310]

Hey guys found your channel so I'm binge watching. traffic on the canals is one way?

[@tommotomlinson3370]

Hope you find the source of the engine problem...fingers are crossed here it's an easy fix 🤞

[@thefloatinghome17]

Thanks Tommo, we are working on it :)

[@emmakeally936]

Will you be doing a boat tour soon? Your home looks so beautiful 😍

[@thefloatinghome17]

It’s coming very soon!

[@valeriehopkins644]

Printing press is my guess. Sad about the swans. What was that shelf where the ducks were?

[@robtheplod]

Hi there, just came across your channel! Could the water be getting in through the deck boards? make sure all gutters are clear and monitor it... you may be lucky!!! i had one of those pumps also....gave up on me as well!!!

[@robertlaird6746]

What's the longest boat you can have in order to go on any river and enter any lock? It looked like you barely squeezed in that lock.

[@sianwarwick633]

The printer? machine looks like it has a feeder at the middle and top, and a wide foot treadle at the bottom. Is it press ?

[@MoominJude]

How does it work with a car? Where does it get left whilst you're on the boat? Anyway safe travels

[@sianwarwick633]

Hmm. What a thing about the engine and headgasket. Wonder if it was worth having a second $$ opinion. I think I would be pissed about the money. Do you pour out the oily water in the toilets or ? Once the area is cleaned out, maybe the engine doesnot release so much oil.... thanks forf the honest-boater vid.

[@dalejones4184]

Do you do your pre-cruise engine checks? As the fluid in your bilge should not have been that much of a surprise, also you should check your coolant and engine oil levels before every cruise.

[@dirtybiker420]

don't spend it all on coffee🤣

[@sue-arlenebury8645]

What sort of engine do you have? We had a similar problem on our boat and were told we needed to change the gasket BUT it turned out that the gasket was fine but because our engine (Nanni 4 cylinder) is actually a kubuta plant engine which means that it is used for various different plant machines therefore it is made with four dipstick holes for use depending on which way the engine is put in the machine. The other three holes are blocked off. Our problem was caused by one of these bungs falling out causing all the oil and water debris in the bottom like your boat. Luckily my husband spotted it and managed to fix it back in saving us £1500 in the process. I hope this helps.

[@garry9999]

You need a bilge pump or a wet n dry vacuum to suck things up. I would be phoning the people who done your repairs and ask what they did. I presume you received a statement of what they did alongside the enormous bill they presented you with

[@rudykozan5009]

He said they did the head gasket. That’s a major repair and very expensive

[@garry9999]

@@rudykozan5009 yes that is a major repair but only if you don't know how to do it yourself, it's always mainly labour and parts that make it costly. But why was the bilge filled with water, and was there oil as well ?

[@rudykozan5009]

@@garry9999 i dunno where the water coming from for sure but looks like that hose going through engine compartment was dripping quite a bit…. And oh i know all about how much labor that involves lol that’s what i do for a living. I was just stating before that’s why the bill was so large. That’s about what i would charge for head gasket repair..

[@roytranter8475]

I would call the boat yard up where you had work done ,inform them you still have leak,£1000 for head gasket is expensive, I would have expected no leaks diesel or water ,me for chips and curry please

[@shae5502]

Have you sorted the engine now, can you not contact the guy who originally fixed it they maybe able to help

[@amedeekingchef6552]

Why every narrowboat has those awful Castels paintings on board?

[@pilpelet100]

The contraption shown at 10:31 - 10:41 is a mangle, although it seems to be missing rollers. Back in the days before washing machines we fed the wet sheets (or whatever) through the rollers on the mangle to squeeze out all the water. Then we would hang them on the washing line outside to dry (assuming it wasn't raining!). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_%28machine%29