On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:14 PM, Ray Butler <[email protected]> wrote:
> Michael
>
> Congratulations on trading up to Royalty class!

Thanks!

> JP in cold weather - A hurricane lamp in the engine room can help with cold
> staring in the morning (My HA2 is similarly stiff on cold mornings) I once
> had a day out on the ex Keay tug Judith Anne. It was very frosty, BCN was
> frozen, it took 3 men to start the JP - Two turning and one holding the
> burning rag in the right place and dropping the taps.

Blimey - I'm hoping I can start the thing on my own! The hurricane
lamp - is that just hung so that the hot air from it gets sucked into
the air intake?

> JPs have two compression settings - If you're not a JP veteran, chat Peter
> Thompson up at Marine Engine Services at Uxbridge. He can probably sell you
> a manual for it.

The previous owner told us about the change-over valves, and I've done
a little research on the internet. On Saturday while breaking through
the ice below Stoke Bruerne and through MK I set her to low
compression mode. Though Jules on Towcester (another JP2 owner) said
it's usually best to leave it in high compression mode unless towing a
loaded butty.

I'm going to get a manual from Pete, just haven't managed to yet.

> Make sure you clean the water-channels through the engine to ensure that
> EVERYTHING drains in cold weather -I once had a lot of expense and
> embarrassment with a cracked cylinder block caused by mud freezing in what I
> THOUGHT was a drained engine

Was that due to mud stopping parts of the engine draining? Are there
access points that need to be cleared out?

> Smoky stove - If you haven't already, clean out the soot in the airways
> around the oven, and in the smoke box. Sweep the chimney - My Classic (=
> Epping) nearly kippered AND poisoned me simultaneously before I did this.
> High Temperature Silicone Sealer (the >1000 Centigrade stuff) is available
> on eBay and bungs up holes better than fire cement, which has a nasty habit
> of falling out if you ding a cill. In the good old days a Party 7 with the
> ends out made an effective chimney extension

Yes, the stove needs a good clean out, and looks like I should
probably do it soon than later, but want to wait till the weather is a
little more clement. I actually bought some fire cerment to seal it,
but it looks like that Silicone will be much better. Does anyone know
where I might get some without ordering on EBay?

> Contact with fellow old boat nuts - Join the hNBOC. Jim on Elizabeth may
> have already bent your ear about this, but do - There is a back number of
> the Newsletter with an article on Royalty class boats in it - Back-Channel
> your snail-mail address & I'll whiz you a photocopy.

Yes, everyone has been saying join the hNBOC. I must fill out the form today.

> Oh yes - And buy a parachute for safety when climbing around the fore-end!

Not sure where I'm going to get one of them from! I'll keep looking...

> Ray Butler
> Owl

Thanks Ray,

Mike.

-- 
Michael Askin
http://shoestring_DOT_zapto_DOT_org/

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