Alan de Enfield

Looks very nice and ell specced for a liveaboard. I can see no mention of the RCD certificate of compliance or other paperwork ? Original builders bill of sale and VAT paid certificates ?

Ok, thanks, best to just refer to it as the calorifier (or as also known 'Cauliflower') The calorifier IS "the tank and associated internal pipe work"

Do you mean the cold water tank, the calorifier (hot water tank) or the accumulator (pressurised 'tank') I'm getting a little confused by the terminology being used.

You are absolutely correct - if we are going into that sort of detail then the legally required paperwork ............ RCD Certificate or proof of exemption Insurance in the 'local language' for the countries visited (Different countries has different insurance reqirements, if I remember, Greece is £5m, whilst Italy is £3m Proof of VAT paid certificate Passports for everyone aboard Certificate of location on 31st December 2020 (Brexit) Ships registration documents VHF licence for the boat VHF 'operators licence' for the radio operator Some countries require certain qualifications from Skippers. You'll need to check the following situation as we have not sailed in Europe since 31st December 2020 (Brexit) Remember you can only stay in the EU waters/countries for 90 day in 180 days - you'll need to go across to the North African coast for the other 90 day before you can return to EU waters/countries. Presumably (unless you have a water maker) you'll be going ashore somewhere every few days for water / food and fuel. We were refused insurance if we planned to cross the Bay of Biscay between October and 1st May (and thats for a Cat A boat with a Yachtmaster skipper with 1000s of miles experience).

As I suggested a few days ago you now need to disconnect the calorifier and cap off the ends. If it still gets wet then your calorifier has split.

Which is exactly the stance the RCR have taken, and, published it almost 4 years ago

Unless they were fitted during the original build, in which case they are not 'post construction'

As a wise man once said ................... "The man that never made a mistake, never made anything !"

Had to smile at Putin's comment following Starmer saying we will board and impound any Russian 'shadow fleet' in British waters - he says it will be piracy of civilian boats. "And we will combat piracy....." Sarcastically, he alluded to the Royal Navy's shrunken presence in the world's seaways, referring to a destroyer now patrolling off Cyprus and one of two aircraft carriers. He told viewers: "I wonder, after we sink the first two British ships, how many will they have left?" Historian Andrey Sidorov told him: "First the Dragon, then the Prince of Wales, and that's it." Solovyov said: "That's the point, not many, right?

How many people actually read a contract and just "tick" I have read and understand the contract / T&Cs

Ignorance is not an argument accepted in law. The principle is expressed in the Latin phrases ignorantia juris non excusat or ignorantia legis neminem excusat, meaning "ignorance of the law excuses no one". It originates from Roman law and has been adopted in most modern legal systems. The rationale is that if ignorance were a valid defense, individuals could evade responsibility simply by claiming they did not know the law.

We have been boating on the canals for over 40 years, in the early days it was pretty dire in places, but OK in others, we saw a steady improvement into the 90's and then it all went over the edge, and like a snowball rolling down the mountain just got worse and worse (bigger and bigger) By the time C&RT took over the whole network was tetering on the edge and for the last 15 years I think that pretty much the whole network is held together by string and sticky-backed plastic. As a whole I'd consider in now worse than it was in the 70s/80s Its now 5 years since we gave up and left the 'muddy ditch' as too much hard work and unrealibilty. At least the sea gives you plenty of room to 'go around' problems.

What experience or sailing qualifications do you have ? The Med can be very very uncomfortable in a Blow - we once were going 'backwards' leaving the 'toe of Italy' and heading towards France. Sicily became of port of refuge for a couple of days - my boat is Rated Categry A (Blue Water / Open Ocean) and it took a pounding but it was the crew who gave up first and turned tail. You will need two holding tanks for some areas of the Med (one for black water - Toilet, and one for Grey water (shower / sink / washing) From memory it is the Turkey / Greece end of the Med but France & Spain were talking about it as well. Join the RYA and they will give you all the details. In some regioons of Turkey you must by law empty your grey and black water tanks at a disposal location that measures the volume of water you are disposing off - this is compared to the expected amount x the number of people aboard. If the amounts do not match there are fines to be paid. You need a blue card for the amounts to be recorded. The Mediterranean Spain Spain has holding tank requirements which together with their pollution legislation, essentially mean that vessels cannot discharge untreated sewage within Spanish territorial waters (12 nautical miles). The Spanish legislation is ORDEN FOM/1144/2003, 28 April which for anyone who speaks Spanish can be found at www.fomento.es and an unofficial translation of the legislation is also available. Greece In Greece the regulations relating to discharges and pollution make a holding tank a practical necessity although we are not aware of them being a legal requirement as yet. Caution should also be exerted with grey water in Greece. Turkey Discharge of any kind may be considered illegal. A black water tank has therefore been a practical necessity in Turkey for many years. New rules have been coming into force in some areas of Turkey (such as the Mugla District) over the last few years which require vessels to carry a Blue Card. If the rules are enforced to the full all black and grey water will need to be collected and pumped out ashore; the Blue Card will be used to monitor the amount of waste water deposited ashore to ensure holding tanks are pumped out rather than emptied into the sea. France French law requires that as of 1 January 2008 new vessels, whether French or foreign flagged, are fitted with a treatment system or retention tank for black water if they wish to have access to French maritime or river ports, moorings and anchorages. Users of older vessels which are not equipped with treatment systems or holding tanks for black water are, like all other pleasure yacht users, required to comply with the rules which prohibit discharge in ports and designated anchoring spots. They must therefore use shore toilets. There is no way I'd allow a 'wood stove' or a 'solid fuel fire' on any "lumpy water boat" - I bet you'd have insurance problems if you made a claim. (Fine if it spends all its time tied up in a marina but sailing ............. NO WAY.