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Hasn't it already been pointed out that HDPE will give and not ultimately deform like metal ... or splinter like wood?

Well worth a wee watch:

The paint finish certainly looked good and I didn't spot any issues whatsoever. Out of curiosity what is the paint you've used on the exterior cabin sides?

Funnily enough, as weather conditions change – lot of that in Scotland – my (steel) hull groans and moans and creaks and cracks and the general fit of internal doors goes from loose to tight and I've never thought to lose too much sleep over it. Perhaps, by rights, I should have sunk 30 years ago! Btw what is the comparative movement in steel as opposed to HDPE when it contracts or expands with the elements?

I spent some time on the finished boat and chatted to the fitters outers (Bespoke Boats of Liverpool) who have done an excellent job and are looking forward to the next HDPE hull, which they hope will be coming their way. I was aboard the shell on the trade day – but just out of idle curiosity and before it all got too hot! It was on land and without the cooling water around the hull to stabilise the temperature, it was certainly subject to extreme heat, so conditions were far from typical.

Downstream of Gainsborough you are in ABP territory where both VHF and having a minimum of two people on board is obligatory ... plus, of course, a licence to operate the VHF set .......

In the case of these two batteries they report cell voltages to my phone via bluetooth without a BMS connection. Took me a while to register this as I was putting meter on them every 6 months or so ........... !!

On a wee point of detail, if you do store these lithium batteries just ensure that they remain at around 50% SOC. This is not hard to do as the SOC drops very slowly and I've had a pair of Victron lithium batteries stored for a project for at least 2 years now and the SOC has hardly moved. Inferior examples might drop more quickly ... but I've nothing to go on here. Once around 0% SOC they're permanently (and expensively) toast!

Useful and relevant to the conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvZlTMgEU6s

In fact it's very similar to their existing boat which has worked well for them over the past seven or so years as residential boaters. Five foot longer, the replacement benefits from a shower and jettisons the need for the three-yearly trip to the dry dock! They've stuck with what they know works for them ... and, as is so often observed, we all use our boats very differently so consequently have different requirements and priorities!

Moving over to HVO would be a cure for that smoke I think!

The peltier stack is an interesting observation. Any thoughts or comments from anybody ..........?

Yes and yes!!

Many moons ago someone gave me an Ampair 100 wind generator. Lumpy water sailors say they're the bees knees, very well built, etc, etc.. With just a 100W of output in a gale, the rag and stick brigade clearly don't have high expectations (or electrical requirements) I guess! I stuck it on a 10ft scaffolding pole, with a hinged mounting at the base, and three steel stay cables like tent guy ropes. It made a little electricity and a lot of noise and vibration! It could be folded down and laid flat on the roof but an aluminium pole would have made the exercise a whole lot easier (and safer). My experience confirms everything said above but this was in the days before PV panels become cheap and available. I guess I'd be looking at a minimum of 500W today.

I guess I'm not too surprised by what has turned to be a very sensible and logical approach to wind generators especially in the light of what solar now costs. Thank you everyone who has replied. However, I did expect some pretty strong and emotive posts in favour of wind generators knowing that in the past people have expended quite large sums of money on various models that, for a while at least, sat proudly on their boat roofs! After three years of living totally (and comfortably) off-grid, using just solar, I find I'm short of my total annual requirements by 30kW: an issue (which will come as no surprise) that rears its ugly head in December. Wind would probably fill that particular gap but I doubt I could in any way justify the capital cost. So I simply borrow that 30kW from a fellow boater on my moorings and pay her back with (considerable) interest over the summer months!!