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I think I'd like to speak up for the commentator, Norman. It's a pretty thankless task and I certainly wouldn't want to stand on the bridge for hours on end. The answer is for boaters to hand him a revised information sheet on the day. Don't rely on an update being transferred from your application form. Also remember that the commentator has only time for a few points. Wading through masses of information and extracting just a few sentences must be tricky.

Wales is the equivalent size of 1,133,000 decks worth of the Queen Elizabeth. Do you really think that's a better description than three times the size of the piece of grass you see in front of you when you go down the Palace? The size of a football pitch persists as a 'unit' of measure because it paints a picture for the reader. Who the bloody hell knows the size of Wales* without looking it up? * - other than Graham Davis JP

Nothing to do with porpoises. Although not a traditional style of narrow boat it is a canal boat and soon will be 50 years old. Originally not bearing any form of cant at the front end there was evidence of where years of ropes riding down over the sheerline (where the front deck meets the side of the hull) to the bank had worn the metal. Think of guard rails up the sides of humpy back bridges where countless years of horse ropes had rubbed. The cant allows the mooring rope to reach the bollard etc. without rubbing the edge of the boat. ....... and manufacturing it kept me off the streets and away from members of the public for several days.

I really don’t know where this mantra came from, probably domestic situations where each socket is assumed to accept only a fused plug rated for the appliance load. In hardwired situations a fuse is there to protect the downstream circuit which includes but is not limited to cable, the fuse should be rated to protect the weakest component downstream of it. As a for instance, a 25mm2 cable is used to prevent volt drop to a pump using a 150a fuse at source to protect the cable as per mantra could easily cause a winding fire in a failure event or at least destroy an otherwise saveable component unless there is a smaller correctly rated fuse installed closer to the pump.

How old is your Beta 43 engine? I'd be very surprised if the alternator was only 45A and unless it's really old, it will have 2 alternators with perhaps 45A for the engine battery and 100A to 175A for the domestics. The thing with solar is that it's great for perhaps 9 months of the year, for the other 3 months you get virtually nothing, so you need to have a strategy for the depths of winter.

Another possibility is that the diaphragm in the pressure switch has a tear or hole in it. ld buy a spare and fit it it and then see if the old one can be repaired.

You would have to kmow the input pressure of the water heater before going for a higher pressure pump. The addition of an acucumulator may help if set up correctly. Eta. You could also add an external pressure switch like the square d (or equivalent) if it is a faulty switch, or a replacement microswitch is pretty cheap(maplin or equivalent)

Yes sorry I always get muddled there, as the lock is closer to Wargrave than to Shiplake. I had a very nasty experience in Wargrave aged 2, spending a day with a childminder who had a very loud cuckoo clock, while my parents moved house.

When we first got our boat, i took all the windows out and re bedded them on silicone, 14 in total. After 18 years, one has started leaking(on the top corner) . I bodged it up with some silicone on the outside, which seems to have stopped it, but it aint pretty. And of course, it depends which way the wind is blowing whether it leaks or not

Does it need to be alight?

I have a novel idea. If I think my boat is getting cooler I put more fuel on. Correct.

And I won't be taking part in Thunderboat given this style of unnecessarily rude and combative post is considered normal over there. Encouraged even.

Interesting article here about pilot lights and their costs. https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2012/03/pilot-lights-are-evil/

Nor me.

pure standalone client here, general email is held (non-spam) is held for 5 years, selected email is held in an archive going back just under 20 years. amazing how often my saved emails have come in handy when a client says "why did you do X on our project, we would never have asked you to do that"

I think its probably down to where people live. I have lived aboard a boat for so many years that without thinking I never leave anything switched on or running as subconsciously I know I will have to top up or replace whatever it is too quickly or recharge batteries etc. We never leave even a tiny standby light on on stuff we arnt using. I still am amazed when any of the kids visit and leave the tap running for instance when cleaning their teeth I havnt done that for donkeys years or switch tv off with remote but not at switch etc etc etc. I believe if everybody in the uk lived off grid in their houses then wastage of water and lectric would reduce massively.

First try Capt. Tolly's Creeping Crack Cure (this is definitely NOT a joke. Its a thin liquid in a plastic applicator bottle. just run it along the top of the window to cabin side joint and see where it seeps into any gap. let it dry for half a da and then reapply. Repeat until it no longer seeps in. It dries more or less clear (I think its PVA based) and is an ideal temporary sealer for situations such as yours.

Sounds to me like the op and Alan both need to service the ignition part? my alde did this and eventually it wouldnt light at all, had a service and the chap cleaned it all up, bingo, back to instant lighting, I turn the ignition on when i want to heat water, then off straight away after, i really dont see the point in leaving it on, it may use a lot, or it may use a little, but its still using some, for doing nothing, wasting gas!

Obviously you couldn't pass a towline under the new one, but why would you want to? Anyway I think that since the area is mostly about Shakespeare and tourists, the bridge is perfectly satisfactory. One can't expect everything to always revolve around boats and canal heritage. And of course the previous bridge was fairly modern too.

Who's we? Do you speak for everyone on Thunderboat? I've seen many derogatory comments about Mike on TB and at least two threads purely started to attack him. I don't blame him for not joining and question how many "we" represents.

I have exactly the same w/heater as the OP. A while ago I was remarking to someone at the marina how we get through gas much more quickly when we are on the marinas as opposed to cruising and I couldn't figure out why. If anything it should be the other way round as we use the marina showers and laundry when we are there. Then it occurred to me that we always extinguish the pilot light when on the move. I think it makes a huge difference.

Years ago I measured the pilot consumption on a domestic gas central heating boiler. I can't remember the details now, but I did conclude that the pilot alone represented a not insignificant proportion of the overall gas bill.

Hello, we have the same water heater and also found high gas use when the pilot was left on. Have just checked the manual but no information on how gas much is used in stand by as it were. Here is their UK contact number, 01928 531870. If you have a spare five minutes a quick call would give definite answer. Garry.

Me too. And my sister's been staying for the last four days, which was a long relative time towards the end. (This Shiraz Mataro's good too..)

Hi I Googled your bearing number v0727 Ina 15 210npp 6 and through a tortuous route, found one on eBay! 210-NPP-B INA Self Aligning Ball Bearing @ £29.08 delivered. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/210-NPP-B-INA-Self-Aligning-Ball-Bearing-/332003411895?epid=863066904&hash=item4d4cf207b7:g:D84AAOSwNRdYAz10

It's always fair to give some notice,even as little a week. Don't burn bridges etc.

Hello, you could have a look at this painter. Robert Naghi. I have not used him but would consider doing so. Have a quick search on google and look at his site. His prices were good and he was happy to travel to you. cheers, Garry.

Try and avoid braining MOBs with liferings, for a start....... MP.

Wooden tops are fine if you're handy and prepared to keep on top of the constant maintenance. Yes, some folk profess to like composting toilets yet none of them have yet been able to answer the question I asked earlier. Cassette toilets are simple, hygienic and practical.