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May I suggest that you don't need half the pieces of equipment you have on your boats. However, personally I wouldn't feel the need to be as judgemental as you're being and slag you off for having them. Just because one has a bow thruster doesn't necessarily make one reliant upon it. It really depends on how it is used. I can steer my boat perfectly well with or without the BT but it is nice to have for reversing long distances and for close quarters handling around GRP boats for example. By the way, in 15 years on this boat my BT batteries have never gone flat. In answer to the OP's actual question, I have a 95kgf thruster on a 57ft x 12ft boat. Part of the power specification is not simply the boat dimensions but also how far the tunnel is set back from the stem of the bow which reduces mechanical advantage.

I have just looked in unbelieving horror as a boy aged about 12 got off a hire boat that was coming up through Hillmorton bottom lock carrying two bags of rubbish and ignoring the bins, threw them both into an attractive flowerbed on private property and ran back to what I guessed were his parents. All looked well dressed respectable intelligent people. I carefully picked the bags out of the flowers and put them in the Biffa skip provided by CRT. I then telephoned the Hire Company whose management promised to speak to them harshly. It's getting worse isn't it? Or is it just me getting old?

It would be more sense to lobby for the removal of the booking system completely. If you turn up and there is no room tough

Its not a crime to be an a***hole, if it was the police would be even more overworked and the prisons would be bursting. As for the end product of parenting its easy, I just tried to make them turn out like an even better version of me ?. I suppose thats the problem, the a***holes just produce lots of little a****holes, or maybe lots of even bigger a****holes. ...............Dave

You said: They are a useful accessory for newcomers to assist in mooring with a strong wind, but you become addicted..., which sounds a lot more absolutist than it's easy to become addicted. You're backtracking a little. I don't think your suggestion is necessarily as reasonable as you think. Some people with BTs hardly use them so you wouldn't notice. Don't automatically assume that if you don't hear a BT the boat hasn't got one Anyway, it does get boring when someone comes on with a question and it immediately descends into the same old nonsense.

That's not subtle enough. A blast of reverse and forward to suck the water out from under them and then replace it is much better as there is no contact.

Daft idea just to save the cost of a VSR. The day you have an engine problem necessitating much cranking you will regret this system. Why try to be different? Why do you think everyone else has a seperate battery? Because its sensible. Just have a small 80Ah start battery charged by a VSR and you have no worries,

Narrowboats are so popular down south 'cause you can cruise all the English and Welsh connected system. The narrow canals of the midlands split the wide canals in to a number of zones, with no easy way to move from one to another. The Scottish canals were all built sensibly wide, so no need for the compromises of a narrowboat, unless you enjoy walking like an ancient Egyptian! Jen (with a narrowboat!)

Alan, I've tried but can't resist it. PLEASE take this comment as humorous rather than critical. "and as the roar of 1/4 million gallons of water hurling over the weir grows even louder she raises her voice to be heard... 'step 14! Attach left end of roll bar 'D; to port side Fluke 'F' using M10 x 25 bolt 'K''

Perhaps you could, should, would be the one to get him some help for his own good before some big guy puts him and his generators out of action permanently? I have had 3 such stroppy boaters, one finished up in the cells for a night for threatening me whilst I was phoning the police who heard him say he was going to sort me out (good luck there, I've been trying for years) , one attacked me and the police took him away and one was found dead in his boat some time later. ( no, not me. I leave them still breathing, just) Yes report, name and shame, tell everyone, you could save a life, his or the next poor boater who moores next to him.

....not sure......?

When we took our boat Thistle on the Thames the locky complained that the name was only shown on one side. We explained that we were half-way through repainting the boat, but that didn't help; nor did it help when we showed him that we had one growing in a plant-pot on the roof. He wouldn't let us through the lock until the kids had finished colouring in a name plate on the reverse side of some old cornflake box cardboard and hung it over the side.

That was the status quo, it has worked fine for many years, I see this as the creeping progress towards charging for navigation rights that we are entitled to.

Ah, but you earlier point seemed to limit the usefulness of a BT to newcomers? Anyway as long as you can accept that having a BT and knowing how to steer a boat without a BT are not mutually exclusive.

They were! That photo was taken before we bought the boat. The cupboard with all this in is nice and clean now and I intend to keep it that way (famous last words). Here are two more seemingly meaningless images to help explain where things are a bit! https://imgur.com/a/YWjQNZf The picture of the bedroom is just to show where I was stood (facing towards the port side) to take the picture looking into the cupboard, between the bedroom and the steps up to the stern deck. The cupboard door swings open to close off the aft cabin from the bedroom at night. Looking into the cupboard (which is L shaped towards the stern). the domestic battery box is to the left behind the twin tub washer, on a slightly raised plinth. everything else is above the battery box on the left hand side around that corner, apart from the 12V breaker which is above the ironing board just inside the cupboard door on the right, and the inverter, which is opposite that on the left hand side just inside the cupboard door. I think a lot of the wiring you can see behind the 220V consumer unit is the back of the instrument panel up on the stern deck, where both the domestic and starter battery isolators also are, down by the floor. I really need to take my proper camera with a really wide angle lens to get everything in one shot!

I should probably point out that I'm currently in Cambridge and the boat is moored in London. We're trying to finish up work commitments, sell all our belongings etc, with a view to us moving on to the boat towards the end of September, which is when I'll be free full time to begin to properly understand what's going on. So it's going to be a while before I can do what you suggest - which I'm absolutely keen to do - as I said in the intro thread I've got some savings and am planning to give myself a year to become boat savvy before deciding if and how we want to make living aboard our life. I do actually have the original wiring diagrams in "the big folder o' paperwork" that came with the boat, so I think it would be good to retrace and redraw them, working out what has changed and labelling things properly as I go, as my first steps. And then I can keep the new ones digitally, so I can keep them up to date! For now though, here are a bunch of photos I've taken the two times I've visited the boat - of course I'm already constantly kicking myself about all the gaps in them (at least I'm starting to build a list of things to look for next time we go I guess) which might be of use to start with: https://imgur.com/a/dqOf6o9

They used to publish a Nicholsons for the Broads and Fens. Mine (bought second hand) is dated 1986, but not much if waterways importance has changed. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ordnance-Survey-Guide-Broads-Fens/dp/0905522974 MP.

If you connect two alternators to a large battery needing to be charged, probably at first both alternators will be unable to supply enough current to get the terminal voltage up near their regulated value. ie what we normally call “bulk phase”. They will both therefore be producing maximum output. At some later point the maximum current the batteries will take when charged near the regulated voltage, will become less than maximum output and so the combined charge current will decrease. Whether or not the alternators reduce their outputs by the same proportion depends on their regulators (regulated voltage, loop gain etc), not on the size of the alternators. If there is a significant mismatch between the alternators’ regulators then it may well be that one alternator reduces its output more than the other, and it is possible that eventually one alternator will be producing zero current whilst the other is still producing significant current, but this doesn’t really matter because the batteries are still taking whatever current they can manage. People imagine that alternator regulators are near perfect, ie if it is a 14.4v regulator on a 100A alternator, that it is capable of producing 100A at up to just under 14.4v. Whereas in fact the soft regulation (low loop gain) means that the load (batteries) need to pull the system voltage down to well below 14v in order to get 100A out of the alternator. If the batteries hold the system voltage down to say 14.1v, then probably the alternator will only produce ~40A (guessing). There is in reality a very gradual progression between “bulk” and “absorb”, it is not a binary thing. So to summarise the advantages of paralleling 2 alternators: 1/ higher (maybe double) maximum output which shortens bulk charge time and allows a heavy load such as an inverter running a washing machine heater without taking anything much from the batteries. 2/ shortened absorb time due to the higher current available as the system voltage approaches the regulated voltage. 3/ during much of the charge period ie once the charge current starts to reduce, or when powering a heavy load, the alternators are working less hard, therefore run cooler therefore last longer. Disadvantages: 1/ Need for spilt charge mechanism.

At least as a boater you can easily move away from your antisocial neighbour. Bricks and mortar dwellers don't have the same option.

Also referred to as a "drying height" which explains it very clearly. Howard

But why the hell would you? Whats the point of buying a ridiculous shaped/sized boat to use on a waterway when a real boat can be used?

Yes, you can do it all in a week. Round trip approx 70miles, so at 2mph (there are some rebuilt concrete sections where you can go a little faster) 35h plus 2 x 6 locks. But, its a canal which does 'slow you down' more than most. If you like walking, its very easy to stop and get off the boat. We've been five times and only done the full length once. A lot of hirers only do between Goytre and Brecon. For most of the canal the character is of being tree lined (plenty of views between the trees) and clinging to the mountainside with the river far below. Past Goytre the valley widens and the character changes. Still very nice, and usually quieter.

I found I cannot rely on Nicholsons, too many errors, but then I don't want a pub guide. I prefer Pearsons.

Just for clarity, as people not used to tidal waters may think that the chart depths shown are 'actuals', they are LAT (Lowest Astronomical Tide) heights These are not the actual depths of the river. If the tide tables show (for example) a Low Water of 0.83 metres and a high water of 6.9 metres, these figures have to be added to the LAT, so 'your' 5.3m channel actual depth becomes : 6.13m at Low water 12.2m at High water

It isn't worth trying to be civilised with antisocial boaters such as this one. Just ignore them because sooner or later they will get themselves in trouble. One such chap on the Fossdyke has recently had a good dose of karma go against him. He is renowned for being a bit of a prick with everyone and earlier this year was taken through the courts for wielding a knife in a public place. He has recently decided to be a prick with the wrong person outside the Witch and Wardrobe pub and has had a taste of his own medicine which has resulted in him losing an eye. I doubt it will change him. Once a prick always a prick In answer to your question though yes it is worth reporting their behavior to CRT and the more people that do so the better so that they can build up a picture of this chap. Also worth reporting him to the local police if his behavior warrants that.

Report to CRT. Do not tell him you are doing so ( obvious I know) .Make notes of anything said or done to you. If his gennies are running until midnight then note the actual time they were switched off Have you any dealings with this person before, is there a history? You cannot use hearsay evidence if you report him to the police, however should the situation arise and you need to dial three nines please ensure that you mention the fact that you are a lone female and you fear for your safety. Mention what you know from others. But be prepared for them to also advise you to move Everyone reacts differently to the level of threat either perceived or real and we are not there at the moment so it's difficult to be specific with advice. Whilst you have sought advice from your fellow boaters it's really down to you what action you take now and post incident Batten down the hatches and ignore for now or move, we're not there so we can only offer suggestions Hope your night quietens down.

Although I think that boat was not the one that the member was connected with.

GRP actually stands for glass reinforced polyester. GRP is therefore not a plastic and is not too difficult to bond to as the material has lots of oxygen molecules in it which can bond strongly to other things. Similarly with epoxies which again has 'active' groups as long as it abraided. Plastic on the other hand is a difficult issue. If it's Polyethylene or Polypropylene then it is very difficult to bond to. The material is all carbon and hydrogen atoms which don't allow much to stick. They are very hydrophobic so hate oxygen - which is what most adhesives use. Most adhesives tend to be hydrophilic. If it's PVC then it's easier as the Cl atom helps increase its hydrophilic nature. I seriously doubt any primer will work with PE or PP (polyolefins) other than flame treatment but maybe there is a proprietary primer for PVC or nylon. A primer for use on GRP used on polyolefis will not be any use.

Took a bit of persuading.

At the risk of veering back on topic, I spotted this one yesterday. I wonder if they run an Italian restaurant in Wigan

It might help if people stopped thinking about a BT as an aid to steering. That is not it's function. It comes into its own and can be very helpful when manoeuvring in tight situations. Howard

May I suggest that you actually go on a course and learn how to helm a boat - otherwise you will become reliant on the 'sissy-button' and the very time you REALLY need it, the battery will be flat and you will have no idea how to actually steer. They are a useful accessory for newcomers to assist in mooring with a strong wind, but you become addicted and you can hear them coming from miles away as they are used to try and stay in a straight line on a straight piece of waterway, YES, you can handle a widebeam without a bow thruster, it just takes practice. I currently have one boat with a 14 foot beam and another boat with a 23 foot beam - neither have (or need) a bowthruster. Good luck.

No, and if you don't paint it properly it will give you nightmares! ??

Hobbits for engine room painting appear to be in short supply. Cruising the Cut in one his vlogs dealt with this by having his engine lifted out by a boat yard. Superficially it seemed a bit extreme, but the more I think about it the more sensible it seems - a case of do it once and do it well.

That's collateral damage and inevitable if you go boating. You won't get an accurate match because the sun will have bleached the original. My gunnels are painted silk black so I can roller on a new coat whenever necessary. Dead easy. You can use rust killer now or accept that it will spread a bit by the time you do the full job