Leaderboard

Eeek some of my Li batteries arrived today from China (the rest coming tomorrow hopefully), so I'd better get on with it... For my own clarity of thought I drew out the system. Quite simple superficially but behind the home made battery monitor and alternator controller is a fair bit of software with lots of data whizzing around over CANBUS. In summary the battery monitor keeps and eye on (and broadcasts on CANBUS) the individual cell voltages and battery temperature. In emergency, it can disconnect the battery using the Tyco bistable relay, but hopefully that will never happen! It controls the Combi when it is in charging mode to ensure no excessive cell voltage and make it switch to float when the SoC reaches the desired value. It drives the FETs / resistors for top balancing. The Alternator controller adjusts charging voltage to ensure no cell over-voltage, reduces alternator output if it gets too hot, and switches to a float voltage at the target SoC (adjustable by a 3 position switch: 50%, 80%, 100%). Also has a slow charge switch to avoid unnecessarily fast charging when cruising for the day. The Mastershunt of course broadcasts such data as SoC, battery current etc over CANBUS Ooh look, no LA batteries in sight! Standing by for incoming...

Started unloading at 08.45 and left Leeds empty at 13.15 carrying 200 tons water ballast to get under A&C bridges. Grounded seriously twice and arrived back on Goole moorings for 20.30. Next load from Albert Dock, Hull due to be loaded Wednesday with Farndale departing Goole on Tuesday. Loads to be limited to 350 tons while CRT make a few ‘important decisions’ which, hopefully, will be guided by reference to the Transport Act 1968, Section 105, amended 2012.

There is a BIG difference between getting made redundant and getting sacked. Very misleading and even embarrassing article by the toilet of the canal media. Very bad news as well.

Agreed, as soon as you can remove it without peeling the paint off. Its much worse to leave it if it gets wet, you will end up repainting. There are better tapes that will give you more time but they are expensive. For coach lines you really should use 3M fine lining tape, it peels off easily and gives a very sharp edge to the line.

Are you sure that's the Coventry Canal? Looks more like the Ashby to me ???

Hello everyone, I'm looking to move my boat 70ft nb from Saltisford to Hartford marina in Cambridgeshire. I've not taken her out for trips of this length but am confident with general handling/locks/mooring etc. I've looked into the route and asked for a quote for having it moved. I understand that the River Nene floods and Salter's lode needs to be timed correctly due to the boat length. I'm happy that the engine etc is in good condition but haven't done much river cruising. Does anyone have any knowledge about how difficult the Nene/Salter's lode/River negotiations could be? I might have a friend along to help, either experienced or not. Any thoughts or other observations would be very gratefully received Thanks

One very unhappy Bank Manager.

Mike Carter is your man, but it sounds like you already know that now.

I have the Hybrid touch e7 fitted in 2015 and pleased it has buttons as well as touch screen. In a very lumpy sea the touch screen was useless . These products are soon out of date. Charts see to have increased in price but sounds like you have the upmarket version.

More like cuss-cuss.

Looks great. No need for LA batteries. (I assume the Combi can function in powerpack mode without a battery in circuit, should the relay open.) How are you driving the balancing MOSFETs? I used opto-isolators to do the level translation to the gates of each MOSFET. MP.

I thought so, and didn't it turn out to be a non-story?

and me.

Had a good few days : Fitted new anchor chain-pipe in the fore-deck. Fitted new Nav lights and a new all-round white (the 'all-round white was no longer 'all-round' since the Radar was installed and being higher that the light obscured it for about 30 degrees) Fitted a new Chart plotter to both external and internal helm positions. Bought an additional 20 metres of anchor chain Bought a new anchor Bought a set of 6 Boat-stands for when she is lifted out for Winter.

The entrance to Milton Keynes Marina is pretty tight too. I occasionally used to steer the restaurant boat "Captain Toby" from there. The boat was 72ft long (and handled very badly) so there was no point in taking things gently as you would only get wedged between the entrance and the opposite bank - which necessitated getting somebody off the bow to walk it around. The only way, especially on a windy day, was to pick your moment and use full throttle as you put the tiller over; it was impossible to see the bank over the bow so you just had to pray that it came around OK without hitting the bank, because inside the boat were maybe a couple of dozen seated diners who had just had a full plate of soup placed in the table in front of them!

Pro painter watching me paint undercover last week advised me to ideally to remove tape as soon as completed painting and remask between every coat to ensure edge of paint flows and seals the previously masked edge. This was after I undercoated, topcoated and final topcoat only removing tape immediately after the final coat. I got away with doing it my way but it was not ideal I guess. There seems to be an efficient way to removed masking which for me is to peel off, move tape 180 degrees backwards and up at angle of 45 or 60 degrees up and away from painted line.

Out in the sun cruising this week. Seen a tidy looking Highbridge outboard cruiser on a trailer in Barbridge marina, Shroppie. It just may be for sale' Hens teeth do turn up sometimes.

I've used the G string app to measure rpm. The formula above is I think correct for a two cylinder four stroke engine (one bang per revolution). A four cylinder engine will (should!) do two bangs a revolution, so 1500 RPM is 50 Hz (divide by 30). My tacho has not worked for over 20 years.

I think this may be the thread @Halsey mentioned If you want to do this trip before the winter, you need to get a move on. The Nene tends to close for stoppages between 1 November and Easter, and the risk of flooding is increasing now of course. Do please subscribe to the text alerts from the EA for the Nene, and for the Ouse (two sections, Earith to St Ives and St Ives to Bedford). It's worth having a phone chat with Paul the lock keeper at Salters Lode about the transit there. As noted above he knows what he is doing. As an aside, the water came over the top at Denver this week, on a very high tide....

I’ve always known them as stakes or spikes. “ Pins” ....ugh! The old military hexagon sectioned stakes with a forged eye towards the top are good, best driven in with a sledgehammer. Never lost one yet!

I think you have mis read the bss. You are correct that if you choose to use a “pre-made hose assemblies conforming to BS 669” then a bayonet connection must be used, however section 7.9.5 goes on to state that pre-made assemblies are optional and you may “......use suitable nozzles secured by crimped or worm‐drive clips; and,”. There then follows requirements about clip style, size etc. Therefore bayonet fittings are not required in all cases. At least that is how I read it.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/barge-operator-finally-makes-history-after-getting-grounded-2980268 Another direct link for @WotEver

Well mine were reading 11.0v at 8.30 this morning, with all my alarms going off? That was because I was doing an annual test of my lithiums though! Still holding exactly the same capacity as when installed 2 years ago -: around 280ah. Probably could extract more, but that's as far as I like to push them, and an easily repeatable test. Main thing is no detectable loss after 2 years. Tom

CRT dredging is an absolute joke. It is outsourced, unmanaged and unchecked.

are you going to start ranting about "road tax" and not stopping for red lights next? anyone who pays tax "contributes" as you put it

We are thinking of probably moving to Cornwall as thats where our last 3 houses were that we kept for holidays and also two kids live. I have been offered a mooring in Looe by a friend so would probably buy something there to use on lumpy water which has always been my preference but not the wifes first choice but just for hobby boating she would be ok with. Still not convinced I can give the inland water way of living up bu will see what my specialist says on my next visit re time scale of decline ?

Delighted to see the change. It's a real phoenix from the ashes moment. Here's some pics to celebrate with:

All wrong so far. It's actually to stop numpties with wide beams escaping out of the marina when moored in stupid locations like the North Oxford etc.

I’m bloody sick and tired of Birmingham being vilified by boaters who in all probability have never visited, instead just heeded the advice of others. I live in the Black Country, I’ve been boating since the early 60s and the only issue I’ve ever had in that time was being untied by morons while near the Sea Life Centre at 2:00 am, a situation quickly remedied. OK , if you want rural niceness stay away, but if you crave an insight in to what the canals were built to do, then head over. Rant over!