blackrose

Yes so 5mph from your boat was below your hull speed and the rest was the tide pushing you along.

In other words the OP could save himself an awful lot of time and money by simply buying a conventional narrowboat and planning those tidal journeys carefully, which he would be wise to do anyway whatever vessel he was on. If it were me perhaps I'd be looking for a slightly higher freeboard, vents, etc, and maybe an enclosed bow but they would be about it. The idea of being able to plough through the water at 10kts is nonsense as you generally go with the tide on these passages and any turn against the tide is short. Anyway, I'm sure the hull speeds of most narrowboats limits them below that figure.

I was going to say... If you want a go anywhere boat why would you choose a narrowboat? As much as a NB could be modified and some people have set to sea in them, seagoing boats are just much more suited to the sea.

Both... probably

Sorry but I'd lay money that with a growing kid it won't be long before your wife changes her mind and says she wants to move back to land. I don't just mean that with respect your family. I'm just a bit cynical. I've seen so many men who've had to give up their dream because of a woman. That's the normal way of things I guess... It's why I didn't buy into the whole marriage and kids scenario.

Are you talking about continuous cruising continuously as a lifestyle? That's difficult on any river prone to flooding, especially in winter. Also if you want to be around Oxford or any specific area then you aren't really continuously cruising. Although people do flout the rules, the Thames has less opportunities for mooring than the canals and you don't get 2 weeks grace. I might be wrong but unless otherwise stated I think the EA specify that you're only allowed to stay in one place for 24 hours.

Then the risk I highlighted obviously doesn't apply to you. My boat is coming up for 20 years old and touch wood I've never had a problem with fuel contamination. I've dipped the tank a couple of times with a clear tube but there's nothing untoward I can see at the bottom of the column of fuel. So for me the fuel tank is basically "fit and forget", except that I didn't fit it of course! If you do need to clean your tank then a hatch is obviously invaluable - but it must be large enough to gain full access otherwise it's a complete waste of time. On the other hand like the vast majority of canal boats, you may never actually have to clean the inside of your tank .

Mine doesn't have an inspection hatch. As the OP says, one downside of any external hatch is that it may actually increase the risk of leaks and water getting into the tank which sort of defeats the purpose of a installing a maintenance hatch in the first place.

Ok so it does the same thing as stove paint then?

I just repaint my stove once every 5 years or so and it looks fine in mat black. I see no need to polish it. What's the point exactly? Shiny stove? Each to their own I guess, whatever you're into. It seems a tad unnecessary to me but then I don't spend my time polishing brass either.

If you are having to add more chain to get the fender to fit then yes I'd cut the chain off to the link sticking out of the fender and attach stainless with stainless D shackles. There seem to be different standards of galvanizing chain and I've had some go horribly rusty. The remaining galvanised links inside the fender may still go rusty of course, but at least they're hidden and they'll last for many years. Also it's a good idea to add weak links when attaching fenders so that if the fender gets caught on a lock gate it will snap. People generally use (6mm) cable ties.

I'm not doubting K&N's ability to manufacture an air filter, the point I'm making is that different filters will naturally allow different maximum airflows depending on their construction and overall size. Therefore I'm asking whether putting a random spec air filter onto an engine that will also have a specific airflow requirement might restrict that flow if the filter chosen happens not to have adequate airflow for the engine? The specification of an air filter is not solely governed by the size of the connection to the engine surely?

Is it ok to just whack any old air filter onto an engine? I would have thought the engine spec is relevant here? Different engines will require different amounts of air and if the random filter you happen to fit restricts air flow too much that wouldn't be a good thing.

If it were me trying to sell the boat I'd just ignore the RCD regulations and sell it privately at a discount to someone else ignorant of or happy to ignore the rules. Anyone who does care will walk away. It's then up to you whether you make any potential buyers verbally aware of what the regs say. I might be wrong but I very much doubt any private sellers who've done this have ever found themselves in court or languishing in prison cells. Apparently Facebook marketplace is now a good place to advertise boats - friends of mine have just sold their boat very quickly after advertising it there. They say it's much better than the Duck.

When I bought my sailaway in 2005 things were obviously much simpler. My boat came with a RCD Annexe 3 Declaration of Conformity which covered me for a year, but knowing I would be keeping my boat for more than 5 years I decided to fit it out in compliance with the BSS and ignore the RCD which was permitted at the time. Is that what changed in 2017? Are self-builders no longer allowed to do that? Not if it's being inspected to RCD standards surely?

No I wasn't saying that. Most people use the term round turn & two half hitches generically whether they're using a half turn or a full turn. I am one of those less pedantic people. Also I don't have the same fender hooks as the OP so I don't have to pass my rope through his fender hook eye! 😉 My fender hooks are also made pf plastic but given the choice I'd have ply as they're stronger. I know they only have to take the weight of a fender but occasionally the fender gets trapped between the boat and concrete and doesn't lift, then as the boat moves it can put strain on the rope. I've had one of my plastic fender hooks snap before.

Yes I wouldn't want it a fixed length. Better to have it height adjustable. I just use a round turn and two half hitches on mine but there's probably a better knot that's easier to undo.

If you have access to a mains water supply you could test the doorframe by spraying it with a hose. Hold the end of the hose up so that the water arcs up and comes down like rain rather than spraying it directly. Or you could use a garden watering can.

Utter claptrap. I don't know about No Corrode as I don't know about it and hadn't mentioned it, but Vasaline will insulate terminals . Vaseline is mostly petroleum jelly (petrolatum) mixed with some minerals, micro-crystalline wax, and possibly a fragrance - all of which are also non-conductive. Pure petrolatum is an excellent electrical insulator. And, Vaseline (petrolatum with other “impurities”) is a very good insulator. So it's pretty obvious that even a small amount will increase electrical resistance. By the same token that doesn't make you correct either Tony. I've never dressed terminals and never had a problem. I simply make sure they're clean. Anyway tell me, what exactly is the advantage of dressing the terminals before assembly as you recommend, over dressing the assembled joint as I described? If the assembled joint is properly dressed nothing will get between the mating faces. Your method can only be disadvantageous as far as I can see

Vaseline non-conductive and a good electrical insulator. If you apply it to the terminal surfaces and then refit, most of the vasaline will be squeezed out but there will still be a thin film between the surfaces increasing resistance, which kind of defeats the object of cleaning them in the first place. If you clean the terminals, refit and then apply the vaseline to the assembly to prevent long term corrosion that's better, but if you take it apart again you must make sure that you thoroughly clean all the vasaline off before refitting because the stuff gets everywhere. Personally I don't bother dressing battery terminals because I think it's more trouble than it's worth.

I didn't bother. The porthole frames have a set of grooves on the back of the flange. You can't squeeze it all out. But I wouldn't let it go off before tightening the screws anyway because once you crack the sealant the screws may not be sealed.