Chewbacka

I used a bamboo floor laid floating onto 19mm WBP ply base. I chose bamboo because it is ok for conservatories and bathrooms. It does move about a bit, not that you can see, but enough that a couple of holes drilled for door bolts (bad idea) sometimes line up and sometimes they don't. I glued the planks to each other along the tongue using pva as per the instructions. I left an expansion joint half way down the boat as the width is fine but I was worried about the length. 3 years on and it still looks good. The down side of bamboo is it is much softer than oak so the surface is not as tough, but so far not a problem. As said earlier, if I ever want to get below I shall use a jig saw. I hope this never happens..........

When refilling, don't forget that the gear box has an oil cooler and depending on the pipe work may need a bit more oil then the prm spec sheet when you refill. I also warm up the gear box before sucking the oil out the dip stick/filler hole as I hope it helps the oil cooler to empty. The first time I used this method, not much oil came out, and I found you have to wiggle the suction pipe around to get it to the bottom of the gear box. After refilling check again after a few mins running as the oil cooler may have had air in it. I am making this sound much harder than it is.

If C&RT had a copy of the transcript then they may have had to disclose it under a FOI request. No copy, so they have nothing to disclose. That does not mean that their law firm does not have a copy, just that C&RT don't.

Insulating the windows will not make the boat much warmer but may become a condensation trap, and being insulated the widows will be poorly ventilated and so the water will tend to accumulate, so expect a lot of mould on the window side of the fabrics. For this reason I do not make any attempt to insulate my boat over winter when not in use, the opposite really, lots of ventilation to keep the mould away. I also lift my mattress to have an air gap again to keep it dry. As to rusting on the base plate, assuming there is no galvanic corrosion, just normal corrosion, I would be surprised if you got more than 0.1mm of corrosion per year. I wouldn't block up the gaps around the base on the hard standing otherwise you will have a condensation problem with the base which will speed up rusting. If we have a cold dry winter, there wont be much corrosion. If you have an electric toilet you can also get special anti-freeze to protect the blades etc from freezing up. Don't use engine anti freeze in the toilet.

Good idea, but I think the OP's problem is he wants to use his phone internet at home. I have no idea other than a MiFi unit with external aerial mounted outside and at a high level. Unfortunately that needs a second expensive SIM if you want lots of data. I don't have a better idea.

Assuming your original comment of having been on a long cruise for 26 days took you out of his area, then you can point out to his managers that if you had stayed in his area then he would have undoubtedly recorded seeing you as he is such a through and diligent chap, therefore you must have moved on for those days. Then you can tell them where you went and say that in future you will keep better records. I would suggest that at this stage a bit of 'please help me to sort out this misunderstanding' is more likely to get you a positive reaction from his boss. When I am out cruising I like to keep a log for each day - that's just how I am - I write it all in my little book. The start and stop times must be accurate to the nearest 5 mins, which my wife tells me is a bit OCD, but I am getting better.

If you are near the Gloucester & Sharpness canal then RW Davis have a deep dry dock that has the boat on approx 4ft stands. http://www.rwdavis.co.uk/services/drydock.html

Have you measured the running current as it was not clear if 2amps is actual or specification.

I find oil based paints flow well whereas water based paints tend to have brush marks. That said, water based paints do dry quickly, so if you are painting in the open a quicker drying time may be good - less time to collect dust and stuff.

If the bike is desirable - ie good 'down the pub resale value' then there is a high risk, but if it is a simple bike and trailer, and so not very desirable, then a decent lock is probably enough. I've seen better bikes at the tip than mine, so the only risk is the drunk that does not want to walk home. How would you rate the 'resale' value of your bike?

A lot of these controllers are designed for street lights etc, so will be programmable to power a load at night or other times, but triggered by darkness. As you don't want this, just leave the load output disconnected - unless you fancy a night light.

I bought a Colecraft shell with engine and spray foam insulation. Colecraft are good to work with and only wanted money when the shell was finished. If you do make stage payments make sure that it is clear what you own and that what you own is clearly identified so if the worst happens and your builder goes under the receiver will need proof of what you own before they release it, otherwise you become another creditor. I am sure you have considered this, but do think about the length of boat, longer costs more to buy, moor and licence but some northern canals are limited to about 56ft. Longer does of course give you more room. Final comment - If fitting it out yourself, you can always add or upgrade in the future fairly easily, but changes to the shell are not reasonably possible so get what you like the look of.

Just needs a thick layer of cream in the middle and then leaving for a couple of days to mature. Best cake there is.

If it was nicked last night I would try e-bay this afternoon.......................

The purpose for the air gap is to keep the hot fireboard off the wood. At only 12mm thick and 100mm behind the stove that will reduce to about 80mm with the board and tiles, the rear of the board could be very hot. You could bond a thermocouple to the back of the board when fitting and measure the temp when it's all done for peace of mind. I think you do have enough space for a 25mm board 8mm for tiles, 50mm gap between to the stove and a 10mm air gap as total is 93mm and you have 100mm and will conform to the soliftec recommendation.

IKEA? Always worth a look and as most of their stuff is flat pack should be easy to get into your boat. Not sure if you will get leather.

In which case how did they manage to flush their entire economy down the toilet?

I have a couple of Bimble used solar farm panels and would have no worries if a 15kg pet were to walk over then, though the clatter of his 'claws' on the glass would irritate me. I would not worry too much about cable lengths between the panels and the controller, just use a heavier cable, or accept a bit of loss. If you are not tracking the sun - I don't - then the losses caused by that are probably a lot more, and it does not bother me.

in this case 'rough guess' may be better

If the crack/hole is small and the tank wall is thick, could you weld it up with a clean soldering iron? Possibly using a bit of plastic - must be the same material - to build it up rather than just smearing it about. But if thin wall you may just end up with a bigger hole. My concern with using fernox lx is that it is a silicone, and if it doesn't work the silicone residues will make sticking something else on very difficult. If the crack is away from a spigot etc could you use a small stainless self tapper?

This any help? http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3816040.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59156|cid:189934285|agid:18091942045|tid:kwd-138428084485|crid:77627770045|nw:g|rnd:2309889750156661615|dvc:t|adp:1o3&gclid=CJ2hoMDY3ccCFasEwwodZJ4JPw

If the generator has a floating output, ie neither side bonded to earth then the charger will get confused as to which wire is the live wire. But you are investigating high voltages, so if you are not sure what to check or correct then get someone that does. Better safe than dead. You can buy a plug in socket checker which will check for missing earth, live neutral swap etc. try plugging one of those into the gennie with nothing else connected would be a good start, also no need to open up the generator. Sorry if you know what you are doing and therefore this sounds patronising.

I bought my set up from Bimble solar, they are good. My MPPT unit is not listed anymore, all newer models, but here is a bit of interesting reading for you . http://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/mppt

For my panels I wired them in series with an MPPT controller. The OC Voltage for your panels will be about 40v which should be ok for an MPPT but check. My controller will go up to about 90V (if I remember correctly) so adding more identical panels is easy. Advantages 1) In series you will get enough volts even when overcast to get some power, but if the sun is not very warm there will not be a lot, but better than nothing. 2) As the voltage between the panel and controller is high, the current is low (for a given power) so the losses are reduced if you have long cable runs. Disadvantages 1) If one panel is shaded then the total power output is greatly reduced. With panels in parallel and each having a diode, then if one panel is shaded and the other in full sun, you will only lose half the power. But you do loose power in the diodes. 2) Series wired panels must be reasonably matched for full efficiency. 3) If you have a number of panels in series the voltage can become quite high (mine regularly run at 70V) which needs installing more like a mains system rather than a 12v system as 70v dc is going to hurt. From memory the regs require better insulation and protection above 32v, but I stand to be corrected on this. In your case it is only 40V oc, but who knows you may wish to add a third or forth panel..... When I moor up I look for a place that is clear to the east to get the early morning sun, so normally shading is not an issue. For me the advantages outweigh the disadvantages so I went for series. Hopes this helps.

I wasn't trying to justify the rules, just giving an opinion as to why they came about, and the theory behind it all.