MikeV

Some batteries (e.g. Trojans) have manufacturer date codes stamped on the terminals so you can then establish whether the retailer has fresh stock or not. I bought some T105's in March 2013 which were date stamped December 2012, so reasonably fresh. I've also bought (rubbish) batteries where there was no labelling on the battery apart from the brand name. So nothing to indicate the capacity apart from the retailer.

I got some Carlube Daytona 20W50 API CC at B&Q for under £10 per 4.5 litres. This was using my B&Q club card to get a 10% discount. My local chandlers wanted £23.50 for 5 litres!

Any metal-to-metal connection, whether fuse, switch or plug & socket, can corrode and increase resistance over time.

Battery voltages all seem fine. I'd next look at the voltage at the TV. Put a digital meter there and then run the water pump and see how much it drops. Are you using a voltage stabiliser for the TV?

Agreed! Plus ease of maintenance. Where is the water pump? Can it be easily accessed for replacement? How would you replace the calorifier should it leak? Where do the pipes and cables run? Are they accessible for modification? How do you access the batteries, etc, etc. I always look for how well finished the woodwork is in places you can't normally see, e.g. inside cupboards or lockers. I think this gives a good guide to the quality of the fitout.

It's definitely a nature lovers canal. 2 mph speed limits towards Maesbury. I got the GPS out and found I was doing 2.1 mph on tickover.

You might try a regular hire boat company if you're thinking of a 6 month rental over the winter. Most of their boats will sit idle from now until Easter so they'd ought to give you a good rate. It's worth enquiring. They can only say "no".

I've just wire brushed and treated with Vactan and I'm going to do mine with Hammerite. I met someone last year who said they'd done theirs with Hammerite and it was still in good condition. Also I've got a couple of tins of old Hammerite which I can use up - metallic green and metallic grey - lovely!! I'm also thinking of making some wooden "chocks" to go under the gas cylinders so that there is no metal-to-metal contact.

Linky Goes on to say: "Boaters who are affected and want advice on diversions or local moorings can contact us on 03030 404040."

What he said! I did a batch of 50sqmm lugs earlier in the year and had to use the next size down in the crimper. I can't remember if that was 40 or 35, but if you can't pull the lug off after you've crimped it, the jobs a good 'un!

Happens all the time where I'm moored between two swing bridges. Boaters passing me realise someone has just swung the bridge and they accelerate to get to the bridge in time before it closes again!

If you're going for open top batteries that need maintenance then a big advantage of 6V batteries IMHO is that you have half the cells to check. My batteries are not easy to reach and all my previous batteries needed a tool to remove the caps. 4 x 12v batteries meant 24 caps to open and check. I installed T-105s in March and now it's a breeze to check the levels as there are only 12 caps to take off and you don't need a tool to do it. Takes 5 minutes rather than 20 minutes.

A few boaters who moor near me have had very nice cratch covers/pram hoods from Canvasman at Otley.

There's lots of good Sketchup tutorials on YouTube. Some of them refer to older versions of the software but I don't think the basic techniques have changed in the newer software. For starters, try Aidan Chopra's tutorials.

I can't see anything on the Fertan web site that says it is suitable for potable water tanks. Vactan is certified safe for potable use. Using Vactan will probably prolong the life of the blacking or, as some have done, you could just use Vactan on its own. The worst part of the job is getting as much of the rust off as possible. It's a really dirty, dusty job!!

Was the compressor on the fridge actually running when you measured the 1 amp? I would expect an efficient fridge to be only running for about 25-35% of the time provided it is well ventilated at the back. You should be able to hear a slight hum from the fridge when the compressor is actually running. Our Shoreline is very quiet. You only hear at night when there is no other background noises.

My Beta 1903 (predecessor to the 43) definitely has the stuff you need to access on the starboard side: oil & fuel filter, sump pump, manual fuel pump. There's nothing on the port side that needs any regular attention. I think Beta have drawings of their engines on their website and no doubt can advise.

So from the picture of the shunt it looks like the current you are measuring is the net current - amps out minus amps in. Fridge compressors are controlled via a thermostat and mains fridges, when running, typically consume about 65 watts. Fed from an inverter that would be about 5.5 - 7.0 amps at 12 volts, depending on the efficiency of the inverter. Of course the fridge will not be running all the time and the more efficient it is, the less it should run. It will consume near zero power when the compressor is not actually running. If you are seeing the 1 amp out of the batteries when the compressor is running, and assuming there are no other devices consuming power, it would suggest that the solar panels are delivering 4.5 - 6.0 amps of the current required by the inverter/fridge and therefore the 1 amp on the meter is just the net drain on the batteries. What's the device on the extreme right? It look like a fuse with a switch on it - going to nowhere!

Where is the shunt? Are you measuring current in and out through the shunt, or just load current? I have two ammeters. One is on the main wire from the batteries so measures net current into/out of the batteries including solar/alternator/charger current. The other ammeter is after all the charging feeds so just measures load current. My 12V Shoreline fridge draws 3.2amps so a mains fridge via an inverter is going to be at least that.

They expanded a couple of years ago. Last time I enquired they had a waiting list of people waiting for moorings, but that was probably 3-4 years ago. I asked to be put on their waiting list at the time but I've never heard anything and haven't followed up so I don't know what the current situation is.