alant

A single pipe runs from the boiler down one side of the boat, across the front under the front doors, and back down the other side of the boat. The rads are connected at both ends to this single pipe, and both connections to each rad are at low level.

Ahhhh ! yes both connections are at the bottom of the rad, so if the pipe is extended on one side, to a top entry, I assume the nearest side to the flow from the boiler, then you reckon i stand a good chance of a better flow ??

Hmmmm, It is the latter type, I did wonder about that....I considered inserting a section of 15mm pipe between the 2 rad connections, which would constrict the flow without the possibility of blocking the whole thing off should the rad valve be accidentally turned off, and I could take off the valve knob to prevent it being turned off 'casually'...there's only 2 main rads so it would be an easyish job. I could try it on one rad to see if it works, if not not a big problem to reinstate??

I just wondered if there is any cunning way of improving the performance of a 'single pipe' heating system (ie. A single pipe runs around the boat with both sides of each rad connected to that single pipe) without adding a second pipe and repiping the rads to this in the 'proper' way ??

I think you are talking about the Nadee, which is a new ex pub Indian, I have yet to try it, they do have a website. You can moor, or opposite and walk over the bridge, care though it may be noisy near the bridge/railway. When it was a pub I fondly remember blues jam sessions in the cellar bar.........ah.... The Ragley Boat Stop, which is before Stenson if you are coming from Shardlow, have been serving steaks and more to the local populus for many years, more fond memories from me of two steaks and a bottle of wine for a tenner......ah...the moorings are against the garden on the offside, I think you have to pay if you don't eat. There is an indian in Shardlow, Tandoori Nights, which is up the road to the right (from Sawley direction) about 5 mins walk. Latest I heard was OK but a little overpriced. All in all loads of other pubs and suchlike Weston (2), Stenson, Willington (3), you might not even make it to Burton! Don't moor in the bridgehole just before the Ragley, or the one before that, as various vehicles have a habit of trying to imitate boats on a regular basis. If you are at Sawley, a short walk to the church will reveal the Whitehouse Restauraunt. Evening Table d'hote £22, well worth a meal but best to book (have a website for info). Have a good trip.

There are many types of 'barrage' being considered, and the subject is a complex one. The costs of a full barrage, taking into account practical and environmental aspects will be large. It is unreasonable to have a well founded opinion on this without knowing what is proposed, and the consequences in detail....we should all wait before jumping to conclusions. A recent issue of the Wildlife trusts national magazine (to which I subscribe...so I'm not a closet industrialist) was indecently brief, uninformative, and reassuringly there was negative comment from members for treating this subject in such an offhand way. There is no fixed proposal at the moment, just an option appraisal and so I plead that we wait to see the option that may be developed, and then, if you want to have an opinion, do the research. Don't forget there is habitat being created, reworked, and lost all the time, whole colonies of nesting birds have already relocated, particularly in Scotland, the RSPB are just giving up some of their primary reserve to salt water by letting the sea in, the Somerset levels are changing and potentially becoming an improved habitat.......etc...... Sorry this seems a bit preachy but more and more it seems we are expected to have opinions based on meia hype or the like, instead of reality.

Ours is down at Mikuni being serviced and sorted at the moment, we have had much trouble with ours...looked at the cost and practicality of the alternatives (install solid fuel etc) and decided to try to carry on. We have relied on and paid for, local people to do our repairs, very expensive...so far now learnt how to take the whole unit out (but not how to put it back in !!), we aim to service every year, know the little quirks, like the one above (ta!)...and we are going to try the previous advice like...dont use a thermostat....run for at least an hour etc.. When I get the unit back from Mikuni, I am going to go right through the forum advice and look at bosses, glow plugs etc etc on my dining room table, before the unit goes back in, so that i know roughly what i am doing when I am doubled up backwards with my nose up the air cleaner spout in the engine compartment...in the rain..!!

stone and sea foamfollower !

What a great great topic, yes lets have lots and lots more rules and regulations, after all that's what attracted me to the cut in the first place. I must try to spend more time thinking of things to moan about.....got it, these heaters should also be banned from use during the Queen's speech at Christmas....in marinas at any time......oh yes...and when it's cold....yep that covers it......oh by the way, can i come and keep warm in your big long impressive boat with lots of smokey black chimerneys on the top, beggin' your pardon guv'nor ? What a load of bollards!

Thanks! I thought I was making a stupidly obvious suggestion that would be killed by all sorts of technical issues. Could you explain the parallel installation/connections a little more, I don't even know what a 'rail' is ?!

By retro installing a stove for heating (no back boiler), i hope to have nice warm toes when it's cold, however the main disadvantage I can see is not being able to dry towels. I have a radiator in the bathroom that will become surplus with the new stove, which is fed from the engine compartment, where the Mikuni used to be....is it possible to connect the rad direct to anywhere so that there is heating to the rad (controlled via a valve as necessary) when the engine is running ?

Thanks for the leads, I have a better understanding now !!

I appreciate the advice on various posts about which stove, which fuel etc, but I am struggling to find advice on installation...questions such as : How big and what is the hearth, what backing is best...tiles? Safety Ventilation Who can cut that big hole in the roof and how do you seal it ? Has anyone done a step by step DIY? Is it best to let someone fit it for you, and how much is that likely to cost ? If anyone knows of a guide?, or do stoves come with really full fitting instructions ? What impacts on the BSS inspection ? I honestly would not expect all these answers on the forum, but can anyone give some pointers?

Yes, we saw strimming in progress, and work done elsewhere too, however with the exception of certain well kept areas the principle seems to be to clear the tow path, but leave bankside veg. We saw and walked areas where the veg was head high and served to isolate the walker from the canal completely...whats the point of that for canal users and BW's vaunted other users(this all seems like the veg pledge never existed!) We speculated that, as some short streches of armco were mown/strimmed to the edge that the policy could be that we are being 'directed' to moor out, only at approved armco sections, and discouraged from mooring elsewhere...so much for 'moor anywhere on the towpath side' then? We also noticed that trees have been/are being allowed to grow and mature between the towpath and canal, for instance at Fleckney bridge on the Leicester section (there are others)...who's idea is that? It has not always been there as I'm a Fleckney lad by the way.