Ryeland

Another vote for this style of Dahon. I've converted mine to electric as well. Obviously more difficult to store but so much better to ride. Richard

My mppt controller actually regulates the negative connection and the positive is just linked through. If this controller is the same, the panels are actually just connected straight to the batteries! Richard

There is one pond at Berko notorious for emptying overnight. I ended up letting water down at about 3.00 am, and we were already several feet away from the bank out into the channel. Can't remember which pound now, but it's below the usual moorings. Richard

IKEA? I've just used diy-kitchens.com at home. Really good quality, normally come as rigid, but they are happy to supply unglued so you can modify the carcasses. Good company to deal with, and and worth a trip to their showroom in Yorkshire, where they are just very helpful, and don't try to sell you anything. Just one online price, no stupid discounts. Richard

Checking the coupling with feelers gauges gets the engine and prop shaft in line, as the cutlass bearing end of the shaft can't 'flop about'. How old are the engine mounts? They could have lost their stiffness. I have Beta38, PRM120, R&D coupling, cutlass bearing. My vibrations and noise improved tremendously when I had the prop reconditioned by Crowthers. Not cheap but worth every penny. My shaft was worn, and I also replaced it and the bearing, along with the engine mounts, but it was the prop that made the difference. Richard

A good way of using a choc block with different sized cables is to use one capable of taking both cables together. Strip enough on both cables so that they sit under both screws, with the smaller one trapped under the larger. Richard

Yes, it was a dog walker who mentioned to me that he hadn't seen anyone on the boat for about 6 weeks, and about the smell. I hadn't noticed anything when I was there last week. Richard

Reported this today due to the smell coming from the boat, the information above explains it. Very sad. Richard

Hole in each end, one end on the battery terminal bolt, the other on the shunt terminal bolt. All cables to the other end of the shunt as usual. My shunt fits neatly in the 'gully' formed between the tops of two batteries. Richard

My connection is a few inches of 1" x 1/8" copper strip. Probably available on Ebay or from a lightning conductor supplier. You only need something big enough to carry the current, whereas your inverter cables will probably be sized for volt drop. Richard 150mm of copper bar on ebay £4.99. Other sizes available.

Depends what you are trying to do! For fitting out, I found the 5 and 30 minute polyurethane adhesives very good as you don't have to wait for hours for something like PVA to dry, and can move on to the next stage. They are also slightly gap filling. The various grab adhesives are useful for fitting panels to battens. Richard

I'd second that, but be prepared to make do when mooring as few rings and of course never in the right places. Next safe place in my view is well out of the city. Richard

I have the Volvo-Penta type, and the answer is yes IF you can get the propshaft back far enough. In my case it meant removing the rudder which is also possible in the water on my boat. A rag tied around the propshaft stops too much water getting in. I did however find that the propshaft was worn and needed replacement, and the cutlass type bearing as well, so it had to be done out of the water in the end, Richard

And a good little supermarket in Great Haywood village as well, and another one canalside at Barlaston.

Tesco near the first couple of locks north of Harecastle tunnel.

On my 38 it's actually part of the wiring loom, it just sticks out of the side. Richard

Much as I wouldn't normally want to disagree with Tony, from this old thread there is actually an idle speed adjustment on the fuel pump. Richard

I have changed mine. Quick pull out up a slipway, remove rudder, withdraw propshaft. Used a sabre saw to cut through the glass fibre outer shell of the bearing in a couple of places and it came out easily. Tapped in the new one and reassembled. For once the job all went well, done in a couple of hours. I would think that any boatyard that can get your boat out of the water could do it. Richard

It's a 4m\13ft aluminium tube with a double hook on the end. Useful further south on the Oxford, when the bridge decks are wet, and won't stay open. Also for swing bridges, and the bottom gates on the Northampton flight where there are no footplates. Richard

My single handed method was to jam a pole under the handrail on one side, but it was so badly balanced that it took all my strength to lift it from the towpath side. Richard

Local place in Cinderford, Gloucestershire. Richard

I had the ISKRA 100A alternator on my Beta 38 rebuilt recently. About £80 and ALL the electrical parts and bearings were replaced for that money. And of course it fitted back on the engine perfectly. Richard

No, no filters, and the original vent was the normal 1 1/2", and the new one is 1", both on the same side of the boat, though opposite sides would be better. Richard

Hi, I solved my smell problems some years ago by fitting two vents at opposite ends of the tank, so there is a small flow of air through the tank. This encourages aerobic bacteria, rather than anaerobic ones which apparently cause the smell. I have never used 'blue', and now use a couple of cheap bio washing sachets each pump out. It can sometimes be months between pumpouts, and no problems in between. One vent was on the tank already, the other one I fitted using an 'Essex flange' which doesn't need access inside the tank. Richard

I had the ISKRA 100A alternator on my Beta 38 rebuilt recently. About £80 and ALL the electrical parts and bearings were replaced for that money. And of course it fitted back on the engine perfectly. Richard