Ryeland

Another boat was broken in to around Bridge 75 IIRC, probably about a week ago. That's between Barby and Hillmorton. Two broken windows this time and the boat was moved to the offside about 300 yds away. Richard

Another vote for Woodwarm. We have one at home and it's brilliant. 6KW warms a very large lounge from stone cold each day. I think their ratings are very conservative. Cheapie (Valor Willow) on the boat not so good, though this could be lack of decent draw through short flue. Richard

The heat time of a calorifier is likely to be determined by the heating capacity of the coils fed by the engine, Webasto etc. This will be a lot less than the 5KW of a Webasto. Mine still cycles down to the low heat setting even with a small radiator as a heat sink when feeding the calorifier as well. The low heat setting is about 2.5Kw I think, so I would be surprised if the calorifier can absorb any more than 1.5KW. The only way to get it to heat more quickly is to use multiple heat sources ie both coils, or to increase the temperature in one or both coils. Richard

Another vote for two lines on the central fixing, then fairleads on both sides. This gives all options, some times it's useful to be able to pull from the centre. My lines are different lengths as well, I can swop them when it's needed. Fairleads only need 3 x M5 screws into the handrails. Richard

The green/yellow small wire on the domestic alt B+ terminal should only connect to the indicator light on the control panel via a small relay operated by the ignition switch. It does sound like this is shorted to -ve or earth/hull somewhere. There is no fuse protection on this wire. You could safely disconnect it at the alternator as a 'get you home' measure. NB it also may connect to the purple wire in the harness via the relay, which can be used for an external alternator controller, so this wire could be shorted to earth. Richard

A Three shop told me that 3GB/3mth top ups are still £15, but I can't find this on their web site. I was buying the 3GB/3mth SIMs for under £12 on eBay, so £20 is a huge increase. Richard

You need to divide your figures by the cross sectional area of the water film. As this is almost impossible to determine, I would just accept that this effect is negligible, in comparison to the self discharge rate of the battery and the lower capacity due to low temperature. Richard

We met a 60' boat having to come down some of the Ripon locks backwards. Richard

Bird cage sand from a pet shop works fine, and you only need a small quantity. Sieve it to get any large bits out. Fine for gunwales but a bit coarse for the roof, so I used the plastic granules from Rapid Paint, Birmingham on the roof. Richard

As we came up the flight today, at about 17.00 there were two boats in the long pound, and we moored with another boat at the top within about 150 yds of the museum. At the bottom at about 15.00 all the 14 day mooring was full, the 48hr was empty. Richard For about 2 miles south of SB the nearside vegetation has indeed been well cut back, but the offside remains well overgrown in places.

We're off there in a couple of weeks, good to hear it's worth doing. Richard

I did this with no problems with a 50' shell. It's so much easier to do everything if you have a workshop and storage next to the boat, and allowed me to complete in about 5 months. Richard

If you fit a second fixed plug (NOT a socket), you MUST have some arrangement to stop each one becoming live when the other is in use, as anyone opening the flap would find live pins. A selector switch or internal plug and two sockets would suffice. The limiting factor on cable length electrically is volt drop. Physically cable generally comes in 100m drums. It's not a good idea though to have cable draped all over the place from a safety point of view. Richard

The safety issue with batteries is the production of hydrogen. This will make an explosive mixture with air. The hydrogen is lighter than air so will rise to the top of any compartment, so ventilation needs to be above the batteries. Richard

Usually you need to get the caps out then there is a screw underneath. Jewellers screwdrivers may help, our a thin penknife blade. Richard

Generically it's phenolic faced ply. However, the core ply varies a lot, some of it has big voids in the ply when you cut it. If you want smallish pieces I would try for offcuts from a boatyard, who hopefully will use Hexagrip. Richard

I solved the smell problem by fitting a second vent at the opposite end of the tank to the main vent, so there is a through flow of air. We use Dometic bio sachets. Richard

That charger looks the same as one I have. It goes into 'float' when the current drops below about 5A, and the fan then stops. Also the fuseholder on mine melted as 20A is pushing it a bit for one so small! Richard

Don't forget that there are river sections where an engine failure could result in being deposited on a weir or at least the weir barrier, so you should have an anchor, chain and rope. It needs to be attached to the boat ready to deploy. Richard

Just seen this email: Visitor Moorings at Upton Upon Severn, River Severn Tuesday 14 May 2013 until further notice Dear Boaters, We have given our consent for the passenger boat Avon Belle to board and disembark passengers from the visitor mooring at Upton this season. Newly introduced restrictions on coaches passing through the town mean that the operators can no longer take coach parties at their home mooring downstream of the town centre. The designated coach park is right opposite the visitor mooring, so this is a very useful pick up point for parties arriving by coach. The operators will put up signs on the mooring advising when they are going to be picking up/setting down. The boat will continue to be moored downstream, below the town, when not in use. They will not use the mooring at all during the jazz and blues festivals. The marina (just downstream of the town bridge, on the opposite side of the river to the visitor mooring) offers visitor mooring should you find the moorings full at any time. This is a one year trial. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact me. Thank you very much for your co-operation. Susie Mercer, Boating Trade Manager. Tel: 01452 318012 Email: susie.mercer@canalrivertrust.org.uk This ridiculous. Presumably the trip boat will take the whole outside of the pontoons, where four narrowboats can moor if breasted up, leaving just two spaces behind them. This is the only CRT mooring on the long trip between Worcester and Tewkesbury, and very welcome for a rest, apart from Upton being a lovely place to visit. Why can't the trip boat passengers walk through the town or the company provide their own pontoon? Why are we boaters bottom of the heap again? Richard

Craft Identification Number - a number unique to your boat, like a VIN number on a car. Richard PS this post shouldn't be in this forum!

For small frames, a small brass eyelet half way down each side, projecting sideways, with a small brass screw through the 'eye' into the wall. The eyelets are often supplied with the frame for hanging from picture wire. For larger frames, a mirror plate screwed to the back of the frames half way down each side then a screw into the wall through each. Richard

The battery -ve needs to be connected to the hull. Cable size needn't be as large as the alternator connections as you are not worried about volt drop here. Needs to be big enough to carry enough current to blow the largest fuse without being damaged through heat. I used 16mm sq. Richard Edit to add: All 12v hull connections should be to one bolt. All 240v hull connections should be to one bolt located adjacent to the 12V one.

There is no point electrically in doing anything but connecting B- to the battery -ve. Any other option WILL introduce extra connections, and increase volt drop. 35mm sq should be OK on an M6 stud. Cable tie it close to the alternator so flexing takes place away from the connection. Richard

The question is: Is the B- actually connected to the frame of the alternator? Many alternators are, some are not. You need to know this. Check with a multimeter. If it is connected to the frame, there will be a -ve connection via the alternator frame, engine metalwork, starter motor, starter battery -ve, starter battery boat hull earth cable, domestic battery earth cable to the domestic -ve. This is not a low volt drop connection! Hence my suggestion of a second direct path via a direct cable alternator B- to domestic battery -ve. If the alternator B- isn't connected to the alternator frame, the B- to domestic -ve cable will have to take all the alternator current, and should be the same size as the +ve. Hope this makes sense, Richard