canallover

Can someone explain what the types of oil are....if one oil type has the number 20 to start with, compared with a different oil which starts with 40. Is one thicker than the other? I suspect I am using the wrong oil and it gets too thin when the engine gets hot which is causing some issues with the oil pressure. Thank you for any info on this.

Anyone able to tell me how far £80 diesel should take me....either in miles, or in running hours? Just looking for an estimate, as I have no idea, being a complete newbie.

Thanks for your comments, however the wiring up of an invertor is not that difficult. It clearly shows how to connect it to the batteries, which I have already done. All I am querying is whether the invertor earth can be connected to the chassis of the boat, such as an engine mounting? My understanding is that when a shoreline is connected, the boat hull is earthed. Is the boat hull the correct place to earth an invertor?

I just bought a 2500Watt modified sine wave invertor - 12V to 240V. It has double connections for neg/pos so it connects to 2 batteries, not just one. It also has a butterfly screw for adding an earth wire, which is suggests should be connected. I've looked for somewhere to connect that (boat chassis), but there's no obvious place to do so. Any suggestions? Shall I just leave the earth off ? Can I earth it on an engine mount bolt?

You can use some rough grain sand or bird seed added into the paint for a rough effect.

Does BW have a central phone number which covers all areas, no matter where you are...or do you have to know the local BW number of the area you're in? Is there a guide to the types of things you can/should call BW for, and what you shouldnt? Thanks for your advice.

I dont know. What?

This will help you plan timings. Planner You can moor on the towpath for 14days, unless it has a sign saying it's 24hrs, 48hrs, 7 days etc. (near centre of towns). Yes it needs a licence while on the water, if on british Waterways water. You pay more for shorter licences overall, and cheapest is 1yr paid via debit card.

Although my boat has some 12V flourescents, I decided to rather add an 11watt (energy saving) 220V light in the lounge, kitchen and bedroom. I also added a 2.8Watt LED 220V light in the same 3 rooms. Plan to run them all through an inverter. Have I made a mistake, or would you say it's acceptable to do it this way now if light wattages have dropped drastically? I find the 11Watts are bright enough to light the whole room, and the 2.8Watts are bright enough to light up a desk area. I'm still on a marina mooring (220Volt hookup) but will change to invertor when crusing. It also means that when moored for winter in a marina, I can change the bulbs easily to larger ones if I want (bayonet on the 11Watt and GU10 on the 2.8Watt). I know this doesnt seem to be the "way it's done" but if I'm happy with the light levels, the wattages seem quite low..and shouldnt chew the batteries. Am I right?

I shouldnt of said locked...more like..."staff only" sign on the one side:) Sorry...only thinking of starting something like this in 2012. When's the Olympics..

Thanks very much. I clicked on the pdf showing pricing, and they give 4 options: 30day explorer 1month 1 week 1 day Does this mean that you have to apply for a licence each time you plan a trip? ...and if you want to hire your boat out for 5 days for example..would you have to pay for 5 1 day licenses perhaps. If anyone could shed more light on how it works, I'd appreciate it. I dont plan on doing this soon, but it's always good to know how you can earn extra money on the canals.

anyone know the cost of a leisure business license. The BW site doesnt seem to show any pricing. Licenses

I have had a thought of hiring out myself, and my boat as a kind of boat chauffeur where for 2 weeks I live in the back cabin, with a small cooler box, kettle etc, and a camping shower arrangement.. looking after the engine room..which then has a locked door seperating the front section of the boat..where guests could get on with boat life in style...lounge, kitchen, double bed, bathroom, front cratch table/chairs viewpoint. They would be responsible for cooking their own meals, while I would take care of water refills, toilet emptying. I would teach them to steer the boat, and I would do the locks. I'd stay out the way when not wanted/needed. I thought this type of thing might suit elderly, or holidayers who want to experience the canals but aren't keen on messing with checking oil etc. My questions would be....: 1. is this legal..or would I have to get a specific permit/licence from BW. 2. Would people need special insurance or not. The way I see it...they are just guests on the boat...for 2weeks ...isnt that the same as having friends come aboard for a bit?

Is it true that many people through the winter flushed their toilet with canal water. Does this damage the toilet?

evening. If I have fully charged batteries...the voltage across them is apparently about 14V. (please correct me). If I have 3 batteries, totalling 330AmpHours, then it's 50% usage level would be 165Amps. If I switch on appliances ...using up 100Amps...is there a way to measure the batteries and know by the new voltage level that I have approx 65AmpHours left. I guess what I am asking is.....is there a voltage which indicates 100% battery charge and a another voltage which would indicate "time to recharge". I suspect I am asking something which isnt quite cut and dry to answer? I suppose it would be helpful to wake up in the morning, measure the battery voltage and then know (by some sort of scale chart) that I have X amount of AmpHours left before needing to start recruising/running alternator etc. ?

It seems Midlands Chandlers sell water pumps...which are rated at about 30psi (11 litres per min) ... 30psi is 2Bar. So I have a scale to reference now thanks Of course I'm sure that if the water pumps are made very small, pressure would go higher, and bigger pipes would drop pressure I guess.

Evening. My Morco gas water heater needs a minimum input water pressure of 1Bar and no more than 10Bar. When I look at water pumps, I see they have tech details like ....gallons per minute. So my brain is trying to work out....if I use half inch piping.....and I need to have a water pressure of ...erm...lets say about 7Bar......what gallons per minute should my water pump be spec-ed at. Need the clever people on here to work this one out. I'm not clever. thanks.

thanks...that makes sense.