musicman

Now this is how this forum works best! Thank you for all the comments - and for not taking it off topic. I shall explore fitting a gulper as soon as the money allows Phil

George - the holding tank is quite small so it overflows if the pump does not kick in. From memory, I would say its a box measuring 8 inches by ten inches and maybe six inches deep. Not sure what that means in terms of capacity, but you will appreciate that it cannot hold a "shower full" of water - so the rest just runs over the brim into the bilge. I reckon I filled about two bucketsfull with my trusty sponge and a lot of patience.

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll take a look at the Whale Gulper this weekend.

It was ages ago when our boat had one of these small holding tanks with a bilge style pump and a float switch installed to remove the waste water from the shower tray. It has been problematic ever since!! On this holiday, the waste water was dumped into the bilge and had to be bailed by hand - all because the float switch is unreliable and the tank is not sealed. Whilst I am always listening to hear whether the pump is whirring when I am in the shower, I cannot rely on others to do the same!! I have an over-ride switch installed, so providing the plug in the shower tray is in, I can still use the pump - but this arrangement is so very irritating. I think the time has come to install something better - so I am interested to know what you guys recommend before I make my purchase. Thanks Phil

I'd worry about any starter cable being described as a "lead". What size is this cable? Is it the same size as the one on the positive terminal of the starter battery - if so, then I agree with everything above. If not - I'd want to know a bit more about the boats circuits before jumping to a conclusion that it is part of the starter motor circuit.

There should be a rule on here - when everything gets too technical, then someone should "interpret" the post using similar terminology to tomatoes and kittens. This was an inspiration to read - informative and yet amusing - I laughed out loud when objections were raised about the exploding kitten, but, hey - what an image to hold in your mind!!! Excellent . . . more like this thread please

In theory, the "pump" is a circulating device and it matters not where it is situated. In a sealed system, it merely provides a constant pressure to enable the liquid to flow around the system. However, most domestic central heating circulators are situated close to the heat source - sometimes on the "return" and sometimes on the "feed" side. I guess it is for convenience more than anything.

You will need to trace your pipes from the pump to find out where it goes. While about it, give any jubilee type clips a tweek just in case the air is getting in at a joint. Also do a visual check to see if there is any sign of a leak, however small. If you have a calorifer in the circuit, then check to see what pressure it's set to. If you only switch on one tap at a time, noise can be generated by trapped air at another tap - so you need to open all taps simultaneously and then, when the water is running clear and fast, switch each off in turn. This will purge your system of any air. Then watch closely to see if the noise returns - and if so, start thinking about where it's getting into the system. Good luck!

Often the noise in pipework is caused by air - have you bled the system recently?

We elected to marinise and install a BMC 1.8 when we built our boat in 1997. It has given years of trouble-free service, is what i call a "basic" engine which an amateur like me can service and maintain with a minimum of fuss. I'd probably even make the decision just the same if we were building a new boat today.

So good to hear how well it went for you. We started out in 2005 but two things happened - we were trying to do it clockwise and we broke down losing three days cruising. So, your post has whetted my appetite to try again some time when we are next in the midlands. Thanks!

This is just the kind of story that we need on this forum - full of optimism and hope! Well done Mick, friends and Ripon Marina. Let's have more good news - well it beats the saturation of the Olympic coverage!

Not to mention that at Keadby, there is often a moored ship unloading. What a surprise the current is running between the wharf and a ship - just when everything was lined up, your nose gets a kick from the left!!

You will never be able to run straight in at West Stockwith because of the bend in the river and the current, far better to turn the bend, turn the boat 180 degrees and then push in to the lock. There is a small landing stage to the left of the date if you need it.

Just walked across the lock this afternoon - very quiet in the sunshine. Just a short length of red and white tape. Maybe all hell will break loose in the morning . . .

Generally speaking, the isolation valves are not valves these days - they are the quarter turn isolating type. No reason at all why you could not put another pump in series with the 240v circulator, so long as you leave the isolators in the open position. Similarly, with the 12v pump. You simply decide which pump to use and control that with the power switch.

Another vote for Torksey - turning into Stockwith downstream can be a real challenge. BTW - I've done this stretch loads of times with just a mobile phone - there are some black spots, but, never had an issue contacting the lock keepers at Torksey, Stockwith and Keadby. Philip

Last summer, we did Keadby to West Stockwith in a couple of hours. Had a great holiday on the Chesterfield Canal. For me, the most tedious stretch is the canal from Thorne to Keadby - talk about hard work!! Loads of very stiff manual swing bridges, which when you are single handed, is a real test.

We moved "up north" about ten years ago for work reasons. We took the boat up the Trent to Keadby and found moorings on the Stainforth and Keadby canal. It's a great place to be - generally less congested than the midlands, but some fabulous pennine scenery to enjoy.

Just for a few seconds I read "Seven foot drivers" and thought the men had to be 84 inches tall to qualify . . . . silly me!

When we visit Wakefield, we tend to use Stanley Ferry rather than the town. Buses run every half hour. Mind you, we are approaching from Castleford which is a factor.

Saw this story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-15125759 The guy was changing his battery when it exploded - got me thinking "How did that happen"?

Congratulations - hope the survey is good and that you can realise that dream