musicman

I recommend something similar - except after the 22mm to 15mm reducer with a short length of 15mm pipe fitted, add one of those 15mm Yorkshire fittings (straight coupler). They have ribs and are more rigid than plain pipe. The ribs give your jubilee clip something to purchase when you tighten the hose around.

Small point - but have checked the dipstick to see how much oil is in the engine?

I have had a D5W in the workshop for a couple of years now and keep thinking about taking it to install on the boat. Been put off by such negative comments on this and other forums. As has been said, it can be a very expensive mistake - especially if you decide to install an additional tank for fuel and a quality timer. Nevertheless, it would be brilliant to have a simple heat source without running the engine for people like us who (for medical reasons) need to avoid the kind of smoke you get from a wood or solid fuel burning stove and the Eber seemed to offer that option. I don't mind getting the spanners out once in a while, but the kind of money some have spent to keep these things running is just crazy. Phil

If it's heat that is the problem, has anyone tried to provide the heat for a hairdryer using gas?? The only electricity you would need to use would be to ignite it and to run a fan to propel it?? Or is that too ridiculous an idea? Small jewellers gas blow pipe might be the place to start?? Philip

We use Bar Keekers Friend for the hard cleaning of brasses after the winter. Works well as it is a powder and "scours" the grime off with some water. For polishing, I use Autosol - a cream that's easy to use on a regular basis during the summer months. Finally, we picked up some oily stuff from a show a few years ago that I rub on after cleaning and it claims to keep them brighter longer!! (Can't remember is name just off the top of my head) Philip

Congratulations on the new boat - enjoyyyyyy . . . . !

Relays are commonplace these days. They allow you to run power the length of the boat to service several circuits that can be "switched" by a relay and are a reliable way of doing things and actually, could save you money in the long run as the chunky cable you need to avoid voltage drop over such a long distance need only be run once rather for each out and return. The relay, alternatively, can be energised by a much smaller (and cheaper) cable.

Contacted the coastguard by mobile phone!! No engine, no heating, no flares, no sense.

I had no problems at all through Leicester a couple of years ago - actually a very nice town and you can still get veg from the Linnaker stall on the market!! Philip

Why go that way? There is a far better alternative - go west up to Gargrave and bag yourself some stunning scenery! Philip

Go for it!! And have the satisfaction at the end that it's all your own work. Philip

Ours was drilled when on the boat. You need two helpers - one sat on the boat roof ahead and one on the bank to the side. It takes a while, but I doubt going to the hassle of removing the tiller etc and doing it on the bench would be any easier!

Hi James I would do just as we did in 1996 - buy a shell, put an engine in it, line it out over a year or so, enjoy some boating in the meantime. Some 13 years later, we have a great boat - we know all of its foibles, there are bits that we would still like to modify and improve but we have had the pleasure of boating ever since it was built and you can't put a price on that! Philip

I'm glad you got it sorted. I've had a D5W sitting in the workshop for a few years - not had the courage to install in the boat because of all the negative comments about Ebers on this site. I know this topic has been done to death before now, but, with that joke in mind about "if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have ..." is there anyone out there who thinks installing an Eber is a good idea? Philip

I've way off topic here, but (and for fun) Most Hull numbers start with 01482 !!!!! and they are all at the Premier (league) rate!! I did apologise in advance !! Philip

We had this problem a couple of years ago. Basically, we removed the entire bearing carrier unit and replaced. It entailed taking a grinder to the old unit. I got a puller made up to remove the tiller from the tapered top of the rudder stock (the easy bit), but cut the old one away because it was well stuck!. Once off, the new bearing assembly was a doddle to fit. It was quite a cheap unit (less than £20 from memory). Whole job took just a couple of hours with help from a friend. Philip

One of the advantages of having pounds between the top and bottom staircases at Foxton is that traffic can pass in the middle of the flight - in other words a boat ascending can pass a descending boat halfway. At Bingley you start the staircase and everyone (other than following boats) have to wait until you have cleared the whole flight. Philip

We were one of the three boats waiting at Woodnook Lock - but agree that it would have been helpful if more boards with consistent information was available at each lock - there was nothing at Woodnook Lock and nothing again at Castleford. Philip

Just returned from a short trip up the Calder and Hebble. Sat for a day waiting for the flood to subside on the Hebble so we could descend to Castelford from the Stanley Ferry direction. River in flood - all lock lights flashing red. Same was true at Castleford on the stretch to Ferrybridge. When is a flood a flood? All the commercial traffic was moving as normal and the river was hardly what you might call fast flowing - it was like a millpond yesterday, albeit high. So when is a flood a flood? And what has happened to all the warning boards that used to be attached on lock walls showing the green, amber, red depths? Philip

Traditionalists do this ring anti-clockwise and some say that this is quicker. I'm not sure why. Philip

Plumbed my calorifier into the plug at back of block, just as you have indicated. The other pipe I took from where the old van cab heater was connected - just by the water pump on the front of the engine. Works a treat. Philip

I've got a copy of Marine Diesel Engines by Nigel Calder. Lots of good diagrams and a trouble shooting guide. Can't remember where it came from, but it was published by Adlard Coles ISBN 0-7136-6756-7. Ask your local library to order it for you so you can take a look before you buy. Philip

We moored at Redhill for many years in the late 90's. We saw the River rise quite a bit in the winter months and was, at times, quite fast flowing. However, during the summer it was OK and felt more like a canal than a river. We would often take a trip up through Kegworth to Loughborough and never once had a problem. That said, I do think an anchor is the sort of equipment that most boats should carry - you never know when you might need one. Ours has been on board since 1997 and has never once been used, but there have been times on the Trent when I was glad I had one just in case!! Philip

We had exactly the same problem after about six/seven years - the bearing which sits on top of the diesel tank had worn out - even though I had regularly given it a squirt of grease. It was a real pain to change and we ended up cutting off the old centre from the tiller with a grinder. The new bearing has been fine and cured the problem. My guess is that the bearing was getting too wet from beneath - on high revs, water would be churned up by the prop and soak the bottom of the bearing. Poor design! Philip