Paul C

e.coli

Even in the small quantities that ducks, swans and fish produce?

If the shoreline came out then it was too tight or the ropes were too slack. Shoreline shouldn’t be used as a mooring line (thought that would be obvious, but……)

I would say a multimeter can only go so far and doesn't give a full enough picture. It’s better than nothing (or those cheap 12v socket ones) though.

The issue isn’t your inverter or lights usage while up in the evening, but what’s happening behind the scenes eg current draw thru the night. This is why I suggested an amp hour counter - so you’d at least be able to quantify what’s going on during the night. There’s 3 possible options: 1. The fridge is drawing a lot of energy 2. There is some kind of as yet undiscovered current drain 3. The batteries are knackered and their capacity is actually a tiny fraction of that suggested by their label 1 can be determined by turning fridge off one night 2 would need troubleshooting, eg observing the current draw and going through each fuse or circuit breaker in turn to find the culprit (and other possible current draws eg faulty alternator) 3 would explain it but would also need further investigation to find out why

Smartgauge or an amp-hour counting battery monitor would be a good investment. But be sure to read the manual to understand their limitations

Ok no probs, a few more modern cars do this. Can the police use it to secure a speeding conviction?

I would have honestly never considered incorrect assembly (of the head to the block) as a cause. But its good to at least double-check the assembly so you can eliminate it from the enquiries. What did the head gasket look like? Evidence of being blown, or combustion past the cylinders on it?

I would fully expect it would reduce the number and size of some threads. But eliminate the forum? There's still plenty of topic areas where opinions trump facts.

This is why I suggested a Wiki some time ago. The idea being, instead of a free-for-all debate/discussion/argument on technical and other matters, it was a chance for those with the relevant skills and experience to write and publish, once, a succinct article on a topic of interest. A Wiki isn't a one-way street but there would be a process of allowing editors etc to contribute over time. Surprisingly, it was rejected, I think mainly because some enjoyed the debate/discussion/argument aspects rather than the spreading of knowledge. It would complement, not replace, the forum.

No worries, I guess its a question of degree. I first looked into coastal boating but it seemed boring and expensive compared to canal boating (maybe it isn't?) I respect that others have a very different interpretation of their happy pace on canals. Personally, with working full time, I only get 4 weeks/year off so my holiday time is spent cruising a lot, to get maximum "value for money". But if I were retired and on the canals, I'd definitely slow down.

Genuine question - why are you on the canals then? I find the attraction of the canals IS that you move along serenely, with constantly changing surroundings, close to nature at times and being able to see "the other side" of urban/industrial areas not possible from a car. All at a slow enough pace to take it in (unlike eg caravanning). A succinct way of putting it might be, its the journey not the destination.

Since there's so much variance on what CCers and other boaters do, in terms of locks/miles, I don't think its possible to say the above is right or wrong. Its like saying a car/driver which doesn't do average mileage per year is right or wrong. Alan has used the "source" of his info as his own personal experience, which can only relate to one person/boat. He didn't take into account other use types.

I agree, CCers probably don't use the "network" more - as in cover more lock/miles. But they use the canals and rivers more if you include "use" as using a towpath mooring. And if liveaboard: toilets/Elsan disposal, water points, rubbish disposal points, etc.

If they are rated at the power (continuous), then there's no reason not to disbelieve the specification.

Are you considering spending the extra £40k or so it costs to have an electric boat vs diesel, in the "hope" that fuel prices in the near future* will rise to such an extent that you will be better off? *The timeline you've suggested is rather tricky to pin down. Firstly you said "now" - but couldn't link to a tax rise announcement, instead linking to a vague broad-reaching strategy of net zero in 2030 and inferring "the future". I'd agree - yes - at some point the two options will be cost-neutral, and at some later point in time the 'option' to remain with diesel will be more expensive and/or removed from us. But I'd also suggest we are NOT at this point NOW. If I were buying a secondhand boat now, I'd not be looking at electrics; I'd be considering a diesel. With perhaps a long-term eye on conversion at some later date. I think the capital cost of ownership has to broadly balance out the cost savings (if any), otherwise the politicians who set the rules will become unpopular and be voted out in the next cycle of whenever their election occurs.

No worries, I thought you had info that I'd missed.

In the future, yes. But today, its more expensive to go electric (or hybrid) than straight diesel power on a narrowboat, on UK canals. Do you have a link to the tax announcement recently made, relating to diesel/petrol prices?

.......Which goes back to current measurements. One of the checks I'd be doing is to check there is a positive current input to the domestic battery bank during engine running.

I was at the "no opinion" stage regarding the possible draw from a faulty alternator, until the "small" and "large" alternator distinction was clarified*. Of course, we don't know how the OP's boat is wired but if its done so the domestic and engine/start are split once the engine isn't running, then a faulty engine alternator CANNOT on its own discharge the domestic bank. * And a DC current clamp measurement, at rest, around the one and only negative** of the domestic bank, with all electrical consumers (and chargers) off, would prove this. ** What, you mean there's a snake's wedding of wires on top of the battery??

We see so many issues of narrowboats with electrical issues, where there is no battery monitoring nor an understanding of how battery/charging/electrics work, such that the early signs of a pending failure are missed and neglected batteries keep going and going until "something" happens (like the fridge stops working and the food is spoilt; or lights which used to come on, don't). The OP is not quite this territory by actually measuring voltages over time, but there's still big holes in pertinent information to properly determine what's going on. I'd not be happy to say "replace the batteries" with the OP info at this stage. Do you agree on the list of variables to gather, to make an informed decision? (Relevant current draws and battery capacity)?

Do you mean directly or indirectly? I know they extrapolate a 'capacity' - and some will ask for a CCA of the battery then express measured/interpreted capacity as a percentage. From https://cleanandgreenauto.co.uk/product/digital-battery-analyzer-12v/ "Test results include voltage, internal resistance, CCA value, and battery health percentage. Allows you to check the current level of charge in the battery as well as its health."

Reviewing the OP, nobody has (directly) asked the obvious question - how big is the battery bank (in Ah)?

How is it so different?

Errrrr, let's rewind a bit here. I suggested a pertinent thing to check would be battery capacity. MtB wanted to know of a device which can determine battery capacity, so I provided a link to a device. I didn't say its good, or bad, but it seems you didn't know of their existence until about an hour ago, then you have decided they don't work. Times have moved on from the simple coil of wire to drop-test a battery. In fact, here's 4 more of these incomprehensible devices: https://carbatterygeek.co.uk/best-car-battery-tester-uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqre1BhAqEiwA7g9QhkyRKGSCOmqdDLYbPpTMEyH0L0WDksTtw1Zga2HwgemIukTlfFrG5xoCXIkQAvD_BwE