Paul C

Its going to be a better quality connection - let's assume your decent mobile signal is 100Mbps, a wifi5 connection has a bandwidth of approx 1Gbps or greater.

Ethernet won't make any difference at all. The mobile 4G/5G connection will have less bandwidth and more latency than the Wi-Fi connection, so the wifi won't be a bottleneck.

If anything, online is more protected than bricks & mortar, because you have the 14-day "don't want it" legislation. Its there because you can't physically see the item........but you don't get 14 days to try it out in a shop. Paypal is a third party payment gateway which is why credit card protection doesn't apply - Paypal's processes apply instead. If you use a credit card on Amazon (or eBay directly now) you will enjoy the same protection as any other retail purchase.

I think that approach is severely limiting. My approach is to read the listings carefully, take advantage of the 14-day right to return as required by consumer law, and use a bit of common sense (if its too good to be true, it normally is). I appreciate we're talking about unbranded - or unrecognisable short-lived brands - Chinese stuff here. If it were a branded/boxed item (for example, a pair of speakers) then Google shopping on price is normally safe enough since they should be boxed and sealed. Of course, there's fakes out there, but that's a whole another topic....... PS don't really read or use feedback/reviews unless there's none at all (bad sign) or many horror stories. Reviews can be bought and eBay feedback is superficial.

We could end up with the equivalent of "Parliament Trains" where eg Rochdale and HNC are theoretically kept navigable, but pragmatically the money isn't really spent on them and they are closed for much of the year. We are not far off that scenario now, not long to go.

So what's your recommendation for buying online, if not using Amazon or eBay?

No need to ban ducks and swans. Geese on the other hand.........just keep a breeding pair in a zoo and that's enough, right?

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.