[Morco D61e]

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[The things I've learnt...]

Hi Liam,

 

Yes we do have an access hatch on the deck. But the water collecting in the "sides of the triangle" (sorry!) are much further in, quite far away from the weed hatch, the base of the triangle sides being up against where the back bedroom begins. If water was coming through the deck hatch or out of a badly sealed weed hatch I would expect other areas en route to also be wet, such as the engine itself, exhaust lagging or top of skin tank. All are dry.

 

But I will certainly check this out and post a photo for clarity as I appreciate my triangle descriptions may be testing your patience !!!

 

 

Just to be clear, it might not be an actual damaged calorifier, (aka "hot water tank"), that leaks. They have a pressure relief valve ("PRV") too, and these can weep. If you are lucky they are designed to put any leaked water overboard, but some do discharge into various bits of bilge.

 

Also if this is the part of the shell where the skin tank is (the part that the cooling hoses from the engine connect to), then leakage where the hoses join the skin tank is not that uncommon. If you find yourself having to top up the engines closed circuit for cooling water, that could just be where it is ending up....

 

Thanks Alan, great advice, the skin tank hose bit is making sense to me...roll on the weekend so I can have a look.

 

PS. we dont have a calorifier.

[The things I've learnt...]

I wont. Thank-you!

[water in the engine bay bilge]

 

1) You have shown what is in the area under the stern tube, (and I also can't imagine why the coupling seems to be totally buried in grease :wacko: ).

 

2) You have shown what goes on in the "triangular bit" to the left of the engine looking forward.

 

3) You have not shown what is going on in the equivalent "triangular bit" to the right of the engine, (i.e. under the walkway forwards).

 

Do you know ? If it is a typical Heywood shell, all those are separately contained areas, so any can fill with water independent of another, and that bilge pump will only drain the very small area under the prop-shaft bearing.

 

If water is finding it's way onto the "uxter plate" on the right hand side, (and from the poor state of the uxter at the back that looks likely), it can travel forward under any lining that is sitting on top of the uxter. It can go a long way, and do damage to linings several feet forward, (but please don't ask me how I know this!....)

 

Triangle sides! I'm struggling to work out why both sides of my triangle, also independent of the main triangle under the prop shaft area, are filled with canal water. No bilge pumps there.

 

My link about bilge water and triangle sides

 

On the off chance, Alan, ours is a 1991 Heritage Boat Builders, trad stern, similar layout to Mike H boats perhaps? Any more advice about leaking uxter plates?

 

Sorry to briefly hijack your post Alex&Derek. BTW, we bought literally the first boat we saw just because we loved it immediately. Bit nuts perhaps, because only afterwards did I find this forum! Good luck.

[solar panels for beginners...]

Do you reckon this would be any good for keeping the starter battery topped up for us weekend boaters with no access to power?

 

Very small solar panel

[The things I've learnt...]

I'll check it out further as you suggest. Thanks again to you all.

[The things I've learnt...]

Thanks for your suggestions so far.

 

It's a trad stern so the removable stairs to access the engine bay area are inside. Boat very rain-proof from above.

 

I'm good at remembering to turn the greaser! Could be the packing, but still a mystery as to how water gets into what seems to be totally seperate areas of the bilge (sides of the triangle).

 

I'll take a photo on next visit.

 

Thanks all,

Lucy.

[The things I've learnt...]

Good evening all,

 

We bought a trad stern 1991 Heritage Boat Builders NB with a Beta 1205 in July. We have had 2 boats before, a 1960's wooden top cruiser with a Lister and then a 26' Springer with a Honda outboard, but I was a child back then and so working out this boat has been left to me. (Well it was my idea). So I have been saturating my mind with all things narrowboat. Boat this, boat that, everyone's sick of it. But I have loved every minute. And wow - the things I've learnt...the mind is literally boggling with engines, pumps, greasing, painting, winterizing (fingers crossed!), but not batteries...crikey. That's advanced stuff. CWDF has been a truly invaluable source of information so thanks to all so far.

 

I have a question about bilges.

 

If you are looking at the engine bay the engine sits inside a steel triangle area. But on either side of the triangle, between the steel triangle shape and the hull sides, there is the same mucky canal water. We hoovered it out in the summer but it's come back. These areas are seperate from main engine triangle area so a dripping stern gland wouldn't make sense. They are also seperate from underneath the rest of the boat. This area is under the stairs inside so can't see how it would be rainwater. I cannot work out how this water gets there.

 

Any ideas? Please don't say hole in side of boat!

 

Thanks very much,

Lucy.

[Break in]

Hello Lucy

 

Just picked up on your post. Yes it did. And the other two times.

 

How ever ,I have to add that now that the style has been got rid of from the adjacent farm near the lock I would be surprised if we have another 'attack'.

 

I guess you are new to 'FF' (took me a while to work out what that meant) Welcome. We have been there over five years are very happy with the moorings.

 

Martyn

 

I can't 'PM' you until you have posted more than 5 times, site rules for whatever reason. But once I can I would like to.

 

 

 

Martyn

 

Perhaps you could PM me if I added you as a friend? If not, well... 2 posts down and 3 to go...I'll gatecrash some conversations elsewhere on the forum and try you again later.

 

Lucy

[Break in]

We were broken into earlier this year. This was the third time and the sod got in this time by breaking a window on the front bulkhead.

 

We have secured all the other options.

 

Dammed nuisance.

 

Martyn

 

Hi Martyn, did this happen at FF? (We are new FF residents, I've seen your boat there).

 

Lucy