El Perro Negro
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Posts posted by El Perro Negro
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My month old adventures into the world of narrowboats and continuous cruising has been temporarily put on hold as I have had to enter in to a marina for a couple of months. (Health issue) Now I have shore power available and not just my engine, my query is regarding this CTEC multi X's 7000 gizmo. Boat electrics, and my knowledge are basic, no dials, meters etc. Only 2 x 240v sockets. Will this CTEC 7000 plugged in to it's seperate socket keep the leisure and starter batteries topped up? Can you leave it plugged in all the time, as it indicates on some websites I've been looking at?
I've just switched it on and is now showing 2 amber lights one is, 14.4 volts and the other, battery 3/4 full. I am assuming it is 'hard wired' into the batteries somehow as I hadn't been able to trace the wires yet. The previous owner had the boat in a marina 24/7. Any advice from you knowledgeable guys and gals would put my mind to rest. Thanks
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Well guys and gals of the forum. Pleased to say that after being on my knees for an hour, fiddling, brogeling and cleaning, we have a result. Ice is being made as we speak. I just pulled the fridge out of its "socket" as some kind soul had thought of long enough leads/pipes. Took the burner unit off, disposed of an egg cup,'s with of rusty powder, took the jet out, cleaned and pricked that and reassembled...As someone said it ain't getting hot enough to get cold !!!? Years worth of crud gone now.
Sorry if I hijacked the original posters "not lighting thread" but think the problem has the same solution.
Thanks to all
Aj
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39 minutes ago, Bee said:
I find most things work better after a good seeing to with a slipper or even a cane, the little whippy ones are best. Must go before I start getting carried away.....
Sounds like my methodology......,?
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Thanks all for your replies. Flame is a nice blue colour and the whirligig is in place , wondered what that was ! Looks like I need to try and get the jet out and cleaned. First find the gas 'off' switch me thinks.
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I have a similar problem with an old Electrolux 3 way fridge. The gas burner lights ok and stays lit but the freezing unit never gets cold, even tried running it for 24 hours but nothing. Freezes ok on 12v. Any ideas?
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What !!!!! no bidet on a boat...S'pose will have to convert the 'pump out' then....
Only kidding...sorry
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I think I'm a bit of a traditionalist in my choice of construction, my head is saying that a canal boat is a steel go practically anywhere type of boat and a GRP is a river/coastal/Norfolk broads/leisure type of boat. However I am open to various ideas and will do some research on-line and see what's what. My idea would be to try and explore as much of the system as possible and having to restrict were I can go because of width or length doesn't sit well, but hey at this stage I'm not discounting anything....Thanks people
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That amount (excluding the extra 3K) is not much below the state pension. You cook so you know that it is perfectly possible to eat well for very little providing you prepare and cook for yourself and not use convenience foods, lets say £1.2K. A bottle of wine gives 3 large glasses, so a bottle of a drinkable cheap red a week is say £300 a year. So eating and drinking comes to £1500 . As you say license and insurance will absorb another £1K . Heating is a bit of an imponderable as it depends on so many things but £1K should about cover. Pets can be expensive (and insurance essential) but I have no figures on that so will ignore. Maintenance, fuel etc is another hard one to judge but the totals still come out as practicable even if you allow £1.5K.
All this assumes no disasters.....but that is what a contingency fund is for
Hi John..I hope to avoid disasters but sh*1* t does happen, and I haven't figured that bit out yet... also and luckily I managed to leave the convenience food back UK side when I left, all home cooked peasant/camposino food here. Drinkable cheap wine could be a challenge, good local red wine is only 2 Euros a bottle. The pet insurance I will definitely have to look into. ....Thanks for your thoughts, most valuable.
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How much do your dogs cost you to keep per month, and have you also factored in costs like flea and worming treatments and annual check ups and boosters into this as well as just their food?
Also, if you will not have disposable income or back-up funds, insurance for your dogs for any potential future veterinary costs is likely to be an additional expense you should budget for and that will be an essential unless you can cover potentially costly unforseen veterinary care for all three dogs if needed.
There are four things that, in my opinion, you should never scrimp on, even if you're living on ramen noodles and baked beans:
Good coffee.
Nice toilet paper.
Adequate dental care.
Appropriate pet insurance.
Well over here in Spain, my 2 dogs costs me 8 Euros a month in food (£6 uk) I bulk buy a good quality 15 kilo bag. Their flea collars costs 50 Euros (£37) a year, £3 a month and worming cost per month works out at £6 a month....so £15 a month would be the total equivalent in Uk costs of what I pay over here. Annual check ups and boosters I deem to be a bit over the top. No doubt (and from past experience) the veterinary fees and products in the UK are more expensive, I'm sure you are aware of that.... but I will still have access to the Spanish products I use over here.
Good Coffee, thats one thing I will miss from Spain.... you cant get good coffee in the UK...ask any expat that back in the UK.
Toilet paper....dont use it...soap, water and a bidet does fine for me over here
Dental care....brush twice a day and if it hurts....hoick it out
Pet Insurance....That I will have to consider, for 2 dogs not 3....
Happy days
If you MUST have a steel boat then fine! But if you can use a GRP cruiser your purchase price will be much less.
Question does a plast...GRP boat go through all the locks in the system??, i honestly dont know.
£440 a month is about £100 a month more than a single person would get in Jobseekers Allowance so in those terms I suppose a person could survive on it if they were happy to live frugally. If you aren't paying for a mooring then I'd say £3,300 a year would be more than enough to cover the cost of running the boat.
Personally, I reckon I could do it on your figures.
Frugal is a good word Mr Southern Star... I think I can do frugal...Thanks
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I think it's do able, if you are the right type of person, which it sounds as if you could well be. Forget the winter mooring. Winter cruising can be the best time. Choice of mooring spots, and, in most places you can choose the best day to cruise with a 14 day option. Forage...treat yourself to the book "food for free". It's fun, satisfying, and above all, free! Cook on your woodburner in the winter. If you can get solar to start with, do. Shop in aldi when you can, or end of the day on local markets where possible. Internet, costs vary depending what you need, but EE do 15 g for £20 a month. Try to find a boat with 12v well set up, sockets and fridge etc, it will lessen the charging requirements if you're not inverter reliant. Put some of your boat buying money by for a survey before purchase. Diesel varies depending where you are from around 65p Pl to £1.20, that I know of. Gas around £26. Water points on the system are free. Get a cassette loo to save on pump out costs. Insure your dog's to avoid unexpected vets bills.
If you want it you can do it! We have lived on a shoestring the past year, but it's been a good year!
Ally....sounds as though you've got my type of life style sussed... and thanks for the costings all seems to be pointing to a 'do-able' project.
As you're 62, you shouldn't be paying for these.
I, also managed on a similar amount last year. Completely doable.
Good luck!
Essbee...thanks for the heads up on the prescription costs...UK 1 Spain 0...its 65 over here at the moment.
Sounds perfectly doable to me with that buffer in place. £440 sounds like a very low income, but it's probably not exceptionally low as an income after tax, NI and housing costs, which is the right comparison (as anything analogous to 'housing costs', e.g. licence and winter mooring, is included in that buffer). I hope to be leading a similarly frugal-but-happy lifestyle myself in a few years' time!
magictime...good luck for your future adventure and thanks for thoughts.
Ally
Could you please tell me the name of the author of the book " food for free"
spannerman.... got there first, its Food for Free by Richard Mabey, I had the book when I was living in Cornwall, all those years ago. I have to content myself here in Spain to scrumping apricots, peaches, broccoli and lettuces and the odd bag of snails to go in the paella..a local dish, sorry to the vegies amongst you.
and thanks to everyone else who I haven't replied to... Thanks for your input, certainly is helpful...
Sshhh! I didn't tell him about the money sapping amount of donuts one has to have.
Do Tescos still do the jumbo bag of donuts ???
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Hi Ajna, have replied to your PM but here is an idea of how the house is.
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Stayed in a marina for two nights....once and never again.
So close to the boat moored on the next pontoon that not only could you hear them change their tv station
you could hear them change their minds.
Rob....
Good one Rob, although I've never been there yet, it sounds horrendous. My place here in Spain has 1 meter thick stone walls so the only things I hear at night are the dogs.....breathing....like minds hey...must be somat to do wif the dog profile pics.....Be good, Tony
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personally i wouldn't go for winter moorings it will eat into your budget , stay on the towpath and forage wood for the fire, there's plenty about if you look for it and saves on buying coal.
all of which he mentioned
Thanks GoodGurl it would be my plan to do exactly what you describe. A think a marina environment is not really my 'thing'
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I manage on little more than your sort of budget and don't consider it too frugal.. I don't pay for a winter mooring just move more slowly and make sure I'm near a sanitary station and source of supplies when bad weather beckons. I also smoke, drink a little bit more than the odd pint (don't laugh those who know me) and run a camper van. And I'm older than you, also looking forward to the extravagances afford by the state pension in a little while.
Thanks Doc, your reply is very comforting to know. Earlier I was contemplating leaving this new adventure till I reached state pension age and more income, but the time is right for me now. Cheers
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P.S.
Don't know if you can help me with the following so that I can do my spreadsheet again. I know prices can vary greatly depending on the area and outlet and type, etc, but what are the average costs now for 1, standard gas refill 2, Smokeless coal 3, diesel (propulsion)
Thanks in advance
Tony
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Can you clarify what the £440 will/will not need to cover? Is your 10k buffer an annual figure and one that is assigned to any boat-based expenses, with the $440 being purely for your own cost of living, or something else?
There are lots of variables here, and as Starcoaster says it's a bit unclear what the £440pm is intended to cover. But with a bit of planning and determination and frugal living my guess is it should be possible. It's going to help if you're fit, and have a range of skills to do things for yourself, particularly to do as much as you can of your boat maintenance.
If you mean that your pension coming in three years' time is additional to the £440pm, I think that once you've got that far things will then get easier for you. Before then you could consider trying to find some other small income, as the first few thousand would be tax free until you've used up your annual allowance.
Hi there both, The £440 pm has to cover all living expenses for me and 2 dogs for 3 years until my State pension kicks in, then I should double my monthly income. That would be for:- food, gas, coal/logs, diesel, water (?), internet/phone, clothes, medical prescriptions and the odd pint in a pub !! I am hoping that the £10k start up buffer will cover all the annual costs of the boat for the 3 years (about £3,300 a year) until my pension kicks in. i.e. licence, insurance, safety cert. (if necessary) and the odd mooring fees. I did do a detailed costing about 3 years ago, when the project first materialised and then it was manageable, but lost all my data and laptop in a thunderstorm !!! (Spanish electrics...Hmmm) Just to add that I am pretty handy with basic mechanical things, electric, water, woodwork etc having renovated my house over here, but diesel engines in depth could be a big learning curve. Am also a lot fitter and healthier than before, there is no other way to go after a heart problem and have had the all clear for well over a year now.
Hope that clarifies things a bit, and thanks for your replies.
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Perhaps allocate less on the boat and increase the buffer a bit. For sure some solar will cut down your outgoings thru summer.
Just as cold in a marina. Towpath is cheap just needing some common sense before and thru winter.
Thanks for your reply. Was planning on getting as newer boat as possible to hopefully avoid expensive repairs, hence only my £10k buffer, but a suppose its in the hands of the 'pre-verbal' man above !!, Thanks
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Of course it is possible. Whether it is comfortable, only you can answer that.
Personally, and I am similar vintage to you, I wouldn't contemplate living on a boat in the UK without going into a marina for the winter months. That could be a significant expense based on your current budget.
Well luckily I'm not a creature comforts sort of guy, but am hoping that a damn good multi-fuel stove and well chosen winter mooring sites might get me through the worst. What sort of monies would you set aside for a 50' boat in a marina for a winter period?
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Welcome back Mr. Black Dog!
It wouldn't be feasible for me, but as you imply, different people have different expenditure and requirements. I think my reply would be "Yes, until something unexpected comes up" - which it surely will! But your "buffer" may be adequate to cover such events, at least until your pension starts to arrive.
Thanks Athy, its the 'unexpected' that worries me. Having to go 3 years without any major problems, is a problem itself....
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Hi there people. It has been a while since I posted on here due to some health problems, but am now, once again, fighting fit and contemplating buying a narrowboat. I am currently living in Spain and my house is on the market again, etc etc...My question is, would it be feasible to 'survive' on a monthly income of £ 440 back in the UK?. I know its a sort of 'elastic' sort of question and am sure there are many people with a wide range of incomes who are already 'living the life' and it would be good to get some input from you guys and gals. I can allocate £35k for the boat and it will be bought outright, with survey etc., I will also be planning on having a £10k buffer for the annual stuff, Licence, insurance, safety cert. and possible winter moorings, although I do plan to Continuous Cruise for as long as possible. I am 62 years old and within 3 years will have my UK single person pension to add to the pot, so to speak. I don't drink or smoke and have few expensive excesses in life apart from my 2 dogs, a very simple life in fact. (10 years of living through the Spanish crises has helped prune down the excesses). Your comments will be most welcomed, thanks.
P.S House for sale in Inland Spain....anyone ? !!
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I spotted over 2800 guests last night.
Forum's playing up again
p1
Thats cos people are giving up signing in...I had 5 attempts to get 'signed in'....Bring back the old server
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POSSIBLE VIRUS ? MALWARE
Just a bit of a warning guys...I clicked on the above link and luckily my antivirus blocked the ebay site as having a suspicious file this was the response
avast! saved your computer from crashing
You just dodged a bullet
You may be wondering how you ended up with a virus, especially if you were visiting a 'normal' site. The latest research from the avast! Virus Lab shows that more than 80% of malware (viruses, spyware, and the like) spreads through legitimate websites, with only 1% coming from suspicious or 'dodgy' sites.
Good thing avast! had your back.
Infection Details
URL:http://www.mosexpo-batteries.com/images/... Process:C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox... Infection:HTML:Iframe-inf
Mind how you go...
Tony
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Thank you all once again, from all your replies it looks as though I should have no problems with keeping myself topped up with drugs.
and the prepay card will help too. I thought you had to be over 65 to get free prescriptions...but hey ho you learn something every day, suppose thats what comes of being out of touch and living in Spain for 12 years.
Tony
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If I can answer this as a pharmacist. I would agree with Bruceinsanity ... if you can get your GP to post the prescription to the Pharmacy of your choice that is the easiest and mosts GPs will do this if you send an SAE with your repeat request. Faxes are a bit tricky as the pharmacist must be sure he/she will get the actual hard copy of the prescription within 72 hours and this is sometimes a bit tricky with a patient from a long way away with a doctor who also is not local.
Give the pharmacy you have chosen a ring a few days before the prescription arrives then at least they know what is going on when it gets there.
I hope your plan works out and the sale of your house goes through soon!
NickF
You can get a three month pre-payment as well .... may be a better idea if the sixtieth birthday is not too far away!
NickF
Thanks NickF. Direct from the ' pharmacists ' mouth so to speak, much appreciated. Now I just have to figure out if the sale proceeds will be enough to buy a nice boat that needs absolutely nothing doing to it for 5 years ! ! !
I use boot's service for my long term prescriptions you can change which one of there chemists to pick up from, My doctors give me two monthly prescriptions.
Thanks davidc another good bit of information to put in my ' sorted ' folder.. Tony
Ctec battery charger
in Boat Equipment
Posted
Thanks to all replies. Seems it's a good bit of kit but....After leaving it on all night it's still showing the same lights. After exploring the 'mode' button it seems to cycle round.
1, standby no battery symbol.
2, 14.4v it seems to check state and flips to 3/4 battery symbol.
3, 14.7v again checks status and settles on 3/4 battery symbol.
4, 13.6v(supply) and the battery full symbol.
5, 16v(boost) and the batter full/boost light.
On the instruction download I can't seem to find anything about the 'mode' button and what ' mode' to leave it on. Any advice would soon be welcome. Thanks