AllanW

I agree - I know Chester quite well and it's no worse than many other suburban stops - and a LOT better than most! I would suggest pushing on past the Trooper to stop near Telfords Warehouse where there are a few live-aboards so it's fairly respectable and safe. and the big plus is that telfords is an excellent pub with great food, outstanding beer (have the Timothy Taylors 'Landlords') and music most nights http://www.telfordswarehouse.com/ Be sure to let us know when you're up ther and I'll buy ya a non-virtual pint or two! Allan

Interesting topic - suprising what I learn here! I looked up the effect of temperature on lead-acid battery voltage, and I agree it's not as significant as I stated (don't remember where that came from - but it must have been lodged in me grey cells for years...) However - I still don't think I can agree with Chris entirely about "voltage is temperature independent while current is not" and remain to be convinced on that one One other thing that we should mention to boat owners about their batteries is this... According to the Yuasa book, conventional lead-acid batteries discharge at a rate of 1% per day at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. That means that in a bit more than three months, your battery is dead. Faster if your boat draws some current when not in use, which some boats may do. They state that an increase of 18 degrees doubles the discharge rate, and although not stated, I assume that a decrease of 18 degrees halves it? Interesting when you consider how many boats get 'abandoned' for the winter months... Allan

Hi Malcolm Just to add to the good advice you've already had... With sealed batteries the only way to check them is by testing the electrical characteristics. A good shop/garage/marina/workshop will have a battery tester that can diagnose just about any battery problem, but with a digital multimeter, you can duplicate most of these tests. When you take battery voltage readings, you should be aware that the readings will vary slightly with changes in temperature. I suggest you let everything cool down to ambient temperature (usually around 60 - 70 degrees F) before doing these tests. A 10 degree difference in temperature will change the voltage reading by about 0.1 V (hence the difference you get in some tables - see previous post...). Before you begin, make sure that the electrolyte level is up (if not a sealed battery) and that the battery is fully charged (wherever possible). If you have a seperate charger on the battery, remove it and follow these steps. Remove Surface Charge - Either let the battery sit for 2 to 3 hours after removing the charger, or turn on the headlight(s) for 5 minutes without running the engine, and then wait 5 minutes. Check the State of Charge - With your meter set to measure DC voltage, check the voltage across the battery terminals. Volts_____________State of Charge 12.65+___________100% 12.45____________75% 12.24____________50% 12.06____________25% 11.89____________0% 10.45-10.65_______Shorted Cell 0.0______________Open Cell If your battery will not recharge to at least 75% (12.45 volts), the battery needs to be replaced. If it is charging above 75% but you still suspect a problem, the battery could be failing under a load. To test how the battery responds to a load, try this: Load Test - Before running the load test, the state of charge should be at 75% (12.45 volts) or higher. Without running the engine, turn on the headlight (or other load) for 5 minutes. During the 5 minute test, the voltage should not drop below 9.7 volts. After the load is removed, wait 5 minutes and the battery voltage should 'bounce back' to the 50% (12.24 volts) level or above. If your battery falls below these test limits, it should be replaced. If your battery passes these tests but you are still having problems, there could be a problem with your charging system, and here's a simple way to check your charging system: Charging System check - With a battery that checks out well on the previous tests, start the engine and run it for at least 2 minutes. After 2 minutes the voltage across the battery terminals should optimally be 14.0-14.5 volts. If the voltage is off, it could be due to a faulty alternator, a voltage regulator or something as simple as a loose belt. If the voltage is below 13.0 volts, your system is under-charging. If the voltage is over 15.1 volts, the system is over-charging and it could even be boiling out electrolyte (accompanied by a rotten egg smell). About batteries left uncharged... And how to check the 'old fashioned' way! If your battery is low, it needs to be recharged, not only to restore full power, but also to prevent possible damage to the battery. Ordinary 'automotive' lead-acid batteries must be kept at (or near) full charge to keep the cell plates from becoming "sulfated" (a condition that occurs if the battery is run down and left in a discharged condition for more than a few days/weeks). As sulfate builds up, it reduces the batterys ability to hold a charge and supply voltage. Eventually the battery becomes useless and must be replaced. The charge level depends on the concentration of acid inside the battery. The stronger the concentration of acid in the water, the higher the specific gravity of the solution, and the higher the state of charge. On batteries with removable caps, state of charge can be checked with a "hydrometer." Most hydrometers have a calibrated float to measure the specific gravity of the acid solution (others simply have colored balls). On the kind with a calibrated float, a hydrometer reading of around 1.265 (allowing for temperature) indicates a fully charged battery, 1.230 indicates a 75% charge, 1.200 indicates a 50% charge, 1.170 indicates a 25% charge, and 1.140 or less indicates a discharged battery (Note: there should be very little difference between each cell in the battery - a difference indicates internal battery problems) If you *do* have batteries with removeable caps, personally I would suggest that you consider using a hydrometer @ £2.99 from Halfords! BTW - you (and other readers...) may also find this little guide to using a multimeter around an engine useful - even if it is written from an automotive point of view http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf Hope that made sense! Good luck Allan PS - some of the above info 'borrowed' from sources on the net as I can never remember the figures!

That's 500 replies to the 'HELP' Can't think of many community forums that would be so helpful! Allan

This *may* be the one shown on an early waterworld... I'm not so sure I'd like to wake up with a hangover onboard that one though Allan

Interesting post Phil... Thanks for taking the time to write that It'd be interesting to see pictures of examples - both good and bad Allan

Couldn't agree more... BTW Nicky/Cragdale - do we have a name for this BW lady? Anyway, that's another 'aye' from me Allan

I've not read every post in this thread so apologies if this has already been asked... Just a thought Cragdale, but what happened to the keys? Did you leave them with someone to move your boat to the lift-out? Are you sure the keys were secure all of that time if you did leave them with somone? Have you had your original keys back? BTW - Have you managed to dig out any more pictures yet? Good luck Allan

Has anyone ever done a comparison on the environmental savings that taking a weeks canal holiday makes when compared to say a week in Corfu? I know a boat typically uses around a litre per hour of running - so what's that in CO2? I found a site which allows you to calculate the carbon emmisions you make by flying and it's truly frightnening - that trip for two to corfu for example adds 1 ton of CO2 Have a look at: http://www.climatecare.org/ I also found a very interesting comparison between the use of trucks versus the use of waterways for moving cargo... http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/umr-iwwsns/...nts/tr-comp.pdf Does anyone here have any other good environmental 'comparison' sites? Allan

Actually I find the best use of SatNav is for finding those out of the way spots to meet friends... How often do we all get to hop in the car for a "I'll meet you at such-a-pub" or "we're moored up about half a mile past bridge 39"? And have you ever tried finding an out-of-the-way marina/basin/mooring/etc that's got no sign, and turns out to be down 2 miles of farm track? As for getting lost on the canal - my galley maid managed it this year.... I was making room for a bit more beer when she completely missed the turning for the Stratford canal - about 20 mins later I was wondering why the bridge numbers wern't making much sense! What's a gis and a std btw? (Sexually Transmitted Disease?) Allan

I like the idea of being able to cover the 'semi-trad' bit for security when moored, while having the seating available for cruising OK - I admit it's not a lot different from having a large sliding hatch... Allan

Er... This one definately isn't!!! Posted today: http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=49728 Lovely narrowboat on residential mooring in Richmond. Narrowboat is very well built, all steel hull and super-structure, forty one foot long,£1250 just spent on BMC engine overhaul. Recent survey. First to see will buy.Good condtion and open plan.Wood burning stove. Be Quick and drive away. Price: GBP £9,500 Where did I put my chequebook? Allan

Hi Sam, Bottle and co... I like the look of the two stage hatch over the semi-trad myself but also wondered if it's a bit heavy For the benefit of sam who hasn't see it - got these pictures from the Mel Davies site Allan

Just thought I'd pass this on... I was looking around for canal related POI's (Places of Interest) to enter in my Sat Nav... There's a few marina, boatyard and marine equipment suppliers POI's which may be useful at the following URL (when on the website - scroll down the list or search) http://www.poidownload.co.uk/ Does anyone know of any other good canal related POI's for use in a SatNav? Allan

Hi Stuart... Just ressurecting an interesting older thread - did you ever get to finish sorting out all the .ov2 files? allan

Sorry - my mistake - I moved it to another folder and screwed up the link... Try again now Allan

Thanks John I like that idea... That would allow me to have a 'wet room' floor with a carpeted passage through to the side too... I hadn't considered sound insulation because I'm opting for semi-trad, but you make a fair point for those with an engine room I wonder how have other members here got around this privacy versus practical problem? Mmm - maybe I'll start another thread here All the best Allan

Hi again Allan Nice to meet you both in Stratford btw Your post reminded me that I meant to send this to you... somewhere among this lot are some pictures of Keeping Up in Stratford a few weeks back: http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k93/Alla...8/Canal%202006/ Thanks for your comments on the bathroom - I'm definately still open to persuation on this. I quite liked the Big Fish (or was it Daddies Boat Co.?) wet room with shower shown at Crick earlier this year - but it seems to make for 'wasted' corridor space, and besides, it's always nice to have a bit of carpet to stand on during cold mornings! I think it's a case of 'watch this space...' All the best Allan

I've finally designed a reverse layout I'm happy with... it gives me the best of all worlds imho The boat will be 55' or 57' semi-trad, portholed (for security and imho aesthiticly pleasing), with houdini hatches (placed where it doesn't matter if there's the odd condensation drip!), and gas free BTW - this is by no means a build drawing - it's more of a concept so I can show builders... This design gives me: Rear galley with seating, table and 'duck' hatches (seating becomes guest double bed) Bathroom between the bedroom and guest beds (no walking past sleeping folks...) Fixed double in the middle of the boat (backing onto the fire for winter warmth!) Forward lounge with fire in centre of boat (best place for fire imho) I'm not absolutely convinced about the bathroom being 'walkthrough' - but seems to be the best option for keeping main and guest bed private with the minimum of doors. Also, I'm still awaiting reports on an incinerator toilet, but that's my first choice... I know I'll have to sort out some design issues with a builder such as provision for grey water tank, twin diesel tanks etc Comments anyone...? Allan

Hi BB (Broken Bones) Ooh - missed that one... Sounds painful - what did ya do? Anyway - hope you're feeling better now Will have to buy you a glass or two of anaesthetic in the VP on Friday Allan

Hi Amicus Usenet is sadly missed by myself since most of the ISP's stopped carrying the feeds... I now use the Google 'groups' to follow uk.rec.waterways newsgroup - http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.waterways (Google took over Deja.com a few years back for those who remember...) I haven't seen uk.rec.canals and it's not available on google - is there a great deal of difference between the groups? Allan