chubby
-
Posts
1,247 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
7
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Gallery
Blogs
Store
Posts posted by chubby
-
-
1 hour ago, DasDsm said:
Thanks for the response and sorry that I was not able to give concrete information as pretty new and just wanted to get some general views from the users on here.
We've not had time to do a full power audit as we've not started to live-aboard the boat full time and it's also looking to get some actual usage data over time from the measurement equipment we have on board.
I understand that there are so many variable and I wasn't necessary going to make major decisions just based on this information so maybe I shouldn't post this sort of requests here then unless it's backed by hard facts.
Thanks for the advice.
As i say , my comments were a bit tongue in cheek - just come back with a few more details about your expected usage if you are uncertain about it & folk on here will be very helpful . Ive always found it so . Maybe stating what kind of equipment , specific if possible etc .
Those in the know about electrics , battery charging etc can then go about giving advice which will prove very useful , so do come back with as much info as u can
cheers
-
When you say " we havent done a power audit " do you actually mean " we cant be bothered to do a power audit "? . It sounds like theres more than one of you so im at a loss as to why you would not do one . I expect that without doing one you are going to be guessing about how to go about achieving what you want . Worse than that youre asking the forum to guess aswell .
So do a power audit or youre asking for trouble .
" due to work commitments .... reliance on 240 v " . This comment could only be more vague , if you wrote the same sentence in swahili or Thai . So what items r u referring to as it could be anything from a camera , a computer - to a number of growlights for a floating weed cultivation business .
You will find you get little response unless youre more specific .
This isnt meant harshly , its largely a bit tongue in cheek but the there is no " one size fits all " answer when it comes to boat electrics , power generation & battery requirements . Without the numbers theres nothing to crunch
Not that i can help with spefics but the folk that can will NEED them
cheers
-
50 minutes ago, Athy said:
Should we be encouraging him to chill red wine?
(This awakens a memory: there is one regional French red which is served cold by the locals, I've been there, drunk that, but can't remember where it was. Can anyone help?)
sounds like essex possibly ....
probably basildon .
-
when i bought my boat it was a private sale . After viewing the boat and considering the matter further i put in an offer . The offer was 8K below the initial asking price ( 5 yrs ago ) . On the day of survey we travelled on the boat to the yard . Survey was good apart from a problem with gas so the seller offered to knock £300 off to cover the cost of a gas bod . He was v keen to sell as money was needed for a house deposit . Folllowing this we went to my bank and i transferred the money into his account .
Under NO circumstances whatsoever would i have given them or anyone else selling privately a deposit . Offer was made , survey booked , survey conducted , money transferred , bill of sale signed & transferred. Job done in 7 days start to finish .
-
I think there might be some " Tim & Pru " effect involved . Just my own cynical view mind you . It seems to me that boats are being somewhat overpriced , if not very .. Some asking prices nearer to the capital , are shocking . I also get the impression there is a good market of buyers - those who are retired & have spent too much time watching a pair of fogeys on telly & being swept up in the " romance " of waterway life , either as a liveaboard or a marina moorer holiday boater possibly using a lump of thier state pension ? Another type of buyer might be someone looking for a home due to housing costs . Then if course theres everyone inbetween including experienced boaters . The two types of buyer i mention are , it seems to me , a newish breed of buyer & the " rush " to get aflloat asap could lead to poor judgement . I dunno - im theorising . A boat advertised with " recent survey " & " full inventory onboard , ready to sail away " etc can make folk go " oh lets buy it dahhhlling ... its perfect ! Look at shiny taps & laminate flooring - ohh corian worktops .. etc etc etc " .
Combined with brokers and thier " we cant get our hands on boats quick enuff blah blah " it can make buyers think " if we don t move quick it could be gone next week " . I get the impression boats are being snapped up quickly when they come on the market , often at prices i find astonishing .
Sometimes i look on Whiltons website and it seems to be that every other boat is under offer and i think " Jesus , whos buying these overpriced boats !?" . My guess is its a buyer whos looking to " live the dream " ( how i hate that phrase ) or take it to hackney and " live the nightmare " . Inexperienced ( potentially ) buyers , some perhaps wearing rose tinted specs .
Therefore some sellers will be looking to mug punters and if boats are selling fast then its boom time for surveyors aswell . Like any trade , there will be an element of dishonesty aswell the more professional .
I considered selling my current boat ( still umming & ahhing over it ) but will probably just keep it & make improvements as im not sure i can be bothered to get involved traipsing around the Uk and organising surveys at £600 - £800 a time . I trust my boat - its rarely let me down & so why bother ?
My boat is a Liverpool 58 ft Trad ( of the correct beam ) From what i understand brokers can sell them quickly as the market want then because theyre not silly money and are just solid boats that can get folk on the water at reasonable cost ..... BUT when i see on the duck some of prices folk want for thier Liverpools & compare it to what i paid 5 years ago it shocks me so thats why i think that already high selling prices encourage potential buyers to accept " recent surveys " as a means of saving money & getting afloat quicker .
What does my head in the most tho is the term " recent survey ". Its totally meaningless when u consider a survey is only valid on the day it is carried out . A survuy could be a fortnight old but as far the surveyor goes , its already out of date & theres no comeback for the buyer if they find faults . Using a surveyors own definition a recent survey should be no older than 24 hours . Beyond 24 hours the written report is kindling .
I used a surveyor . I trusted him . The boats report was a good one . I negotiated 8K off the asking price plus another £300 on the day due to gas issues . I talked beforehand with the seller over a cuppa & asked about thier ownership of the boat , looked at the file of receipts etc , asked why they were selling & trusted my instincts that all was ok , so i made an offer . Im not knowledgeable enuff to forego a surveyer & i would use one again but never from a brokers list and would never trust a recent survey , though i might use it to determine whether i go ahead & commission my own .
Just thoughts ... mostly cynical
cheers
-
1
-
-
Brilliant stuff cheers
Id like to do fit soundproofing panels to my engine bay but the amount of panel needed would be
expensive so i would need to build a box alot like this . There is a steel cross bar running directly above my engine tho onto which fit the boards covering the engine bay . There is very little clearance between top of engine & bottom of this steel cross brace so will need some working out .
As i say , ive read your references to your demountable soundproofing box & the " not quite hospital silencer " you got from TW marine ( if i remember rightly ) & wondered how you put it together , so thanks again
cheers
-
2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:
Are you sure it's heat and moisture that degrade the bond and not bad prep? I suppose it all depends upon how long a period of time is but mine have been in for15 years but note that I did not use spray contact adhesive. I used an industrial "Evostick" type product, stuck it to a ply backing at home where I had better control of the environment. I could also stack them under weight so theytspent over a week drying while being pushed together. The assembled panels were then fitted to the boat to form a relatively easily assembled/disassembled box around the engine. The front panel is larger than the sound proofing and is help onto the bulkhead by use of four self drilling & tapping set screws (not self tappers) so installation was easy. No access is needed from the cabin side and the shanks are within the lining cavity. By boxing rather than gluing to the boat's structure you save on expensive sound proofing. If the worst did happen the holes made by the screws are already blocked by the screw so they should only weep at the worst.
As far as those pins go they look ideal to cause scratches and gashes when working around the engine.
Why would the glue for the steel be any better than glue for the mats? The contact area would be far lower so the point loading higher making it more likely to pull away.
Mr Brooks
I have read several times in past threads your reference to the box you built around your engine . Your correct to say that this means using less soundproof sheet & therefore less expensive .
Any chance of a picture or two as id be keen to see how you did it .
If its hassle , or if im just being a cheeky sod , no probs .
Cheers
-
1 minute ago, markeymark said:
I hold my hands up, now that I have actually read the article in ES . whatever people might think, I believe that CRT could have handled it with more decorum and not just ridden roughshod over the dwellers. If any good comes out of this then the 2 guys will be rehomed because of all the publicity but this attempt at finding their own solution to be being homeless shows how ridiculous is the housing situation in the UK...and as sure as eggs are eggs its all gonna come crashing down, the achilles heel of a perpetual growth economy thats unsustainable. Look at Spain in 2008, and they did not even have a housing crisis like in the UK, and now they are really buggered. When it does happen (the crash) , all those in boats might actually be better off not saddled with a mortgage despite the negative equity that comes with the risk of boat ownership
Ive just read the article aswell .
Im still convinced CRT were right & the way they went about was right . Harsh but fair . To me , there was no time for dilly dallying . Just tear it down . Once down its no longer a danger .
Despite the occupants situation i simply cannot find myself able to feel sorry for them . The project was dangerous & iiresponsible & they thought of no one but themselves . All those comments about how people loved it etc etc are total nonsense - theyd change thier tune if it went up in flames with two occupants on board .
If the chaps a gas technician or whatever then i dont understand how hes homeless . Gas bods aren t tied to London . Go elsewhere , earn money ... if you wanna come back then do it , but if your skint & homeless why hang around ?
Agreed though , it is despite everything else , a sign o the times . 21st century Britain . Makes one proud doesn t it
-
3 minutes ago, markeymark said:
I think its a marvellous attempt at cocking-a-snoop at authority. It is harmless fun , nothing more. If there were thousands of these home-made rafts around blocking access then it might be problem but I think its a sign of how authoritarian a society we have become when someone does something for a laugh and gets such a reaction...talk about Big Brother looking over our shoulders..its scary. The fact that its in front of a No Mooring sign says it all surely?
This Sir , with all due respect is complete bollocks
but then you know that dont you .....?
-
3
-
-
Also
if you leave it then how long before someone else manages gather together another pile of litter & turn it into " accomodation "
Get in , tear it down , send a message to other would be piss takers , potentially save lives , potentially save the emergency services from having to attend etc etc . Then deal with the repercussions . CRT did the right thing by putting the wider community & thier wellbeing ahead of some dumb muppets
good
-
4
-
-
- Popular Post
- Popular Post
Surely this " vessel " is a pile of litter cunningly crafted into something that looks like a house.
If it is not registed as a boat , it has no bss , no insurance & yet it has a means of cooking & heating (?) then it is basically a pile of rubbish thrown together in order to create a deathtrap . As is usual with such " accidents waiting to happen " it is unlikely to be the owners who go up in flames but poor innocent nearby .
Suppose the authorities wait until the gas bottle explodes or it catches fire near other more boat shaped boats then folk will say " why oh why did the navigation authority not do anything about it ? " .
Then , as if the owners stupidity wasn t plain enough they moor up 6 feet away from a No Mooring sign .
Times are tough , folk are struggling , rents are bonkers but frankly these muppets are taking the piss . CRT have responsibilities to other people on the canal & adjacent to the canal & they are more important than the fuckwits who put that pile of crap together .
screw em
-
7
-
20 minutes ago, Mike Hurley said:
I totally agree too, i sold my house in UK in 2007, walked away with 93k after paying off the mortgage, moved abroad and bought a flat for cash with plenty left over. If you look at all the tales of being cautious then you would never do anything in life. Everyone said i was mad to sell up and move but i took a chance and it worked, owning a house is not the be all and end all of life. I own 2 now and a small boat in 2 countries but if i was single i would sell the lot tomorrow and come back to UK and buy a narrowboat. You are here for a good time not a long time, live your life now, no point in worrying what may or may not happen in the future. One life, live it.
So you sold a house & with the profit you bought a boat & another flat ?
In what sense have you entered into the " owning a house ( or indeed flat )is not the be all & end all " mentality ??
You still own B&M !
Its an entirely different scenario from the OP as you still have a property asset . It is still , though less so , a safety net , a fallback option & almost certainly an investment in the sense that its value is likely to increase .
Its hardly selling up & throwing caution to the wind as far as i can see .
You appear to have then furthered this " gamble" by buying another property !
Fair play to you - happy days , youve done well & made good judgements but i would suggest its not the same situation as the OP
Yes you live once . Life is for living but theres nowt wrong with a bit of diligence or caution when considering ones options .
For every one who wins at such a move - there ll ve those who got it wrong . MtB mentions a chap who made an error in his judgement speculating on property in Notting Hill , so not everyone who has a punt goes on to win .
All this " one life " stuff is tedious - yes it is true , yes one ought to have a punt or two in life . Often though life is luck and aint always good luck & though we can never tell whats around the corner , spending some time thinking things thru before leaping is time well spent .
-
13 hours ago, thenortherner said:
Hi,
I'm currently considering selling my home and using the equity to buy a narrowboat outright to live on full time. I rented and stayed on a boat for a week to try it out in November and really enjoyed it, so there's no worries there. I know this is only a small snapshot of time and there's the novelty factor but deliberately chose the coldest, bleakest time to try it out.
I'm in my early 30s, in decent employment, no debts other than a mortgage and I don't have any children. There's a good few reasons for wanting to make a change. I live on a new build estate - whilst it serves its purpose in terms of being safe, secure and low maintenance, it's generally quite a dull, soulless place. This is why boating appeals. There appears to be a really decent sense of community. My home's very small and minimalist - I'm not one for clutter - so I can't see there being too much of a problem with transitioning in terms of space.
I'd like to permanently moor in Cheshire and already live very close to:
Midway Boats/Barbridge,
Audlem Overwater Marina
Swanley Bridge
Nantwich Venetian Marina
I know some don't offer residential moorings but I've read a fair bit about blind eyes turned etc..
Lastly, and I understand completely why it shouldn't be the prime reason for wanting a change, is it'd allow me to become and live 100% debt and mortgage free. If I were to sell my property, once all the fees and charges are paid, I'd be left with around £50-55K to buy a boat outright. By the looks of it, I could get something around 55ft in decent condition that'd be suitable to live aboard on.
I've been trying to weigh up the pro's and cons financially of doing this and have looked both short terms and long-term/10 years from now. The running cost of the boat appear to be realistic from the research done.
In summary, it appears not to make financial sense to do this based on the below figures.
I'd calculated over 10 years because if I made overpayments in line with the amount shown during this time I'd own my home 10 years from now.
The below suggests that whilst I'd potentially save £58K over 10 years through living on a boat, it'd only be worth perhaps 38K in 10 years time, so I'd only have liquid/fixed assets worth £96K in 10 years assuming zero growth or return on the money I saved through doing this.
Whereas with the house, if it were to be worth £150K in 10 years - it's currently valued around £140K - then I'd have assets worth £55K more than going down the boat route. And after 10 years, I'd own the house and then have an extra £750 a month as there'd be no mortgage/overpayment calculator.
What comes to mind re. the point above is that whilst I'd own the house I'd be asset rich and cash poor. So what's the point? I could maybe understand if the house could be sold to later downsize and then use what's leftover but it's not really possible to get a house too much smaller! On the other hand, with the £750 a month saved, it'd take almost 6 years to save the £55K I'd have done by living on the boat - then I'd have the best of both worlds.
Apologies for the level of detail. I've just tried to work things out in honest and realistic terms. I'd be really keen on your thoughts and feedback on anything on the above, and what you'd do in my shoes and why...
Thanks,
Good grief
My thoughts -
Im not a person who believes that our 3 scores & 10 are meant for just trundling along on our " expected " treadmill of work , work & more work . Life is short & there are far more worthwhile things to be done .
However a balance must be struck as work & the benefits of income are necessary . I spent my 20s & 30s travelling . I was addicted . Work was a means to an end & soon as i had enough savings i was back on a plane . The travel bug wore off in my late 30s & now in my mid 40s im worth bugger all . Regrets ..... im sad that the travel bug wore off !
Now i have to work very hard to make up for all that time spent living well .
My point is that whatever you do there will be a " price " to pay . Give up your home & you will feel the insecurity that can come from knowing youve abandoned your biggest financial asset . Keep your home & you 'll continue to wonder whether the grass is greener on the other side of the fence .
There is no " one size fits all " correct answer . I believe over calculating what the future will bring is futile . No one knows whats around the corner & lifes a punt .
My gut reaction ( i trust my gut ...) is you keep your home at all costs . You do all the homework you need to do & do one of two things .
1) continue to live in it . Buy a boat . A small boat , a cheap boat . Not a doer upper but just a nice simple little boat . Get a mooring . Use the boat as much as poss . It could become your bolt hole away from the dreary estate . You ll look forwards to weekends & holiday time . Just BEING on a boat is enjoyable - the fire roaring , kettle on top or a nice stew , chillin out listening to music or with a book . Of course you could also go cruising at weekends or with holiday time & just enjoy the ups & downs of boat ownership .
2) Buy a bigger boat , go full time liveaboard , ride the learning curve & say to yourself " ive done it , ive grabbed life by the knackers & gone for it .
If youve kept the house you cannot lose ! option 1 or option 2 = you win .
If you sell up & it all goes wrong ..... then what ?
So - life is to be lived yes . But balance is the key . Being hesitant , being diligent isnt being soft - its accepting that risk is present & attempting to mitigate unwanted circumstances . BUT not allowing this to dominate your life plans is essential if you are to " live " your life rather than " exist " .
I think option 1 is best . If it works proceed to option 2 maybe 12 - 18 months later . You might find option 1 provides what your looking for ...... escape .
Above all dont sell your home mate as its not necessary to achieve what youre looking for
cheers
-
1
-
-
18 hours ago, Phil Ambrose said:
You jest of course; Biz is a legend and far far away from racist
Phil
of course i jest only sir
-
5 hours ago, bizzard said:
Shanghai I believe. The Chinese knew him as Lobinson Clusoe. His pal Man Fliday prayed for them arso.
Careful Sir
Some may consider this a rittle bit lacist ....
Besides i thought Defoe was an actor . Im sure he was in Platoon ...
-
3 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:
This.
I know not everyone likes the company of others, but a smile or a nod in response to a "good morning" costs nothing. Amazing how many will just act like you were invisible.
Perhaps its just my sunny Yorkshire disposition
Don't even get me started on that time I tried to talk to people on the Tube when visiting London...
maybe the folk on the underground had had a long day , week , month working and didn t much feel like yapping with a tourist .
i don t consider myself rude to people if i dont wanna talk to others when im commuting .
-
it does flow thru the calorifier . Though im not certain of which alterations id have to make , i am aware that i will have to adjust the pipework to enable use of eber or morco having read thru threads in the past . I guess my enquiry about being able to use a " spare " gas outlet is first & if using it is possible then i expect further research about plumbing adjustments
cheers again
-
i remember reading on yachty type forum that vetus means
Very Expensive Trouble .... Usually Serious .
-
To answer a couple of points .
Blackrose : If i fit a cooker which has hob & oven in one unit with one gas feed then the other feed is in the perfect position for where the morco would be sited . Its the location of the redundant isolator that makes me think of installing a morco .
Ditchcrawler . My current set up for hot water is by eberspacher . The morco would be useful i feel as a way of avoiding battery usage and to be honest the fact that i will have a " spare " gas connection within 2ft of the morcos ideal ( only ) location . Because the worktops will be getting replaced i just see it as the best opportunity to install one . Another method of making hot water seems worthwhile ?
Ultimately , i do have an eber that is behaving well so the morco is not necessarily "essential " but if fitting one is feasable whilst the kitchen refit is going on then i thought it worth attempting to find out if it ll be a straightforward job or problematic
cheers again
ETA :,the subject of the bosch alternative was brought up by a chap at the boatyard . He suspected that the bosch has soldered pipework connections internally which he believes make it a possible BSS fail . At least , i think thats what was said
-
10 mm was measured with a tape measure at a point where i could get good access to the pipe. The boat is a Liverpool 2001 . Ive owned it 5 years and i expect the pipework is original .
I visited my nearest boatyard a short while ago & all this may seem a bit academic as the chap at the yard told me that simply getting your hands on a Morco is an achievement in itself as theyve gone bust after a cost cutting exercise went pear shaped . He advised capping off the extra tap .
I think id like a morco tho if feasable ( but not the room sealed version ) as it operates without using battery power , unlike my ebersplutter .
-
cheers - ive edited my previous reply to inlude pipe length of 26 - 30 ft between gas regulator & isolation taps
-
55 minutes ago, nicknorman said:
If you just measure the outside diameter of the pipe running from the gas locker to the T, folk on here will have a pretty good idea of whether it will be suitable or not. And there should be some info on the data plate of the oven as to its max gas usage or heat output. That combined with knowing the same about the proposed water heater, and the approximate overall pipe length is all that is needed.
Thanks again
Pipe outside diameter - 10mm
info for hob / oven
hob - vanette 4000/2 . manual states maximum heat input 6.55 kw
Oven - vanette GG7000 . manual states maximum heat input : Oven / grill 3.3 kw
does this help ? is this the info suggested ?
Thanks again
Eta : will check morco gas needs shortly . distance from gas bottle regulator to isolation valves beside current oven / hob set up = 26 - 30 ft approx
-
Thankyou for the replies
The morco would be a new appliance - there isn t one fitted already . The reason i ask is because the current set up has one pipe from gas locker running under the port side gunwhale . This pipe then Ts off and here are two yellow taps about 6 inches apart with flexible pipes . One each for hob & oven .
The model of cooker im considering has ( i believe ) only one gas connection for the 3 hob burners & the combined oven / grill . Another model im considering is Voyager 4500 which also appears to have one gas connection .
So rather than cap off the leftover gas tap , id prefer if feasable to use it to feed a Morco because all the kitchen worktop will be getting replaced & this is an ideal time to fit the morco .
I will look at my boats info folder to see if there are more details about the existing pipework diameter .
Thanks again
Having looked at my boats folder there is no info as to the main gas pipe diameter , it merely lists the whereabouts of the systems isolator valves .
Would i therefore need to have a gas bod in to determine the size of the existing main pipework in order to assess whether its suitable for the extra gas a morco will need . If the pipework needed replacing then id not bother as it would be too costly - i am just seeking to utilise an existing connection that would be spare as the new oven needs only one pipe
cheers
-
Hello Folks
This summer my BSS is due . I fear my oven & hob have reached the end of thier usefulness having been fitted 18 years ago . So im looking to replace them . Though it is a " boaty " oven & therefore costly im leaning towards a model called " Thetford Spinflo Triplex " . A smaller oven , yes - but im ok with that . I currently have two gas pipes with cut off levers , one for hob & one for oven . The replacement oven requires only one connection . Is it feasable to use the redundant pipe & lever for fitting a Morco type water heater .
Im not one for making assumptions so think it best to ask advice . Though i may fit the oven & morco as part of an overall refurb of the kitchen i will not be looking to connect the gas as i liveaboard & will seek to have a bod connect the gas- maybe even the BSS chap prior to the inspection itself .
Thanks for any thoughts
EBERSPACHER D4WSC FUEL FILTER
in Boat Equipment
Posted
On a d4wsc or d5wsc the fuel metering pump is inside the heater unit . On other models is it external to the heater . The filter is a pain to get at ( i did mine yesterday ) . You have to loosen a 17 mm brass nut which connects the copper fuel pipe to the metering pump . Removing the tiny filter can be fiddly . It can be done without removing the heater from its mounting bracket but i find it easier to dismount it and work on a bench whilst servicing the eber .
If you search for a website " le tonkinois varnish " theres a section on ebers . Click on " hydronic " and it shows the location of the filter & how to remove it .
Hope that helps
cheers