Mike Tee

Is that the famous telegraph pole double bridge?

We don’t burn much coal as our main stove is diesel, so I don’t mind buying from the more expensive end - Taybrite or Phurnacite are my favourites. I just wish, as I’ve been a pensioner for a good while, that they did it in 10kg bags!

Get talking to your neighbours and tell them you are struggling with your fire - I’m sure one of them will help out with advice and you might get lucky and find one with the same type of fire who can show you what is needed.

Stop adding salt to your food - within a month you will have forgotten all about it, and its not necessary anyway. I quit over 30 years ago and am still going strong.

When you turn the engine ignition on , is the light green before you start it? Normally this would then go out after starting which indicates the alternator is working correctly. eta - more clearly described by booke23!

Depending on your setup if there is insufficient head on the diesel tank there may be a 12 volt inline pump supplying the diesel stove. Can’t remember what they are called but it just pulses occasionally and uses very little power - I think they were used on old cars, somebody will be along who knows of these. If this is defective or blocked, insufficient fuel will be getting through causing difficulties with lighting plus not enough diesel getting through to burn properly which will cause smoke. As you move around the boat this could cause enough ‘wobble’ to allow small amounts of diesel through. I love our diesel stove and when it is working right its great. But when it goes wrong it can be difficult to identify the problem. If you want a quick efficient fix, get the Lockgate engineer to come and service it.

We have 13kg calor on one boat and 6kg on the other - I know one is comparatively more expensive than the other but I know which one I prefer lumping about! I do plan, maybe next year, changing the 13kg for 6kg as I admit they are getting a bit much for me. Also, another thumbs up for the trolley - it is about 300 yards from our boat to the car / office / Elsan point so our trolley (4 wheel proper job) gets used a lot.

These stoves are designed for sea-going boats so I don’t think a list on a narrow boat would affect it unless it was grounded at a sharp angle

That's taking home delivery a step too far - we had the same thing at the top of Audlem, opened the back doors first thing in the morning and there was a cow stood by the rudder looking at me. Didn't know what to do as had no way of contacting any farmers in the area, but just then a bloke walks past, looks at the cow and says 'I'm a vet, can I be of any help?' Lent him a rope and he sorted it all out! What's the odds of that? I will always regret not getting a picture.

Ah, so that’s what a UFO is

^^^ I was just about to write all that! The last thing you need to do is rip up the tanked floor because the auto pump has failed.

That looks like Buckden, photo taken just after the other one you posted? Or is that just wishful thinking!

I know, but just couldn't resist!

But I'm sure somebody on this forum, who shall remain nameless, said oil fired heating was the work of the devil......😁 Or even more fun turning it off

The speed he's going, he won't need to - he'll take them with him.