SuzyQ

Thanks G&F. Yes, have ordered and am looking forward to seeing how much mess I can avoid making. Only trouble with eBay is the other half always finds whatever I buy comes with a free gift, quite often in a separate parcel and completely unrelated to the original purchase ;D

Thanks Mac, but nothing as sophisticated as a back boiler on Meg. Am pretty convinced that it was rain getting in to the flue now. Haven't had goo since deploying extra anti-rain procedures.

That's possible, it has been pretty wet round here recently. I will go and check the sealing around the flue on the outside. Although there's no obvious dribbling on the stove. Perhaps the rain got in when we've had the chimney off navigating low bridges. Will have to get something to cover it when we can't use the chimney. Coal seems ok and stove is toasty, with no leaky or blue smoke, but will give the flue a good brush. Not sure what the best thing to use is other than a small Victorian malnourished child. Will do a search on DIY flue brooms. Thanks both for giving me some good hints.

Mostly coal with a couple of those sawdust block things and a fire lighter to get it under way. Not sure the brand of coal. It was inherited from the previous owner.

Noticed the other day that there was a sort of dark goo under the multi fuel stove. At the time I thought maybe I'd spilt a bit of tea or something and some coke dust got in it. But, whilst having a tidy, today I noticed it had returned. It's not a lot and seems to have come from a bolt on the underside. I'm not sure why it's happening and, therefore, if I should be worried. Had a good search on here, but can't find a similar thread which has only proved to make me feel a little uneasy. There's many a question I haven't needed to ask since I got to grips with the 'search'. And this is the first time I've been completely stumped. Can anyone help shed some light on this stovey ectoplasm? Cheers muchly in advance.

I reckon Iceberg would be more fitting ;D

When we got our cat from the RSPCA the 'keepers' had called him Dylan. He was incredibly affectionate and purry. We brought him home and decided on a new name - not that there's anything wrong with Dylan. As soon as he had settled in (5 mins after climbing out of the cat box) he has been a right unsociable b*******d ever since. Despite been the most loved member of the family by all who meet this good looking fur ball, I have seen many a full grown man cower with fear and leave with lacerations. He has kept the name Dylan because it rather suits him, but I have always wondered what his first name was before he was found (very large, fit and healthy) by the RSPCA. Possibly Pyscho or Killer...

Just a thought, just because it's environmentally friendly, doesn't mean you need to use more. (edited out double posting) Agree environmentally friendly may be a bit strong, no cleaner is, but it is certainly a lot less damaging.

We use ecover in the house too, have done so for years. Does the job as good as, if not better than, the 'brands'. Much kinder on those with sensitive skin who enjoy a bit of washing up. Baby shampoo works just as well on grown ups and removes the need for conditioner as it doesn't strip your hair like the worth it types. I have copious amounts of long hair and don't need to wash it every day. Looking after the environment is often the same as looking after yourself. After all if it is harmful to the critters...

What a fantastic adventure you will have. And with no clock watching required too. Am very jealous! If it were me I'd take the most rambling route possible. Don't understand those who charge everywhere. The journey is always the fun bit, the arrival is just that. Have a fantastic time and make sure you blog your travels. B-)

Too many choices and probably not enough time. Looking forward to a trip down the Regents. Started the new year with a trip up the Lee to Ware today. It was a beautiful blue sky and a lovely calm ride. A real pleasure.

We've got a really good wind up lamp which serves us well, but fairy lights are always medicine for the sole and make a lovely boudoir accessory. How long does the battery last? This was a top tip. The man of the boat was getting quite obsessed with the remenants of recent storms in the bottom of the engine bay/room (not sure what it's called as it's under the deck). This is a brilliant way of reaching the parts the bilge pump can't quite manage. The man was very pleased with the results of this week's moppings.

Love this forum. We had a head scratching moment, I said I'd look it up on here, did a bit of a search, and, hey presto, I have followed all our questions and their answers - followed by a few more questions as a result of the previous answers, plus all the answers to the new questions that I would have asked, summed up by Psycloud in a journey of learning and we genuinely think we've got it. Thank you all.

Many thanks for the advice Tony. There is no way we'd let such a good engine go, had nothing but praise from folks in the know and she may have been around the block a few times, but I reckon she runs as well as anything on the cut. A bit of sound proofing round the engine room might help a bit though, plus it would be something that we could have a bash at ourselves. Not sure how much of a difference it'd make though...

We've got a Lister SR3. Lovely tone and rarely rev'd (unless a bit of reverse in lock approach - still learning), but would be really interested in noise reduction. Can we fit a silencer? Or are there other ideas that might help. We're not mechanics so would need to get someone knowledgable to do it so major work is out of our budget.