waterwitch

Nice boat. Have fun.

I think most people who don't have boats seem to think that the cockpit is a bit like the garden of a house. They would walk through the garden to knock on the door and don't understand that it's different with a boat.

I have not posted on here before but have followed many topics with interest, (some things like posting are best left to one's bh). I wonder if this discussion is becoming bogged down because of worrying too much about “accuracy”. My belief as a liveaboard boater is that the “holy grail” we look for is a chart that together with readings from an accurate voltmeter and ammeter, will give us an “approximate” condition of SOC or DOD, possibly to within 10% if we are fortunate. A voltage reading which when considering our own nominal battery capacity will tell us that in all likelihood the SOC is now below 60% and maybe it will be a good idea to put some charge back in before nightfall. What we need is a “tool”, which alongside our digital volt meter and ammeter will help us make informed decisions about our own batteries. Lifeline batteries (agm), for one, have published their data on the subject together with charts and graphs of voltage vs load (pertinent to capacity), and hopefully other battery manufactures can be persuaded to release their own data. Richard Perez, editor of Home Power magazine wrote about his own experiments with some Trojan L16's in the 1990's. If we concentrate on only one or two load ranges such as C/20 or more likely C/100, then we will soon learn which loads to switch on so that the ammeter shows the ampere load proportionate to our view of our own battery capacity and we will have a better idea when to recharge; especially when the range of DOD that we are concerned with is relatively small (say from 20% to 60% DOD). Hopefully somebody is aware of other work which has been done and help publish data that we may be able to use. peter

That is one very bonny boat.

We spent the winter of 2013/14 at Caen Hill Marina. It is very tidy...very, very, bordering on OCD, tidy. The facilities (loos, showers, laundry etc) are the best we have ever come across. They sell diesel and gas and have a very nice club house/reception. The staff are polite and helpful as long as you keep your dog on a lead, don't cause any problems and leave no mess anywhere. The noise from the main road can be a problem, especially if you are in the southern end of the marina alongside the road. Sanitary facilities (cassettes/pump out) are good and there are plenty of rubbish skips...all hidden from view. There is a limited supply of stuff in the fridge in the reception area but the village shop comes every day and has a really good supply of foodstuff. Car parking is good...limited to one car per boat I think. I am not a fan of marinas but this one was ideal for us when we needed to keep the boat as close as possible to Cornwall for the winter.

What a shame.

We have been liveaboards for 25 years. It's a good life.

A bevy of liferafts fitted with a large array of solar panels so that you can watch TV while awaiting rescue.

Lack of ventilation is the thing I am most aware of in houses. Warm but stuffy.

The boat we have live on and cruised for the last 18 years is lowmoor iron, built in 1885. All the rivets have been welded and there are a couple of steel over patches on her. Still in very good condition. She is an ex Whittaker's tug...originally steam, converted to Gardner diesel in the fifties.

We have a Rayburn on the tug (estuary/river tug not a NB).It's superb to cook on, heats water and warms the whole boat. I have had an Esse stove too and they are also very good. The Rayburn was originally oil fired and very costly to run so my Dearly Beloved built a solid fuel furnace on the side of it. This will burn just about anything combustible. It's a big boat though so it would not be ideal on a narrowboat. If you are thinking about a Heritage stove consider paying a visit to the showroom in Liskeard. The are very helpful and knowlegable about the stoves they build. The small Heritage is a beauty and if we had room on the NB I would have one. Will you have a gas cooker for summer use? A NB with a cast iron stove will be a very hot boat in summer!

Very good chandlery and the staff are helpful, friendly and knowledgable.

Winter cruising ROCKS! So long as the stove is on.

I like it Neil2...I like it.

Sea going boat...Hollowshore Boatyard at the bottom of Faversham Creek. Inland waterways... River Great Ouse, Old West River and the Cam.

I met "Posh Tim" when we were looking to buy a narrowboat. I was with my son who has lived on and cruised boats for most of his life. We were treated like timewasters from the start and PT was dismissive and patronising to say the least. We did not even get to look at the two boats I might have been interested in. As we left my son went into the office and told PT that he had just lost a potential buyer, one with the money in the bank and very keen to buy a boat. I don't know if it made any difference to his future performance with customers...I rather think not. suze

We wanted portholes originally but realised that windows were better for us on the canal as we wanted to be able to see out without having to walk up to a porthole and peer. Condensation is a bit of a bugger but we have have added secondary double glazing on the non opening sections which has helped. The tug we have been living and cruising for the last 18 years has all her living accomodation (apart from the wheelhouse) below water level so we are looking forward to being able to see outside without having to be in the wheelhouse. From what I remember of the boat you are considering she looks pretty well designed and built and the windows seem to be fit for purpose. Large windows in a sea going boat can be hazardous if not designed for heavy weather. We have seen add on wheelhouses that would not be safe in a harbour let alone at sea! If you are worried about privacy get blinds fitted. suze

Exciting...innit?

Beautiful work.

Fresh caught sea bass...food of the gods!

Nellie is very protective of her air space.

Nice looking boat NC. With reference to washing machines on sea going boats...we had a Zanussi compact aboard our 60ft tug for six years. Never had a problem with it. We (or rather I) did the washing while at anchor, sometimes in bad weather conditions. The movement did not seem to affect the machine. Just make sure it's well fastened down! Drying stuff can be a bit of a bugger, we have a Rayburn which is great during winter but not for the summer months.I have never seen a compact dual purpose machine. suze

Me too Laurie, me too.

The first one reminds me a bit of our "other" boat...the one we are trying to sell! Built in 1885, lowmoor iron, 60x14x6. Originally a steam tug but now with a Gardner 6LX. We love her muchly but health and the ageing thing means she has to go. We have lived on and cruised her for 18 years (and spent every penny we have on her). Because we still want to cruise a lot we have got a NB. So...no more coastal stuff but looking forward to lots of canals.

Nellie is a Parson JRT. She is also a "runner" and can escape from any of the standard dog harnesses. Our solution is to have two of the orange dog life jackets (cannot remember the name but they are one of the cheaper ones). One of them is left as a life jacket but the other one has had the floating bit cut off. This leaves just the harness with it's two body straps which are essential for a Houdini dog. It is the only thing she cannot get out of! We thought she might calm down a bit with age but as she is now 14 and showing no signs of becoming sensible we have rather given up on that fantasy.