Salopgal

Thanks all. I remembered the insurance and breakdown cover at the 11th hour, so both are factored in. Servicing wasn't but I can email the brief and let her know... Thanks again, so much. x K

Yes, that's what I meant! Sorry! I've got concussion. I knocked myself almost out on the boat last night stepping into the engine room and I've not been right in the head since. I slept for 12 hours after it happened, which is unheard of. I know I ought to get checked out but I'll see how I go for a few days. I'm not right in the head most of the time, but this has taken the biscuit... Wish I didn't have a divorce to go through as well...

Yep! That's what it will cost with the undisclosed extras they charge 20% extra for if you are onboard a good deal...

Is it every 4 years? I'm not sure of anything right now...!

Thanks so much. I'm really struggling to estimate in my head what my "income needs" are, in relation to the boat and life in general. I've gone blank - but I'm estimating the following - what do you think? Approx £268 for mooring fees £858.97 per year boat licence for a 52 foot boat £500+ every two years blacking hull (not sure whether this is in any way accurate) £150 every 4 years for Boat Safety certificate annual maintenance £? (deisel for heating and running, wood for fire, gas bottles to cook, electricity metered) Brain's gone after that....

Hi I'm panicking a bit as I've got to tell my solicitor my boat costs and am struggling (in my panic state) to find the BSS price for the safety certificate. Anyone give me a quick answer please? Thanks!

Well then - problem now sorted!! Although the owners previous to me told me that they had never used the pump out toilet, when I got an engineer to check the tank as a last resort last week, we found the pump out tank to be full of what we think might be 10 to 15 year old waste! Took us hours to sort it and there's still a load of black unmentionable gunk in there, yet to be broken down and shifted. I’m assuming the owners I bought her from, also bought her with a full tank and didn’t think to check either (I feel a bit foolish, but it never occurred to me to ask if tank was empty at the time). So a quarter of a ton of waste has been pumped out and now Delilah’s sitting pretty in the water with no list - well, a slight one to starboard, but that's easily fixed. I am a happy bunny, where the boat is concerned anyway. Don't get me started on the rest of my life though - it's crap! Ha!

Thank you for posting - it is a very good video. Grateful to you for taking the time to mention it.

At the risk of being shot down in flames.... I've seen Ecofans on a couple of boats in the past and forgotten to ask what brand they were - I know the owners liked them. There seems to be a dazzling range of these from £55 up to £145 and try as I might, I can't find out too easily what the difference in price represents in terms of output, build etc. Someone's offered to buy me one, which is very kind, but I don't know how they all differ. Caframo seem the most expensive, but look pretty sturdy. Some have three blades, some just two - it's all so confusing! Anyway, all constructive advice very welcome. Thank you! K

I'll see if I can get one of the marina engineers to check out the state of the pump out tank. Previous owners said they never used it, so I did assume it was/is empty, but that's a pretty foolhardy thing to do!! I haven't managed to get all the water out of the cabin bilge, and without an inspection hatch just now I can't check it. I'll pull up carpet again in the cabin and see if I can get someone to cut me a hatch there. How does one find out whether a boat was designed to have a wet bilge if the boat buildings have gone out of business (Stowe Hill in 2009). Previous owners did not have plans for boat and she's 21 years old. I'd like to find out whether she was designed to be a wet bilge, as has now been suggested by quite a few seasoned boaters... Thanks!

Well, as a watercolour artist with a dedicated studio where I live now, I've got a ridiculous number of very heavy books and equipment. I was going to shove most of it into storage but think I'll store the paint cans and fill the two cupboards with books at the weekend and see how it looks then. I really, really do appreciate everyone's help here as the boat still belongs to my Mum and I'm caretaking it for her until I can afford to buy it off her!! Bless you Dean!

Thanks Dean! There's a good space under the cratch and someone's put a little bit of ballast there (looks like garden paving but heavy, but not much of it) and there's room on top of it for more. I've got bricks and slate here so I could take a load down and put it in. As it happens, even when the water tank at the bow is full, the boat is still noticeably stern heavy, bow light, so engineer agrees that ballast at the front is possibly best. The only other place is in cupboard under dinette seating, again at the front, although it's currently full of tins of paint and that's not making much of a difference. I'll have to do a sketch of the layout and post it here if I can. Thanks again!!

Hiya Chris! Thanks for responding so quickly - really appreciated. I spoke to an engineer at the marina, who shall remain nameless (!) and he didn't think that it would be too easy getting to the ballast under the floors and shifting it. Not sure why, unless it's the lack of hatches or even inspection holes. The carpet throughout is firmly tacked down but I eased it up with a knife in the cabin to see if there were any hatches. Hopefully, marina engineers could move ballast if it was absolutely necessary - after all someone put it in there! I don't have plans for the boat at all, so sadly I just don't know at the moment whether the diesel and water tanks reach across evenly across the centre line of the boat - I think the water tank might, judging from the sloshing sounds when the boat moves, and when diesel and water tanks are full, the list is still there slightly. I'm tied up on the right hand side of the boat, currently and mooring ropes are not too taught I don't think... Nothing on the roof other than the pole and plank and they are situated on the right side. I didn't notice the listing until quite recently, around about the same time I found the water in the cabin bilge. We didn't get it all out but quite a lot of it and none of it has come back so we've ruled out a leak. The only change I've made recently is putting a bit more stuff in the cupboards and fridge, but nothing else and the combined weight of those items is quite small. I do have two mattresses on the bed - one old one covered with a memory foam topper, but again, not much of a combined weight. No, no hatch at all. I could pull up all the carpet to have a look but the previous owner said he was not aware of any hatches or holes at all. He was a very thorough guy so I think he'd have known if one existed. Wish I had plans for this boat....

My boat is listing slightly to the port side; I noticed it first, then a fellow boater confirmed it at the weekend - a fresh set of eyes and senses! Boat is a 20 year old trad, with absolutely everything heavy on the port side i.e. cooker, fridge, all galley cupboards, wood burning stove, bathroom and loo (don't use the pump out toilet so it's not the tank but that is on port side) cabin bed and wardrobe, engine and main fixings and fittings in the engine room (batteries et al). I haven't even moved aboard proper yet so all my clothes, books, and posessions that are needed aboard would also all go in the storage on the port side. It seems like an insane design but it's all I have to work with. I have no boat plans, I have no inspection hatches that we can find. Apart from increasing the small amount of visible ballast that's already under the cratch on the starboard side, I'm not sure what I can do to trim the boat when all my stuff is onboard. Corridor from galley to back of boat all runs on the starboard side and no room for significant storage on the very narrow shelves. Any advice on what I should/could do to remedy this, please? Thanks!

Sorry, I don't follow. I am a bear of very little brain...