Traveller

They were trying tp move a large floating dry dock from Brandon Creek to Ely on Tuesday but could not get it under the road bridge by The Ship. The idea was to half submerge it but it got stuck. Navigation through the bridge was restricted if not impossible for a large slice of the day. They ended up mooring the dry dock just before the bridge leaving room for navigation and it was still there last night. The reason I mention it is that I was told Denver let water out to help facilitate passage through the bridge - if so it clearly did not work. That might also have impacted water levels up there, Phil? OT I know but that large contraption was moved down Brandion Creek with a tug pushing it. It is a very narrow river and there are boats moored either side. If the floating dry dock had hit something (and we saw it brush one) it might well have gone without notice. Seems to me this should have been handled via the EA and advertised so that moorers could be given the opportunity to get their boats out of the way if they wanted.

Had the diesel man over yesterday and he spent a couple of hours looking at the engine. All is well as far as he in concerned other than a newly installed (by previous owner) alternator is not aligned properly- shims required. Cold starting seems to be improving as the engine gets used more but probably the thing that made the difference was me giving the starter battery a couple of hours on the charger. As the diesel man said, BMC's are not the best starters and mine is behaving at about par for the course.

Banks do charge for a bankers draft but it is secure for the seller and the buyer. Bank to bank transfers via the internet are possible (but I think there is a limit to the value) but this does not provide security to buyer or seller as (1) the seller does not know if they have the money until it arrives in their account and might be reluctant to release the "keys" until such time as the money is in and (2) the seller has to make the payment before he has control of the boat so the seller could do a runner. An alternative to an internet based bank to bank transfer is a CHAPS payment and the banks will charge for this. However the risks are the same as any other bank to bank transfer. Bank to bank type transfers are fine when working though an intermediary with an escrow account (like a broker). To me a bankers draft is the only way to create a secure transaction.

Blast! I have some leaky side doors that I really wanted to get to grips with this weekend - once the locksmith has broken in for us (lost side-door key). Can't work on 'em in the rain though as with the doors and hatch open more rain will get in that via the official leak

Likewise!

Bankers drafts should be full proof. As I understand it the bank takes the money out of your account and holds in in an escrow account pending submission of the draft. The bankers draft is therefore drawn against the bank and not the individuals personal account. They cannot be stopped. The alternative is something like a CHAPS payment which is a same day value bank to bank transfer. It is not instantaneous in that it still takes time to get through the system. I used this when I bought one of our boats. The paying bank remitted the CHAPS at 1000 but it did not show in the recipients bank account for a couple of hours.

Thanks. I do understand why compression can influence starting (or lack of). What I could not understand is why there is a view that, on an engine that has cold starting problems, a compression test is not so important if that engine starts well when warm. Maybe it is because an engine that starts well when warm must have reasonable compression?

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but why is a compression test less important if engine fires up easily when warm?

Its a Victron Centaur 12V 50AThere is no documentation with it and I can find nothing that helps re dip switches on the Victron site.

The Victron is already there so I want to use it. Phil seems to have the right idea though, buy a smaller jobbie for when travelling. On my Broads boat I had a CTEK 25 amp charger an that worked well enough. Wished I had taken it off before i sold the boat :-( Thanks all

This is one of those threads that will go nowhere as not everybody has first hand experience of the up or downside of the marina and/or its management. Trial by forum never works and is always, at best, inconclusive. One of the issues has been the overnight moorings and I have to admit I would not want boats mooring against my garden for many reasons. But then I have never moored or tried to moor there, so what do I really know!

Thanks. It will be looked at this week and I shall let you know how it goes. Thanks again for the pointers, I fully understand that is all the advice can be without the detail being available

Had not thought there might be a fuse. Is that the norm, Tony? One question, is/should a preheat be required this time of year? Would have thought the temperature this time of year was sufficient to render the glow plugs redundant.

That is where I always fall over, Phil. Can do the basic maths but it is all this peak stuff that gets me. :-) Does that man that the generator will stall or will the charger just charge at a lower rate? I am just trying not to have to lug my bigger generator around at this time but if needs must and all that!

For years I have had one of the above generators. It was given to me and I do not have the documentation. However I believe it is rated at 600 watts (0.7kva) and provides up to 700 watts of power. Is this man enough to drive my on board Victron 50 amp charger? As you may gather I am ignorant when it comes to "electrickery" so any guidance would be most welcome. Thanks

We were on the levels about 20 years ago. Moored in Charlie Fox's place - the yard is still there but regrettably Charlie has now passed. Yes, there is something about the place but in our day we were not really bothered by many boats coming down from the canals.

Thanks Guys, I am suspicious of the plugs for as I said when turning them on there is no apparent battery draw registered on the ammeter. The smoke once it does start clears very quickly and the engine runs smoothly. I can create more smoke but only when I open the throttle wide and quickly, even then it lasts but a short while. The smoke is always white. Should say that the boat has remained idle for about a year as the owner regrettably passed away.

Will do when I am there next week, Richard. I am no electrician but presumably the glo-plugs are energised by a live feed from the ignition switch (preheat position) and the earth is via the plugs contact with the block? I ask as if there is no power/feed from the switch I can run a temporary feed direct from the battery to test if they are working? Why is it that the engine eventually starts? Does it generate its own heat whilst trying to start? Also, the ignition switch has the preheat position to the left and the cold start start position to the left of that. So, one has to turn the key to the preheat position and hold it there against the spring for say 30 seconds. The key is then turned to the extreme left to fire it up. Once running the key is turned to the extreme right which is the hot start position. However when said key is turned to preheat and held no lights come on and there is no ammeter reading. When the key is turned fully to the left the ignition light shows red and the ammeter behaves as expected. As previousely mentioned, once warm the engine starts easily so hopefully this can be nothing too serious?

My own boat seems to have problem with the glo plugs, although they were new about a year ago. I hold the switch to the preheat position for about 30 to 45 seconds but starting is difficult. The engine coughs out some white smoke (does that mean there is some sort of combustion?) and after several attempts it eventually fires/splutters into life. Once warm the engine starts instantaneously and when running all appears fine. What surprised me was the fact that when I held the ignition switch over to the preheat position no ignition light comes on and neither did the ammeter show a discharge.

Many thanks for that, Tony. Colin

Tony, what happens should a glow plug snap when trying to extract? Does that mean there is an expensive bill on the horizon to have it put right? Colin

I just wonder if the OP is going to get what he really wants anywhere on the canals/rivers. National Trust properties and the like are scattered all over the place and not all are close to the waterways. Add to that the speed (slow) of travel and I cannot see how many such places will actually be visited.

Haven don't ask for a survey - or they did not ask me (although I did have one done)

I think Sam did do that but did not Springer vanish and then re-emerge as Springer UK. It was the latter I believe that built the Bug and the so called Tugs?

Thanks Phil, it is just a case of turning the key to the appropriate position then? On my old Broads cruiser I had to hold the key against the spring. Looks like we may well be coming to Riverside Island next month so is there a "nice man" who can give the engine a service for me? Thanks Colin