larryjc

Sorry if this has been discussed before but I can't find any record using the search facility. So has anyone experience of these NASA monitors http://www.allgadget...CFUvHtAodeDYADw They also do a smaller version. As they measure current with a shunt they seem to me to be good value compared to any others - or maybe they're cheap because they're no good?! Oops - did another search and found some comments but still interested in any comments

Are any qualifications actually necessary? None of my potential insurers have asked. In my case I have an ICC from sailing (and one or two RYA tickets - YM Ocean, instructor and Advanced Powerboat none of which I suspect are of any use on the waterways!!) Also if one has a VHF on board does the boat need a radio licence as well as the operator?

I are confused - chatting yesterday although my avatar had dissapeared and then the site went down. I had saved the link and it wasn't working this morning. But when I went back to the main site and went forward again to the forums there they were again??? And I still can't upload an a avatr as it says my upload permissions need changing - que?

Sorry if this should be somewhere else and no - its not about techical issues of plugs either!! I suspect that many of you boaty types like me, like using a Kindle or somesuch. As a hard working author please forgive me if I put a little plug about my books here - they are all a little boaty. Two are semi historical thrillers set in the Caribbean - where I sailed for a while and three are about the modern Royal Navy and once again based on my personal experiences as a helicopter pilot. The first is about the Falklands and then they move on - I have a whole series planned. All are avaialble on Amazon as Kindles of paperbacks at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=jeram-croft

Tried to upload my old avatar as it was missing and it won't let me - says I need to change my upload settings - except I don't seem to have any of those!!

You never know - our intentions are to mosey slowly south and end up in the K&A for the winter - quite what route we will take and how competent we will be by then is still open to debate.

Just an apology in advance. We bought a 60 footer at the weekend (subject to survey) and should be on our way for the spring and summer in a month or so. I've spent quite some time reading bits of the forum and so: - we have a bow thruster (its there so I will use it!), I intend to put Geraniums and herbs on the roof, we don't know how to do locks 'efficiently' and will no doubt make a pigs ear of a few before we get the knack of it. So if you see us, especially up Manchester way - dark blue boat called 'Amelie May' then sorry for all that. Mind you we are fairly sociable and have been known to have the odd drink or seventeen.

We're about to go afloat and intend to spend most of the year living on board. However after talking to various boaters it seems the network starts to sieze up come November. Is there any standard period when canals tend to close for maintenacne over the winter months? I know the Avon and some of the K&A were closed this winter. If so how does this tie in with the need to move on every two weeks with a CC licence if you can;t move anywhere????

Don't think so - it says 'Cattybrook' on the side.

Slight thread drift b ut I'm looking at an older boat with a Perkins 3hd46. Anyone know of these and if they are any good. That said the boat is not expensive and it might be worth replacing but I've no idea what that would cost.

I can do that easily and did suggest it but Direct Line were adamant that it wasn't good enough. just popping in every three months apparently is not on. They want the place as main residence and only periods of 60 days to happen 'on occasions'.

Tried asking for an organ grinder and got the same response and just coming back at least every 60 days wouldn't wash, nor would the fact I can have it regularly checked by relatives. I will have to find a good broker.

Tried a search on this problem on the forum and couldn't find and answer. So: I got a shock today when I was speaking to Direct Line who insure my house who said if I was away for more than 60 days it would be invalid - the whole shebang, buildings and contents. Also I've spoken to some boat insurers and they seem loathe to insure personal possessions. Our intention is to buy a boat a with a view to long term CC but do not want to sell our house (at least at the moment). I'm pretty sure there are plenty of others like us - has anyone found an insurer that will still cover the house for long periods and even do the boat as well?? Thanks in advance.

Forward planning and Murphy's law always seem to be against each other!!

Been reading a thread about boat lengths and the canals that have restrictions. Lock size seems to be the main issue but what about turning around? - or do all canals lead somewhere? Presumably some are dead ends. Also what do you do if you find yourself confronted with a lock you can't get into. Presumably you have to turn around but if you are too long for the lock presumably you are too wide to do that also! Does this mean driving backwards for miles? Just trying to get my head around what size to buy especially as there are lots of boats longer than 57 foot around.

I guess any form of power generation is going to make noise - I have plenty of experience of that from my yachting days - where I had solar and a wind generator and still wished I had a genny. I am just trying to weigh up the issues of cost/noise/convenience/safety.

I guess I was thinking of putting on deck somewhere - maybe under some form of cover when not in use. Below decks I don't think it would get enough cooling.

Oops sorry I wasn't pointing at the one in the link necessarily rather at the concept - as opposed to suitcase petrol ones or very expensive marinised ones. This is the company that were advertising on ebay: Direct Equipment Sales They have some with Yanmar engines and also cheaper single phase ones. If the cheaper one only lasts a couple of years then at less than a grand surely its got to be worth considering. And yes I realise they aren't silent but 70db is pretty good. My question was has anyone had experience of going down this route?

As an ex yottie I have some fairly strong views on what I want when I get my boat (hopefully soon) and one of the things I want is a generator. The marine ones are ***king expensive and the petrol suitcase jobbies seem to be **** dangerous. However after moseying through ebay I came across this: Silent Diesel Air cooled, diesel, silent, 6.3 kv and not that big - although there are smaller ones also. Anyone tried/used/know about this sort of solution. Can't see why room couldn't be found in a canal boat and they're £700 rather than £4000!

Same with our boat, ours used about 50 amps a day but we were in the Caribbean! However I don't think we could live without one. Some years ago I had a camper van and that had a gas powered fridge - are these around still and would they be a viable alternative? As for wind generators - yes they are noisy. Mine used to drive me mad, although they do tell you in the middle of the night that the wind has got up - important when at anchor. I'm surprised that you recommend solar - even in the tropics our two 80w panels only produced about 40 amps on a good day. IN the UK I would have thought you would need to cover the whole roof to make them worthwhile!!

Thanks for the first two responses - having posted I then read the thread about Power Generation above - should have done it the other way around - doh! It would seem that all the issues that I came across in the salty world, apply here. I'm just amazed how few boats I've seen for sale have anything like what I would consider to be a useable system. Maybe people remove them before sale? Or maybe the majority of boats live in marinas.

What ho canal peeps, Just joined the forum as SWMBO and I are about to enter the world of the waterways. Previously we lived on our boat with a tall stick and clothy flappy things to get around. After several years doing that we decided that tying up for the night without sleeping with one eye open in case the anchor dragged or waking up having hit another boat because our mooring pulled out was a good idea. I've always thought about a canal boat as an alternative and so we are now looking at all the ads and brokers for the 'perfect' boat. One thing that concentrated my mind when cruising, probably more than anything was the state of my batteries. They were the first thing I checked in the morning and the last thing I checked at night. My 42 foot boat for two of us had 440AH of batteries, a wind generator and two solar panels and we still needed to run the engine at least every three days - we have a fridge, television and lights as the most usual loads. I've been surprised when looking at canal boats how little they seem to have in terms of electrical power and storage. I very rarely see more than three house batteries and quite low power inverters. I never see battery monitoring systems mentioned in the specs. Generators seem to be very rare as well. Is this because most boats manage to hook up to shore power often? I would have thought that if you are moseying along for months on end then that's not really possible. Oh and this time I have been told that a washing machine is essential - not sure why but I just do as I'm told. My thoughts on a practical set up would be: At least 440 Ah of batteries if not more. A 240 v shore charger A 2kw inverter A separate generator. A battery monitoring system that assess current drain and voltages. I also hear that there is now some form of 'engine driven 240v generator' around can anyone advise on these? Finally on my boat I ditched my 12v truck batteries for 6v Trojan Golf cart batteries - wired as a 12v system. This was because a golf cart battery's charge/discharge cycle is far more akin to that of a boat, ie long slow discharge and then quite quick blast back to full. This meant I could take more out of them without damage. Anyone heard of this being done in canal boats?