larryjc

Sorry can't remember the make but its a bog standard full size that you can get from Currys etc. Its in the galley right next to the sink unit you can see it in this photo

Just seen this thread and felt I should add my thoughts. I've used the cheap plastic machines on boats and although they are alright for limited short term use I would strongly suggest that they will drive you mad over a longer period - even if they last that long. They're not big enough and very labour intensive. We've had two narrow boats and live on them for months. Our first boat had one of the small Candys and a 3 KW generator. Worked fine but again a small drum. One of the key points we looked for on our second boat was either a full size machine or the space for one. This is what we have now. The only problem is that even with a 3kw inverter my alternator can only kick out half of what the heater uses and so 100Amps are dragged out of the batteries. Its a cold fill machine like most these days. The solution is seemples, the machine is next to the sink so we have a hose from the tap to the soap drawer and fill the machine from there with hot water - the heater never kicks in. In my (my wifes actually) opinion a full size machine is essential for long term living on board. For drying we have a brolly mate on the tiller and one of those click up lines or a a rack in the saloon.

Thanks everyone - very much listening to advice. My rads are on max and I've been looking into my installation which really needs another radiator. Sounds like yet another task for the spring.

Sorry - are you saying that a Hydronic feeding two radiators and a hot water tank is not a good idea? Its been working for several years before we bought the boat and works fine for us with the one minor query I had about it seeming to 'rest' after a while, which doesn't actually seem to be a problem as such. I certainly wasn't blaming the boiler for anything merely asking how to service it.

Why?

Thanks for all the replies. However what I was really wanting to know is, is it difficult to decoke/service or should I get it done by a dealer. And is there an hours counter hiddenin the software somewhere - cos I can't find one.

Interesting as it only has two radiators to supply and the hot water tank so might well be why it does it but I ususally only run it for an hour and then its not a problem.

My Eberspacher works fine although after about an hour fifteen it seems to need to relight itself - starts ticking and then there is a 'whoosh' as on initial start up. However I wondered if they are hard to service. The manual says clean the glow plug pin every year and get a dealer to decoke every 2000 hours - (but I can't find an hours counter in the control unit). Do I really need a dealer or can an average mechanic (me) tackle it. If it needs a dealer any recommendations? We are in Lyme view on the Macc. Thanks in advance.

Alternatively there is an app called 'easy tether' it worked well for me this year when I was cruising. It only works with a wired tether not a hotspot but it meant I wasn't permanently worried about losing internet. It quite frightening how much data one can use in a day just smurfing about.

Yes like my last boat which I sold - doh!

You tell that to SWMBO who might have to walk miles across a marina with heavy wet washing and then have to pay real money for the privelige. I of course woul be too busy to help as I will be doing boaty things. (or having an orgy)

Ahh - you missed out the last bit of my sentence.

Hang on, what's wrong with orgies?? Actually I just spoke to Clacutt and they had no issues at all (including putting washing out).

Cropredy were the first I tried and that's the first thing they told me. Just spoken to Baunston and they are totally relaxed about it. One of these days someone will actually explain what these 'standards' actually are and why they need to be maintained!!!!

Can't get my head around some rules in marinas. The one that really winds up my wife is not being able to put washing out to dry. We were in Venetian a while ago and anyone would have thought that we had committed murder when she put our fold up line, on the brolly mate on the tiller (no one told us we couldn't). We're currently in Lyme View on the Macc and the owner is so laid back he's horizontal and surprisingly no one has committed suicide or burst into tears when boats put their washing out. In fact I don't think anyone actually notices. Our plans for next year will probably include looking for a mooring further south, probably on the Oxford. I rang a few marinas there and they all ban washing being dried outside. I know that they can set the rules but what's wrong with some clothes drying???!! And anyone know of a marina in the area that's not quite so pedantic?

Used to do this on Rover V8 Engines. Get piston at TDC and valve can only drop a tiny bit. I used an old open eneded spanner with jaws the right size to straddle the collet and cut in half with a hole drilled in the end. With the rockers removed you can use one of the drilled holes that holds the rocker shaft. Put a rocker bolt through the hole in the spanner and then back in the head. Screw down on the bolt and compress the valve spring. Once made the tool can be used over again. Never had any damage to pistons but if it looks like you have a stuck collet then give the valve head a gentle tap or seventeen to free it rather than forcing it down onto the piston. Hopefully its the collet that's the issue not a worn valve 'cos then its head off time.

My last narrow boat and also my last floaty on the blue stuff boat had Paguros. Single cylinder diesels of 3Kw and uses raw water cooling. Never had a problem with the strainers getting blocked and very quiet - just a chuffing from the exhaust with a splash. Quite noisy in the boat though. Mind you on my new one I don't have a Genny just solar and frankly would not bother with one any more. Egnine for hot water as we travel most days or just run it for an hour. Hook up in marinas.

Just a small point. AH ratings of batteries are nominal and at a set temperature. If I remember correctly (and I'm sure someone here will know). Its about 27 Deg C, below that capacity drops off. Also the battery needs a number of cycles before it will be at optimum so to programme 460 AH is probably too high. I have four new Trojan T105s nominally at 450 AH but have put 420 into my NASA (mind you the NASA SOC is useless).

All right - I think I've been talked into it!!!!

Just idly considering next year's cruise. We will be heading through Harecastle southwards. We went past the entrance to the Caldon at Etruria the other year and I intend to do a diversion to have a look see this time. Nicholson as usual gives some detail but what does the committee think? Also is it worth doing both end arms or is one beter than the other?

I would also suggest a drive plate. 14 years on one is a good time and they do wear out. How many engine hours do you have? I had exactly this on a Nanni with a PRM150 box a few years back with about 3000 hours. Try the long screw driver to the ear test. Put it on the section between the engine and gearbox and listen. Its surprising how much you can hear. I've also had engine mounts go and they tend to be more of a distinct clicking type of rattle rather than a rumble. One test is to undo the nuts on the gearbox out put flange and remove the bolts holding it to the propshaft flange. Let the engine settle, the two flanges should be at the same height and parallel to each other. You can adjust the hieght of each mount to achieve this. On my current boat there was a horrible loud rattle until the engine came under load. Readjusting them sorted the noise out.

The fridge/laptop etc will probably need less than 300w at 240v so should not be an issue. But I've used similar twin tubs on yachts and found them a pain as they are a high workload and small capacity. In your original post you say you have a domestic machine, personally I would still go down that route purely for long term convenience. Apart from the heater load which as I and others have said you can by pass with a hot fill system, they aren't that high a load. Certainly if you have a decent charging system on you engine then that will cope fine. I think you will still need a reasonably decent inverter to give a clean output. You say you already have a washing macine and 'crappy' inverter - do you know what it is?

I asssume you intend to be using the washing machine when travelling? We have a 3KW Victron and an 110Amp alternator but when we first used the washing machine with the engine running we saw over 100 amps coming out of the batteries on my NASA when the heater kicked in because the alternator could only cope with about half the current load required for the heater. I calculated that my machine heater draws about 220 amps. I could have replumbed and used the hot water supply but a simpler solution is to put a kettle of hot water down the soap tray followed by some hot water from the hot tap (with a little hose thingy). The heater never has to kick in and we get a very good wash - probably because its a lot hotter than the heater would give.

As I understand it no bitumen coatings are now approved for new tanks but can some can be used on ones that already have used it. A quote from the Rylard web site: Legislation has resulted in the withdrawal of the Water Research Council’s approval of bitumen for use in water tanks and equipment for all public services. This means that bituminous solutions are no longer approved by the WRC, but their continuing use on existing bituminised tanks is permitted under BS3416 on boats. If your boat has a water tank already coated with bitumen, you can use Water Tank Coating to maintain it. New water tanks must use two pack bitumen-free coatings (such as Epicol SF).