Badger

Thank you all for your thoughts. Will try and get through this trip cutting down our power consumption. I know that leaving the boat unused and not fully charged/charging is not ideal. But i think getting seven years plus out of this et of batteries is pretty good. One day perhaps I will get around to looking at a solar panel maybe. After seventeen years working this way we have not done to badly. Thank you all again. Badger....somewhere on the Nene.

Hi, I have 3 sealed batteries on my boat which have been very good and coming up to seven years old. They have not had heavy use, and it is sometimes several weeks before we return to the boat and plug in the landline to charge them. On our present trip on the Nene they are struggling to keep the fridge running overnight. In the morning they are down around 11.5 volts. The batteries are marked Exrider DC31 MF Does anyone know of a good supplier of an equivalent battery ?.Or maybe in the past seven years things have moved on and there is something better out there ?. We do not use loads of power, just a small 300w inverter for a TV sometimes in the evening...the main power going to run the fridge as ever. Any suggestions much appreciated. I wonder if there is a supplier out there who may rendezvous with me to deliver new batteries ?. Badger

Thanks for your response everybody. I did indeed try Craftinsure. I filled out a simple online form to get a quote. (which was very good). I then gave them a call. They were very helpful. Stating that they would pay out an agreed sum, if I had a recent valuation from a surveyor or broker etc. Or if not would pay out a considered market value to replace.(Even if it were more than the original purchase price.). I have decided to go with Craftinsure. Thanks again to all. Badger Unfortunately I did not get a written quote from either broker, but it is something I will do this year.

Hello, I recently looked at changing my boat insurance company. When talking to a couple of companies I discovered that I cannot give a value for my boat, greater than the amount I originally paid for it. Last year I had two brokers value my boat for resale. The prices quoted were more than I originally paid at purchase. If boats have risen in value over the years, would it not be fair for insurance companies to pay out a replacement cost at today's prices, rather than what might have been a boat value years before ?. What are your views ? Badger

Thanks for the replies, is there such a thing as a reducer to change from 5" to say 4.5". Would seem easier than changing the roof collar.

After 16 years of good service my Heta stove is ready for retirement. I am looking for a replacement and need advice on fitting. Most stoves I am looking at come with a 5" flue. The old stove had a very heavy steel flue pipe measuring 4.25 " dia (108mm). This passed through the cast roof fitting, the hole in the roof cast is 125mm. The gap between the pipe and the roof casting was filled with asbestos type rope and then sealed with fire cement on the top of the casting. The stoves I have seen talk of a 5" flue, this will be very tight or impossible to pass through the roof fitting. Not sure really what to do, and the suppliers I have spoken to online do not seem very helpful, One more thing, does a stove have to be fixed down for the boat safety certificate ?. as the stoves I have been looking at do not have this facility. Need to get this sorted with winter on the way. Badger

Thanks to everybody for their input. Pretty much as many stated. As most boats are blacked every 2-3 years, probably not worth the worry if a little rust appears at waterline.

Am blacking hull with bitumen at present. Is their a product I can put on the bare steel around the waterline area that I can apply the bitumen over. In the past I have tried red oxide, but discovered that the bitumen falls off it. How about a 2 pack ?. ..is it available in smaller quantities ?. Any advice appreciated. Badger

Love bats...AND Crickets !! What about city centre moorings,...are they all good (safe) for overnight stays ?.

Thank you all for your responses. Looks like we are in for a fabulous trip. Being a river boater we are looking forward to doing some narrow locks for the first time. Seems we should be OK for laundrettes. Apart from the BW/CRT key...is there any other hardware we would need ?. Badger

OK...great comments, sounds lovely. We are really looking forward to it. Leaving Peterborough mid June, probably do the South Oxford first. Southern Star...may meet up with you somewhere on the ring in July. Hope to be out for six weeks or so. Thanks for the info on the laundry facility also. Badger

Hi...after 15 years owning our narrowboat we will at last be venturing on to the canal system for the first time. Up to now, we have always been based (and cruised) river navigations. We are thinking of doing the Leicester ring and were looking for any tips, advice etc. Is there a recognised direction that is favoured to do the circuit ?. Are there many laundry facilities along the way ?. Is the ring mostly rural, that is what we are hoping...After that thought we might try the South Oxford before heading home to the river Nene. Any info would bee much appreciated. Badger

Yes... the tiller arm will have to be raised, I still want to find these quick release swivel mounts if I can.

I want to fit a couple of seats to the stern rail on my cruiser stern narrowboat. The stern rail is box section steel 40x80mm. I have found a couple of possible seats on ebay. Searching the net I have found plenty of American sites with seat swivels that come with another plate that the swivel clips in and out of. therefore I can take the seat off instantly. Anybody know where I might find these in the UK please ?. Badger

Of course i realise that the pump is not likely to produce exactly 11.3 litres. Running off a measured amount from the galley cold tap, that is only about 14ft from the pump...I would not expect a drop of 50% 0f the rated capacity.

Are you saying that the pump only producing approx 6 litres at a cold tap is about right ?.

just back from boat ...as Boilerman suggested, tested volume of water pumped in minute. It is pumping less than half of the stated rate. New pump for me then !. Many thanks to all for their help. Badger

Yes that's a good simple test...pity I did not think of it when we were on the boat at the weekend. I will try a bucket test next visit. ...MANY THANKS Badger

Thanks for your replies. When we shower the pump runs constantly...it would, wouldn't it ?. I checked the pressure in the accumulator...about 15psi, and the pump is cutting out at around 32psi (as it should ). I did think about furring of the pipes (which are all plastic ). Can plastic pipes fur up ?. I have seen no evidence of furring. I was wondering if the pump is not pumping as it did when new. The diaphragms appear good...the pump had a new front end kit about ten years ago I think. Does anybody know if these pumps do deteriate after long period of use. Badger At the weekend I fitted a new shower rose, but this also made no difference.

I have fitted to my boat Shurflo pump for the fresh water taps and shower. This works in conjunction with an accumulator at about 15psi . The pump is now 15 years old. My partner and I can both remember the shower in the early days having really good pressure. Now though the shower flow seems well, adequate at best. Could it be that the pump is past it's best, do they become weaker with age ?. The pump is rated at 11.3 litres per minute. Is this big enough, I see you can buy pumps with a greater flow rate...what size is yours !. Any advice would be much appreciated. Badger

Sorry to have been so long replying to all your responses. I have been working away for a few days, will research further into electronic tachos, thanks to all for your thoughts. Badger

I want to know what revs I am doing for my optimum cruising speed, without the engine noise being to loud. It is quite noisy. I have been toying with having an Axium prop fitted. I believe that might offer me the cruising speed I want a, with fewer revs.

Can anyone advise me of where I can buy a rev counter to fit to my Perkins Prima diesel. Secondly, where does it pick up a signal from ?. The only instrument my boat has is a water temp gauge, it doesn't get anymore basic than that ....does it !. Badger

Ho ho Ho...lots of answers there. I like the sound of the epoxy resin, sounds simple. will check it out. Many thanks to all. Badger

I am replacing the ply on my engine cover. It is a glossy brown plastic on the underside. The top is also brown, and covered in a web pattern I am sure a lot of boaters are using a similar material. I just wondered what would be best to seal the cut edges to seal them from water ingress. Any thoughts ?. Badger