BlueStringPudding

And when there isn't a bollard? Or on a windy day? I'm not sure you actually read the examples I gave 🤔 My ex steered the boat without a tiller extension. He was physically strong and found that suited his upper body strength. I couldn't do that so I extended the tiller. That is using my brain.

I ended up on a 65fter, been on it 12 years now, handles fine (that's as much to do with the make than anything else). And I have a long tiller extension to make up for lack of shoulder strength compared to a chap. The boat length actually makes climbing in and out of narrow locks easy coz it doesn't matter if I get on the front or back of the roof. I do have to watch the a*se end near the cill which would be less of an issue in a short boat, and warn "helpful" other boat crews not to open gate paddles for me when they think they're being helpful but they instead just fill up the bow with water (had that happen on Hatton Flight - swines nearly sank me, people used to short boats don't always use their common sense when sharing a lock with a longer boat). I wouldn't go for a boat with a closed end like the old Canal Time boats because I've found it useful when single handing (being a not-that-strong lass and not exactly a gazelle when leaping to the bank) to be able to run from the bak deck through the boat to the bow sometimes, especially when mooring up. On a windy day it's tricky to handle with ropes because I'm not heavy enough/strong enough to always pull it in against the wind on my own. So I just didn't cruise in windy weather if I could help it. A lightweight plastic boat would be easier to manoeuvre on ropes only. And a short boat would have a larger choice of winding holes to turn around in. But for that you sacrifice living space.

If I replace them I'll want to do so with something that fits in the same size cut out hole, really

Well, a certain clever simian solved the problem from his own boat! I told him about the weird popping and crackling noises and he reckoned that because the speakers hadn't been used for a decade, the cone on one has probably split. I took a close look and he's right, there's a couple of little tears. So I've unplugged that one speaker from the amp and turned everything back on and the hum has gone, the volume is properly controllable again and there's no crackling and popping anymore. RIP not-very-trusty-speaker. ☠️🔇 His brother must carry the burden for now. And long live the Great Moomin! 😁

Nooooo!!!! What's just happened!? Monkey and I had the tele on all last night wired through the amp with perfect sound. Half an hour ago I put the tele on again and had perfect sound. Then while I was on the other side of the room I heard several loud crackles through the speakers and then suddenly "huuumm!!!!" The bloody interference sound came back for no reason!!!! Checked the plugs were all tightly in place and they are. Turned everything off and on again but the hum is still there. What's going on? At first I wondered if the crackling sound might be related to the wind that's gusting outside. But I don't think it is and it doesn't explain the hum coming back all on its own. Any ideas?

All hail the great Moomin!!!! 🤗 His ground isolator cable thingy plugged in directly between the amp and the tele and instantly there was no feedback at all! Not so much as a nonchalant hum at any volume. So thank you everyone for your suggestions, the problem is now cured. I'm a very happy clanger. 😃

It's a great idea Iain, thanks for the suggestion. But unfortunately I don't have the means to run it from a separate battery.

I think all their teles are LED these days, aren't they? Mine is only a couple of years old.

I remember those humming spinning tops! The speaker noise isn't dissimilar, now you mention it.

Thanks Moomy😊 Do you know what connectors your isolator thingy has on it, please?

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm going to try to cover several of the questions/suggestions in one go here: The tele power cable has a little box on it that says "INPUT 12-32v OUTPUT 12v" so I think that means it's very much a 12v tele. That box hangs a good 2ft below the tele and amp, if relevant. When I connect my phone to the amp with the tele on stand-by, and hold both the amp and phone as far from the tele as possible (just under 2ft) there's little interference noise. As soon as the tele is switched on, the interference noise returns at the same volume and pitch as it did when the amp was situated 3 inches below the tele on the media cabinet. So to summarise the various scenarios: My first trial of the amp, as described in a previous post, had the amp and the tele plugged into DIFFERENT 12v circuits. That trial had the amp situated about 2ft from the tele in a thick OSB cupboard with the tele in the neighbouring cabin. The interference noise was present when the tele was on. My second trial of the amp had the amp and tele plugged into the SAME 12v circuit. The amp was situated below the tele on the media unit. The interference noise was present when the tele was on. With the amp located CLOSE to the tele but plugged into my phone, the interference was present as soon as the tele was switched on. With the amp located FAR from the tele but plugged into my phone, the interference was present and at the same volume as before, as soon as the tele was switched on. For info, the speakers are built in to the wall so immovable. The tele is on a wall-mounted bracket immediately in front of the speakers. That cannot be relocated because it's near to the aerial and electrics and the rest of the furniture is built around having the tele and electrics in that location. The speaker cables do run close to the tele - there's little room to put them anywhere else. The amp needs to be situated on the media unit below the tele because that's what the furniture is built for. The satellite box similarly sits on that unit just a few inches below the tele (but causes no interference). Phew! Is there anything I've forgotten? It hums like Aled Jones with his nuts in a vice. Vapours!!!!!? You're lucky I read that after you just left my boat, Mr Monkey

I don't use an inverter. I have a 12v system here. I have disconnected one thing at a time and listed in my first post the results of that. I don't know "switched mode in the tele" means (do you mean alternating current?) nor what the solution to that causing interference would be if it's not the initial suggestion above to buy a ground loop isolator.

No plug, I'm afraid. The first day of testing the tele was plugged into a 12v cigar socket on different circuit to the one that powers the amp. On the evening of the second test the tele was plugged into a cigar socket on the same circuit as the amp. Now the tv is securely hard wired into the switch panel on the same circuit as the amp. All three scenarios have the same interference hum when both the tele and amp are switched on.

I don't understand what I don't understand, Tony! But thank you I've not disconnected anything from the MPPT controller because I can't see it leading to a workable solution even if it was causing the problem. And since the interference noise is there at quarter to midnight, that suggests the solar controller isn't part of the problem anyway. I have LED bulbs and fluorescent bulbs in that cabin. So far it's made no difference to the interference noise as to which lights are on or off, or in the daytime when no lights are on.

With the audio lead plugged into my phone there's very little interference noise. A faint high pitched buzz when the volume is turned up on the amp, but it's a very different sound to when the tele is on. Not too irritating and totally different to the tele interference hum, but it's still an interference noise of sorts. However when I switched the tele on, with the audio cable still between my phone and the amplifier, as soon as the tele changed from standby to on, the original interference hum returned. So the annoying hum is there even when if the amp is not plugged into the tele, as long as the tele and amp are both switched on! The hum may have been slightly fainter than when the audio cable was plugged directly into the tele but it's still very noticeable. What if anything does that suggest the solution is? Still a ground loop gizmo when connecting the amp to the tele or something else?