Opener

OMG!! There's got to be a great punny reply to that question. Think, brain - think!!

What Rich Lech and Mike said. I had the 'single red flash' syndrome last year and was all ready to replace our aged batteries. SWMBO insisted I talk to John who measured the voltage at the fridge, tutted a bit and fitted some decent gauge cable from end to end. We've had no bother since despite running on only two of the three 110a/h batteries. Take a hard look at feed cable!

Which bit / page / info do you need? I seem to be able to get a good image of all the manual pages on my tablet by resizing those pages which come up as landscape. (Sorry if this is too late).

I'd endorse what is said above about mooring - we found space more or less in the centre just before the Tour de France came through so all modes of transport were fairly busy. All locations fairly quiet (except for the time they were building the apartments next to the old chimney and the only way into the compound in the morning was to break down the perimeter fence next to our mooring!) We did a complicated shuffle last year to get blacked which involved moving boat, car, groceries, wife, etc twice. That involved leaving the car for long days and iirc Sackville St & Upper Sackville St had space free.

We had a slightly strange craft on the marina a couple of years ago - a bit like a mid-cockpit Broads cruiser. The two lads aboard had just bought it and, when they arrived, turned right off the canal, right up the marina and right into their berth. The morning they set off for London, they reversed out of the berth, then forwards and right heading for the marina exit (you can see what's coming, can't you!). When they turned left for the exit nothing happened. They had ahead or right. No 'left'. Turns out the previous owner had had the wheel and the rudder disconnected and had not thought to recenter them when he put it all back together.

Try pouring large amounts of water into the engine bilge then operate the switch. If it's a master switch for the bilge pump then the bilge will empty. If the bilge remains flooded then it isn't!

Spent a night right on the back door to the pub on Eanam Wharf a couple of years ago - the worst thing that happened was one fag end on the back deck! Nice mooring at Rishton but I've seen a couple of adverse comments about the locals - good shops up the hill. Watch yourself if mooring at Church - there was/is a carefully hidden large hole next to one of the mooring rings full of water. Guess who found it! Consider just East of the winding hole between br 118 & 119 - a bit near the motorway but fairly quiet and great views. Rose Grove good for services and shops up the hill (again!). Rings outside Inn on the Wharf in Burnley. Reedley usually has a spare short term berth. Kingfisher well worth a visit. Quiet offside mooring at the foot of Barrowford although the bywash can get a bit noisy. Top of Barrowford past the long term moorers just after the bend. Just after Foulridge at the old wharf. Salterforth outside the pub if either berth is free.

Just as a variation on a couple of the previous suggestions, check how deep your boat sits in the water. Just take one of those flexible tape measures and hook the end under the edge of the baseplate - that will tell you how much you draw. Check at bow and stern. Now paint a line at that measurement on both ends of your pole. Stick it in the water when you are deciding where to moor and you've got an instant assessment of whether the water is deep enough.

Stop! Think! What is the biggest load that I am likely to want to shift? Tailor decision around that.

Not clear if you want it to heat the room or to, for example, dry towels (which always seem to feel damp in the morning). I bought a low wattage 'greenhouse heater' a while ago and it lives on the hard floor in the galley over the winter linked up to shore mains power via a temperature controlled socket. I made a very simple frame out of a couple of bits of timber which use the mounting brackets provided. They come in varying lengths so you should get one to fit/suit - for example: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hausen-Electric-Tubular-Heater-For-Greenhouse-Shed-Garage-1ft-2ft-3ft-4ft-Tube-/311546452552?var=&hash=item48899d9a48:m:mtM2nYlVWkpMeHuHLylKRIw

We spent a few days moored in Skipton last year and I was sent out to get the morning newspaper. I found that a rather aggressive swan had set up a checkpoint on the towpath opposite the Springs Branch and was terrorising one poor teenager who needed to get past. I had a word and reminded it that you can break a swan's wing with a man's arm. The poor girl managed to slip past while we were in negotiations. On the way back it was still there but agreed to let me pass on condition that I didn't slap it round the chops with a rolled up newspaper. Ain't wildlife along the cut fun!?

I've recently gone from a conventional hose on a reel to a 'magic hose'. One big plus in my view is the flexibility. In any temperature below about 20c I found the reel hose almost unmanageable - it would retain its coils and leap into the water when I wasn't looking. The 'pass through' reel was handy but was a bit rigid for storage. I haven't had the magic for long enough to assess durability but, as others comment, they are cheap enough to replace. But it folds itself up, remains flexible and, once expanded, stays where it is put. It fits into a much smaller box which will fit into a much smaller space. I can't comment on flow rate but every hose I've ever used seems to take an eternity to fill the tank anyway. Its all down to personal choice.

Thanks for the comments, guys - advice much appreciated. I think I'm now veering towards a replacement. Looking at a few websites the prices are not as horrendous (well, not quite) as I had thought. The big attraction is just screwing it to the backboard and joining to the existing pipework (although I think I'll be replacing the filter and connectors as well just for the sake of having an all new setup). But I'll also take the advice from BEngo and smileypete and look to sorting and keeping the old pump as a standby. Cheers.

My boat has a water pump labelled FLOking 10 (12v 3.6a 10l/min 30psi) which must be around 12 years old and is becoming a little incontinent. It's mounted vertically on a bulkhead close to the tank with a 1/2" input/outlet via a mesh filter. It seems to be leaking from somewhere on the pump chamber body. Does anyone know if/where I can source a repair/service kit? FLOking now seems to be US only and the model numbers listed are up around 5000 so I'm guessing a model 10 is not current. Alternatively, what about a value replacement - we are occasional boaters so it would not have a hard life.

I used a conventional garden hose on a wind-up reel. It was always cold when I refilled tank, even on marina, so difficult to stretch out and to rewind and would throw itself into the water given the chance. Last summer I got one of the 'magic' hoses for home (eg #24 above) and found that very effective (bearing in mind reservations expressed). I've got one for the boat now. It lives in a small box (sandwich box / bird feeding fat balls) along with required fittings and takes up stacks less space than a conventional hose. It is not temperature sensitive. It's easy to take home over winter (non-resident) and has just had a dose of Milton prior to dewinterising. The only reservation I have is to stand back when you switch the water on otherwise it will shove you into the cut given half a chance - it really is magic, the extent to which it extends/contacts. May be a bit slower to fill your tank but who does have a quick filling hose!!? Mine uses screw-on fittings so you will need adapters for a screw tap and/or your tank end.

I've had a couple of the same type as Screwfix sell (sure they're all very much the same) in the body of the boat for a couple of years now. Obviously the boat is open to the outside world via ventilators/mushrooms when we are not there and they only generate maybe an inch of fluid every couple of (unoccupied) months. I buy a big bag of crystals from the camping shop and empty the fluid / top up the crystals at every visit. The boat always feels dry inside and no musty smells so I reckon they are doing the job. If you are trying to dry an enclosed space I reckon a couple would certainly do the job. My only suggestion would be to make sure you stop work before it gets too late and the air gets cold and damp - close off the space whilst the air is dry. Oh, and don't breath while you're in the tank!

You've got the luggage rack - now consider a bag (search on 'rack pannier bike bag') to strap to it. I've found mine great 'cos it takes milk, newspaper, can of something, etc securely plus emergency repair kit (although its a while since I repaired a puncture so hope not to need that). Also consider a bike lock. Aldi/Lidl are pretty good for odds and ends as well eg cheap but effective light set, gloves, pump etc. My bike came with a bag so transit is not so much of a problem - they seem to be freely available on the net (if a bit pricey). I've found my biggest problem is how far I can actually peddle - that's going to take a bit of training until I can make it to the shop without stopping!

??birthday / ??telephone no / ??boat registration - reverse any of the above? Oops! just reread original post. Maybe not!

Oops! - sorry for the delay folks - busy weekend. Comfy - question - bit difficult to answer cos SWMBO is usually crashed out on it - but she seems happy enough! It's been there for a few years now with no sagging or discoloration. Nice and firm for sitting without being hard. Quite firm for lying on although that's all a matter of personal taste. The only way to judge really is to have a go on one. We are very happy with it and have slept on it a few times whilst rebuilding fixed bed/in the really cold. Where question - bought from Bensons for beds - see link in earlier post #64. We actually sat on it / lay on it/ played with it and bought it in North Tyneside but it was delivered - as seems to be standard practice - from one of their warehouses (??Manchester-ish). Delivered on the day / at the time stated and right to the boat on L&L marina. Separation question - no. It comes ready assembled, apart from the legs, in a box which is about 4' wide and 6' long but only about a foot deep/thick. Surprised if you haven't got 4' through the doors but you know your boat. It you look at the fourth pic on the Bensons site you can just about see the tubular steel subframe which sits under the seat when a sofa and also under about half of the backrest when this is hinged down to make a bed (although still well supported). But the seat/back are firmly hinged together and attached to the subframe. We are well pleased with it - with all the independently hinged bits you can do all sorts with it. It uses a clic-clack mechanism so stays where you put it. Hope this helps. [ps - anyone who goes for one. Make sure it is the right way when you put it in the boat cos it's a b@&&er to turn it round once it is assembled unless you have a 7 to 8 foot headroom!!]

"I assumed this was a joke, but weirder things have been known: http://www.cnet.com/...y-into-the-sky/" Up yours, Baikonur!!

Me again - knew I had these somewhere: Show a Texas in situ as sofa / as bed in the lounge saloon of a 50 footer. (although it wouldn't be so close to a lit stove as a bed!!) Back fits nicely under interior gunwale. Pictures from August 2011 and it still looks the same (although we are 'weekend boaters', not liveaboard)

"Individual 'captains' chairs always look so insular to me when I see them in a boat..." - yeah!, but you don't fall out of a 'captains chair' when you fall asleep!

I've said this before elsewhere so apologies if this is a repeat - have a look at: http://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk/texas-sofa-bed- there's probably a branch near you. Not really amenable to a re-upholster but it looks good 'as is'. Because it makes up into a 6' by 4' flat bed it should go through your front doors. Look at the second photo and imagine it without the (screw-on) legs - it comes in a flat box so as long as you have a 4' height through the doors..... Also, there is enough space underneath to store any required bedding in those see-through vacuum bags. Nice and comfy and adaptable. ps - very helpful delivery guys as well - carried it right to the boat on marina and came inside 'cos it was their first delivery to a narrow!

This is a purely amateur view and based mainly on experience with ageing cars but.... A slipping belt may cause a screech which, in turn, may polish the pulley and make a screech worse. Whilst a clean pulley is not a problem, a highly polished one may be. You do want a bit of friction between the belt and the pulley (otherwise no drive). Once you are convinced that the belt is correctly tensioned, get in there with a piece of emery paper (does that still exist, guys?) and 'bust the glaze' on the pulley. The surface where the belt runs wants to be clean but not polished and shiny - something for the belt to grip, not slip. And, as MJG says, it's going to be worse when the system is under more load - needs a good 'grip' even more.

I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 at Christmas and have been very happy with it so far. It only gets used at home so I went for the WiFi version - there's also a 4G version if you need to be more flexible. As others have found, it has a bit of bloatware but I have ignored that so far - although Skype is a bit annoying and keeps updating. Nice size for reading/viewing while holding one handed. Responsive touch screen (I keep trying to do the same with wife's laptop which annoys her greatly - anyone know a good screen cleaner product?) and good sized on-screen keyboard which pops up when required. Clear and colourful image and definition of text OK although most reviews seen to mark text reproduction down - I looked at that quite closely before buying. Battery life is fine - although still quite young so far. Gets daily use and seems to need a recharge about once a week/5 days. Gives you plenty of warning / options as battery gets low. I got the white version which looks neat and crisp although the screen takes up most of the face so you have to be a bit careful about how you hold it - it is possible to fool the touch screen if only a small part of your holding hand is touching the screen. Biggest annoyance is the 'swipe to switch on' - I always forget and wonder why the damn thing is not responding. I may go for a book cover (I've got one on my phone) which automatically switches it on when you open the cover. Prices seem a bit volatile - worth hanging on for a special offer - I think I got mine under £150 at Curry's??? Micro SD slot so you can expand a bit although that has not been an issue to me so far - I tend to be a bit careful about how much I download.