lampini

This is great info - cheers TC..! We had the most idyllic, though short, chug into the outskirts of Rugeley this morning... There's a brill aqueduct over the Trent - and an amazing boatbuilder called Geoff - and - and.. It's all great... Sat on the boat in the sun now.. With the engine running.. Still got to get my head around just how much power the inverter pulls on its own, was a bit profligate with the power last night methinks! Blimmin' 12v cheapo plastic double socket thingy on the boat fell apart the first time I tried to plug my 12v socket usb adaptor into it - so I need to get a replacement for that... But it's all a bit of a learning curve and a massive adventure which we're both enjoying hugely! ??

Hya Ange you night -owl! Haha... deliberate - i'm afraid! We woulda bogged off yesterday but i saw the Met Office forecast and thought tuesday/Wednesday much more clement - and i'm still a proper wuss! .. still be able to get the OH to Rugely trent Valley for his work trip to london - poor sod. He really doesn't wanna go!

Well; today we started - loads of sun and no wind - and we didn't hit anything! Moored a bit past Wolseley Bridge (70) on the T&M, heading for Rugely tomorrow.. Thanks for all the advice all..

Just a quick update.... we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the oven - and when it had all dried out (about a day and a half..) it all suddenly started to work again! Sometimes things DO fix themselves - happy Sunday all!

Mr Lampini has been hard at work and we now have three working top burners! Oven and grill still won't stay alight but we have progress! (we also managed to affix our stern tipcat + button arrangement this afternoon... progress... now we can move the boat when we want - scary thought!)

This, i'm sure, is what's happened - trouble is - getting to the blimmin' thing - shining a torch between the top of the oven and the bottom of the burners reveals a glimpse of red cable - if i could only GET to it i recon i could fixit! It may come to this - thing is they prolly won't de-gunk the flame failure device...... Trick of the flash/shadows/gunk.. no rust 'oles! may ring him and have a word.... Thankd for all the advice chaps and chapesses!

Everything on our new (to us!) boat is going really well - but we ARE still in the "safe haven" of Great Haywood Marina - power water loos laundry and really ace showers! The main issue we have is our cooker - which is a "Dometic" 3- burner hob with a grill and oven underneath, in the same "box". The burners and grill deffo worked fine.. not sure if OH had tried the oven but as it was just post-survey and all was stated to be working fine, am pretty sure it was working. Working yes, but REALLY gunky - recon the previous owner was a bit of a salad-dodger with a penchant for massive fry-ups! "Someone" then tried to clean the hob top with a brillo pad (lots of that gunky pink stuff everywhere!). Later we found that neither the grill OR the oven would stay alight. IMHO, some of the brillo-pad grot has got onto the thermocouple and/or the jets. This morning I spilled water from the kettle onto the burners and one has stopped staying lit and the other is burning funny, leaving us with only one working - d'oh! I'm going to attempt to take as much apart and clean it as poss - i have an old toothbrush and a v small wire brush.... Any advice on what cleaners to use? Anyone got one of these cookers - Dometic are a "marine" range, they do lots of cookers and fridges too - i have downloaded the manual but it's no use as to cleaning.... Other than this - we are having a whale of a time....... finding space for stuff (not too bad actually) generally moving in, improving security (actually putting SOME bolts on the side hatch instead of the cable ties!) and fitting rear fender affair (a donated tipcat and a bought short button - today's job!)

Not at all off topic as it 'appens! We r back in london to sort out the Very Expensive Rental House proper like - in the hopes that i can get me deposit back... Dumping a load of stuff off at Mr Lampini's ex's house - then coming back here to hope we can fit all the rest of it in the car for one last run after the house handover on Wednesday - do NOT wanna have to do that drive back into London again - 3 3/4 hours from Deptford to Heyford... Mr Lampini just keeps saying "wanna be at home on the boat!" .... not a lot of difference there - only 50 years apart in age! Just think how you're gonna feel when you drive away from (what used to be) home for the last time, and towards freedom and a new life... I bloody can't wait! Best o british to you!

Lmao Nick - if she's sinking we'll know about it pdq!!! It's raining on the roof now (where else? D'oh!) ??

We're in!

Will do, promise.. Will be moving on board in the next few days! ???

But on the bright side, you ARE moored at Hampton Court, and afloat (sorry!). Explore for a while and chill.. Weather forecast is for not much rain so i recon it can only get better... Mr Goat is right; the palace wardens are a pretty good bunch - we used to take lighting n sound in there for events..

Green yes... with these funny Dali-esque splashes of red..

Cleudo would be funny; Mr Brown, with the windlass, behind the sani block...

Much as I don't share a lot of their politics - the NBTA has a wealth of knowledge of this stuff... Try here.. http://www.bargee-traveller.org.uk/library/ All the best.. ? ETA.. I said the "P" word - oops!

Welcome from me too! ?

Best I've seen used these .... http://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-struts/design-service Good luck! ?

Thank you Crumpet, and we are! Busy de-cluttering like maniacs....! rather therapeutic though...

It's even more high tec now - everyone in London has an "app" tied into "i-bus", tfl's bus-tracking system. (no chance of me going off-piste for a quick cappuchino then!) They can see exactly when the next bus is coming.. I kno this cos my MDT (mobile data terminal) stopped working one day and i had an empty bus!

Good for you - it just gets more insane!

Stagecoach Nuneaton - TFL "hire" out all London routes to the bus companies - supposedly makes "competition" happen. In reality there's lots of horse-trading..... But you didn't hear that from me! ?

Ta Ange.. we find ourselves saying your quote to each other often! Hope to see all on the cut sometime.. the kettle will mostly be on.... and cake.. always cake!

Thanks Nick, can't believe i got the all porthole trad i always wanted - now brace for the usual numpty electrical questions! She's a Piper hull, not too shabby owner fit-out either; but we've got work ahead making her into a comfortable liveaboard.. Engine's only just turned 1000 hours (Barrus Shire) and the driest bilge (ooh missus..) i've ever seen. The day we sell Mary Anne may well be the day we "retire" to European Barging - or at least that's the sort-of plan!