[Hi Jinx on the High Seas (errr.. the Oxford Canal)]

Hello, everybody,

 

Thanks for your help and advice on the contracts and deposits thread (and on the um, toilets, page). I have been too superstitious to post further...

 

but, except for the last £250, nb Pangolin

 

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/juliagibe...dnm=5f74re2.jpg

 

is mine, having passed her survey with flying colours (appropriately) and having her bottom duly blacked.

 

I take her on her maiden voyage (maiden to me, that is) tomorrow, from Somerton to Enslow on the Oxford Canal. It's a little journey really, but pretty epic to me.

 

Fluffy is all kitted out and excited about his first trip:

 

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/juliagibe...dnm=3c90re2.jpg

 

Pangolin is a lovely boat, one of the first built by Kingsground, and if anyone's interested, I will try to post lots of further pics.

 

My problem is, I have marked every important event in my life with a party: recent ones including divorce agreed after nearly 20 years' marriage (from the judge to the Randolph in 3 minutes flat and the most overpriced champagne I've ever drunk); my 50th birthday party (a barn dance in the village hall!) and best yet my British Citizenship party in my garden in June 2005.

 

But now that I have done the most British thing yet and bought the narrowboat I don't know how to have the party. So I want your advice, please.

 

My mooring (temporarily, alas) is about 3 minutes walk from the Rock of Gibraltar pub.

 

So, how do you have a GREAT BIG PARTY in a narrowboat?

 

I want to invite all my new neighbours, the vendors (of course), as well as all my friends and work colleagues.

 

The Rock of Gibraltar pub is about a 3 minute walk away, luckily.

 

Someone suggested giving everyone a "boat time" on their invitation and tell them otherwise to go to the pub. Or I could have an "Open Boat" all weekend and hope I could manage between boat and pub to be a host (though I doubt it!). In a mad moment I thought I would run a continuous cruise from Enslow to Thrupp and back and invite people to meet me on the way, but I gave that up quickly!

 

In the summer I guess we could spill out onto the towpath or under the bridge, but it is getting a bit chilly for that... Exactly how many people do you think you can put on a 62 ft narrowboat before 1. someone faints or 2. the boat sinks? How does one "float" metaphorically, and host like (not physically and boat like), from the boat to the pub and back again?

 

Also, suggestions on what nibbles to serve? I only have the usual pretty limited cooking and refrigeration, but despite being now a Brit I come from a culture where you are expected, even at a drinks party to send your guests home full of lovely finger food! None of this one salted peanut and a stale crisp with glass of sherry! I'm not that British.

 

This doesn't seem like quite the usual question on the forum, but I would really like to know how people manage it! Do you guys have parties?

 

Later I am going to ask you a lot more questions about equipment and solo (except for Fluffy) boating. Right now I want to know about party boating.

[Great book on engines for beginners (like me!)]

Thanks. That's exactly what I thought. I really know absolutely nothing and had planned to take a course anyway. But I think the idea of having a pro watch and help on your own boat is a terrific one. (I wasn't looking for a discount -- just making sure I wouldn't be duplicating -- except where duplicating becomes reinforcement and helps.) I do keep an old banger on the road! But only by spending a fair bit every year paying someone else to service it... One of the things that appeals to me about boating is how self sufficient you need to become.

[Great book on engines for beginners (like me!)]

I am extremely grateful for this exchange. I followed the link to Tony's courses (provided by Alan, not Tony) and it seems he is offering just what I have been looking for. Unless the info is out of date, it seems that for a very reasonable fee he will come to your boat and show you how to service your own engine.

 

I wonder if it would make sense to take the course in diesel maintenance first in order to get the most out of the individual consultation? Until I got the mad urge to buy a boat (which I hope will be mine next week) I had never even looked at a diesel engine.

[Contracts and Deposits]

Oh dear. Everyone is saying I shouldn't pay a deposit and I have said I will! I do think these people are completely above board. They checked their paperwork and said when they bought the boat (four years ago, also a private sale) they paid a 10% deposit. I didn't think it would have much legal force to make an agreement and pay a deposit, but I thought it would make everything feel more certain and real. But perhaps I have made a bigger mess instead! The whole thing isn't long, at least... the survey is set for 9 October.

[Composting Lavatoirs]

Had mine nearly 10 years no break downs as yet. The instruction manual suggests that the workings replace as a casset type unit(?)

Mine is 240v AC (as manufactured) But if you aquire a 110 version then use a yellow (tool hire) transformer to step down 240 v

 

I think the american web link I provided is confusing, mine is Swedish ( they use them alot there) I think the USA arm is some type of franchise. My instruction manual does not mention any shortcomings for the 12v model other than a high current draw (= flat batteries)

 

At the risk of offending you, (not my intention) The only enviromentally friendly loo is one used by someone on a starvation dietr! - Mine is emtied no more than twice a year and then onto a compost heap at home. I cannot think of a more enviromentally friendly alternative, can you?

 

No! I don't want American voltage (110/120) I want British 240 -- but I could only find references either to the 120 version or the 12v version. The 12v one says in the detail that it requires an auxiliary (or French) drain to leach off excess liquid, so that clearly won't do.

 

Another worry: the biolet says it requires a constant temperature of 64 degrees F whenever it is in use. Do you find that you can do that?

 

As for environmentally friendly, obviously a composting toilet, other things being equal, is more environmentally friendly than a chemical one! But one that didn't use peat would be a lot friendlier than one that did -- and the biolet says it uses peat. I just wanted to know if there is something else you can use instead. And if you use a lot of energy keeping it warm and running a fan you are presumably undoing much of the good... Obviously it is a tradeoff...

 

Not a bit offended. I am just trying to find out as much info as I can so I can make sensible choices. Obviously the thought of emptying only a couple of times a year is very appealing, whatever the environmental issues.

[Composting Lavatoirs]

Most of the home-built designs rely on part-composting in the toilet, and completing the process elsewhere - not really practical on a boat.

 

I've recently installed the same type of toilet as Lymranger. I'm giving it a qualified thumbs up. It is absolutely essential to use the correct mulch - otherwise it just doesn't work. We have a lot of people using it; 3 full-time, and up to 6 on weekends. This is really pushing the capacity of the toilet to cope with the volume of liquid.

 

With this level of use, the toilet requires careful attention to keep it not too dry and not too wet - there is a thermostat to adjust according to use.

 

As far as emptying it goes, it is a much less stinky job than emptying a portapotti, with or without blue. We overloaded out toilet with 7 people recently, and didn't have the heat up high enough. This resulted in an unhealthy anaerobic state, and it got smelly (but only outside). I emptied it, and was impressed that there wasn't an identifiable trace of faeces. The output just looked like wet sawdust from an overused stable.

 

I very much wanted to have one of these, but the boat I am buying definitely can't handle an envirolet -- the bathroom isn't big enough, even if I expand it into a cupboard. The biolet seems to be smaller but I am muddled about the power. The 12v version definitely won't work because you have to have a separate drain to deal with the liquid and it only part composts. The full electric versions only refer to American voltage (120) not British (240). Can you make it work? (I'm not too good on electricity...) And if they take a lot of power 1. are they practical on boats? and 2. is the environmental advantage of composting not outweighed by the environmental disadvantage of so much electricity?

 

Also the composting mixture referred to by the biolet definitely contains peat, which isn't environmentally friendly. Is there a substitute, and can you get it in the UK? (wouldn't be much good paying the postage for bags of compost across the Atlantic...)

 

And, if they break down, can you get them repaired?

 

Finally, who supplies them here? (I know Canal Man supplies envirolet, but, as I said, it is too big!)

 

ps there will be only just me on the boat a lot of the time, but I am sociable ...

 

Thans for any help.

[Contracts and Deposits]

Hi, Everybody,

 

I have been a lurker here for a while, but last weekend I saw a boat I loved, made an offer, and it was accepted. I would like to put this on a more formal footing, as the wait for the survey is almost a month, and it would seem to me reasonable that I should pay a deposit. Is there a standard contract -- or one that can be adapted -- for purchasing a secondhand narrow boat subject to survey? Obviously I am making my offer in good faith, paying out for a survey etc, but there ought to be terms under which I can get my deposit back if the survey is unsatisfactory. But how do I define unsatisfactory...??? Is a deposit usual? Is a contract usual? Should I expect simply a receipt? So far we have done this all on a handshake, and I think the people are selling the boat are completely honest. But there is a lot of money involved and I would like to keep it all professional and as simple as possible.

 

Thanks for any help. I have so appreciated the generosity of all experienced boaters towards those who are new.