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Biffer

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Posts posted by Biffer

  1. Land and Water marinas

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Just wondering if anyone on here is a liveaboard in a L&W marina. I've a feeling our place might be taken over by them soon and so I'm keen to hear any experiences, good or bad, about them. Their website proclaims that they believe marinas "are about people not boats".  So they appear boater friendly on the face of it, but what's the truth?

     

    Cheers

    B

  2. Thoughts on this proposed back boiler circuit??

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    On 10/11/2017 at 18:17, springy said:

    It relates to a high level pipe and thermo-syphon system but allows both outlets to be running uphill, if you connect the branch of the T to the outlet of the boiler and the two pipes out to radiators to either side of the main length of the T, then one will run uphill and one downhill except when the trim is just right when they will be level, fitting the one end of the running length to the boiler outlet allows the branch to be set at an angle and thus ensure an uphill run, adding an elbow to the other end of the running length of the T allows that outlet to also run uphill. It gets a bit bulky but achieves the desired result

     

    springy 

    Crystal clear now thanks Springy.

  3. Thoughts on this proposed back boiler circuit??

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Many thanks to you all for your comments. I will take what I am able to on board so, control flow to calorifier with perhaps a gate valve, use bends wherever possible, and fit auto air release valves at high points, including in flow near BB.

    For lots of reasons pipework will be at floor level so I will have to be happy with the risk of a failed pump and let the header overflow, rather than try to induce thermosyphon. As Alan said it's not uncommon.

    Regarding Mike and Tony's comments the pump is this one https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/central-heating-pumps/7066934/

    Springy - could you expand on what you mean by "straight into the length of the running tee" please? I was thinking of bringing the flow straight to the wall with maybe a swept tee down to the floor level witn an air release on the non swept side and then swept side down to tee into main flow. See diagram. Ignore failed uploads see here https://ibb.co/mzqi7b

    Regarding comments about header - I should point out that the calorifier is on the shelf above the swim in engine bay so that is the highest point. 

    And I've just seen Pete's response - i'm afraid I fall into the "but i can do some other way", I would just keep a spare pump and plumb the other in with service valves to effect a quick change. But may I ask Pete, are you saying I need a wide bore pipe between flow and header in my proposed system? Or only in the diagram you posted.?

    Thanks.

  4. Thoughts on this proposed back boiler circuit??

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Hello all. I would appreciate some input on this diagram. I have a Squirrel stove in middle of the boat that I want to feed 3 rads and a calorifier. It is only possible to pipe up one side of the boat so a flow and return circuit must therefore, I propose, be teed into the backboiler.

    In case it isn`t quite obvious, in the diagram the pump is in the return, pumping towards back boiler. The pump would be a Jabsco.

    The priority would be Rad 3 as hot as possible for as much of the night as possible, then Rad 2. Rad 1 would be in the cabin nearest stove so would spend most of it's life turned off. Then the priority would be hot water, and I was thinking by morning this may need the rads to be turned off to get calorifier up to a decent heat.

    Basically I'm wondering if the system looks reasonable or if the tees will cause issues.

    Cheers.

    20171109_152743.jpg

  6. Max Sinclair

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Sorry to hear about the loss of your father, my condolences to you and your family.

     

    I wrote to him not long ago as I had come accross some photos of a boat that he persuaded my father (Eric Pike) to buy in the 60's. (They were colleagues at Rubery Owen). Have a look, your father and at least 2 of your sisters are pictured as well as my mother and father. The thread is here http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=83709

     

    Finding these pics made me realise that I have your father to thank for my own interest in canals and boats, and I am sure many other hundreds if not thousands of people also owe him that gratitude. I remember meeting Max as an 8 year old boy on a school trip to Avoncroft museum. I can still remember his enthusiasm for the post mill there, and I still remember very clearly him telling us that it was the only working example left in the country, such was the passion with which he spoke. A great loss but what a contribution he made.

     

    All the best

     

    Dave Pike

  7. France/ Adder 2376 Pics from 60's

    in History & Heritage

    Posted

    Had a couple of request for these pics so here goes. The pictures are from c. 1965-68- the first two show France as she was when Leonard Leigh had her,and later as Adder (at some point her name was changed from France to Adder, whether deliberately or by mistake i know not) after the superstructure had been added on by my father (Eric Pike) and Wilf Buffrey. In the first pic are my mother and father, and also Max Sinclair and I believe his two daughters. Anyone may use these pictures for whatever purpose they wish. They are photos of photos rather than scanned so excuse that. No idea where they were taken but no doubt in and around the BCN.

     

    post-19762-0-28158600-1459450469_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-03736400-1459450471_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-73013100-1459450472_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-41271500-1459450474_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-30206800-1459450476_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-10030200-1459450478_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-88731500-1459450479_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-61328000-1459450481_thumb.jpgpost-19762-0-52347400-1459450483_thumb.jpg

    • Greenie 1

  12. Engine vibration problem

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Thanks for the replies everyone. Don;t worry about hijacking - it's all good education. and you are right to bring up checking the bolts catweasel, because I haven't. However an RCR guy did a few weeks back but no harm in giving them a check and hammer test myself. Eeyore - sorry but that pic is not of my engine, I just posted it to ask what the green (stauff) clamp was as it was quicker than taking photos of mine. So I will take some shots of mine and post them, but probably not for a day or two so stand by!

    • Greenie 1

  13. Engine vibration problem

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Hi there

     

    We have an isuzu 38hp on our recently purchased NB. The survey threw up both excessive engine vibration on tickover (recommendation adjust running speed) and also excessive play between prop shaft and stern tube (recommendation replace stern tube). I only have a basic knowledge of engines but I have successfully adjusted the tickover speed. However it only solves the problem in the short term - the engine ticks over too fast IMO and vibration still returns after a while, and is causing lots of other problems (exhaust damage, short circuits, sheared mounting plates...).

     

    So, I really need to stop this vibration before I fix any other problems as it is the root cause of everything. We are not planning on getting her in dry dock until next year so i'm guessing attention to the stern tube would have to wait until then.

     

    My questions are,

     

    Could the vibration be related to the stern tube issue? (Bearing in mind that vibration will still occur out of gear with appropriate revs)

    Would replacing the engine mounts possibly help or is that a waste of time/money without replacing stern tube also?

    Is it a case of do what you can when you can and slowly eliminate the possibilities?

     

    Thanks for looking

     

     

     

  17. another bloomin battery question..

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Fantastic stuff, love this forum. I would never have thought about using the starter battery in the interim. It just happens to be brand new so I've gone with that as the safest option in the meantime.

     

    Pete - I have a multimeter already so will put it to use on the blue box, which it seems (Tony) is a 240-12v / 200w transformer. I have used it for powering a 12v bilge pump from the mains but not sure it could cope with a whole boat's worth.

     

    I also had an electroquest charger delivered today and it never reverted to 1or 2AH on the display with the old domestic bank but instead remained constantly on 14.2ish volts. So I guess Pete from what you say they are unsafe to charge for long. With the starter it dropped to show 1.2ah after a while.

     

    Thanks everyone, and Tony thanks again for your offer of help when we were stuck at Fobney lock the other week!

     

    Cheers

    Dave

    $_79.JPG

     

  18. another bloomin battery question..

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted · Edited by Biffer

    ...I have read a lot of the threads on this, thank you for compiling them smiley pete, and I think I know the answer but just wanted it confirmed. My leisure bank is shagged but I don't need it tip-top for a while as I'm not planning on cruising and am a liveaboard with permanent shore power. I do need to use my 12v systems on the boat though.Thing is,I can't afford a new bank but I can afford a 5 stage charger. However some threads point to the fact that it is dangerous to keep knackered batteries permanently connected - I'm just not sure if this applies if you are using them daily, or only if you are leaving the boat unused for a while. I do have a very ancient 240-12v blue box, rated at 200w. Would I be better off a)using this off the mains to power up my 12v stuff in the meantime, b)going with knackered batts + permanent charger or c) using my flexible friend to buy a new bank. I'm thinking c) but I would like to use a or b if they are not overly dangerous/ cost ineffective.

     

    As I said I've gleened a lot from the many threads so in-depth explanations not necessary!

     

    Ta.

  21. Newbury to Oxford advice

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Hi Folks-

     

    Been living aboard for a couple of years but on an old un-powered Springer. So, we've only a few days holiday experience at proper boating, and only on canals. Finally we have bought a boat that goes chug chug and we are picking it up on Friday. To get her home will include doing Newbury to Oxford. I am apprehensive about this part of the cruise as I have no river experience and we've had a bit o' rain again last few days. So I guess I want to know;

     

    Are levels reasonable on the Kennet/Thames at the moment?

    Will I need springs for the 2-3 days on the Thames?

    Can I get a licence for the Thames on the spot?

    any other advice for river newbies for this stretch like tricky turns, locks, streams etc.

     

    Thanks for looking

     

     

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