jonesthenuke

I passed by the Somerton lock recently and there are signs of vehicular access via the margin of the fields, so I guess the owner may have an arrangement with the Farmer which would reduce the burden considerably. The Kings Sutton cottage was for sale at 495k plus IIRC 3k per year for use of the access track. Note also Grade II listed building. Overall a hefty price tag. Whilst many of the cottages on the Oxford are attractive, the access rights and cost are significant to say the least, however, it would be a great loss if they fall in to disrepair and are lost. Edited to add extract from Kings Sutton (Travers Lock) sales blurb:- Access Tarvers Lock Cottage has a pedestrian right of way down the towpath along the Oxford Canal. Private access for vehicles and pedestrians is via a mile long track from the Aynho Road, Adderbury, which passes principally over New College Estate land. This access is for owners, visitors and guests only. A new 125 year lease at a rent of £3,000 per annum will be available to the purchaser from New College (subject to contract).

I have a copy key, bougt to replace a lost BW key. Sometimes its OK and sometimes (too often) its not. The Thrupp lift bridge absolutely refuses to accept the copy key and works immediately on a CaRT/BW key (I borrowed one from a helpful hire boat). So last week I spend the £10 or so and ordered an official key. I wish I had done this in the first place.

Buy the boat and enjoy it. Just check to see how smokey the engine is. We had some worries with ours after buying it as we got it mid winter and it took some time to warm up, but now we are not to concerned. However some engines will make more smoke than others and you should ensure you understand what you are getting.

I use approx 5mm thick neoprene gasket cut from a full sheet so that there are no joins. This avoids leaks at corners and is very durable (should last indefinitely)

De-ionised water, made correctly is more than adequate for batteries and is likely to be purer than distilled. Distillation seems to be referred to a lot in regard to batteries, I suspect on a historic basis and I also suspect many people would not recognize the difference between the terms. De-ionised water can and is made to a purity where it is very difficult to differentiate it from absolutely pure water (the difficulty being that its mostly measured by conductivity and that changes with temperature so some care is required in the measurements). At work we make tons of the stuff every day and I note that Wikipedia has the following under "purified water" "Distilled water is produced by a process of distillation and has an electrical conductivity of not more than 11 µS/cm and total dissolved solids of less than 10 mg/litre.[1] " We would be rather alarmed at this poor level of conductivity in our de-ionised water. The key, as always with these issues, is how are you personally going to be assured that whatever you buy is at the purity you expect? Few people will, I suspect, either have the means or inclination to check water purity, so we are all reliant on the produce being sold being pure. I would never advocate using RO water. We use that as a raw feed material before deionise it!

I did try standard tap connectors but (my recollection is) the geometry of the jabsco part was not suitable for the types I could buy at the time. If the Polyplumb fitting works then that will help next time.

I have tried the suggested female BSP push fit connectors but could not obtain a reliable seal as the geometry of the Jabsco part means you are trying to seal on the threads alone (difficult unless tapered etc). If anyone has succeeded in using the Jabsco threaded parts I would welcome advice on the sealant used? The easiest approach is the suggested use of the barb fittings and short sections of hose, and this does have the advantage of simplifying the alignment of the pipework with the pump connections. In the end I machined some replacement fittings from Acetal such that these provide a 15mm diameter pipe stub suitable for direct fitting of push fit connectors.

Last year on the Oxford, south of Napton, heard a commotion in the bushes and a full grown deer ran into the canal, swam across and leapt out the other side. It certainly surprised me!

What is it doing? Can you describe the problem and what you have tried so far? Edited to add:- Do you mean "where is the switch physically located", if so its at the top of the cassette frame adjacent to the vacuum pipe that connects to the loo. This is often hidden as the cassete is loaded form the opposite end. This is the only manual I can find currently http://www.dometic.com/International/Download/Manuals/ and select VT2500. Edit 2 try this for a picture http://www.manins.net.au/motorhome/images/VT2500_complete.jpg the switch is top centre of the base unit

Search for "magpad" at e.g. magnets2buy.com

I have a pdf of the spare parts manual for the pump if that will help? PM me if you want a copy.

If you can, I would try a route with locks as they are part of the canal experience and even if you have never done this before you will rapidly learn how. Narrow locks are probably easier to start with though.

Oh dear, the ducks at the Marina we use will be miffed if they hear the bread ration is going to be cut, especially the large ones that look like a cross with a goose, they have a serious appetite! When we see swans whilst we are moored I feed them clover. They will eat grass but will carefully pick out clover preferentially.

An enjoyable programme and worlds better than "barging" on ITV.

What do you like when cruising? If you don't mind a "there and back" trip rather than a ring, consider :- Napton to Braunston, then down GU to Stoke Bruerne and visit the waterways museum. Then on return could lock down into Northampton or continue up to Crick via Foxton locks, then back to Napton This has a selection of locks and tunnels, maybe not the most scenic but it depends on what you want. The Oxford canal as set out in a previous post is scenic and has narrow locks. The Ashby is very rural and quiet. The Warwickshire ring would be relatively easy in the time you have but it depends on whether you like Birmingham (I do, mostly)

We have a Wallas oven and hob, works fine ans seems well made if that helps at all. Not sure why you are concerned on running on red diesel by the way?

Just curious but I take it this is for shore use rather than on the boat? I have a Startomatic at home, but SWMBO would not take kindly to me fitting it in the boat......

Try the Anson museum, in the past,for a fee they would date it and may be able to advise some history. http://www.enginemuseum.org/news.html

We run our Wallas cooker on 28 second heating oil and have a separate tank on the boat for this. It's convenient as we use it for heating at home. I suggest the OP contacts local heating oil suppliers, I believe at least one of out local suppliers will do small quantities, but would guess this is unusual. Whilst there is a small cost saving I would have thought it easier to stick to diesel if no there is easily available supply

The batteries which were on our boat when we bought it were just like this, 5 off 110Ah batteries that would just about run the TV and lights overnight and boil a kettle full of water in the morning. Having removed two I found they were down to about 15Ah each.

Try this http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical/d190/Industrial+Connectors/sd2430/Fly+Lead+Socket+Convertor/p91715 they also do the opposite connection.