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Sea Dog

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Posts posted by Sea Dog

  1. Mooring in and around Birmingham central

    in Holidays Afloat

    Posted

    7 hours ago, IanD said:

    Very nice indeed -- back in the 80s I remember finishing one of their "Desperate Dan Cow Pies" and being pretty much unable to walk afterwards -- though this might have been linked to the amount of beer we drank too... 😉 

     

    We were moored up (alone!) just outside, where somebody nicked the lifering and chucked the plank, shaft and boathook into the cut, which was less nice... 😞 

    Twas a bit rum around there back then, wasn't it, although it always seems fine nowadays. I also remember scrambling down the bank to get to that pub which seems a bit odd looking back, but it was probably me saving the walk. 

    The pub always seemed fine though and our green print on white "Little Lucky" pub mugs served us well for many years - anyone else have those?

  2. Alpicool 85L Fridge

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    21 hours ago, nicknorman said:

    But even if not, you can get top-up kits that include a piercing thing that attaches to the copper pipe and penetrates it.

    Found those last night, so I'll give topping it up a go before resorting to replacement. Thanks for the comprehensive info Nick, very helpful.

  4. Mooring in and around Birmingham central

    in Holidays Afloat

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Jonny P said:


    The only moorings on the Bumblehole arm are the permanent residential moorings at the end. It has a hinged rubbish boom on approach to the basin but I’ve never known it to be roped off.

    Ah, that's what it is then - a bright yellow hinged rubbish boom! :detective:

     

    I just posted that so no unsuspecting reader would go down the arm and discover that.

  5. Alpicool 85L Fridge

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    5 hours ago, nicknorman said:

    Have you tried re-gassing your shoreline? Ours lost gas after about 10 years and was running most of the time. I added some gas via an eBay kit and it is now much better and runs about 1/3rd of the time, although it does gurgle rather more due to the gas not being the proper stuff (r134a]which is discontinued, but a “compatible” substitute (which I think is probably propane).

    Pretty sure I've looked for a gassing point in the past and found it to be a sealed off spur, but I'll drag the fridge out again and have another shufti. I'd prefer this solution to a new fridge cos otherwise it's in perfect condition. Your symptoms match too.  Did you empty and refill or just top up - sounds like the latter, but I thought I'd just check.

     

    5 hours ago, Phoenix_V said:

    We had 2 Shorelines over the years both failed through loss of gas, never had that with a household fridge. Think I'd rather take a punt on a Chinese 12v or mains plus inverter.

    You and I are on the same page! 

     

    5 hours ago, magnetman said:

    Although they look exactly the same with the same control panel the Alpicool is a lot noisier. 

     

    So it has a different compressor. 

    It appears the latest version of their model 85 (83 litres) now has an LG compressor. Might be why.

  6. Accumulator

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    For what it's worth, your fresh water system is supposed to be potable so, whether you drink from it or not, you ought really to fit the right accumulator. They're not difficult to source  and when you sell your boat, someone may well use the system as intended without knowing you've fitted the wrong type. I doubt there's much in it price wise.

    • Greenie 1

  7. Mooring in and around Birmingham central

    in Holidays Afloat

    Posted

    We've moored below the museum in the basin above lock 12 in the Stourbridge. There's rings over on the far side against the wall with a dead end walkway to the boat there. Windmill End is fine, but I'd think twice before going down the Bumble Hole Arm itself as the only turning place is at the bottom and it's roped off.

    I don't think you can get down to Hawne Basin at the moment - check stoppages - but otherwise recommended.

  8. Alpicool 85L Fridge

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Thanks guys. It appears that the latest version has an LG compressor unit, which sounds reasonable enough. They are indeed the better part of 400 quid hence a bit of a saving but, whilst it is relatively long lived, I'm actually not a huge fan of my current Shoreline. It has a Danfoss (BD35?) compressor, but has always seemed a bit power hungry and is now running virtually 24/7. I've looked for ages at having it fettled by a fridge tech, but they appear to be unicorns. The current Shoreline appears to be more or less the same model which seems to be an older standard of insulation if so surely can't match the latest models for efficiency.

     

    I think you've hit the nail on the head re quality control.  I guess that's pretty much what I'm seeking opinion on here in terms of where Alpicool sit. 

  9. Alpicool 85L Fridge

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted · Edited by Sea Dog
    Added a bit I missed

    These (fridges in the thread title) look to be a reasonable price for a decent sized under counter 12v fridge. Does anyone have one they can comment upon, or does anyone specifically not have one for a reason they'd share? Thanks :D

  15. Locks on the River Severn

    in General Boating

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Theo said:

    Do you need to phone or can you just turn up and wait for the traffic lights and lock gates?

     

    N

    All as above, but note that the opening times and days are restricted in the winter months when the same lock keeper will travel to see you through multiple locks. Ring Gloucester Lock for bookings and info.

  16. Water-based varnish over solvent-based?

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    12 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

     

    Which you would not need to do with a good quality spirit based Varnish, unless you seriously mis-treated the varnished item.

    You may well be right, but the serious mistreatment amounted to it being exterior woodwork exposed to UV and foul weather. Of course, you could say I should've revarnished it more regularly, but then my 'ease of application' bit kicks in. 

    8 hours ago, blackrose said:

    But that's a stain not a varnish. David said "Water based varnishes raise the grain, swell the timber, and don't last." If that's not your experience that's probably because you're talking about a different product, not varnish. 

    This may well be it, although it doesn't seem to stain per se, perhaps because I used the very pale light oak. However, the Ronseal does the job required which is to weatherproof the exterior woodwork with a nice aesthetic finish. Worked nicely on the internal woodwork around my rear slide too.

    2 hours ago, Bargebuilder said:

    Yachties with lots of gleaming brightwork, many of whom use extremely good quality varnish, often overcoat every single year. The price of not doing so and allowing localised degradation to set in is often the need to remove the lot, back to bare wood and start again with thinned priming coats, then at least 4 to 6 additional coats. Localised repair to traditional  varnish is difficult and to the perfectionist, probably not acceptable.

    However, you wouldn't catch them using Ronseal, even though it is very easy to apply, and overcoat, and to freshen up after 3-5 years. 

     

    In a nutshell, traditional varnish looks better (much better), but Ronseal type wood stains are much easier and quicker to apply and maintain.

     

     

     

    This sums up perfectly the direction I've taken. I'm not sure about varnish looking 'much' better, but if an expert was doing my woodwork for me for a similar outlay, I'd happily let them use it! They could even use the Le Tonkinoise I bought for the job before I realised I'd rather use the additional time to be out boating! :D

  17. Water-based varnish over solvent-based?

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    28 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

    Water based Varnishes raise the grain, swell the timber, and don't last.

    Not my experience with Ronseal's 10 year Woodstain Stain. I'd agree that the 10 year bit is somewhat fanciful, but it's so much easier to get a decent finish with the recommended 3 coats, and so much easier to 'refresh' than yacht varnish or similar, that it's not an issue to revisit every 3-5. Certainly seen no evidence of raising the grain when I took my formerly solvent varnished cratch boards back to the wood.

  22. Castlefield Manchester Mooring Overnight

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Moored in Castlefield Basin for 2 nights a month ago. Stuck our nose in expecting there to be no room and It to still be an unpleasant mooring. It doesn't look much different in itself, but the transformation as a decent place to moor was huge. Perhaps it's the proliferation of new apartment buildings around it, but key I think was that the once public car park is now private and has barriers, so it's not a magnet at night. No anti-social behaviour, just a relatively peaceful place with plenty of foot traffic to stop it being the dimly lit dodgy backwater it was a couple of years ago. I'd happily moor there again, which i didn't expect to be something I'd say.

  23. Planning Blacking...

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

    I would have said so, and in the unlikely event that you are short, you just get another tin. It's not like you have to worry about colour match is it?;)

    This. I think you'll have change from 2 5 litre cans per coat. Either buy on a sale or return basis, or black it somewhere you can buy as you go along. Don't delay booking it in somewhere though - it seems to be harder to find a suitable slot every time.

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