Sea Dog

My plan for "taking care" in such circumstances, if on the offside, is to immediately pull in to the towpath side and stop rather than continue and be forced into the trees and shallows.

I meant the coaches, but the same applies to boat blowers. It seems to me that the DW issue might be a vulnerability rather than a certainty and I'm sure that there are many others like yours without issues. I suspect also that the regular dismantling for servicing introduces additional risk, although I doubt a manufacturer would support 'neglect' - did you follow an annual/hours-based service routine?

Mine has a programmer which has a 1 hour boost button. Generally, that does the job although I still listen. Like you, I like to shut it down when it's on full power, so I wait for it to run back up, give it a couple of minutes, then switch it off. Meticulous or overthinking - I'm not sure, but it seems to like it. But they're Airtronic, aren't they? I believe Eber didn't have a problem with those - their investigation was only into early failures of the DWs. It's the water coming back to the unit hot that causes the short cycling, which is not an issue with the warm air blower.

I'd echo the sentiments of @blackrose above. Eberspacher had a bit of a reputation for early failures some years ago and did their own investigation. Their ensuing report is a available on the web (Google is your friend), but essentially they found that when lightly loaded they coked up and eventually failed. The key is to work it hard then shut it down which is to say have a keen ear for it going into the low power mode - you can hear it run down and the dose pump ticking go slow. I tend to use mine in 1hr bursts which allows me to warm the boat on a morning whilst the solid fuel stove comes back up to speed and gives a tank of hot water. Even in that hour half an ear is listening for short cycling. This usage pattern appears not too dissimilar to how @Rob-M got 20 years out of his. Additionally, my own regime is to use "Reliability Centred Maintenance" principles and leave the damned thing alone if it's happy. Mine is 15 years old and has never been interfered with - others have had different experiences. I

He didn't invent morse code, his... da da did it

So, what's the question? 🤔

I agree with @MtB - it's a paddling pool, probably acting as an inflatable dog wash. Why else would it need temperature testing with an elbow?

The only problem is the 45 minute walk back...

Flog it - apparently you can get money for old.... Oh never mind.

There are countless incidents and issues reported upon regarding cycling on the towpaths, most of which are (often rightly) berating inconsiderate cyclists. Just now I'm on a water point with my hose crossing the towpath. I've just watch a cyclist travelling at pace see my hose, dismount and lift his bike over my hose before hopping back on and disappearing into the distance. I was unable to thank him for his actions as I was inboard so he was also unaware that his actions were witnessed, and he won't read this here, but credit where credit is due. I'm sure there are many cyclists like him who are sadly, like us boatists, let down by the few who stand out for the wrong reasons. It would be nice if consideration was the norm, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that perhaps it still is.

Interesting. I guess there'll be a test case or two along shortly...!

Alternatively, one could look at this as paying for the water the boat does occupy.

Almost anything eading downhill tends to accelerate...

Well, if it's ok to have a garden shed on the waterways, why not? Both equally unsuitable imho.

To be fair to the BCLM, they've not really "dumped" it on the bank - they've gone to the effort of supporting her on what looks to be a pukka bespoke frame. I'd have thought they've taken action to arrest it's decline by taking it out of the water and, even if there's no immediate plan, it is probably in relatively safe hands given the museums' raison d'etre. Let's hope so anyway. Has the museum been asked?

You could perhaps fit a WiFi camera in there. I use Eufy (there are many others) which has an app that alerts me when motion is captured and I can review the recording or get live audio and video on my mobile phone You can get a stand alone camera as well as a system with a hub that will do multiple devices. They also do doorbells, door and window detectors, etc.

Have you thought about locking a teenager in your shed?

The stolen boats we've had reports or discussion about on here have, almost invariably, been something other than straightforward theft of the average boater's boat. Ownership disputes and relationship breakdown seem to be the most common themes. I'd say your boat is safer if you spend the money you'd spend on that ineffective isolator switch and buy the missus some flowers instead!

Some of us don't need to AYHYK! Perhaps there's a little something in it for the installer from not using enough sticky stuff?

I don't think this has been sufficiently addressed. Yes is the answer. Lots in the news recently after a child died in social housing after repeated pleas to sort the recurring mould problem. Lots of info on line about the health effects of (any level) of mould in the home. Don't ignore it.

Yep - our local vicar is mightily relieved!

Trouble is, how much is that on a freshly blacked narrowboat? There really shouldn't be any exposed metal on the hull side, and I understand that an anode only protects in line of sight so that rules out the baseplate whether blacked or not. Ergo, other than a small one to protect the prop and shaft, one could argue (as some do) that a freshly blacked boat doesn't need anodes. By the time it comes around again it might, but is this partially because it was over protected from the off?