WhiteSuit

I relied on heaters, with thermostat switches, to keep the inside of the boat above freezing. For the last 6 years to be honest temperatures never dropped low enough to be a problem but it is an insurance policy isn't it. I had minor frost damage in the last boat with the really cold winter of about 10 years ago despite draining. Copper pipe had a low joint in a long run and water feed to the toilet flush.

I drained my cauliflower last year for the first time. The only way I could manage it was to make a shrader valve to 15mm connection to fit in the top hot feed from the cauliflower. I then cranked open the prv, connected a bike pump to my shader valve and pumped the water out by air pressure. I am now on a mooring without electric as previously I used greenhouse heaters.

Sounds like the kit I got several years ago from screwfix. Pink Stuff applied with A fabric washing scooter gets rid of the tarnish. Savers had it recently at around per pot

I took one look at the Gallows and decided I wasn't desperate enough for a pint. Locals said the Bridge used to be ok but that is sold for housing conversion. The Barge looked interesting but I didn't fancy stopping near it. Our last day was the real hot one, would have tried the Steamboat but without shelter for our dog opted for the Trent Lock. Beer was terrible couldn't finish 1 pint despite a desperate thirst. I took one look at the Gallows and decided I wasn't desperate enough for a pint. Locals said the Bridge used to be ok but that is sold for housing conversion. The Barge looked interesting but I didn't fancy stopping near it. Our last day was the real hot one, would have tried the Steamboat but without shelter for our dog opted for the Trent Lock. Beer was terrible couldn't finish 1 pint despite a desperate thirst.

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Just finished a week on the Erewash, a first for us. Biggest thing that hit us was how friendly the locals are. It might be urban but does not feel like it at all. The old mill buildings are unlike anything I have seen before. All in all a very pleasant surprise and well worth doing. Difficult to find moorings where you can get to the edge but with so few boats you are not fighting each other for the few spaces. Shame I couldn't find a decent pub.

remove the grime with pink stuff on a washing up scourer pad (nylon). once tarnish removed polish with Brasso. pink stuff will also remove old incralac.

I have an immersion fitted so no blanking plug. The hot water take off is however higher than the immersion so surely air will be bled from there. Or am I missing something stupid?

Thank you both for quick replies, now I can find something really important to worry about!

Apologies but I have searched the forum for existing answers to no avail. I have a horizontal calorifier under the bed fed from a variable speed water pump, no accumulator and no expansion vessel on the hot side. I know that's wrong (NRV in cold inlet). The system has worked fine for the five years we have had the boat. Having moved to a marina with no electric hook up this winter I decided to drain the calorifier to prevent freezing, not an easy task and I rigged up a system to pump air into the top connection to expel the water through the opened PRV to the cut. Now regretting my decision with the benefit of hindsight over forecast. Have just changed the PRV, as the old one was beginning to weep last summer, and refilled the system. Took a long while to fill the calorifier expelling air through the hot taps. Now the cold system works normally but the hot obviously now has an airlock. When you open the hot tap you get a normal flow of water but it takes several seconds before the pump cuts in and the flow remains fairly constant. Shut the tap and the pump runs on for several seconds. My assumption is the calorifier with an air 'bubble' in the top has now taken on the role of an accumulator/expansion vessel. While not a problem on water flow I assume this will cut down the amount of hot water available and the length of time that water will remain hot. How do I get rid of the airlock? The only thing I could come up with is to haul the boat out on a slope and rebleed whilst the connection end of the calorifier is higher. As I don't need the blacking done for another year this would be an expensive option.

I use a Danon folding bike for shopping trips etc which takes up little space in the engine room of our modern trad. Is a bit of a pain as I have to remove it for engine checks etc. My road bike is on a high mount car carrier hanging over the stern with padlock and heat reflective cover from Aldi. Agree totally with Jess regard it getting in the way on lock walls, especially on the Avon, and ended up removing wheels to narrow it down. Also some careless people who use your boat as a stopping buffer can damage it if they have a high bow. Advantage over storing on the roof was no heat damage to the tyres despite last summer.

Went through Hockley Heath twice this summer, Wedgies was so good for bread and cold meats/pies we used it twice. Other good stop on the Avon ring is Upton on Severn. Only a short pontoon but you can use the inside as well and best up. Agree with Richard T about Pershore and Tewkesbury, also Worcester was full of history. We spent about 4 days there waiting for batteries and weren't bored at all.

Cox's have just serviced my travel Power per their recommendation after 2 years use. Cost 132 quid inc vat dropped it off in the morning and collected the following afternoon. Moored close by and took the alternator and silver box to them . If you strain them with insufficient revs the various diodes and boards in the box burn out which then becomes expensive. Another tip I learnt is if charging phones etc through mains chargers is to plug them into an overload extension lead as they can cause current spikes which the boxes circuits do not like. We only use ours for the washing machine whilst cruising and need at least 1100 revs for it to work so plan our washing around where we are cruising. Our regular wash only takes about an hour anyway. The only period of the cycle where you need all the power is the heat cycle. Don't forget that whether you are using it or not it is always spinning.

Thank you MHS, fantastic map that even I can read.

Is there any good dog walking near the centre?