sirweste

Cheers for the reply, understood that, was what my unclear strangling the system referred to. Have since check the current install and it's only 35mm that's in at the moment - so I need to buy a bunch of cabling. Does anyone know of a shop I can buy it from? Rather than having to order it online? So for wiring and position I'm chuffed that they all fit down one of the benched sides in the engine bay, so am gonna get a nice bit of MDF sorted out. Slight problem that it's really on the wrong side of the boat for balast - or the inverter is on the worng side - depends which way you want to look at it I guess. Means an extra couple of metres of cable run to get to the inverter. so the wiring I was thing of doing is the top of the two diagrams I quickly knocked up. I understand the benefit of the bottom arrangement but don't feel it is required on only 3 batteries. Anyone care to comment on this? hmmm thats odd. can't use an img extension for piccies...weird forum.

As I said, computer case fans. They are cheap, run off 12V so can be hooked up to out on the boat and can sling plently of air. My honda has gills down the side of it's case it is this I would/plan to position a fan infront of.

I agree with this, you need to ensure that the cooling fan feeds in a significant enough flow rate of external air to ensure it doesn' get above what ever the manufacture recommends is the upper temp threshold. Actually I'd personally ensure it stays well below that. Compuer fans are cheap and 12V.

Yes after a certain amoun of time the temp will stabalise. It's very unlikely to combust. Running too ho will reduce the combustion efficiency, but not by a significant amount. I'm considering this also as the 2Kw Honda jobbie isn't quiet enough. Also with some 12V computer fans feeding the crisp nights air in.

I agree entirely, the 40mm2 was going to be used just to install the new batteries in the place of the old 2x 225Ah xplorers. The long (2m) run to the inverter was in when I got the boat, the cabling is massive and extremely difficult to manipulate so I supsect it's 75mm2 - will check though as I'm not sure it does run the whole way. Cheers They guy I'm speaking to who's supplying the wiring tells me 40mm2 is good to 300A. But I agree no point fitting something that has the potential to stangle the capabilities of the system

Yep and those sort of side steps can be anticipated and would be an example of when I'd slow to less than walking pace and politely ask if I could get past. Obviously you shouldn't need to jump out of the way, nor should you stand our ground, everyone should just be nice to one another.

Indeed it could happen, liklihood is low though in my opinion, the sorts of gaps I'm talking about would require a fair old 90deg wander. In my opinion it works out safer and less intrusive to just glide past while saying good morning/afternoon/evening. I ain't going to get a obnoxcious bell, I'd rather stick to my own voice. Hope Pro 2 rear hub produces the same volume of clicking when coasting

Afternoon, Though I'd put up the set-up I've been working towards to see if folk are interested, for anyone else doing the job and for general comments. I bought the boat as a live aboard about 6 months ago knowing that the electrical side of things needed a bit of work. Tired xplorer lesiure battery, hateful B&Q genny, basic 50A charger and only 200w of solar. I have so far bought a 2nd hand genny which I'm pleased with, a honda 2kW (eu20i). Replaced the 2kW Mastervolt inverter last week with a 2Kw 100A Mastervolt combi (love the idle function), and did a bit of tidying up of the wiring - yet to wire up for the charging side of things though. I have just recieved the two 235W solar pannels I ordered to replace the two 100W ones currently fitted. I have also just recieved the six 6V trojan batteries. Still waiting on the Smartgauge. Sticking with (I think) the Stirling Split ProR (that might not be the correct name / model) power distributor. Also sticking with the solar distributor, forgotten it's name. I will be wiring it all up over the next week, I'll be making 3 12V batteries using 40mm2 cabling and being a cruiser stern I have plently of space to attempt to get everything together. Once finished I should have a solid electical system I think. Certainly enough to run the fridge freezer, tv and xbox comfortably.

I agree with this, I don't have a bell as I find them incredibly obnoxious, but I also don't warn people I am about to pass from behind them if there is space for me to get past. Much easier/safer for all to get past when people aren't scattering about unexpectedly like a herd of cats.

No reason to make i safe for dare devils, in general H&S usually interferes with natural selection.

It is an accident, that was my whole point, there are such things as accidents. i.e. an RTA does not imply there isn't anyone to blame.

So 7 pages in. Does anyone actually know any more of what happen with reference to the opening post?

This is the H&S twist on the word accident. An accident is an unintention and unexpected incident, there is definitely such thing as an accident, two people in the last 6 months have crashed into my van. In both of those crashes the other party was negligent and caused the accident.

I agree with this to an extent, but in life we can't always conduct ourselves in anticipation of what could happen. For example driving/cycling past a line of parked cars, you'd need to do about 10mph to reduce the severity of the potential hazard. In my example last night, when I a dog ran across my path at the last second, I had evaluated the risk going in to the situation, adjusted my speed accordingly and I then had to deal with the hazard as it materialised. If the hazard were an animal randomly appearing from a parked boat, then the likelihood of this occurring would be much lower, and so the precautions I would take would be less than he visible dog. Risk = Likeliness x Consequence. As such my speed past moored boats (with no signs of outdoor life on or about them) would be that of a fast runners I'd say. Though I should add I'm not the sort of person to sue for accidents, and I'd also expect my ability on a bike to get me and others involved out of most situations unscathed. Final point, from the point of view of being a boater, I acknoledged that the towpath wasn't reserved for me when I bought my licence. I also realised that there would be dangers associated with using it - such as runners, animals, bikes and the general enviroment.

As others have said the 30/40mph is nonesense. The other side of the story needs to be told. I actually hit a dog in the neck on my bike last night, wasn't very exciting, hopefully the dog won't turn at right angles infront of a person/bike again.

Sounds fantastic. I was recently told that a pump at Slapton wasn't working and that's why levels were low there. So that means it'll be even lower now!

Good afternoon, Mod - please delete me. Am giving it a go myself.

Other than sale tax they don't no. But the world obviously benefits from more cyclists. Drawing pins are a terrible idea. Other than making the person that puts them down an utter **** they could cause a rider to lose control, and most definitely will not help glean the respect for other path users that some cyclists need to learn.

I agree entirely, the speed is second (or third) to attention and skill. My opinion is that cycling profficency should be harder and mandatory for cycle use on roads. If it were then the ability of the cycling population would increase and therefore better riders would be seen everywhere. But no goverment is going to put that rule in, last thing this world needs is an additional reason for people to get in cars.

Opposite to most of the posters in the last two pages I do not have a problem with cyclists using the towpath. I do however get annoyed with boater that seem to think that the section they are moored up on become their garden, leaving chairs and other assorted things on it. When I step off my boat onto the path I tend to have a look around because I'm aware it's not my path and it has a wide variety of users. As when stepping off the pavement onto the road I almost always look first, despite pedestrians having right of way on the road. Must admit that I find the attitude of someone stood square in the path obstructing a persons passage until they deem their speed to be acceptable appalling. As with cars on roads I'm much more concerned with the ability and concentration of a driver than I am with speed. I personally believe the authorities have it wrong with their enforcement and more concentration / better drivers are what's required more than reduced speeds - the opinion I have of bike riders really.

Un-educated enforcement is a concern, hopfully they've seen that my boat presently hasn't had enough water around it to float for the last 3 days... Wonder if I'll be able to move him tonight...

Storm in a tea cup this. What speed was the kitten doing? Was it's velocity perpendicular to the cyclist's? Now to take these questions and apply the CanalWorld storm in a teacup system to them: Did the reckless kitten signal before running out from it's ambush position, I bet it didn't. I hear it collided with the front wheel of a frail cyclist who was pootling along slowly. Luckily the cyclist gained control again else they could have been killed. Appauling behavour of he pet and owner, all pets and owners should be either banned from the system or restricted to 1 mph and must wear high vis and signage when ever they are on the towpath. When are CRT going to impose a training and qualification system for all pet ownership on the canal system, they need to do it soon before they are resonsible for many deaths.

I plan to make a sign that reads: "Don't slow down, life's too short"

I really had never thought of the point raised earlier that it could be argued that someone who moves 10 miles every 14 days on a linear journey (say from London to New Mills) aren't a using the boat bona fide for navigation because they are moving it to avoid the enforcement squad. Therefore it could be argued that someone who moves around the same 25 mile patch, but uses the boat to go to the shops, work, docs etc. is actually using the boat bona fide for navigation and so more within the law than the previous example! Only a judge will settle this one.

A cracking thread, Magictime and Abraxus, ten on ten.