NB Phoenix

And as I approached a lady crewing for a boat from the same boat yard. Windlass tapping impatiently on the balance beam of the lock. “"Take your time" she snapped "we are waiting for you to share this lock." I thanked her for waiting but felt the need to point out she had got there first and the lock was set in her favour so it was only reasonable that she went before me. I also pointed out that it was a single lock so there was probably not enough room for her 50’ and my 60’ boats. Then, just to rub salt into the wounds, I did add that my boat was above the lock and hers was below it.

I also have one, again can’t remember if it’s CE marked, but they do work. I was laying some carpet in the bedroom and using an aerosol spray adhesive. This was some 10 metres from where the detector is fitted but within a few minutes of spraying the glue the detector sounded. It was picking up the propane based propellant from the can.

So do I and it is very comfortable. We wanted an extending double mattress so my wife came up with the idea of cutting from underside through the memory foam, but not the top covering, with her electric carving knife! This gave us a section which folds up under the gunwales when the bed base slides in. When the bed is extended you cannot see or feel the join.

If the Lidl system is the same as the Maplin one, the elevation scale is on the pivot point below the dish. There are two wing nuts to lock the vertical tilt of the dish the scale is stamped near one of these. On the one I have it is hard to see as it has not been stamped very well, but I can just make out the numbers. I find the system I have easy to set up; I start with the rotation using an old WWII army compass, move away from the boat and take a bearing. 147° for Astra 28. 158° for Astra 19 and 165° for Hotbird. Then go onto the elevation for fine adjustment, I find that around 27° is OK for all three, because the dish has a wide focus the directions don’t have to be that exact. I have never turned the LNB in it’s bracket just left it vertical.

You could start at Norton Junction which may save you on transport costs. I think Whilton Marina have a couple of slipways. Their phone number is 01327 842577.

You can isolate the individual rad by turning of both valves on the rad. On one side will be the “lock shield” valve, this is the one with a plastic cap on. Remove the cap and close the valve with a small spanner or a pair of pliers. The other valve should be the control valve and should simply turn off by turning the cap. Unless this valve is a thermostatic rad valve, if this id he case you will need a special cap that is supplied with the valve, sometimes called a decorators cap. This replaces the thermostatic part of the valve to keep it closed. Once both valves are closed you can loosen one of them from the rad and catch the water that comes out. Opening the rad bleed valve helps control the flow of water. When the rad is empty it can be removed leaving the rest of the system still full. On refitting the rad open both valves and use the bleed valve to vent the rad, not forgetting to keep the header tank topped up. It will depend on the size of you rads as to how much water is in them but I would not expect much more than a few pints. John

I ordered a sail away hull in November 2003 and a Barrus 45 was ordered by the shell builder. This arrived seven weeks later. After the wait for the build slot the shell was completed in May 2004. I then fitted out Phoenix on dry land and did not launch until August 2006, so the engine was almost three years old. When we launched we were told that was a known problem with the alternators on some engines so we contacted Barrus. They immediately agreed to replace the alternator and mountings free of charge (including all the labour costs). Everything has worked fine ever since and we are coming up to almost a thousand hours on the engine. So they get a big thumbs up from me. John

No.... Right up to the point where you gave your own reasons why you do have one fitted. (As this may sway her from either delaying or not fitting the essential safety of hull bonding).

A quote from a previous thread This was in late 2007 "Whats that all about then, are we going to have an asbestos situation in years to come?" So NO I think it's already here.

It snowing hard on the Cambridgeshire / Bedfordshire border

Well I’m very happy for you, many of the parents who have had to take a day of work to look after their children because the school is shut won’t get paid for today!

Well said Roger. Ah 1963 what a great winter, I was 7, loads of snow but still had to bike 5 miles to school. Happy days Bring back snow chains?

Could they be Marsh Hairrers RSPB clicky Who has got lost or escaped.

Or how about just "Bottle of vodka and stay..." save walking back next day with a hangover.

If you read my last post you would have seen that I agreed that it was not individual teachers who take the decision to close schools and I’m not having a dig at teachers as such but perhaps the willingness for school to close with only the threat of bad weather and very little consideration to how it would affect the parents. I’m sure that most other “KEY WORKERS” have made every effort to get to work or their organisation would have alternative plans in place to cope with reduced staff attendance. The electricity is still on, as is the gas and water, there are programs being broadcast on TV and radio. The engineering company just down the road is working and the supermarket is open. At the end of the same street the school is closed? As a footnote it has just been announced on our local radio that the few number of schools which opened this morning would be closing at dinner time and would not be open tomorrow!

It’s not? I agree it is not individual teachers who take the decision not to go to school. But why announce that most schools will be closed? They did not say that all hospitals, offices, police stations and factories will be closed because it is going to snow. They could even give the crews of the gritting lorries a day/night off. If it is based on H&S it a daft one as judging by the number of kids now playing in the roads around us!