PeterF

Aqua Narrowboats, they often use Colecraft shells and have fitted out some boats for taller people. Not cheap and into 2023 for the next build slot.

When you have one of the Epever Tracer controllers having a switch between the panels and controller can get used more as these controllers can get stuck at a low output if there is intermittent sun and shade. Stopping the current flow from the panels caused the controller to do a new maximum power sweep and get back to full output. Gone Victron now and no more switching the panels on and of a couple of times a week.

Our new build has a 330 litre tank with a macerator toilet. It lasts 21 days for the two of us until the level gauge reads 100% without trying to minimise water for flushing. The toilet uses 1 litre on a small flush and 2 on a large one, but can empty without a flush for liquid waste. On the old boat we did 2 days on a 15 litre cassette toilet, so 21 days would be 160 litres, so the macerator uses a lot more water than the cassette, per Tracy's comment above.

There is a good Facebook group on Refleks stoves, https://www.facebook.com/groups/334808647035734/ and that could also be a good source of information. There is a thread from earlier in the year with lots of narrowboat install photos, may be worth a look, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/334808647035734/posts/1132902143893043

Victron smart battery sense £25 to £35 depending where you buy it, I know it is above you price range. Cheap seller here. I have not used one and the one thing I would mention is the the battery sense may be in the engine compartment with a steel bulkhead in the way which may weaken the signal. It should be possible to extend / route the wires into the electrical area inside the cabin to improve things. I have some Victron components with Bluetooth in the rear electrical cupboard and can pick the signal up on my phone throughout the cabin.

Many boat fitters who fit out in the water do this. How acceptable it is depends on how the fitter finishes the boat at the end of the build. The better ones take the boat out of the water, remove the windows and fixings then grit blast it all over and do a full paint job. If the boat is painted over the aged primer and rusted hull then not good. You would need to check what is done in your particular case.

Spot on, 12V are typically 3 to 4kW, the OP's is 8kW at 24V.

Lithium batteries are the wrong choice for a bow thruster because they are not normally rated for the high current demand unless you install a large bank

Looking at the first footage and the drone footage it appears to have opened up into a culvert and not actually broken through the whole of the bank.

I have read a Victron document that states the IT output voltage is 5% above the input when unloaded. According to the measurement from the Multiplus on the Cerbo GX it is 263V, which means the incoming mains in the marina is 250V. I used a cheap DVM and confirmed that the incoming mains was well above 230V but within acceptable range.

You can download the inverter manual from https://www.victronenergy.com/support-and-downloads/manuals#item=manuals-multiplus The victron numbering of inverters is 24 = 24V, 1600 = 1600VA (not quite the same as Watts but close), 40 = 40A charging current into the batteries at say 30V max. So this is about 1200W so about 5 to 5.5 Amps st 230V.

A PWM controller can be thought of in simple terms as letting the panel run at the battery voltage and have the same current flowing into the battery as exiting the panels and loose some of the potential power. As an example, if the panel could run at 21V and generate 5A = 105W, the PWM controller would let 5A flow into the battery at the battery voltage of 14V = 70W, a potential loss of about 30% of the power. An MPPT controller has voltage conversion electronics so that the panel can be run at a different voltage to the battery and the power transferred more efficiently. The controller also keeps the panel voltage at its most efficient. For example, if the panel is most efficient at 21V and makes 5A = 105W, then the battery at 14V will received 7.5A = 105W, although due to efficiency losses it may only receive 100 to 103W depending on how good the controller is. I do not think that PWM controllers should be used with panels in series for 12V systems as all the extra voltage will be lost.

Here's my self installed 3 x 100W panels with the plastic mounts, I did not use the corner ones just the straight ones even at the corners. Because of the roof curvature, the corner ones stand more proud than the straight ones, so using the straight ones keeps the panels lower and gives better contact between the panels and the supports. I did this even though the roof curvature is quite shallow on this boat. I glued the supports down with Sikaflex, similar to Stixall and used self tappers for holding the panels down to the supports.

I have always left the coil from the engine (and engine) full as it has the antifreeze in. If the boat is new to you check the strength is OK. Do you have a diesel heater that runs radiators and another coil in the calorifier. If you do, the radiator circuit also needs anti freeze.

Well now, we have been out these last few weeks and ours keeps making the noise which I have described before when accelerating and as noted also have a new Colecraft shell. Perhaps I will go ahead and repack the gland, I have done it in the water on my old boat so know how to do it.

I had an erbespacher and the fuses had some surface tarnishing from dampness that caused a voltage drop and cause.d failure to start. Swapped them, cleaned the fuse holder and bingo. Just something to check perhaps.

Fixed and navigation now open.

I have noticed in the hottest days that my chrome plated tiller tube stays remarkably cool, so my next boat is going to be blinged up with a mirror chrome finish like one of those footballers Range Rovers.

http://www.canaline-engines.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Canaline-Operators-Handbook-CE-Version-3870T.pdf http://www.canaline-engines.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Canaline-Manual-040916.pdf I doubt the above are what you are after but put them up just in case. Can anybody point out what the base engine is and see if you can find a manual.on line for the base engine. Years ago knowing I had a Barrus Shire I found the Yanmar base engine manual as that was much more comprehensive than the Barrus info.

You need to get a panel with similar characteristics to you existing panel for the best performance.extra If the extra panel is connected in series with your existing panel make sure the two panels have similar maximum power currents (Imp). If the extra panel is connected in parallel with your existing panel make sure the two panels have similar maximum power voltages (Vmp). If they are not matched then it is likely that the lowest voltage panel in parallel or the lowest current panel in series will effectively pull down the performance of the other panel and you will not be able to harvest the expected power.

Update to the stoppage notice saying that navigation should resume tomorrow afternoon. Initial investigations are now complete, and a plan of repair has been organised for Lock 2, Audlem on the Shropshire Union Canal. Our contractors have attended site today to measure up and prepare a design to fabricate a free-floating scaffold to assist with the lifting of the cill buffer from within the chamber. Works are currently continuing off site to fabricate the scaffold and our teams will be back onsite tomorrow from 6.30am to undertake the lift and re-secure the cill buffer. Once this is complete, our teams will demobilise site and navigation can resume. We anticipate the repair will be complete tomorrow and an update will be provided tomorrow afternoon.

Have you had a pump out with the bagged charcoal yet as that will be a good test for the breathing ability. I am also interested as I also have one of these.

You could charge them poorly for 1 to 1.5 hours a day for £350 a year and buy a set of batteries every 4 months for £750 giving £1100 total and less noise and engine servicing.

Is that one fully sealed, the end caps only look like they are spot welded on not seal welded. OK for under a car or truck but not sure about a boat. Check to make sure.