Johny London

Here's one - has anyone mentioned checking the tap water? That it's running clear and not black and/or full of bits?

I've long been wondering, whether it is best to leave a boat in total darkness, or with solar lights illuminating it. Sometimes I feel like the lights just draw attention and it might be better to let the boat just disappear into the darkness. Of course, some places are not very dark, some are, more to consider. Maybe just motion sensor ones - what does the jury think?

It is annoying when cyclists keep running over the hose - or hob nailed inconsiderates, especially when the ground is gravely but mine hasn't actually punctured yet. Should have added - I too have a short hose (normal type) for when very close to the water, to save unnecessary unfurling of the flat hose. And it can be all joined together - for when some idiot is moored at the water.

I think it's birds - all the times I hear creatures up there banging around, walking about with their claws, not surprising if it is scratches. btw what colour is the roof? Pink orange purple or red?

I'm with Seadog on this one - using the narrower (150w?) panels does leave a bit of access either side for walking the roof - though you are on the slope there and it doesn't feel that safe, I need to get grip tape / sand. Asthetically the panels sit very well, and it is possible to arrange them as tiltable if you use suitable brackets.

I've got one - dunno what make but it is orange at 20m long, I believe referred to as a cassette hose. As Smelly says, if here is low water pressure it does exacerbate the situation, but storage is great and at least spiders cant get into it.

I wondered this some time ago and was informed (on here) that it would be no problem to have two controllers (although I haven't needed to add the second one yet). Don't the Tracers just do what they do? Ie 14.something for two hours, regardless?

I was wondering a similar question to the o/p. Could the load connection on the mppt controller not be set up to power a low-ish rated heating element for the water? Most times my batteries are only taking a handful of amps when there is full sun and I know lots of potential power is not being made the most of. Can one not get say a 250w / 12v element that could be used? Over a few hours when the batteries are drawing not a lot?

I'd be very interested to know this. It seems to me that if you can really have an inverter as Mr Smelly has that is only self consuming 300ma, that would be the way to go. I have a 3kw Victron combi and was very surprised to find that is seems to self consume over 3a - and has almost certainly been the cause of all my battery woes over the years as I was estimating it at 0.5a!

If its oil paint, then that's what happens - a bit late now but a different type of paint would be far more resilient, for anyone else considering a repaint. In this case I would suggest the best polish you can get (silicon based?).

You must have been just ahead of me at Hanham! But it was desserted when I got there.

Just north of Saltford, there is mooring for boats on the left (heading north) when I went past I wanted to investigate but I was towing another boat that had asked for help, and I couldn't see what the signs said. But worth a look. There are quite a few "possible" looking spots to rough moor but tyring to find ones where you can get the boat near enough or find anything to tie onto is tricky - prolly be ok if not single handed. Mead Lane (that's the one by the railway path?) is over taken by crusties - so either make friends with them or give it a miss. Swineford there are facilities but as I mentioned in another post, it has moored boats blocking it - so it's a hassle at best, here's what the signs say...

You're going to have to have a good think about your power requirements and solutions that work best for you. It won't be long till you find other items creeping into the equation - what about a fridge? It will become more apparent once you get under way. There are a few different ways/combinations to serve boaters needs, I wont go into them all now, but the other side of the equation is making sure you have power coming in - so get those solar panels on!

I agree - it is mostly very nice around there. My suggestion: Pick up a hire boat just north of Trowbridge - there is Hilperton / Sally I think. You can cruise along through Bradford On Avon and up to Bath, with the option to dash up the Avon (Say to Hanham where there is a big pub). Then of course make your way back. Should fill 7-10 days nicely. Edit to add: I always think the Foxhangers boats look very well kept (based just west of the flight after Devizes) - another option to hire from there and bomb along towatd Bristol!

You're right - I was lucky that Hanham was empty, it was 8.40pm when I got there so it was quite a relief to see available mooring. I'd intended stopping half way you see. There really does need to be provision to be able to stop safely somewhere along a navigation. Still, glad to be back on the canal now - much better, one can moor easily.

I think its all about the angle of attack. And often this can be complicated by locks and landing stages at odd angles to each other. One of the times you'll least want to "get it wrong" is if you are going in after another boat, or doing one gate on a two gate lock. In that case, I have found the secret to be to keep the boat more to the centre until fairly late on, then move it toward the side a little. If you do happen to catch the closed gate or other boat, it will be very minimal and not upset your line of travel too much. What you don't want to do is come from too far over one side, straighten a tad too early (or late) and rub the stone work - because it will send the boat out towards the centre, at a poor angle and at the last minute. I can "always" get in with another boat without touching anything, as I do it in this way. If unsure about the one gate technique, practice on locking up, because then the gate will just open a little.

That's why they have taken over the floating pontoons!!! Else they would be doomed to stand watch over their crusty boats for all eternity. Coming at things from another angle, maybe crt should provide more facilities - even just some stretches of dredged/trimmed bank that could be used for a few nites in the summer on the river. Oh yeh a positive, there was plenty of mooring both at the start and end of the (crt stretch) of river.

Get a job?

It rather seems that you can just buy a boat, moor it at everyone's inconvenience and at no expense to your self without fear of anything being done about it. I suspect this is why we end up with the likes of DE springing up in places, ruining it for everyone but in the opposite way (too many rules). I'm certainly not a stickler for rules, quite the opposite - boating is about freedom, but then people just have to take liberties to the extreme and ruin it for all. The further west I've come, the more I've found of people moored at water points/landing stages etc. On a positive note... er I'll think of something.

I did the Basingstoke - not stupid in itself but as my boat has a height greater than that of the lowest bridge... I did lose some paint off the forward roof rails though!

Having just been up to Hanham lock and back this week (April 2019) I thought I'd share what I learned. 1. This is the pontoon that is now taken over by crusties... 2. This pontoon is on your left, just east of Swineford lock. However, on both occasions when I went past it was rendered nearly inaccessible by moored boats... unlicensed by the look of it.. it is for facitilty use only. 3. There was no one at all moored at Hanham pontoon, itself far and away the longest mooring. To sum up, it was a great stretch of river but hopeless for actually stopping to explore anything - though I did get lucky with a night on the 24hr pontoon at Keynsham - it only holds two boats and one had taken root, so considering it was Sunday lunch time I couldn't believe my luck! Slap up in the pub nearby, which was a decent 7/10 but a full 10/10 for the Proper Job ale. I also tried several impromptu moorings but either couldn't get near enough to the bank or got stuck Though one or two boats had succeeded in places - it pays to know the river well, but of course it was my first time on.

Then the benloiu effect will help the panels stay down as the roof is curved so that's the longer surface. Anyway, the first pair have been on for a couple of years now with no problems, and believe me they've seen some pretty severe gales. Every so often I give them a tug to check, but still 100% firm - but I have good paint on the roof (not oil based).

I used silicon to stick my mounts - two panels have z brackets so are very close to the roof, less chance for the wind to get a good hold. The other two panels I wanted to be able to tilt, so I used regular brackets, bolted to the ends of the panels and stuck to the roof with silicon (I can take two bolts out on the side I want to lift, and keep the panel with stays). These panels are also just as low to the roof when down. Silicon bonds very well and as long as you have it as a very thin layer it is strong.

Why is routing through the mushroom a bodge? It wont affect ventilation, meets the criteria for avoiding water tracking and saves making more holes in the roof.