droshky

We got on well there, friendly boaters, useful staff there for the odd job

Ah, Qingdao. Hard weather. A decent sports history, big lads who provide many of China’s basketball players and a few soccer stars. More importantly, due to the imperialist era German concession, the home of perhaps the (eponymous) actual best lager anywhere. Pretty readily available at your local specialist.

Another vote for the Boatman stove, multi fuel, compact. A one man craft industry in a shed in Manchester, but a beautifully simple and effective design. Just one thing, you need slightly smaller than average wood. Some suppliers provide this, some you’ll have to chop up yourself. Of course you can source your own wood as many do!

Ok I’ll keep schtum now, been told.

I’d never get to start my old Lister air cooled 2 cyl, never mind rev it!

Yes but you don’t know till you get there! As you’re probably aware, CC spaces are in great shortage all over London. If you do find a space it’ll probably be double or even treble banked. there may be the odd space in st Pancras, wenlock, kingsland or other basins and marinas as permanent tenants go off cruising. But these are snapped up in no time. I think there are 24??hr spaces in Goods way kings cross, which may be chargeable, there certainly are in Paddington but priceeee! So there’s a start!

Very good. I think a further question or two (how does it go? Any recommendations?) was kind of implied. If I had a sabre-toothed tiger or a crocodile I could take him there but it might not be advisable without taking further measures

We are ccers who don’t live on board. Our cat isn’t happy, I’m told, being left at home every fortnight tended by a fleet of assiduous carers. Can you introduce an adult cat to life on board?

Furness Vale came up trumps for us a few years ago. When regulars go out cruising they arrange to rent out their space. Because you’re going to have to clear off in September or whenever they get back, it’s usually a bit cheaper. Worth a try

Volockies were there when we went up through last week, I guess it would depend what time of day you got there

Yes, we’ve got that. Water collects against the back wall and eventually drips down it. We now put washing up on a plastic tray sitting on the draining board, and have a number of routine procedures to minimise rotting of the wood but so unnecessary!

That sounds good. We’re not going to get there for a few weeks, but I’m quite optimistic now

Alternatively...our ancient ex hire boat has a deep pan, pretty much a hip bath. And the gulper switch is spring loaded to off, so you have to keep your finger on it. So you can’t really use the shower and gulper at the same time, shower first, then empty.

No running No bombing No petting

Thanks for that Tony. Tbh, I think time spent on the existing unit is unlikely to be well spent. Even when cold and not under pressure, there’s a steady trickle of fluid out of the joint. I suppose I could siphon out the expansion tank, and wait for what’s in the pipe work to trickle out, but that might take days, and the fluid would still be lapping against the leak, making it difficult for repair material to set. I suppose there’s a drain plug or tap, but even then any repairs would be hit and miss, and subject to heat and pressure when the system fires up again. Given David’s kind offer, and that we don’t live on board or nearby, I think my efforts are better spent getting the replacement installed...and hoping for the best! but thanks again for all your tips

We’re in a different position from most of you in having an air cooled Lister, so needing a hot water source. We normally minimise the heating to a quick blast to take the chill off when we arrive, turning rads off and using SF afterwards. Recently the glass window cracked on our little Boatman stove, so pending getting a new glass we temporarily used the Alde for heating rather more, which may have shortened its useful life. So normally once we’ve arrived, it’s just to heat up the water for showers and maybe washing up as well. Not living aboard, it’s worked quite well. Not economic for most liveaboards of course.

Great thanks David, have sent you a pm

Yes that seems sensible, thanks. I do pretty much get continuous spam anyway presumably for earlier sins! Apple photos later than 6s are too big. The official apple way is to download their app ( there’s a few million bytes straight off!) and shrink them using it. emailing to myself was a fix to shrink them myself, but you then can’t save them from email attachment to a location that canalworld can recognise and open...or something! Thanks again Tony, David and all. Does your 2928, David, look tall and thin like ours? We’ve got some shelving and such around it which we’d really like to keep if possible. I gather we’d need a new chimney arrangement (bigger hole? New pipe?). If it’s alright with you Tony, another photo coming for retransmission at your convenience... or from the kitchen if you prefer!

Yes that seems sensible, thanks. I do pretty much get continuous spam anyway presumably for earlier sins! Apple photos later than 6s are too big. The official apple way is to download their app ( there’s a few million bytes straight off!) and shrink them using it. emailing to myself was a fix to shrink them myself, but you then can’t save them from email attachment to a location that canalworld can recognise and open...or something! best download the app next time I’m on wifi

Computer...well smartphone incompetence! If for example david would like to see the photos (and can’t already), I’ve emailed them to myself to reduce the bytes, but now can’t attach them! Homer Simpson

Yes that sounds like what I’m looking at. Still struggling with the photos. I’ve made them fewer gb or whatever but now I can’t put them anywhere canalworld can find them, aaargh thank you apple making everything so simple ? Oh, can you see the photos??? I can’t!!

Thanks for all that work tony, our messages crossed! No I really don’t think it’s coming from there. It’s bone dry and the top of the tank behind it is continuously damp. Sorry guys, forgot about photos here they are... looks like I have to send one separately. Anyway, front on, side on and close up of expansion tank but and behind it, top of boiler

So... pretty sure ours is a 2920. It says on the rear of the front panel and on the plate behind the controls model 2920 or 2921, for our purposes I don’t think it matters which. Yes Tony we have had that seal go in the past. But the water is stone cold, there’s no pressure in the system, the expansion tank feels dry as far as I can reach and there’s still a trickle apparently from the tank/flue joint, so I’m pretty sure that’s where it’s coming from. Room sealed! Correction to me! Ok so the 2928, if you’re right that’s what it is, is balanced flue which includes room sealed, thus an improvement on what we have and can be touched by a pro. Fixing a water leak wouldn’t be gas work, but if Tony is right and it’s most likely terminal (to the boiler) rust, then we’re looking at a replacement unit which would be. And finally, fwiw, we’re in Sawley waiting for the red to turn to green, take no chances here, y’see, and proceed up the T&M, where’s David?

David, Topping up every year doesn’t sound too bad, better than every hour! Our rads seem fine, it’s just the boiler. How much was this one being used, regularly most of the the year? Also, you know anything about the comment I got from a boatyard that “we can’t touch those anymore, only the owner can”... I forget the word he used, something about ??room insulated?? I had the impression it was to do with the air intake or exhaust output, something like that.

So you’re saying, Tony, that such rust damage is curtains for the boiler, no sticking plaster jobs? Yes I’m pretty sure the boiler connection is dry... the big (1””?) nut at the bottom of the expansion tank, yeah? Thanks David I am interested. I should say that that’s exactly what we did before. Now in all fairness it lasted about 3 years but these are all old machines now and might last much less long. Also I don’t feel competent to fit it myself, tho I might do with help! Thanks both for lightning replies