RichM

I live on a boat and use my laptop daily, though I don't use my TV and I conserve wherever I can. Some tasks I do for this site take me hours to complete, all would be difficult to do without a laptop. I do have a marina mooring which is convenient but it's also possible to run a laptop while out on the cut. Out on the cut, I run my laptop via its own battery until it's low. I charge my laptop battery whenever the engine is running. I also change the power settings on the laptop to conserve battery life. It does require more effort than living on land but it's possible. I will install solar panels in the near future which will help. If you simply want to surf the web though, I recommend using a tablet/iPad for this as they're not so power hungry.

Fingers crossed the monkey left it as he found it, albeit in a different place!

Welcome! As mentioned, this forum is host to a wealth of information and a great place to ask questions. I've only been a liveaboard for a short time but have learned so much through these forums. I also like to watch Youtube channels. While they often lack the detail which you can find on here, they still often make an interesting watch. A good source of inspiration. Here's some YouTube channels I've subscribed to: ThisNarrowboatAdventure This channel provides lots of information related to living aboard. I'd say it's aimed moreso at novices or those who are less familiar with canals and boating in general. CruisingTheCut A diary of a man who swapped life on land for a life on water. Narrowboat Zero Gravity A very optimistic couple who bought a sailway (an empty shell with an engine) to fit out themselves. While clearly they're not the most experienced, they've come a long way! Just goes to show what is possible with a big dose of optimism (and money ) Flow with Mylo A great guy who documents life on the cut and provides useful tips and information. Filmed and edited in a fun, humourous way. I enjoy his videos. Whilton Marina Useful information for those who are new to boating. Lots of quick how-to videos. If I was looking to buy another boat, personally, they probably wouldn't be the first place I'd look though.

I can get there within 2hrs if you need any help. Seconded.

Looks very similar to the OP photo. I will send him an email

Welcome to the forum! Is it a modified sine wave inverter? If so, I have the same or similar inverter. Like yours, it runs most things and for me, it will even run a hoover. Try turning off other appliances first if you haven't tried already. Though, unfortunately some electronics don't work when using a modified sine wave inverters and require pure sine wave to function. Reputable PSW inverters don't come cheap so in my case I just replace/return anything that doesn't run on MSW but it's not often though admittedly I've stopped short of running a washing machine.

Had a similar issue a while ago. It would try and fire up for about 5-10 seconds and then shut down when the startup check process failed. Had it serviced and the bloke said it was pretty coked up inside. As I understand, there's a plastic impeller inside and if this cannot rotate it will not fire up. It cost me £80 to get it serviced including a new gasket.

Yep that's correct, it's a narrowboat. The prop looked to be in good condition when inspected last October. Wasn't sure how to check for the gearbox slipping but I googled it and found the following: "Signs include a high RPM (over 3,500), delays in acceleration, inability to reverse, unusual or burnt smells, the check engine light going off, difficulty shifting gears, shifting gears produces a harsh response, or any strange noises." This was written in the context of a car so I'm not sure how relevant it is but It doesn't do any of this except for high RPM. The prop is 17 x 10 and the gearbox is a PRM 150D3. I checked the speed using GPS to get a rough idea. The ship canal is said to be 16ft deep in the centre and approx 100ft wide.

The current Barrus Shire 30hp engine is fine for propelling my 55ft boat along a canal at 4mph, although it's a little on the noisy side at 2500rpm! The trouble comes when cruising rivers, particularly the Severn. I wouldn't mind having a more suitable engine in an ideal world. - though not at £12k!

A while ago I was looking to replace a working Barrus Shire 30hp engine with a Beta Marine 43hp with additional skin tanks and a larger prop. Both checked the access for engine removal and as I thought, access wasn't an issue. I was quoted in the region of £12k (including fitting) by two local boat yards. In the end we decided not to proceed. Not being an expert on this, do these quotes sound reasonable for what I asked for? If I wish to pursue this again in future, is it usually more cost effective to go down the reconditioned route?

That's good to know. Until now, I too was under the impression it was a guideline rather than a rule set in stone. Something I abide by nonetheless.

I second this. Having a nice hot stove going in the cold winter is lush especially at night with a nice hot cuppa to sit down with. There's nothing quite like it imo.

Haha fortunately not It transpires it was caused by a server power supply failure. Our monitoring brought this to our attention along with those who kindly posted on our Facebook page. This allowed us to work towards bringing the site back online fairly swiftly considering the time it occurred. In fact, we noticed the issue before our host did which is slightly concerning but it's something we're addressing with them. We respect that this site is funded by our valued donators and without them and all of you as our loyal members, we wouldn't be where we are today. With that in mind, we will do everything we can to prevent a recurrence.

Unfortunately we encountered a server outage in the early hours this morning which subsequently caused a database issue resulting in extended downtime. I have repaired this and we're working with our host to establish the root cause. Should you spot any problems, please let me know. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Richard

Thanks for the advice. Wouldn't say I'm paranoid, no. - just security conscious. Thieves often go for the easiest target so it makes sense not to be that target. That's good advice for many. I have a side hatch in the middle which I use as an exit. If I didn't have these, I don't think I'd consider window bars.

I've moved this to the tech support forum as it's more suited there. I see you've since uploaded more photos by creating a new post in your topic. You can edit a post within 48 hours of its creation.

I'm also looking for a new mattress for my "king size" cross bed. I don't think the current one was designed for liveaboard use. Anyone recommend anyone who sells them at a reasonable price?

I second this. Was a real treat as a single handed boater. They even used some weird and wonderful instrument to play a tune as I approached the lock!

My nb boat has some of the conventional style "caravan windows". I've seen some narrowboats with horizonal bars across the windows which I presume are for added security. Are these very effective and reasonable in terms of cost to have cut & welded on? Cheers

​Thought I'd test it, I'm replying to this using Microsoft Edge. I wouldn't be surprised to find some compatibility issues with this browser but that said, it does work OK for me using Edge. I'd try clearing your page cache. To do this, click on CTRL + F5 and re-test. Does it work OK using other browsers? For good measure, it may be worth checking your windows updates, particularly any related to Edge. If there's any new ones available, it may be a good idea to download them.

I guess the Stroudwater Navigation. My father has been a member and has been following the restoration project ever since I remember. I recall him taking me to various lock restorations as a kid. Would be nice to see it open though they recently failed in their funding bid yet again... Frustrating to say the least! A board reshuffle is well overdue I think! Are there any canal restoration projects which are due for completion in the near future?

Thanks all. I think I will take the safe bet and replace the pump. A few people I have spoken to recommended a Jabsco over a Shurflo pump. Does anyone know if this Jabso par max (linked below) would be suitable replacement for my old Shurflo Aquaking 3.0 GPM 30psi 3901-0213? It's to feed two sinks, a shower that has a separate pump and Thetford cassette toilet with a water feed to the flush. http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/wp-001.aspx Cheers

I quite like to watch canal/boating/narrowboat videos on Youtube. They're often by amateurs and give a good insight in to how other people liveaboard or enjoy boating. One I've subscribed to is "Flow with Mylo". Quite a humorous chap with some interesting videos. Does anyone else subscribe to any canal/boating channels? Richard

Thanks David. I will probably need to allow until early next week to get the part in that case. Not being a plumbing expert myself, what's the most practical way to isolate it/reduce the leaking in the meantime? So far I've placed nappies beneath the dripping area and have turned off the pump and run the taps until there's no pressure. EDIT: Have found a stop cock hidden behind