Ex Brummie

I get my entertainment reading, watching tv, or listening to music. When the light gets too dim to read, or the tv or stereo doesn't work, or the red light flashes on the fridge, I know I have to charge the batteries. But then, I don't try to run microwaves, toasters coffee machines etc. Living on a boat should be a simple life, and making it more and more complicated adds to the hassle of uncomplicated problems like ensuring your water tank is full, your bog is empty and you can find somewhere to moor.

The amount of heat that is produced is entirely dependent on the quantity of fuel consumed. This is an undeniable fact no matter what the fuel is. All bubble stoves incorporate vapourising burners which are designed to draw as much air as is needed for efficient combustion. The more fuel fed into the burner, the more heat is generated in the flue and it draws faster increasing combustion air supply through the holes in the combustion pot. To reduce the heat, reduce the fuel flow, but if you go too low, then insufficient heat is produced to sustain combustion. The combustion air restrictor on your corner bubble will be wide open normally, and will counteract gravity when an external influence (excess chimney draught from wind) cause a greater airflow through the burner which can lift the flame and extinguish it. There is a minimum level at which the stove will operate, and at 4cc/min fuel flow this will be around 2 -2.5 Kw. As this is heating up a mass of metal, over a moderate period of time, if the area is well insulated and draughtproofed, in a small boat, this can become oppressive. The answer is to let in more ventilation to dissipate heat, or turn the fire off. If you want to confirm the position of the combustion air restrictor, then the manufacturer is the best source of information, but as a professional technician with this type of equipment, trust me.

You need to ensure a free standing cooker is correctly fitted with a restraining chain and a stability bracket. As stated in previous posts, all oven burners have flame failure, but not many have FFD on the hob or grill burners, but they do exist.

Enquire at your local motor factors. Gates make a range of belts that cover this item.

The standard bubble has no control to air intake as the bottom is totally open and draws as much air as the flue pull demands. This is the principle that all vaporising burners work on. The main problem with vaporising burners on boats is that the flue is never long enough to produce the optimum draught, and the length of flue outside the boat rarely maintains the same 4" diameter of the inner flue, and also is often only single skinned so cools down too quickly. My Bubble has a draught stabiliser in the rear of the burner chamber, and if the flue draught become too great, it opens to stop too much air being pulled through the burner perforations. I also have a length of 4" pipe fixed into the outlet of the collar, and a conventional chimney around this too help it retain heat. This is topped off with a Swedish cowl to eliminate downdraught and reduce external wind pull. The evidence of blue flame at low settings can be almost non existent, and as long as the catalysers are red, then that should be low enough. Too low a fuel supply cannot sustain a flue temperature sufficient to maintain flue draught, thus reducing combustion air. This makes yellow flame and soot. In a small cabin, the minimum output of a bubble, over a few hours, will prove too much heat.

The Klaxon lookalikes described as plastic non corroding applies to the casing only. The colours fade quite quickly, and if left in the atmosphere over winter, you may find that you need to give the plate a knock or two to get it to work. It produces a noise by spinning a roller around the plate and this can seize. Also, they take a fair current and I found that my commoned neutral would not carry enough current if the tunnel light was also on.

I had a similar problem in the summer. On mine, the switch had failed. Check voltage supply first, then check switch action.If it is the switch, then this is obsolete, but you can find a replacement at Maplins. It just takes a bit of adapting.

I've seen poorly maintained engines where the oil is diluted with diesel passing the rings. When the oil gets hot enough, the diesel 'fires' and lo and behold, no oil. Whether this happens more with Listers, I don't know, but I seen many with low oil pressure when hot (SR2 SR3) but have heard a Lister man say as long as you have pressure you are OK. When things get this bad, I would have thought starting would have been a problem.

We hired on the Erne earlier this year. The weather wasn't the best and cruising on the Erne is totally different to canal and river cruising in England, except maybe for some of the rivers. You are issued with a comprehensive chart and powerful binoculars. Navigation is very specific, and if I had not taken a compass we would have had great difficulty. You need to follow a strict course and whereas on our canals you may run aground on mud, there are lots of rocks. We were hoping to cruise the lower Lough Erne, but after leaving Eniskillen and experiencing lumpy water up to 3ft waves, we turned back about 30 mins shy of the line on the chart that warned us in windy weather, the Lough can be rough after this point!!!! Cruising the Upper Lough and the river Erne was enjoyable, but you still need to concentrate. The locals are wonderful and some of the scenery is stunning. Traffic is light, and mooring provision is firstclass, although shore side attractions are few and far between. If you like isolation, then it iis ideal.