pearley

The RJ45 socket is where that blue cable is plugged in. My Remote Control is plugged in there. I just unplug the remote and put the cable end into the VE Net adaptor. The remote is only held in by 4 screws. Regards Pete

It has been a few years since I came up them but, yes, they don't obey the usual rules. Regards Pete

When we had Joanie M built we decided not to have a stove, probably for the same reasons as you're reluctant, and rely on Webasto for heating. Big mistake! Stopped working just 4 months into winter with burner problems although that was on gas oil rather than current diesel. Week without heating with snow on the ground is no fun! Had a stove fitted by original builders and now hardly use the Webasto. Get the stove now whilst you can do it easily. Regards Pete

Despite what Canaltime might say, the pontoons in the basin are for anybody to moor on. It is £8 a night including electric. You pay in the Canaltime office and get a BW receipt, maybe CART if they've printed new ones. When we were there two months ago boaters were being told that the pump out was out of order due to a leak but Canaltime were still using it. During the week we were there, it was a man running it, not a woman. (For Canaltime read Alvechurch Boat Centres) The pub by the basin is closed! Regards Pete

Don't bank on being able to moor at Roaches Lock. It is very shallow. When we were last there in 2011 a BW workboat made a convenient mooring pontoon. As far as Stalybridge, I personally dont like to moor in the pound near Tescos. In 2010 the fluctuations in level as boats worked through the lock left us sitting on top of a shopping trolley. I prefer the moorings in the pound below alongside the Chinese restaurant. Mooring by the pub at Frenches Bridge can be difficult as when they built the pub and marina they didn't fit any rings or bollards. The supports for the lift bridge and the saplings make good temporary moorings. Regards Pete

Much the same with T-Mobile/Orange when we there last week.

Gibbo, I'm not ignoring you. I just want to know how to get the best from my panels. Firstly, I didn't post the full story and secondly, other posters say I need a full spec on the panels and controller. For asthetic reasons and security the two panels we already have are semi-flexible Solara. We want to augment these with similar panels. We have two roof boxes, a platform for coal, 3 houdini hatches and a plank cum pole rack so there is limited space if we want to glue or screw the panels down. Hence the choice of two Seaspray 80 w panels as they will fit in the available space. (I did suggest to my wife that we could fit 4 rigid panels to the roof boxes to give us more power at lower cost but she likes things to look right!) So I have emailed Seaspray asking for the full spec on the panels and will re-post when I get the info. Actually I enjoy reading your posts but I would disagree with your throwaway comments about DAB radio in cars! Regards Pete

So I could connect the two 45W which have an open circuit voltage of 22.6 in parallel and the two 80W which have an open circuit voltage of 21 in parallel and then connect the two arrays in series. Would that give me the highest output?

I have 2 off 45 watt panels at present and am planning to add 2 off 80 watt panels to them with a MPPT controller. T he blurb for the controller says the panels can be wired in parallel or series. What are the advantages and disadvantages of either way? If in series, if one panel is shaded is than going to affect the output of the whole array? Regards Pete

We have the earlier Zanussi ZWC1300W. We have no problems running a full cycle using our 3kw inverter with the engine running. I would assume the new machine to be the same except for cosmetic changes. Regards Pete

I don't know about TV as we don't have one but BBC digital radio reception was crap. When I complained to the BBC they said that it was likely due to the antenna being below the level of the dock and the high buildings around. Commercial DAB transmitter antenna was only a few hundred yards away so that was OK. Regards Pete

Definitely Knostrop. Just out of view on left is the support pillar for the railway swingbridge. The tanker on the right is probably loading effluent. The remains of the loading gear is still there amongst the undergrowth. Regards Pete

Can you moor at the end now? Last time we were there the visitor moorings were full of boats that looked as if they were there for the duration. Regards Pete

When we passed by on the 30th, they seemed to be attached to the tree. I went between them and the towpath and they floated out behind me. Regards Pete

When the generator was fitted to Joanie M there wasn't room for a hospital silencer so they fitted two conventional ones side by side so the exhaust flow is sorted of 'S' shaped. Regards Pete

Joanie M has two horizontal skin tanks that form the engine bearers for the Beta 43. The boat is a Reeves hull fitted out by Sabre. They used to have Piper hulls which, they told me, always had this arrangement. They also reckoned it made the engine run quieter due to stiffer bearers. We have been on plenty of rivers and tidal waters and the coolant temperature never changes from just under 80. I reckon there is about 20 gallons of coolant which means when the engine is working hard it can push quite a bit into the overflow bottle. No idea how it is baffled though. Regards Pete

Ah but! If you are a continuous cruiser then you will most likely get them online. Regards Pete

We use our sons address as our home address and use that address on our driving licences. As far as utility bills are concerned, the car hire companies often ask for them. I always explain that I live on a boat and so don't have them but I do have a receipt from BW for my licence fee. It has always been accepted. Regards Pete

Used it yesterday to get a bus into Rugby. Just as well, as otherwise I would have been waiting on the wrong side of the road. Regards Pete

The half empty water tank shouldn't have been a problem. There are taps at both ends and on both occasions we've been through the lockies have advised us to fill up. The first time we went through we booked a month in advance, the second time was about a week before - just before we left Manchester. Regards Pete

The only time we used it we came straight out of the lock and down river. And that was when Salters Lode was having problems so we went through that lock on the level so tide was already well on the way out. Regards Pete