captain flint

weeeelll.. I mean. I know how much cable sticks out at each end. I can measure that. Then I can measure the travel round the cabin sides from one hole where they go into the cabin lining to the other hole where they come out. Of course, they might be meandering all over the place in there. I can't see. But I bet they aren't, at least not much. And really, whilst acknowledging my profound ignorance about the technical stuff we're discussing here, I'm hazarding a guess that this sort of measurement-assisted estimate is good enough for our purposes here. I mean, I don't want to do down the ingenuity and knowhow that goes into canal boats, but it's not NASA, right? According to that rough measurement it's 6m but I called it 6-7 to account for the fact I can't actually see all the cable yeah as per my previous message to Alan the diameter including insulation is more 5mm, the diameter of the copper itself is 3mm. Well, obviously, measuring diameter with a steel rule is not exactly an exact science, but I'm saying 3mm near as hot dammit. Thanks!

I have no idea where to find a battery's knees. I guess I'll have to do some googling... Ah, right, well in my case the diameter of the copper is 3mm. c. 5mm plus the sheathing Turned it off at the fuse box and got my steel rule onto the little bit of exposed copper I can see at the little junction box thingy

Thanks for your post, your points all sound sensible to me, and I even understood most of them. Help me out here, though, can you say this one again in a slightly different way as I kind of think I know what that means but I'm not sure (I'm guessing in practice you mean continuing to charge them when they're getting nearly full... ?)

'Ere, Alan. I'm not doubting you may be right about this and that I may have the wrong end of the stick in some way, but that's not what it seems to say here

Thanks, Alan. Kind of what I was expecting to hear but with some extra info, I was ignorant about CSA vs diameter, so that's another tiny (and very basic) chip off the enormous rock of my ignorance. Ah well. It was nice to dream of a new fridge. But I guess now I need to focus on dreaming of new cables, first. I wish I could be advised online about the best way to replace my fridge cables, but I think it's the kind of thing you really need to be on board in person to be able to say anything much sensible, right.

Question. Very very hopeful and probably silly question. To which I can guess the answer: Looking on the data sheet for the danvoss compressor that is in my fridge, it says 6mm cable for 6m travel on a 12V system. This does mean two cables of 6mm each, rather than 6mm in total (ie 2 x 3mm), right? I'm sure it does but I would hate to make that assumption if in fact my 2x3mm cables are sufficient... Chance would be a fine thing Every statement on this forum comes with an advisory. As do most statements about most things in life, really! Nevertheless it is a useful resource and there's as much wheat as chaff, in general, I reckon. As it happens my installer kind of agreed. He said not to be worried about charging or depleting it more and that the cells will last for years and years and year even with regular heavy-handed treatment, but that the sweet spot for the longest life possible for them is 30-70%. It's like you're both right - it doesn't matter that much, but it does make some difference (according to Phil Owen, anyway)

I've usually not run 230V applicances all the time, and only turned the invertor on when I need to. But with my new batteries I can see I may get into the habit of leaving it on when I'm on board as I've plenty more wriggle room on power and the new invertor is more efficient than the old in terms of draw. I suppose the question of warm but overcast summer days when I'm away for a couple of nights and would like to leave the fridge on might be pertinent here and make me lean towards a 12V fridge Don't bank on that - I changed my 'old' 12v fridge for a 'new' 12v fridge and it wouldn't run. The new fridge was more sensitive to volt drop so I had to re-run the cables in a much larger size to get the new fridge to work. Hmmmm. Thank you for sharing this. I've been looking at the wiring and am typically very confused. But I have a feeling this might be the single biggest obstacle and might even make me just stick with the devil I know. The cables are 3mm* and the travel is 6 or 7** metres. So - I think? - the cables are maybe half what they should be? *Nothing printed on the sheath, but, well, they're 3mm. **This is a sort of measured estimate - cables come out of the back of the fuse box, disappear behind the cabin lining, and reappear behind the fridge. So, hard to say exactly how long they are but I measured the travel plus the bits sticking out behind the fridge. It's is on the other side of the boat from the fuse box. My uneducated guess is that while in theory you might be able to use the thin cable to pull a fatter cable from fusebox to fridge, in reality it's unlikely to work on such a long and potentially tricky travel (?). In which case I'd have to think about a whole new travel for new cables. Not impossible, I'm sure, but not the same as simply disconnecting one fridge and putting a new one onto the same connection.

They have a very decent BMS.The installer just got back to me and said that keeping them between 30% and 70% is the sweet spot for the longest life but that they are very tolerant and not to overthink it every day. IE a good general rule that's basically fine to break now and then, like giving them a good charge before going away for a few days Thank you

What I'm about to type won't please anyone less technically illiterate than me, but Phil Owen who installed my system claims the set up he's designed (utilising a Victron Cerbo CX) is the only on board system that is absolutely reliable and accurate when it comes to battery usage, and claims to have tested it (for more info about it follow the link to his page in my original post). Today, I've not had the engine on, not had much sunshine, fridge has been on all day, and the readout is down from 87% to 85%. Presumably overnight it will take a few more percent off. It's only just been installed or I'd have a clearer idea. I should have said how much I'm away - normally one or two nights, sometimes 3. If I'm going away longer than that I would empty the fridge and turn it off, at least until I have ascertained that I can afford to leave it longer. I appreciate that I'm just taking the word of the magic box and the reassurances of the installer that it's reliably accurate, but, um, er. Um. I'm feeling right now that it should be OK? In principle, though I'm right with you when you say it doesn't matter which type of battery you have, you need to put in what you take out, of course! Goddammit I don't know. I always used to turn it off when I went away. Why change? Maybe milk. Um. Christ. Glad you asked. I will just turn it off. Duh.

correct

hmmm. I knew about the taking them down to 20% but thanks for telling me about only charging to 80% - can't believe I didn't come across this before, I spent days reading up on things before making such a big decision, but wasn't aware of that. I'll make an enquiry with the installer.

Doh! Yes indeed. Thanks for pointing out, now edited

So... I've been reading many threads here on this subject and if anything I'm just more confused than before. Although maybe a better quality of confusion. Maybe. First off, I will own up right now to being immensely thick when it comes to electricity. Apparently I'm capable of not being entirely stupid about a few other things (then again maybe that's just people being "nice"). But electricity, my brain just freezes over. I expect this is the primary problem and I that many will sensibly point out getting to grips with the basics is really essential. But I'm going to blunder stupidly on anyway. Feel free to sling abuse. I can take it. I have an old (15y) Coolmatic 12V fridge. It runs OK ish but somewhat less well as the seal isn't as good as the door doesn't sit quite straight after the hinge got damaged in, uh, a small boat fire (Long story. Not caused by onboard equipment). Plus it's noisy (sounds like the Tardis). And I'm keen to give it to a friend who is short of money (and a fridge). And I'd just like to get a better one. Feel free to point and laugh, but the fact is I have a stupidly expensive OTT electric set up. Inverter: New Victron Multiplus 2 - nominally - 3kW inverter charger (output drops to - nominally - 1.7kW at highest operating tempratures). I'm not exactly clear on how much power it draws just by being on. I've looked in the manual and it says 13W, but, well, I think I said something about being stupid, no? Battery: New LiFeP04 battery set up giving 560Ah. I guess the obvious thing would be to get a very efficient 230V fridge and leave the inverter on. But apart from force of habit, I guess it just feels more streamlined and efficient to go with a 12V fridge, plus less to go wrong. A few other reasons I'm thinking of forking out more on a 12V fridge: - No new wiring needed (it wouldn't be all that easy running a new wire due to how things are set up) - Although I have overkill on my electrics, I'm used to only switching the inverter on when I need it - plus I'm away for a few days at a time most weeks. I prefer to leave my fridge on the whole time, rather than switching it off at night/using it less in winter. I'm no stranger to living like that on board, and I get that it's an option). I want to look after my fancy battery as much as I failed to look after my last lead acid ones - I suspect the chances of an inverter fire are small... But still, even the fire I had was quiet enough thank you. It's nice to come home and find it still there. On the other hand: - I always leave the batteries charged up before I go away, so my new overkill set up could most likely cope without running them down even with the fridge left on (?) - I do have 800+W solar (but not angled and in winter, only giving a little bit)Plus, any power saved feels like power I could use for something else, some time. I think my fridge and my laptop are the only regular big power draws, but there are plenty of other things I might like to get in future (hen I have saved up some more spending money - it's all going to be gone pretty soon...!) All in all I don't mind forking out the extra for 12V (so long as the new fridge lasts several years). But if I can be persuaded that's stupid and I should just leave the inverter on I guess maybe I would go that way. Am I being stubborn to think a decent 12V fridge is more elegantly efficient and with fewer possible issues? Should I bite the bullet and leave my inverter on the whole time, even when I'm away? Go on. Do your worst Thanks!

I ordered some plastic coated 4mm steel cable (6mm including the plastic coating) , 60cm long, with a loop at each end. It's been brilliant. I can wiggle it through little gaps too small for my mooring chain links to get through. Brilliant, that is, until I left it on the towpath somewhere.

Oof! I've put the whole thing out of my mind. Um, I did some research and used what I thought seemed easiest and most like what used to be allowable for tank blacking. I thin it may have been Black Jack. It went on very glossy, whatever it was, which is probably entirely unimportant abd uninteresting. I can't really say what the tank is like now, as I've bolted it back shut, and hope to never look in it again! (yes, yes, I will be opening it and doing it again in a few years but I'd rather not think about that thanks). I did empty my tank recently and the water ran clear right to the end, which is an encouraging sign of the coating holding up ok, but it's only been just over a year, so I'd hope so, too! Do use a proper filtering mask thing with cartridges. An experienced and professional boat chap, who's even supposedly a mate of mine, said, with a fan blowing in, a regular mask and goggles should be fine. It isn't, you want the proper filters, you really do. I did half a day without. Not good.

Wow! So it treats it then you can just dump it? And is it environmentally friendly I wonder?

Don't take it too personally, there's a few who might sound gruff (to you) on here, but as others have said, some excellent knowhow. And it's just a forum, so, you know, you could act like a duck with water on it... Of course if you don't like it, then, sure, don't stay, but if you can take it all with a pinch of salt, you might find this place a useful resource. * Oh I see I'm a year late to the party. Oh well

yeah plus it's electrical cable! I had a proper look. I'm getting some 5mm cable with soft loop ends. Just an experiment. Might not be worth it but it's not gonna break the bank either yeah but it's not even proper cable, it's for brake lights! Does say it has a wound steel core for strength iirc, but there are other similar items that are just cable. I'm gonna have a play with one of them instead this is a good thought! Though now I think some more on it, I reckon if I can get hose through the gap, it's most likely big enough to pass the links of my mooring chain through. But maybe I have some thinner plastic tubing knocking around, calorifier type plastic pipe rather than garden hose

Can I not trash this posting accident? Seems not! Maybe I'm being a luddite. I'll try again This seems like a good point. I might try my luck, but I'll mind my fingers, thanks for the heads up

I guess I just meant the Paddington basin area itself has that kind of shiny corporate not very interesting vibe - to me. But I certainly don't think that of the area around, or little Venice. It's subjective, of course

Oof that's a fair old schlep though isn't it. Don't think I'm up for that right now - recently I've been feeling really really ropy, no idea what, it's like how people describe really bad long covid. But it's only just come on and I had covid ages and ages ago, so I don't think it can be that. Hopefully it will disappear as mysteriously as it came on and anyway it's only just on some days. I'll keep an eye out round Vicky Park or Stratford, or maybe the filter beds. Pretty sure I'll find somewhere to break my journey even if just overnight

Nope, and it's not my boat name! Pitched up here yesterday... Tbh I can't wait until I'm out past Enfield and I'm slightly dreading the next stage of my journey, and whether or not I'll find anywhere to moor. It was fine coming the other way, but that was in midwinter...

There are railings and there are railings. Some are strong as houses, written assessment or not. There are railings plenty strong enough, 2 inch steel poles attache to concrete as sturdily as a mooring ring, where mooring creates no issues for pedestrians at all. I don't use them for mooring, ever, as I know I would get in trouble (it happened once, as I want aware of this rule, having only seen the advice in the Boaters' Handbook which runs contrary to it). I can see that it's simpler just to say its not allowed and then to enforce it regardless of whether it would in fact have been secure and totally unproblematic. Indeed, I'm somewhat sympathetic to that. But I reserve the right to think that, in some specific lcations, this is rather silly in and of itself.

How odd. I'm there right now. Sunny day. Weekday. Electric boats were buzzing around (and bumping into me!) last night - after work hours. Saw a bunch of 7 or 8 paddle boarders this morning. People very much in evidence at lunch time and after office hours. But they could of course accommodate way more boats if they wanted to. But that story is one that's repeated in so many spots all over London I wouldn't exactly describe it as vibey here, though. Kind of bland/boring/soulless. Again, though, the story of so many new developments. That said, it's clean, and, I would guess, a pretty safe/secure place to moor in town Bully for you but you know some people were born here. You may, if you chose to, regard that as unfortunate. But have a thought for us poor souls with family and connections here! I could avoid it, I suppose. But I really need to be within striking distance of my elderly mum - though maybe 'striking distance' isn't quite the right turn of phrase 😂 But really, I do actually tend to avoid it. I can't see it as a dreadful place, I really can't. Too much tribal loyalty. But I've been slightly surprised to discover, now I'm CCing, that I gravitate to quiet spots outside the m25 and just get the train in. I've been even more surprised to discover it's not just the boating aspects that do my head in. Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner that I (keep telling myself) love London Town (despite the evidence to the contrary) ! 😳