Jennifer McM

Interesting idea, but not sure how he'd get the stuff off the baffle top without putting the fire out. Maybe we've got a different type? I took this picture before the inside of the fire was dismantled. We've had problems in the past figuring out which way the baffle fits. ??

Yes I think it did, there was big bottle brush, a hook to scratch the stuff, and a chain that beat the inner sides of the flue involved. That's a good idea about the water barrel, I'll pass that on to 'him that does'.

Exactly that. Nearly all the bags (kept in the cratch, under a cratch cover) when first opened the top layers of coal are sodden wet, I thought it was condensation. We burn a coal scuttle full of coal a day, scuttle is filled in the morning, and kept by the fire. The coal nuts become dryer, but still not fully dry.

Thank you everyone for replying, and thanks for your advice. Here's the culprit, it's a fatburg clinkerburg of tar and creosote (I think). Goes to show how this stuff builds up, to only having an inch or two diameter hole for the smoke to escape. The chimney was cleaned before we lit the fire last autumn. Since then we've burnt 13 x 25kg bags of Excel, and 12 x 20kg bags of New Heat. That's 565kg of coal burnt since September. It was probably November when the fire was kept in for 24 hours We've been burning New Heat (was told this will replace Excel???), it's good, but it's chemically. Fire was left to go out last night (glad the weather had warmed up). Today we got the bottlebrush out rattled a length of chain down the flue. Note to self: Clean the chimney more often. Note to everyone: Don't ignore an alarm.

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/stay-safe/carbon-monoxide-(co)/placing-co-alarms/

The stove is near the two bow doors, both of the doors have a grill, and probably a draft from the grills pushed the air through the boat to the back, where the gas accumulated. Helped along I think by the eco fan.

Thanks for that! Yes, the 'hat' is the like a Chinaman's coolie hat. I think you've hit the nail on the head. We don't burn wood, but we've got tar running down the side of the boat's cream paintwork. Chinaman's hat is coming off!

That's interesting! Thanks Yes, I think that might be a problem, although there is a good draw. As soon as we swop towpath sides, we'll take the fire to pieces and give the chimney a good clean. Thanks

Luckily we replaced our alarm in the summer with two carbon monoxide Fire Angel alarms, one fore, one aft! The stove is fore, our bed is aft. At 6 this morning the alarm kicked off by the bed. After scrambling out of bed, the levels were 55 ppm at the bed, and by the stove the alarm (which didn't kick off) read 45 ppm (guess the eco fan does work ) Chimnea was swept last autumn before the fire was lit, so it does need doing now, but we're on the wrong side of the towpath presently. There doesn't appear to be any damage or wear and tear on the stove and flue. It was a windy night last night, and I should think the wind was blowing down the chimney. We've got one of those hat's, with three legs at top of the flue. We've had smoke coming back in the boat before (though not since the stove was lit this time) when the wind was in the wrong direction. Think we'll have to think about a new system on top of the flue instead of the hat type, maybe there's one that's a bit safer? Wondering what sort of 'hat' we ought to get?

Believe they've got satellite offices around, think there's one at Wigram Marina that doesn't appear to be staffed. Boats they sell can be in different marinas (we've visited them, meeting the salesperson from Gt Haywood there), including one we bought that was moored by itself miles from anywhere.