Theo

My boiler is a Mikuni. Can you turn on the pump without the burner? Nick

Lots of plans! 1. Visit the Newark jumble sale and see what's on offer and perhaps meet SuperMalc. 2. Renovate Theodora, black, the hull, paint the cabin and generally get her ready for a nine month planned trip next year. Wot larks, Pip, wot larks! Nick

I don't have keel cooling. Raw water cooling of a heat exchanger. Nick

Lots of good advice hear, but at some point you may, like us decide to ignore some of it because there is something about the boat that takes your fancy and you decide that you want that boat with all its faults. We did that with Theodora and have not regretted it. We are just glad that others before us were more sensible! Nick

I would agree with this. I don't know the squirrel but our 30 year old Ulefos box stove at home has a similar arrangement. The idea is that the hot gases from the burning fuel are deflected forwards so that they then run back along the top of the stove towards the chimney transferring heat to the top of the stove as it goes. Nick

I think that if you put the convective radiator reasonably close to the stove then 15mm pipe would be ok. You could always try it and see. Nick

Here is the plan: 1. Set up the calorifier so that the engine can heat it via the unused coil. 2. Install a radiator/Towel rail in the bathroom, plumbed in parallel with the Mikuni heated coil. 3. Now the unorthodox bit: Also connect the Rad/Rail in parallel with the engine heated coil with suitable valves so that it is fed by only one at a time. What are likely problems wit this plan, apart from the balancing of pressures between the two, at present, isolated systems? Nick

Regarding the test drive: I am sure that you have made the right decision. There is so much that is more important than handling. You do need to check that the engine and gearbox actually function, though. I imagine that someone will be able to tell you if it is possible to do this will the boat out of the water. Painting. I am not an expert but you really need to be sure that you can paint large unbroken areas in one go or you will get unsightly discontinuities in the finish. Nick

I just thought that I have had so much out of this site that I had better put something in! Nick

It would come from the inverter. Nick

This is repeated from an off topic query that I made elsewhere... If I were designing a boat's electrics from scratch I would seriously consider making the whole lot 230V. Currents would be divided by 20 therefore power wastage in the wires would be divided by 400 (assuming the same gauge of wire). Voltages drop would be reduced to negligible levels. You could reduce the cost of wiring. This is why the CEGB (what was) spend lots of cast stepping up voltages for transmission. Someone tell me why I would be wrong, please. Nick

If I were designing a boat's electrics from scratch I would seriously consider making the whole lot 230V. Currents would be divided by 20 therefore power wastage in the wires would be divided by 400 (assuming the same gauge of wire). Voltages drop would be reduced to negligible levels. You could reduce the cost of wiring. This is why the CEGB (what was) spend lots of cast stepping up voltages for transmission. Someone tell me why I would be wrong, please. Nick

I would not have thought that this would have been a problem with 12V DC. They were designed for 240V even if it was AC. Nick

I can certainly collect the water + antifreeze. I wonder if I can make it easier by adding a hose to the exhaust pipe, being careful not to pressurise the exhaust system. Having collected the water Ican then use it again the next time I stop when there is a risk of freezing. Thanks, Blackrose

That's good. I feel better about paying my license fee! Nick

It's this one, Tony. I was slowly come around to this conclusion. With all this cold weather I will be glad when it is done! Nick Thanks everyone. Another satisfactory conclusion!

Let us know how you get on. Nick PS Freecycle is brilliant. Keep an eye on it!

Now then. You might inspire a thought provoking discussion! Stop it immediately! N