Momac

I found my steam cleaner had a good affect on my canvas canopy - coupled with a little help from a detergent spray . 'Fabsil Gold' is a good waterproofer.

I dont see any air in the pipe from the tank up to the pump , which is a clear pipe. But I do feel and hear air on the outlet pipe after the pump. I am going to fully dismantle and put back together one more time .

Advice suggesting replace rather than repair is noted. The price for a new Flojet pump in my case is £133 I have found an alternative brand of pump , 'Seaflo' , that seems to be a copy of the 'Flojet' pump - but half the price. Undecided at present which way to go.

My Flojet domestic water pump has become faulty . It is a 4 valve diaphragm pump. It seems to be creating air in the water. I have taken the pump apart, cleaned out some limescale and re-assembled . No obvious splits of faults . But no improvement. What would be the best plan of action . I am nervous about buying parts that may not fix the problem but equally would prefer to avoid paying £120 for a new pump. It has been suggested to me the diaphragm may be perished. It looks intact . Certainly it may have deteriorated as I expect the pump is as old as the boat which was built in 2003. The body of the pump looks as good as new so is worth repairing - if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The one I have seemed to be working as intended during last winter - which was its first use from new. I had it set on 5 degrees and according to its built in max/min recorded temperatures the temp fell no lower than 4.6 degrees. I will obviously need to check it out before next winter .

With cruisers the length and beam over all is usually stated . I have always assumed the same true of narrowboats . That would exclude fenders on a cruiser although I am not sure whether that is true of narrowboats. I guess people may try to make their boats seem smaller for licensing and for calculating mooring fees and bigger when it comes to selling.

We carry a couple of 5 litre water bottles for drinking water and use them for refilling from the mains. Bottles bought initially as £1 supermarket spring water. With reasonably careful handling the bottles last about a year.

I am R.Trent based and agreed as said above . Auto inflate lifejackets are what most people have. Use them on the non tidal river too.

I have most years used a sterilising solution in the tank and pipework. Usually do this in the spring after the tank has been standing empty over the winter. A litre of sterilising solution into the empty tank (last time it was Dr Johnsons from Home Bargains for under a pound - also available in poundland ) and a full tank of water on top . Then pull the mixture through by opening taps so all the system is full. Leave this overnight or longer. Empty mixture via the taps and flush through with at least another tank of fresh water .

I thought the right sort of boat would be priority over location. It seems to me a widebeam is the most accessible for someone with disabilities.

Seems to me a widebeam makes the most sense - providing your good lady can get on and off it. http://newandusedboat.co.uk/new-boats-for-sale/175 .

I imagine pension lump sums come into it a great deal. There is no point taking a lump sum and doing nothing with it . Many people have been careful with money due to uncertainty in the economy for a number of years , through the recession. Unemployment is now lower than pre - recession times. People haven't been moving house due to the same economic uncertainties so there is less financial burden to mortgage payments among middle aged and older people. Overall there is a balance to be made between savings and enjoying life . I think putting money into a boat is a good investment but only if you make good use of the boat. The same might be true of many things including leisure activities of all sorts. Boats (cruisers mostly ) near us seem to be selling well. The ones that don't sell fast are asking well over the odds. However one boat that I thought over priced by £10k is under offer. Asking prices for boats certainly took a hit in the recession and seem to have firmed up back towards pre- recession times.

Spiders are certainly attracted to an environment near water. It was something we noticed when we moved from a town to a village located near the river. Every window has its own spider. I am fairly sure the attraction to water has more to do with the water being a good source of other insects upon which the spiders prey. Similarly insects are attracted to light , so spiders will be attracted to the same spot.

I doubt the marina would empty the dehumidifier - at least not for free. The dehumidifier I have can be arranged to drain overboard - the risk being the drain freezes. http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/meaco_8l_desiccant_dehumidifier_electronic_control_dd8l/version.asp Winter storms - not sure there is any more risk in the water than ashore. If in the water and at risk from flooding, which is naturally possible most places , best to be on a floating pontoon . If ashore best be certain floods cant rise to a level that could float the boat (it has happened).

Using the B&Q controller that I mentioned cut down frost protection heating bills last winter . I think it paid for itself over last winter compared to leaving heaters on all the time or on a timer ... as the weather was so mild . http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-white-1-gang-240v-13a-temperature-controlled-adaptor/178195_BQ.prd

A very small bonus - the water collected from the dehumidifier is deionised so it can be collected and used in a steam mop or iron.

It may be quite difficult to be certain that all water is removed from the domestic plumbing. Last winter was quite mild and as a result I noticed more condensation than usual. Even with no one on the boat there was condensation developing. The moisture traps I had in use were not coping. So I bought a dehumidifier and it immediately made a big difference. The dehumidifier was not cheap to run but better than risking mould issues . The dehumidifier also creates a little warmth so helps with frost protection.

A boat in the water is better protected from frost compared to a boat ashore. You may wish to winterise the boat by draining off all domestic water . However some frost protection heating would be advisable. Buy tube heaters with a built in thermostat or a temperature activated switch from B&Q which I have set to cut in when the temperature falls below 5 degrees. A dehumidifier helps guard against mould. The dehumidifier may not be effective at temperatures below 5 degrees but this has not been a big deal , for me, over the last few winters . The main risk is that shore power could be cut , which can happen if a neighbouring boat has an electrical fault. I believe, using a mobile phone on the boat and an app can be used to detect when power is cut which will send you a text.

We had a week holed up in Hull in late June . There hasn't been a fortnight of decent summer this year. By the way its Friday 11th August today , not Saturday.

320 hours is fairly low. The engine presumably looks like new . If not be suspicious. Hour meters can be replaced and start again from zero. In any case inspect the engine before and after the trial in case this shows up any oil or fuel leaks. There should be no leaks from such a relatively new engine. Are you not employing a suitably qualified and experienced surveyor to no only give the boat a thorough inspection but also to take it for a trial? The boat should have a current boat safety certificate .

It doesnt work out in the fresh air. My boat gets loads of spiders on the outside - but not the interior. The magic conker vapour has to be given time to build up. I expect full time boaters have the doors open too much .

I find it best to keep well out of the way of ships and commercial boats . They seem always to act as if they have right of way over any leisure boat . Therefore it is easier to let them have that right rather than to risk any conflict. In some circumstances the ship will be confined to a channel by draft in which case you, as the more manoeuvrable vessel, must take this into account .

Last year a narrowboat came into the visitor pontoon at Gunthorpe while we were already moored there. He had removed his lifejacket after exiting the lock as he though it was no longer needed. Near the pontoon he slipped as he tried to step off towards the pontoon but missed it , catching his arm on the pontoon. he came up dazed and in mild panic . I helped him out via the escape ladder while his wife just watched . A near miss but it did emphasize the risk of falling in. A lifejacket could have been more critical if I had not been there. I also met an ex navy diver who had got into difficulty at Newark, just below Town Lock - the under current had pinned him to the bottom for a while . If you fell in here a lifejacket could easily save a life. We always wear life jackets on the non tidal Trent as well as the tidal and dont take ham off until the engine is stopped. What other people do is entirely up to them but I would say drowning is just as likely in non tidal as it in tidal river.

It is possible to obtain an ICC for the inland waterways with minimal experience by attending a two day practical course that no one fails and then passing a CEVNI exam which is an online open book exam which , with a little effort, anyone could study for and pass. I think most people with a couple of years experience would find the practical course a bit tedious .(RYA helmsman or Powerboat). .

High tide at keadby this morning is 07:45