Batavia

Our old Sibir fridge (a different model from yours) had an incredibly fine filter just before the burner jet, which looked like a dented washer whose centre was covered in a mesh you could barely see.. If your fridge has one of these, check that this is not blocked. It was necessary to dismantle the burner assembly (easily done). When we finally got rid of the Sibir, due to increasing problems with lighting it, I dismantled it for spares - only to find that the pipework in the fridge was filled with rusty sludge. This was probably the underlying cause of the problem. Worth checking. Chris G

There are some copies for sale on abe at the minute for not-to-silly money! Chris G

Patrick Leach's website contains everything you could wish to know about Stanley planes and is very amusing. Read his comments about the #55 and #193. http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html Chris G

There is also the minor point that currently domestic gas is about 1/4 the price of standard tariff electricity (and still 1/2 the price of off-peak electricity) per kWhr! Will the relative price of electricity come down? I think not. Chris G PS Also, from the viewpoint of overall thermal efficiency, one should burn gas in the house, not in a power station (unless the waste heat can be used there).

Wot? No Fluke? Chris G

Heisenberg and Schrodinger were driving to work one day, when they were stopped by a traffic policeman. Policeman: "Do you now what speed you were doing?" Heisenberg: " No, but I knew exactly where I was." Policeman: "Well, you were doing exactly 81 mph." Heisenberg: "Thanks for that, but now I have no idea where I am." The policeman is now annoyed by the scientists' attitude, so he examines their car carefully, hoping to find a fault. Finally he opens the boot... Policeman: "Hey, did you know you've got a dead cat in here?" Schrodinger: " No, I wasn't certain, but I am now. Chris G

My mother can beat that easily. She opened her account in 1939 at what would now be considered to be the very un-PC branch in Blackboy Hill in Bristol. Did it get less un-PC when that branch closed and her account was moved to Whiteladies Road? Chris G

I always used foam board on the underside of sliding hatches. It has an impervious surface which can be wiped clean and comes in thicknesses from 1mm upwards. You can get a self-adhesive version, but I always used a contact adhesive - enjoy the fumes! Chris G

I have used Trevor Whitling, as have the purchasers of both of our former boats. Chris G

Not exactly banned but the Occupational Exposure Level can only be met with appropriate ventilation and correct application techniques - hence it is not available to the general public. Paramose paint stripper contains dichloromethane and whilst in theory it is only sold to the trade, is actually quite easy to acquire - and it works! Chris Gis

Very true, but from my experience of designing transportable diesel-driven pumping systems, using Tico pads can remove a lot of vibration. I think that the cost of Tico, plus the area required (which normally involves installing intermediate steel plates between the engine feet and the bearers) are the main reasons why one doesn't find it used very frequently in boats. Chris G

I would recommend using Tico pads,with the proper bolt sleeves - but you will need a fair area of pad. Chris G

Also, in Berkhamsted, the signs by the winding hole have been replaced (not before time, as the previous ones were more or less illegible) but the new ones are not easy to interpret, as the "totem-ettes" are not in a logical vertical sequence! The ambiguity will doubtless be appreciated by those who choose to moor in the winding hole. Chris G

Up to a point... Volts = pressure Current = flowrate Ohms as described Chris G

Thanks for (most of) your comments! Batavia doesn't have a back cabin because there is insufficient height between the swim and the gunnel to fit in a cross bed - and we didn't like the layout where the bed goes lengthways (e.g. on Pacific). As for the rest of the layout- a matter of choice! It worked for us... The side fenders were initially chosen to stop the gunnel disappearing underneath the lock landings on the Thames, but proved to be very useful elsewhere. Chris G PS It also comes with about 3 tonnes of 1052 spare engines and gearboxes!