[Leylandii conifers & wood burning stoves.]

Has anyone out there used Leylandii logs on there wood burning stove? I've just chopped down several conifers in the garden which would make lovely logs for the multi fuel stove on the boat but I am a bit worried that the high resin content might cause problems. It would be a shame to dump them if they can be used for fuel. Any advice ?

[Prop size and engine revs ?]

I have a 57 ft semi trad (21" draft) fitted with a 42 hp Izusu engine/ PRM 150 gearbox driving through a python drive to a 17" x 12" prop. (total 400 hrs on the clock). With full throttle applied in neutral, full rated engine revs of 2800 is quickly achieved but when full throttle is applied in forward gear 2100 rpm is quickly achieved but this is the max obtainable. I also get some cavitation noise over about 1200 rpm. I suspected that the prop was oversized but speaking to people with similar sized boats 17" x 12" seems to be about right. looking at the power curve for the engine, 2100 rpm equates to about 32 hp so does this mean that I can't utilise the full 42hp of the engine ?? I would be very grateful for feed back regarding max engine revs achievable by people with similar set ups to mine to identify if I have a problem and if so suggestions on how to correct it. Many thanks

[How's that for good service!]

I agree that's not good but why don't you call them? I had the same thing with one of their alternator controller remote controls and the messages that should appear which were different to the manual (due to a software update it turned out). I rang them and they answered the question immediately. The personal touch always seems to work best.

 

Chris

Thanks chris, will try that if no reply is forthcoming. tosher

[How's that for good service!]

MY new boat came fitted with a Sterling 20A charger which originally was charging both battery banks. I added a 40A Pro-Digital with remote control to run the domestics and relegated the 20A to charge just the starter battery.

 

I noticed that the 20A unit would cycle through the normal bulk, absoption and float stages and then, after about 30 minutes or so, it would recycle and go back to the bulk charge stage etc and go through the whole process again. I removed the unit (which had been fitted by Liverpool Boats) and discovered inside a burnt-out track. I phoned Sterling, who reckoned that the installer may have been changing terminals over with the unit switched ON and had inadvertently touched the case with the positive wire which damaged the track. They asked me to return it.

 

I sent it off on Wednesday afternoon this week by Royal Mail Next-Day delivery and, unbelievably, a spanking brand-new one arrived from Sterling this morning (Friday). What's more, the unit they have sent me is one of their new updated range not the original range as previously fitted. All with no cost to me other than a small amount to return the original unit to them.

 

Now that's what I call great customer service.

 

Chris

 

Very pleased for you but his is contrary to my experience with Sterling customer service. I have a Sterling 3000w pure sine wave inverter/charger combi unit that works fine (I think) but there are some messages that appear on the display unit & remote unit that I don't understand and which are not covered in the manual. I would like to know what they mean so I requested this information from Sterling via their web site "contact us" link. To date I have not even received an acknowledgement let alone any answers but I live in hope.

[Anodes]

Question ? Where is the best place to fit anodes at the stern of the boat, A - close to the stern tube/prop shaft to give best protection to them but interferes with the smooth water flow to the prop, or B - at the forward end of the swim so as not to disturb water flow to the prop but would this position, being further from the stern tube/prop shaft give less protection.

[Advice on fishing]

Thanks to everyone for your advice, very much appreciated. Hope the fish are as helpful !! tosher.

[Advice on fishing]

I have just bought a narrow boat based at Nantwich (Shropshire Union & Llangollen canals) and my 12 year old grandson is keen to start fishing. I would appreciate advice on what licences are required, where to get them and how much they cost. Also some do's & don'ts regarding fishing the canals in general. As a newby all advice will be very helpful. many thanks.

[Narrow boat insurance]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. All very helpful. tosher

[complaint procedures]

An outsiders view on all this -- I have been seriously looking to buy a new or nearly new boat for 6 months now and have at last found one that becomes mine next week hopefully. During that time I have tried to get as much info as possible about narrow boats, particularly info from "the horses mouth" so to speak and have found this forum to be invaluable in that regard. It is very important to people like me to read such threads as this one to counterbalance all the advertising claims from builders in general who all claim to build the best boats. I hope such threads as this are allowed to continue and I hope this one is resolved as quickly as possible. The only down side to such threads is that it has made me scared stiff to buy a boat.

[Isotherm ASU]

I have used the isotherm units on sea going yachts for some years and found them to be very good. They are really designed for yachts who use there engines very little but whenever the engine is being used, like entering and leaving port, the unit senses the higher voltage from the alternator and automatically switches to the fast freeze mode witch reduces the temperature in the holding plate very quickly. When the engine is stopped the fridge is kept cool by utilising the "cold" built up within the holding plate without the fridge motor running at all. I found that in the warm temperatures of the Med approx 1 hour of engine use would give about 2 hours before the fridge motor started again. the longer the engine use the longer the inactivity of the fridge motor. When selected to shore power the unit behaves as a normal fridge. These units were sea water cooled (through hull skin fitting) due to the high ambient temperatures but they are supplied with an alternative cooling fan for cooler climes but I have no experience of using this type.

[Narrow boat insurance]

As a first time buyer I am looking to insure my new boat, could anyone advise me on the best companies to deal with and the companies that should be avoided. many thanks.

 

Thanks Pie Eater and NB Alnwick for your replies, I have contacted michael Stimpson for a quote (along with a few others).

[Narrow boat insurance]

As a first time buyer I am looking to insure my new boat, could anyone advise me on the best companies to deal with and the companies that should be avoided. many thanks.

[Cabin roof pump out connection.]

Hi Tosher,

 

I also have a self pump out kit and it connects to the standard pump out skin fitting (mine is on the gunwale). Having the skin fitting on the roof should still be OK for self pump out, just a little bit more exercise due to the additional 'lift' required from the pump.

 

 

Many thanks to everyone for your prompt and very informative replies. I'm happy now with the roof-top connection point. Tosher

[Cabin roof pump out connection.]

Hello all, I am a newby and about to buy my first narrow boat and would be very grateful if anyone could help with the following two questions. The boat I like has a toilet holding tank with the pump out connection mounted on the cabin roof, all the other boats I have looked at seem to have them on the gunnals. Do they work ok on the cabin roof with having such a long suction down to the tank ??? Also I have read on the forum about self pump out kits, is the suction of these pumps fitted into the normal pump out point on the boat or are do they require their own separate connection directly into the holding tank ??? Any info would be very much appreciated. Many thanks.