matthewd

Thanks - it may be the Steca doing a better job, as the batteries are shall we say not in the first flush of youth.. for quite a while I knew next to nothing about keeping batteries in good shape. The Steca controller is supposed to do fairly sophisticated charging (four stages) and it certainly does exhibit the specified voltages at various times - if the sun's out. Thanks - there's also this Lake Batteries Elecsol listing which claims *eight* stage charging! As far as I can see, it's still four.. Matt

Is anyone using one of these? Care to report on its effectiveness? I was also looking at more expensive chargers (pick a number, basically..!) but this and the Numax equivalent caught my eye. The Elecsol seems to be genuinely four stage but the Numax three, if you read carefully. Finally, I currently have a Steca MPPT charger, which seems (according to the Smartgauge) to be doing a good job of keeping the batteries charged. Come winter.. autumn for that matter, which is now :-(... I want to add a mains charger. The MPPT charger sits between the batteries and load - will a battery charger such as the elecsol coexist with it? Is there any danger that together they overcharge? Given how "intelligent" they both are, I would hope the answer would be no.. Matt PS I've just noticed the typo in the post title - don't think I can correct it.. d'oh!

By coincidence there was some Serpentoleum on special offer at my local Holland & Barrett, so I bit the bullet. It's amazing, and I don't think my alteranator will ever be the same again. I followed the instructions to the letter (including "rinse and repeat") and I am particularly impressed with the operation of the nanotubes. Thank goodness for science, and whatever will they think of next? Thanks! Matt

OK, I did anticipate that anything to do with charging seems to be a minefield on this forum. I hope you appreciate it's not always easy to see whether the question you're asking has already been answered! If I understand the article correctly, with modern alternator(s) and no mains charging it's unlikely that there would be any benefit from a separate charger. I assume my alternator charges at around 14.4v as I have measured that voltage on the batteries while the engine is running. So thanks for the speedy response. I can respond with make and model of batteries and alternators but I don't want to waste anyone's time! Matt

Hi, I have searched on this topic so apologies if I've missed an answer in the haystack. I was recently told that running the engine to charge the batteries may not fully charge them, and that special chargers exist which find exactly the right voltage to get them to 100% more efficiently. I suspect there may be a combination of truth and simplification in this..! I have identified various mains chargers which appear to fit this description, but: My question: if I am not charging from mains (I have no shore power) but only via the engine, does a charger exist which would fit between my alternators and the batteries to do the same thing? I.e. is there a better set-up than just alternators alone for charging from the engine? Thanks for any suggestions Matthew

Brilliant, thank you both. Matt

What does "tapping" mean - novice question I know. And some other questions about roof fixings... - what kind of drill bit is suitable for drilling into a roof? Do you need a high speed (i.e. mains) drill? - what kind of screws or bolts are best - how long should they be, i.e. to fully pierce the roof, or not? And is any special kind of material necessary, i.e. stainless steel screws / bolts, plated etc. Should they then be sealed or greased in any way? - and what is the exact procedure for drilling and then tapping the hole? I have searched and read a thread about different types of taps and lubricants but I'm none the wiser about exactly what is being *done*! Thanks, Matt

What would happen if you used lard?! Only kidding. But is there an environmentally friendly / biodegradable equivalent you can use? Matt

I thought that an RCD Annex III-a certified sailaway couldn't be resold within 5 years? Matt * edited to include the relevant quote *

I've just cruised my yet-to-be-fitted out NB from Napton to Oxford - a very sweaty, smelly (no shower yet, or any creature comforts for that matter) three days. Completely brilliant! "Love it".

Thanks Gary.

Hello! I am in a similar position, about to have a lined sailaway craned in. Regarding paperwork from the builder, I believe what I need is the RCD certificate of compliance: is this correct and is there anything else? Matt

Hi Rob, That would be great! I await with interest. Regards Matt

OK, so putting two and two together, connecting the back boiler to the calorifier (with a pump) would be simpler, and the radiator is perhaps of questionable benefit? In fact, I "misspoke" (ike Hillary C.) when I said the stove was central - it's more like 6ft from the back of a 28 ft cabin. So is a radiator likely to be necessary to aid heat distribution? Or, since the stove has a "clear run" up the corridor, is air convection (perhaps boosted by an ecofan) likely to be enough? (Sorry for rudimentary diagram - total cabin length is 28ft). The radiator was to be opposite the fixed dbl. Thanks for those replies, very useful. Matt ** edited to remove the diagram which got minced by the internet (different variable width fonts I think) ** ..basically, it's reverse layout with stove at end of galley worktop, aligned with long corridor, and L-dinette, bathroom, bed, on the other side.

Dear all, I am expecting my 40' lined sailaway to be ready in a few weeks. I plan to have a Boatman (or other) multifuel stove roughly in the centre of the boat, with one convection cycle radiator opposite the fixed double berth, forward (i.e. the boat is reverse layout, galley aft). From what I read there shouldn't be any problems with getting good circulation on a single radiator, particularly if fat pipes are used. But I would also like to connect the back boiler to the calorifier (a separate diesel boiler is out of budget). I believe this is possible (it's mentioned in several forum threads), but: (1) is it possible to have the calorifier connection work on convection alone as well? Or is a pump required? (2) does this mean one can't use the stove when the engine is running (to avoid engine overheating)? (3) since the boiler / radiator pipework goes along the corridor side of the boat, connecting a towel rail / radiator in the bathroom is tricky. Can this be done direct from the calorifier (i.e. on the other side of the boat), as is mentioned (nay recommended) in several threads? (4) what would the pipework coming out of the back boiler look like (since it's going in two directions, i.e. forward to the radiator and aft to the calorifier)? I removed a domestic backboiler from a fireplace at home, and it has two pipes, one top and one bottom, on each side, i.e. four in total. Do the back boilers for e.g. Boatman, Squirrel etc have the same, or just a single input at bottom and output at top? Any thoughts appreciated. Matt

Does this mean sacrificial?: (from website).. quote: Q. How does Zingard work? A. It reacts with the parent metal to form an electrolytic bond, which results in a potential of 1040mV between the steel and the zinc. Once the steelwork becomes wet, the zinc ions go into dissolution and the current begins to flow from the zinc to the steel, depleting the zinc layer and protecting the steel beneath. Q. What if Zingard is scratched through to the bare metal? A. Zingard has a 3 – 5mm ‘throw’, which means that unprotected metal up to 3 – 5 mm away from a Zingarded surface will be protected. It will form a layer of surface rust, but there will be no pitting beneath the rust. On small areas like scratches and chips, the surface will often go a light brown-grey colour. end quote Interesting, no? Anyway, the "brand-name" shell builder I have been speaking to has advised against it (because not sure about paint compatibility, and the boats they build are still going strong after 30 years without it..), even if the smaller builder I spoke to thought it might be a good idea! Regards Matt

Thanks for all these comments - very interesting. The Zinga / Zingard products are apparently a different thing (not a paint at all) from the zinc epoxy primer and the comment about sacrificial action (mentioned by Blackrose) is correct according to the Zingard marketing material: http://www.mgduff.co.uk/zingard-faq.html . But does this mean it's inappropriate for inland waterways? Richard N's experience sounds positive: an important remaining question is what if any blacking / additional hull paint is applied on top of the zinc coating? I guess not all are compatible. Thanks all, Matt

Dear all, I am looking at buying a lined sailaway and wondering about (i) shotblasting and (ii) Zingard. I figured it ought to be worthwhile doing everything possible to protect the hull at the build stage as an investment over the life of the boat, so I asked the two builders I'm considering about shotblasting. Having reviewed a previous post here, it seems it might not be worth it if the steel provenance is known / certifiable. http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1969&hl=shotblasting. So steel from a reputable builder ought to make it unnecessary, right? What is the magic question I should ask of the builder to find out whether the steel is OK? I was also quoted rather different prices: small builder quoted about 7-800 quid for 40ft hull shotblasting only below the waterline; larger well known builder quoted much more (several hundred pounds per foot!). Secondly, as I was asking about hull protection at the build stage, one builder mentioned a kind of zinc coating called Zingard, cost for painting hull (before blacking) £500. Doesn't seem to have been mentioned on the forums before. Having reviewed the marketing material it seems like an excellent product (of course it would), particularly if any chance of boat going on brackish / sea- water. Has anyone heard of this being used on narrowboats? Overkill perhaps? Or, again, since you only get one opportunity to protect the original bare steel, a worthwhile investment over the lifetime of the boat? Best wishes Matt