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jetzi

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Everything posted by jetzi

  1. I can't help but feel as a professional you're holding yourself to a higher standard than I would be! I have painted most of the boat on the towpath and adding up the panels I can slap one full cabin coat on in about 10 hours, so I reckon that's feasible in a day. Maybe I'm underestimating how fatigue would set in though, and also maybe the details (hand rails and such) could really add up. Then perhaps I only have time for 1 topcoat in the dock - which is fine too, it's really just to get the finish nicer than a towpath finish. I've only had the blacking done professionally and they definitely didn't take 10 hours to do a coat. Closer to 2-3 hours. So I feel that I'd be able to do a day per coat of blacking.
  2. Thanks Machpoint. I'm leaning towards the CaRT docks at Wigan or Ellesmere, they seem well priced. But I think Wigan doesn't have walls so probably not ideal for the topcoat, and Ellesmere doesn't have availability until December but I don't think it's heated. So would have to book a week in May which looks about 405 quid. I suppose that's reasonable but more than I imagined having to spend. @David Mack any rough idea of the cost of a week at Aylesbury? Unless I'm looking in the wrong place their site gives a 404 at http://aylesburycanal.org.uk/our-services/slipway-dry-dock/ Yeah, I absolutely appreciate it's a lot of work for a week. I might be able to get some mates to pitch in, and I'd be open to doing 2 weeks if it's affordable. But I have a pretty good handle of how long the painting will take now that I've done most of it DIY on the towpath, and a really large part of it is just waiting for it to dry. The schedule I had in mind was: Day 1: out the water and pressure wash, maybe a bit of griding or wire wheel prep of the hull. Day 2: blacking coat 1. Day 3. cabin top coat 1. Day 4: blacking coat 2. Day 5: cabin top coat 2. Day 6: blacking coat 3. Day 7: out comes the boat. I would definitely be pretty sore at the end of that!!
  3. I have an ambitious plan to cut costs... I'm painting my boat on the towpath, but the main issue that I am encountering is bugs and such landing on my paint. I'm doing it in panels over a fairly long period of time. It's a solid colour. I'm thinking that it might be wise to paint the final topcoat (or two) in one go, to make sure the joins are not visible and the colour is consistent, and I'm thinking of hiriing a covered dock to do this in to save on bugs. The boat also is pretty much due for a blacking, so I figure, two birds one stone?? My aim is to get a "best effort" DIY job as I don't have the money to have the painting professionally done (never mind the fact that all painters are booked out as far as the eye can see). I realise this would be a week of pretty full on work for my 65' narrowboat. The main issue that I can see is that when blacking you want a wide dock with no water in it, and when painting you want a narrow dock. But I thought maybe I could get around this somehow with boards. Is blacking and painting at the same time something that people do? Can anyone recommend a well-priced dock? I'm in the Manchester area but can travel. Time frame - probably once the weather is warmer next year but if I'm lucky a cheeky slot before winter would be nice. Or failing that a heated dock.
  4. Just to say, I appreciate @Alan de Enfield's points of view and penchant for well substantiated and researched insights on this forum. It's quite rare for people to back up what they say online with links and excerpts of relevant literature, and this kind of thing can be very hard to find if you don't know where to look. So please don't stop Alan. It might be true that in practice RCD isn't relevant to canal boaters, but it's still useful to know that it applies, legally speaking. Personally I feel like there is a place on the forum for both those points of view, it's boring when everyone agrees!
  5. Thanks. I'm aiming to be on the Anglian waterways in April so don't need the information now. I'm making a map of the waterways that has all the bits my boat can't access removed so I mostly just want to know whether Reach makes the cut!
  6. I agree and I'm disappointed to learn this. Though looked at in a positive way, if I have to have a stowaway on board, they may as well do some of the work, and to this day I've never ridden through a tunnel in the bows so that could be a fun experience. What's CaRT's rationale behind this policy? Are they trying to protect the tunnel or the passengers or what? I would have thought that a long-term boater who knows their own boat and has been through countless tunnels would do a much better job than your average volunteer. Perhaps they had problems with people going too fast or disrespecting the tunnel in some way (graffiti maybe?)
  7. Thank you, I won't total write it off the list of "stupid places to take my boat... One day!" Though I expect whichever way I go (wicken, burwell or reach) there won't be space to wind at the ends,and it looks very weedy from your blogs..
  8. How long is Fulbourne, is there any chance of getting a 65' narrowboat onto Reach Lode / Burwell Lode? I see @magpie patrick says it's 63' here ( https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/69294-max-length/&do=findComment&comment=1378813 ) and @Keeping Up says it's about 62' (https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/33503-70-foot-limitations/&do=findComment&comment=593314). I'm 65' but with a rounded stern. And I hear the guillotine gates can potentially let you through if the levels are just about right.
  9. Right, yeah one has to compare apples and apples. If one was going to make a stab at a guess, how much less is a given boat worth say a year after a new build compared with what was paid for it? 30%? Since the generation of the electricity is so much more efficient by a generator than an engine, and since you spend so much time stopped in locks or passing boats at below the engine's optimally efficient cruisng speed, I'm convinced that converting kinetic to electric and back to kinetic isn't really that much less efficient. Combined with the fact that you can run the engine from solar when it's available, I believe you'll end up using less diesel with a diesel-electric drive than a big old Beta 43 or 50 engine. I'd not have both a generator and engine. I'd only get a generator paired with electric drive. I realise that there would be some loss stepping the generator down to low voltage DC. I think most of the DC motors used for drive are 48V or 60V so I imagine a battery bank at a higher voltage than usual should help reduce the losses.
  10. I'm planning a trip through the Standedge tunnel, as the longest tunnel on the network I feel it's a must see for an infrastructure fan. Also being around the peak district appeals to me. However looking at a map of the Ashton and Huddersfield Narrow canal it looks like it goes through mostly urban areas. Are there any good stopover spots that anyone can recommend that are a bit more quiet and rural? I like to be a bit away from busy roads and towns most of the time. Nice towns are also appealing though so town mooring recommendations are also appreciated! Cheers
  11. I accept that the composting toilet needs ventilation, but as it was a new fitout you'd think they could have hidden the pipe. I highly doubt most composters keep their poo 6 months when there are hedgerows for it to be buried (or strewn) in all along the canals. I strongly dislike having large quantities of poo on my boat, if nothing else it's a collosal "waste" of space. Emptying the elsan isn't exactly a nice job but honestly I can't see that it's that much worse than dealing with a pump out tank (an odour from which I have smelled on all boats with a pump out I have been on so far). And it seems significantly better than dealing with buckets of half composted faeces. For what it's worth I think composting toilets would be great if you have somewhere on land to do the composting. If you are a continuous moorer like me then you won't have that luxury. I should think that having to pay VAT is one of the reasons that a new build should have to be more expensive than a secondhand. If it's really the case, as it seems a number of people are suggesting, that you can get a new boat for a similar price as a second hand one, then I am definitely going to commision a build. It seems that you have little to lose? I haven't spent much time on rivers but my Beta 38 feels like it would be enough propulsion in any conditions I'd dare boat in. But for me it's about the generation capacity of my small engine. I have a 75A alternator and I have it on good authority that's the biggest I can reasonably go. I do have a 40A starter alternator that I am going to look at parallelising this winter to try to get more out of the engine. But the Fischer-Pander diesel generators I like the look of are rated at 6.5kW - that's 540A at 12V! - and all of that in a smaller, more efficient, quieter, and easier to maintain package. What's not to like? Most of my engine running is for power generation, not cruising, so it makes more sense to me to get a powerplant that is suited for the primary purpose - electricity generation - than the secondary one, propulsion. Makes sense to me. But, benchmarked minus a chunk of depreciation based on the fact that a secondhand boat is going to have some wear and never 100% exactly what you would have specced.
  12. Hm. I measure the outside diameter of the screw as 13.6mm, so I think it's a "E14 Small Edison Screw" fitting. And it seems like there are loads of LED replacements for these bulbs at around 1.5W, you're right. I'm going to go for a brighter one as I think it would be helpful in the fridge. Thanks!
  13. Well, fair point. In any case, I'd like the bulkhead at the front to be a large, opening window, for both ventilation and an emergency exit. Regardless of what BSS says I do think it's important for safety to have multiple ways to exit the boat, and especially at the extreme ends.
  14. I think I'd be hard pressed to find an 15W 12V led with a half inch ish Edison screw. In this one case I think I'm OK with sticking to incandescent!
  15. My current boat has a Belfast sink and no need for a pump. The top of the sink is higher than the gunwale though (fine for me as I'm tall). I agree with the gap between the wooden worktop, its definitely suboptimal. Though this is always an issue with all sinks isn't it? Speaking of sinks this boat (like my current boat) has a "fancy looking" square bathroom sink. I find that there is always some list or trim in some direction that causes water and grime to pool in one corner. Not a deal breaker but my own build would certainly have a bowl shaped sink. I'd also like a bow window big enough to act as an emergency exit. I have seen dozens of boats without even this so unless there are a lot of BSS failures floating around I don't think its a requirement.
  16. 🤣 This is the first time I've ever considered having a child... The compressor eventually kicked in. Your reply explains why! Sorry for the false alarm! Now I just need to source a new bulb.
  17. Because if it was the same price to build a new boat (to your exact specifications) as to buy a boat that was new but built to someone else's, why would anyone spend the same money to get a boat that was not to your specs? No I'm not buying it to sell on. My reasons for buying a boat that wasn't my own build would be a) to save money (or get more boat for my budget) and b) to get it now instead of waiting for a build (though as I'm already on a boat, that's not really so much of a concern). To me that seems like a poor reason to not get exactly the boat you want? Regarding the electrics, I would probably move the electrics I have on my current boat to my new one (1.5kW of solar + 640Ah of LiFePO4s) so electrics are the one thing I'm not really looking for in a new boat. Unless the buyer of my current boat would be willing to pay a fair price to keep my system but I'd expect most people don't realise the benefits and would prefer to downgrade to LAs. So I'd advertise it and price it as a boat with LAs, explain the situation to the buyer and swap them out either with my new boat's batteries or some new LAs. What I really do want in my next boat is a powerful engine or even better a diesel genny and electric drive, because my Beta 38 & 75A alternator just isn't sufficient in winter for my lifestyle. So the Beta 50 appealed to me for that reason. I've lived aboard for near on 3 years now and I have a pretty good idea of what I would do differently! One of the main ones is a full width (or wider) bed, not a cross bed, which implies taking the bow for that purpose (as in the ad). What this boat doesn't have that I'd like: side hatches and no bow doors. An extra large cruiser stern (perhaps even a wheelhouse). An oversize water tank (1000 litres). A cooking range. A light colour to minimise heat in summer. And I still want to keep my cassette toilet! In the ad that composting toilet has been horribly installed. What were they thinking with that pipe running up the wall? And if you look behind it in the picture it looks like the tile-board has been cut poorly leaving a gap. One other weird thing I noticed. The ad says the Belfast sink has a whale gulper 220. Why would you put a pump on the outlet of your kitchen sink? Is that normal? Mine just flows straight out a skin fitting. I did change the S trap for an plain elbow to make it flow better.
  18. Yesterday the light in my fridge stopped working. It has done this before so I fiddled with the thermostat to try to get it to turn on. I turned it right down (to "warm") and then back up again (to "cold"). When I turned it back up, the compressor turned off and hasn't kicked in again since. I removed the bulb and found it had fused. I tested the voltage at the bulb and it showed 3.6V but it was hard to get a good connection so I'm not sure of that. Interestingly when I accidentally shorted the bulb connector the red LED by the thermostat turned on, and when I did it again deliberately it tripped the fridge switch at my 12V distributor. I thought perhaps the fridge might require the bulb so I tried replacing it with a 10 ohm resistor but that didn't do anything. I tested the voltage at the fridge input and at the compressor, and they both showed 13.6V, however the compressor has a 6 other terminals so it might be off because of an input on one of those. The fact that I fiddled with the thermostat makes me think that the problem is likely to be there. I'm going to get some ice and put it in the fridge to try to keep my food cold. Is there anything I can try to diagnose / fix the problem? Here are some pics of the control inside the fridge and the compressor:
  19. You could claim that it's electric propulsion, because it is. There are several advantages of diesel-electric propulsion that I'm interested in. But you are 100% correct that living aboard and cruising year-round is not possible without fossil fuels, and that wouldn't be my aim. What do you think of the boat? The more I look at it the more appealing it gets. I think a trip to view is in order, if I can get there before it's sold. https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/price-fallows-62-semi-trad-for-sale/671383
  20. It was 49 years away 21 years ago, so it's only 28 years away now but you're right that's far enough away not to buy based on that. Good advice. Yeah, I noticed a couple of weird things in the photos, would have to look in person to see what it really looks like. I like a London white interior (I know people will throw things at me for saying that). Everything wood veneer is too much. Some wood paneling and trim is nicer than all white, but all white looks better than all wood to me. Personal taste. Where London white is a problem is when it's a fresh lick of paint hiding an interior in poor condition, for such a new boat I don't think that's likely to be the case. Yeah, as much as I admire the beauty of such boats I have zero desire to live on one. For me it's about practicality - ease of living and ease of maintenance. There are a few exterior features I'd love to include, and like I said I would love it to be electric. But it's mostly in the interior layout that I have developed strong preferences, so I guess I could buy a shell and have her fitted out to my spec.
  21. Oh no, I didn't see this. I thought boaters had to use white diesel from April next year? But this is good news (not for the construction industry...) "capable of being converted" seems to be a bit meaningless. What boats won't comply with that? I thought that all boats built 2025 onwards needed to be emission free. But even so, I'd like an electric boat (albiet with a diesel generator along with plenty of solar). The silent cruising must be wonderful.
  22. I'm vaguely thinking about getting a new narrowboat some time in the next year or two. I'd really like to commission a build as I have a good idea of my perfect boat at this point. But I'm also considering the fact that a new build is a long journey and probably not a financially smart one since it'll lose something like a quarter of what you paid for it as soon as you sail away. So I'm also just keeping an eye on what's out there and noticed this. Thoughts on this boat? At 73500 it seems like a lot of money but it's pretty high specced. https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/price-fallows-62-semi-trad-for-sale/671383 A Beta 50 engine would certainly provide a lot of power for rivers or even estuaries, but I do wonder if there is any sense in even considering a new boat with a diesel engine considering the imminent demise of red diesel and the inevitable banning of diesel engines entirely.
  23. Yes you are right add to my point about it sometimes being inconvenient to move, that it is sometimes impossible. For my part I always slow to tickover when passing, not because I think it is necessary but because I don't like upsetting people or having them upset me. Somehow the tickover rule has become boating etiquette and so I accept that. The "stable as houses" wasnt directed at you but at people who expect boats not to move at all when someone passes. Following your advice to make a reasonable judgement based on the movement of the boats is liable to get you shouted at a lot as many people above testify. This is because it is only 10% about any actual harm caused (because passing too fast very rarely causes any, at least if boats are properly secured) and 90% about moral outrage for breaching etiquette / finding an excuse to have a go. Unbelievable, so were they expecting you to drop out of tickover and drift past out of gear in order to get under 2mph, even though you weren't making their boat move? I just feel so frustrated by this whole concept. I am very considerate and happy to be so, but dropping out of gear to pass just seems like a crazy idea from both the perspective of the moorer and the passer. Id like people passing to be in full control of their boat and to pass as quickly as is reasonable. There is some cost in terms of wear and dents! Even slowing to tickover whenever I pass a boat does cost me in the sense that a solid proportion of the canals have boats moored on them and as a result I see less of the network than I otherwise would have. But I'd prefer to see less and be amicable than see more and try to change boating etiquette. Cowardice I suppose.
  24. Yes this has happened to me too, it isn't always convenient to have to move. And there are definitely times when asking them to turn the music down is warranted. And there are definitely times when a dressing down for speeding on the canals is fair, especially if it is causing actual damage to your boat or the banks as opposed to just making you rock a bit. As an aside I often like to moor up by myself on deserted stretches of canals and frequently i find that people will moor right next to me despite there being miles of perfectly good mooring in both directions. I figure it is people who are a bit nervous to moor by themselves, which is fine. But I also thought that given the "pass at tick over" mantra perhaps it is a bit inconsiderate of me NOT to moor near other boats because then people feel the need to slow down just for me. Have you seen those "pass at TICK OVER" in a red circle signs made by the fitout pontoon many have on their boats? When I am moored up by myself I have genuinely thought of putting up a sign saying "don't mind to slow down, pass at cruising speed if you like" but I figure that won't be well received..
  25. I'd say if you are tied up properly somewhere such that a boat passing at 2mph causes you to move more than you prefer to, then it's on you for choosing an unsuitable mooring for your preference to stay "stable as houses". At the very least you are not in a strong position to be criticising other people's boating... Instead of raising your blood pressure, find a deeper, wider spot to moor? I follow the same principle with loud music. I prefer not to listen to my neighbours choice in music. I could shake my fist and waggle my tongue at them, or I could just cast off and find another spot. That way they get to enjoy their music and I get to enjoy my peace and quiet. Being able to choose your neighbours (or indeed the canal conditions) is one of the great joys of boating for me.
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