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Barge Maria

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Everything posted by Barge Maria

  1. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  2. I have Rolls batts on the barge. They have been used for 4 years now and are still in good nick. They are expensive and will give you a hernia (!!) but are worth it. I got mine from CPC Batteries and they were delivered next day to Cornwall where we were at the time. There are data sheets on the Rolls site. http://www.cpcbatteryservices.co.uk http://www.rollsbattery.com
  3. Thanks B 'o B,appreciated. Its only a thin layer and in fact the instructions do say apply in thin layers (in Dutch!). Well give it a try. Dank u vell!! Tim.
  4. I hope some of you experienced boat painters can advise me please. I am treating the rust patches on the rear cabin roof of our barge prior to repainting. I have scraped off the rust back to good metal in the places that need it, and treated with Vactan. Nice purple/black patches now! However, this has of course left indentations, as most of the rest of the paint is good and only needs a sand down and repaint (Epiphanes one pack paint). Another barge owner suggested a marine filler, designed for smoothing surface imperfections, should be used before priming these patches and general sanding. I'm happy to do this, and have bought some at extortionate Belgian prices, BUT am worried about the differential expansion of the steel roof and the filler. The roof is light cream but still gets very hot in summer and Epiphanes is too expensive to waste on a finish that falls out or puckers up under heat stress. So, what do more experience folk think? To fill or not fill, that is my question! Thanks in anticipation. Tim
  5. I was trying to think of a stollen wisecrack..... Well done Ray T!
  6. Looks ace, we wish you every happiness with her. Good luck.
  7. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  8. Vetus don't make filters, filter makers do! So, find an alternative supplier, perhaps Baldwin offer one? Vetus charge like a raging bull for everything, God knows why. Someone like www.ssldieselparts.co.uk may be able to help you with an alternative. Good luck.
  9. Telephone the lockie at either Torksey or Cromwell for advice before going. They are most helpful. It is not a scary trip unless the river flow is very high, in which case you shouldn't be out there anyway. Scenery is good and the river is exhilarating! Good luck with the boat. You will be using more engine revs than normal so ensure fuel filters are clean and no leaks.
  10. If you choose the Droitwich option,the old Cock inn at the top end of the High St is good (good food too) as is the Gardeners Arms in the park by the canal.
  11. I used to call them on the VHF as I hate "hovering" on the river. I would phone ahead. They're nice guys and they will call the next lock for you as they know the approximate transit time you will need. Deffo call ahead to Gloucester lock if going south!
  12. Thanks Martyn. Can't find the owners manual although I know I have one!! Scania oil fits the bill, spec is the same Tim
  13. I would value the forum readers' opinion please. My dutch barge's genset uses a Lister ts2, running, of course, at a constant speed. What oil would you knowledgable folks suggest I use? I have used the same multigrade 10/40 that the main engine (Scania) uses and there seem to be no side effects but I am wondering if a monograde might be better. Cheers n beers Tim Hackett MV Maria of Zaandam
  14. Higgs and Phil, thanks for taking the trouble to reply guys. Very informative and detailed. I will try to put the info to good use. Most days here in central Belgium are about 28 deg C at the mo with condensation forming from about 8pm and a heavy dew. Not ideal! Perseverance!!!
  15. Thanks Phil. I doubt anyone will argue with your knowledge and reputation!! I wonder if you would answer a related question. I sorry its really bog-basic but... Thinning paint from the tin. My barge uses Epiphanes single pack enamel (Bootslak), I'm very pleased with it but I find their instructions about thinning confusing. Before slapping it on (sorry!) should I thin it? Is there a hard and fast rule? I can't be alone in wondering....can I??
  16. The old Dutch bargees use 50% boiled lo and 50 owatrol mixture to paint walkways and rubbing strakes. No pigment is used and it goes a lovely brown colour. I use it on the rubbing strakes as you only need to wipe a blob on when it gets scuffed. LO as a paint additive be means the paint will take ages to dry unless you use a siccatief to speed up drying. Then you lose your flow.... As MtB implies, the paint people generally know their products better than we do!
  17. OK looking at the pic I retract my comment abut Skandia the investment company. Your engine IS a Skandia, which I am told is a very old Scandinavian builder (hence "Skandia"). Nice one, and I'm sure very unusual. Tim
  18. I'll zap some tomorrow for you. Beer o'clock in Belgium now. Still no D in it.....Scania. Like the trucks (in fact same as the trucks)
  19. Beat me to it! I think you mean Scania, as Skandia are an investment company owned by Old Mutual. I have a Scania D8 in my barge and its great. Very economical. PS welcome to the forum Neville.
  20. Speak to ASAP supplies for replacements. Almost certainly lower cost than gee..how much..tus!
  21. Also look at LeeSan. Tek tanks, as you mention, are very helpful in designing tanks and installations.
  22. I have the Bimble 990 watt kit, at 24 volts, using the Tracer 100/40 MPPT controller. Fitted 2 months ago and it has cut my gennie use by 95%. We live aboard a Dutch Barge with much electric usage. Bimble's service and communication skills were excellent and I highly recommend them and the Tracer unit (although the destruction manual's English is a hoot!). I wouldn't advise multiple controllers to one battery bank as they fight each other. There is quite a bit on the Dutch Barge association forum about this, as various people have experimented with this approach. Tim.
  23. We have two cats on our Dutch Barge - a 12 year old neutered Tom and a 5 year old spayed Dam. Both seem happy although the little girl(!) doesn't go out much. The Tom wanders but always comes back (so far), sometimes with gifts. Don't let the mice get under the floorboards as they stink! Cats seem to be able to swim well but don't choose to do so (except Maine Coons which jump in so I am told). Hang a rope fender down well into the water so they can climb out if they fall in, and we also keep a fisherman's landing net handy on deck, but then again we have huge decks (30m by 5.05m). They are great company though. I would post a picture if I knew how!
  24. You may like to see this photo. I've used it three times so far, when crewing on other people's boats earlier in the year. It shows the Shakespeare mag mount aerial, which is designed for marine VHF and works very well (I have picked up London VTS as far west as Reading, although they couldn't hear me!)......... Nice, and I stand corrected on the marine mag-mount Tim
  25. Quite right about the minimum power to use for the job (although the vast majority don't think that way). The fixed sets aren't too bad to remove as they have knurled finger nuts to hold the rig into the bracket so you can whip 'em out pretty fast. Some are waterproof but I wouldn't want to try it (with a fixed rig that is - I guess the waterproof handies do what they say). With regard to mag-mounts, which some have mentioned, I haven't seen any dedicated marine antennas with these but another option is to buy one for a CB antenna and then buy a 2m/144MHz antenna for the radio ham band and cut that down by a couple of inches (the marine band is at c. 150MHz so the antenna is a bit shorter). You would need a SWR meter or a dip meter for this but it isn't hard to do and may well be cheaper anyway. Tim If you want to spend silly money to hide the rig away....... http://www.icomamerica.com/en/products/marine/mountedvhf/m400bb/default.aspx
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