[No power from generator]

What they didn't say...changed the capacitors (and switched on the tripped breaker)

[Refrigerator: Best Power Source (if there is a single one......)]

My opinion - the best option is the most readily available - anything for "Marine" usually involves a premium. So, 240V compressor is the cheapest, easily available, most efficient. Do your work on the other things needed to power it - Solar, batteries, inverter. The price difference in the fridge and the consumption costs make the economics more favourable down the years.

/

[How much is too much Solar Power and how much is just enough?]

I fabricated my mounts from 40 x 40 x 5 Aluminium angle - 30 x 30 sq. bar drilled and fixed to roof with stainless bolts into Riv-nuts - sealed. I use short and long extrusion pieces depending on the time of year to tilt - and which way I'm moored - I won't cruise during winter anyhow, so the panels can stay raised until 15 February.

[Underfloor cooler - please share your ideas/designs]

14 hours ago, luggsy said:

I have 3 under floor storage cooler 1 in the bedroom where we keep all our toiletries and 2 in the galley we can get 30 cartons off milk in each one if we wanted to keeps your fruit and veg fresh 

That looks great - did you have any issues with the floor heights? I'm putting down a layer of insulation under the floor boards and I'm a bit worried I may battle to get the closed heights equal? 

[Underfloor cooler - please share your ideas/designs]

Hi, 

 

I'm mulling over the underfloor cooler concept - particularly as a winter fridge-free option to save on power requirements.

 

Anyone with experience or ideas regarding the following aspects - location - access - hygiene - size - efficacy, and any other factors you may think pertinent. Would you mind sharing? Pictures?

 

Ideally, we'd be switching off the fridge/freezer from around 15th November to 15th February - that's what my limited observation - in terms of solar power generation - has been the period we need to have use of alternate cool storage.

 

As I am still in fitout and have not finalised the flooring yet, I thought it may be a worthwhile thought experiment. 

 

[How much is too much Solar Power and how much is just enough?]

Oh, another thing I forgot to mention - consider using rigid panels - If you cover much of your roof with these, you effectively create a double  layer roof and you won't need to find shade on sunny days...the panels provide.

[How much is too much Solar Power and how much is just enough?]

While I understand the niceties of reducing everything to cost and budget on the various means of power production, very little arguments here include the aesthetics side of solar, namely the peace and quiet. 

 

Faced with a choice of spending a few hundred on panels and an additional solar controller, or running a genny/engine power plant a few days less per annum; I know what I would choose - the faff of hauling the genny off the boat - getting the petrol - the noise - the possible CO dangers - the immediate environmental impact -  the neighbours peace and quiet and my own, would sway me every time. 

 

Get more panels.

[Argg! Who has successfully fitted fibreglass porthole liners?]

I looked at various options and made mine out of 2.5mm PVC - Bent into place and glued with a polymer sealant. About 5 euro each.

[Sun Shade support bracket]

Here you go. I hope

 

[Sun Shade support bracket]

21 hours ago, Slim said:

There's a thought. Those extra strong magnets, forget what they're called. Would they affect my compass? I need to plot an accurate course on the South Oxford. ?

Seriously, it's given me an idea, thanks

I'll see if I can do a few pics.

 

[Sun Shade support bracket]

I have a very large sun-brella that we use while the weather's grand.

 

I made a couple of holes in some ply and glued it to the long magnets from Lidl 

 

This makes it easy to position the shade as suits.

[Explains my electrical system which is like no other]

I'm of the opinion that trying to solve problems over forums is usually a protracted and dubious affair. Most tradesmen are capable and being "on-site" is worth a hundred helpers on a forum. Do yourself a favour and get references from members of the forum or if needed, references from the tradesmen themselves. Certainly ask for certification along with a written quote.

If they back out at that stage, you're better off.

[Solar panel positioning]

I think the consensus on solar forums is that the tilt should be around your latitude angle - this gives the best average performance year round.

 

[Peace & quiet on the canals]

On 24/04/2021 at 18:10, Arthur Marshall said:

I suppose I could get the trombone out and join in, but I do try not to be antisocial, though I'm starting to wonder why I bother.

Wait 'til you learn to master the Vuvuzela!! The neighbours will flock to your performances.

[Bow thruster leaking]

11 hours ago, Murflynn said:

 

how very dare you!!

 

what are you driving? .......................    the Stena Line ferry to Dublin?     

I think you mean the Ever Given through the Suez?

[Are you new to boating?? CLICK HERE]

17 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Not as good as you think, the Caribbean cruisers on the Broads are like that

I wonder if there's anything you enjoy...

[Are you new to boating?? CLICK HERE]

I find the idea of remote steering very appealing. The best place to sit on the boat is the foredeck as you're drifting along. Imagine having a portable wireless joystick to steer with whilst sitting up front, away from the clamour of the diesel?

[Is it Compulsory?]

12 hours ago, JRT said:

So, is it compulsory? ?

YES - However, in your case, I would prefer to see a vlog that is entirely MIMED. 

 

If you do this for me I guarantee at least one subscription.

[New synthetic fuel from Porsche could lead to I.C.E survival?]

The interesting takeaway, is that human ingenuity will find a way...We understand so much of our world these days that we pretty much control large parts of it. Amazing to think that we were once at the mercy of the elements a few years ago...

[New synthetic fuel from Porsche could lead to I.C.E survival?]

My interest would be for car use - I have an old Lotus Seven look-a-like that I built a few years ago. It goes like blazes and sounds the business. I can't see any merit in "electrifying" it.

[New synthetic fuel from Porsche could lead to I.C.E survival?]

As I like to follow new trends, here's something that may give hope to engine lovers...

 

https://jalopnik.com/porsche-claims-its-synthetic-fuel-could-make-combustion-1846319665

[New Solid state batteries on the horizon.]

7 hours ago, Slim said:

Which you will become one day (if you're fortunate). In the meanwhile you come over as an inexperienced newcomer who thinks he knows it all. 

Just some of my thoughts. 

Lol, you're hilarious. I'm already an old git. Do all narrow-boaters have narrow grumpy minds? As far as experience goes...lol again. Like I said to your mate Mrs. Smelly - You hanker for the good old days when you didn't have to learn anything new. If you go back to the origins of this post, I put up a video of new battery technology. Nothing else. Guess what? You're posting to a forum via a computer and the internet. I'm surprised you don't moan that you can't write letters to the editor any more...Ah. the good old days, when I wrote a missive to the County - and Samuel, my trusted manservant, carried it off in his forked stick...

[New Solid state batteries on the horizon.]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

 

And strength, round things are always stronger than square things, nobody ever made a steal loco with a square boiler. ?

 

So why not make really BIG cylindrical cells?

LTO technology does...

[New Solid state batteries on the horizon.]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

 

Thanks, I also found a Very similar site from another company that also concluded that prismatic cells have a lot of disadvantages, though both sites are from companies that make cylindrical cells ?.

 

Ive done a bit of Googling and answered my question that Dr Bob did not really answer ? Prismatic cells are one big cell rather than many smaller cells in parallel.

It would be interesting (for me anyway) to know more about the two prismatic constructions    squashed cylinder or end connected.

Sounds like lithium cells have very similar construction to capacitors. Also looks like Tesla is very much using cylindrical cells.

 

Lots of cylindrical cells spot welded together does look a bit daft and a waste of space but I had not really thought through the advantages:...lots of gaps for cooling and redundancy IF you can make the cells failsafe.

 

.................Dave

The other advantage I read is that the cost to produce cylindrical cells is less.

[New Solid state batteries on the horizon.]

21 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

What have you got between your batteries and the alternator for when the batteries are fully charged?

I don't use any connection between alternator and the LiFePO4 - they're solar and generator charged. My engine is fitted with a 175A auxiliary alternator, but that's 12V - My LiFePO4 are 24 V. Anyway, in Summer I have no issues - I was fully charged today by 11.30 even - in winter I need the generator for an hour or two depending on the day's sunlight.