enigmatic

Is there an easy way for a layman to gauge the condition of a BV1305 lift pump. I'm aware that I do have more crud in my tank than ideal, but starting to stall on half a tank would also be consistent with relying on gravity to feed the engine?

Might suit the people who think they want a sailaway but then realise just how much work it needs to be habitable. A bed, seating, batteries/inverter/solar and getting a stove installed and working on the blandness of the decor is a more manageable "project". I guess you'd need an expert to assess the validity of the RCD conformity it's claiming...

Well I've had good and bad experiences with RCR recently. First call out for what turned out to be a broken driveplate sent out a local engineer who carried out basic diagnostic checks an that I'd already done and confirmed there was an issue with either the gearbox or drive plate, probably the former based on context. A sensible course of action would have been to take the gearbox off (invoicing me for an extra hour or so's work if it took more than their initial callout time limit; I'd have happily paid) to investigate further. Instead, RCR sent me a plan of work which involved ordering a new gearbox, investigating the situation after this had arrived, then if necessary ordering a drive plate and returning again, I reluctantly accepted their quote after breaking a gearbox component carrying out an investigative check they wouldn't let the engineer do, assuming at least they'd probably be able to sort a gearbox replacement quickly and get me out of a remote fenland 48hr mooring and moving again. Two weeks later, when I chased them for the third time a gearbox had finally arrived, and I was advised the engineer would come out in a week or so's time. Engineer came quicker than that after hearing from nearby boatyards that I was ringing around for alternatives, identified the issue was actually a wrecked drive plate and suggested I speed things up by ordering a drive plate myself and using a spare part to fix the damage I'd inflicted on the gearbox. So problem finally solved 23 days later, but I'd have had it done within a week at less expense if I'd called the nearby boatyard and been recommended the same engineer in a private capacity! Then again, RCR still haven't invoiced me for his labour, despite me asking for it when they rang me up to carry out a satisfaction survey! The good: a few days later, a fuse on the starter motor circuit blew whilst I was repeatedly bleeding/restarting the engine. A different engineer arrived within an hour and replaced the fuse and filters with parts in his van and sold me a couple of spares (charged without any obvious markup). He also spotted evidence of diesel bug in the filters as well as obvious sludge and suggested I contact a third party about getting my tank cleaned. An excellent service.... except the filters he replaced were only 50 hours old, and the reason they were a lot more full of sludge than the last lot probably had something to do with being stuck in a fen for three weeks with low fuel levels (I'd intended to fill up the day it failed).

I can certainly imagine there are hire boats that do need signs to tell them where the winding hole is on the Llangollen...

And that's before we get to quirks like flights of steps instead of ladders built into the Little Paxton lock, or the historic lock they just abandoned and let the river channel upstream of it run shallower. Or the locks (Roxton is one below) with gates designed with thick iron reinforcement beams protruding several inches from the gate on the inside of the lock to snag the fenders and bows of boats pulled forward by the water flow when you open the paddles. Take it whoever designed those just didn't like boats much (Great Ouse paddles take a lot of unwinding when you realise you can't just drag your boat back away from the gate too. Don't ask me how I know!) The Castle Mill lock you pictured is actually the best designed of the lot considering the extra height must have been needed for flood defence. Fills from the middle at the bottom on both sides which doesn't move your boat much and the slackers/paddles are right next to your centre line. No guillotines with 6 min 30 second timers there either!