graycat

Hi folks, I am looking to moor around the two rivers and would like to know if there is a problem with flooding during the winter, any help would be useful.

Hi folks, could some one enlighten me why the starter battery on my boat has one lead running to the domestic batterys and could that lead be got rid of. Thanks , Peter

I would get a good MPPT controller and that will make a big difference to the amount of power you get from the panels, the rating for the panels should be around 25amps but the controller is giving me more amps than that. the controller is a EPsolar 45amp.

Hi, I got them from ebay,the firm is "solar-energy 2008" and I found them very helpful.

Hi Chris, I took ages looking for a good mppt controller at the right price and ended up with a EPsolar 45amp Tracer-4215RN, its a well made unit and is giving very good results, at £200 it was well worth the cost, if you buy a cheaper unit be aware that there are a lot of substandard units out there.

Hi folks, I have connected the mppt to the main battery cable with a fuse in line after the isolator switch as I live on the boat the switch is on all the time, the three semi flexible 100 watt panels are supplying up to 33amps with full sunlight, but I will not know if this is the right reading until I fit the new amp meter, all in all its been three days now and the engine has not been needed even with all the cloud cover, my one regret is that I did not fit them from the start of living on board.

fitting solar panel Hi folks, I have just got three 100watt solar panels and a mppt controller , my question is can I connect the controller to the main battery cable in the electrical cupboard as this cable is very thick and there would be less power loss using it, bearing in mind I have a sterling alternator to battery charger hooked up at the same point but I think the mppt should stop current flowing the wrong way, correct me if I am wrong, the other way is to take the lead from the mppt directly to the battery's.

Hi folks, has any one used Promastic 600CT on there hulls, if so how long has it lasted?

Hi folks, I ran the boat in reverse for one hour and the gearbox remained at 65c, ran it in forwards and the temperature climbed up to over 100c, it must have been the forward clutch pack slipping, new box fitted now.

I must apologise for the total lack of photos of my red hot gearbox but it was the mighty Trent and I was occupied getting the life boat ready to launch and sending out maydays getting the cats life vests on Am going to remove the gearbox cooler and see if it has got blocked in the tubes before removing the gear box. Thanks for your help folks and will report on progress.

oil cooler is fitted and the oil has been changed, I have had no trouble with overheating for the four years I have had the boat and I spend a lot of time on rivers so the engine is run faster than normal canals

red hot gearbox Hi folks, I need a bit of help with a PRM150 gearbox fitted to a four year old 45hp Shire with over 5,000 hours on the clock, Last year coming up the Trent against the tide I lost the drive due to the gearbox overheating, it got that hot some of the paint fell off the gear box casing, I got the boat moored up and changed the oil over night and managed to finish the journey with one more overheat, I have fitted a temperature gauge to the box now and on a short trip today found that it started to over heat ( up to 100 before I slowed down) , the engine temperature reads 80 on a run with no over heat problem so the only thing I can come up with is a blocked oil cooler could it be the tubes inside have got furred up?. The gear box is working fine even though it got so hot the first time round

Hi folks, blacking due this year, did it two years ago and painted the hull with owatrol cip red over the top of that I used bitumen, most of the blacking below the water line has gone now but the paint is still there, out of all the blacking available is there durable coating that will last with out sand blasting the hull?

Thanks folks, will pick up a couple of clamps

eberspacher service help needed for Ledgard boat I am going to service my pals eberspacher d5 but need some help with the water side of things, his boat is a Ledgard narrow about four years old with a 50HP shire and a horizontal caloriefier in the engine bay, the pipes going to the eberspacher do not have taps on them to make it easier to take the ebersp off, my question is if I take the pipes off the heater unit will I cause an air lock in the system, there is a plastic header tank just above the heater with a filler cap.