Goldberry

Easiest thing I found is to take the laptop and original power cable to Maplin Electronics and they will sell you the right thing!

Just to add to the debate... I have found that no matter how little battery juice they use, a 12v fridge is annoying as I use power on my boat for laptop and other things which happily run when i dip below 12v, but the fridge of course cuts out at 12v, so I'm about to revert to a gas one.

Its just worth noting that the only animals on the planet who suffer weight problems or illnesses related to their food intake are those whose diets are controlled by humans. We always think we know better than nature!

1. TAKE LAPTOP TO MAPLIN ELECTRONICS AND THEY WILL SELL YOU THE CORRECT POWER SUPPLY CABLE WITH A 12V CAR ADAPTOR 2. BUY T MOBILE 'WEB N WALK' USB FOR £29 PER MONTH (12 MONTH CONTRACT - CAN USE IT IMMEDIATELY) THAT'S IT! It obviously helps to have a low voltage laptop, but it was that simple for me. I know this has been talked about in lots of threads - thanks to everyone for the good info - just thought I'd make it simpler for anyone else who is looking to do this.

I would much rather have it all in a tank that I don't touch, than taking a morning stroll with a bunch of turds in a briefcase

I hate spiders too and thanks to whoever mentioned it on this thread, I just ordered myself 2 bottles of "Spider Stop" from Betterware!

Don't diss the Springer! I love mine I heard that Springer went out of business mainly because they wrongly judged the market - they started churning out the smaller 'WaterBugs' just as it became more popular to buy bigger boats.

Would love some more thoughts from those more experienced than myself... I'd like to have a go at some wooden flooring on my boat... has anyone attempted this? I've currently got a yukky salmon coloured carpet, which is fine if it never rains... Does anyone know what it costs to floor a small narrowboat or where I could get help to do this? Thanks again... Sam

Judith Chalmers Tiller Pin

Thistles, cats, birds... all the usual things. I've got an owl. Lets think up some new ones

Yeah, I agree, and thanks for everyone's input. The Alde looks just too expensive and I don't really want to pay two grand just for the privilege of running one small radiator. I also found out that the 'combi' boilers actually have to store water - they don't heat as they go like my current water heater. So, alert the media... I'm going for the stove.

Ah this is all good stuff, thank you and it's helping me to decide. Can you actually regulate the heat then with a solid fuel stove, or is it simply 'on' or 'off'? Usage note Irregardless is considered nonstandard because of the two negative elements ir- and -less. It was probably formed on the analogy of such words as irrespective, irrelevant, and irreparable. Those who use it, including on occasion educated speakers, may do so from a desire to add emphasis. Irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930s.

Thanks for all the info and the new words I've been able to add to my vocabulary It's such a small space to heat, but at the same time I'm going to be living aboard and I want to have the best experience possible, and I know if I'm freezing to death I'm not going to go the distance... I've also been ringing round to see about an Alde system - a new boiler with one radiator perhaps to heat the main area of the boat, but I reckon that would come in at around 2 grand! What I don't want to happen is to fit a fuel stove, and then my hot water boiler packs in and I have to replace that too... I shall keep pondering.. What's the deal with waking up on a cold morning with just a stove? Does it take ages to light? Can you keep them lit at night? I have seen tons of posts about them, but struggling to find definitive answers - I guess it all comes down to personal choice in the end. Cheers

Sorry, I didn't explain it very well. I meant gas wall heater - a catalytic heater I think from the 80s or early 90s. I do have a gas boiler as well for water heating which I'm very happy with, but it's the heater that I'm thinking about ripping out and having a multi fuel stove instead. Because the boat is very small, I shouldn't require any radiators - just the stove should be enough to heat the boat sufficiently. But I'm not sure if I should just keep the gas heater and fit a good carbon monoxide detector or spend the money on the stove, as I'm concerned about the hassle of dealing with it - hopefully I can get some idea of public opinion...?? Cheers! Sam

I've read lots of similar posts on here, but I'm still undecided... My boat is an easy-to-heat 32' Springer and I'm concerned about the safety of the gas heater that's in there... However, I'm also concerned about the use and maintenance of a fuel stove. What I'd really like is just a simple radiator that runs from my boiler in the same way as normal domestic household ones do.. but my research has not shown a simple solution. Am I missing something or is a fuel stove really the way to go? Cheers, Sam

Thanks for all the comments. I guess i just wanted to make sure that I wasn't being quoted something completely ridiculous, which it seems is not the case - I'm fairly new to all this. I'm sure I can always do cheaper but it's also good for me to have someone take care of the whole job. Thanks for the feedback

What I've been offered is to supply and fit: An 'Adverc' battery management system A 'Sterling' management panel A new alternator One new battery making total of three leisure batteries plus one starter The total cost for this is £750 maximum including VAT. I know it's difficult to tell, but I just wanted to get a feeling if this is around the right price as I'm very new to this... any further comments appreciated. Obviously I won't mention name of supplier but to my inexperienced eye they seem like a friendly and reputable boat yard Thanks! Sam

Thanks for your advice. Yeah, I'm running through the previous topics... there's a hellavalot of battery talk!

Thanks Gary... Do you have any idea what you would expect to pay for supplying and fitting battery management system plus new alternator and 1 new battery? Cheers

I'd really appreciate some advice from someone who has been here... I've been advised to have a battery management system fitted for my boat as I'm going to live aboard and may be without electric hook up for sometime. Currently I have starter battery plus 2 leisure batteries and I'd have to run my engine for around 5 hours per day. I've been offered a system whereby I'll have an extra battery, ability to see what charge I have, and should only have to run engine for 1-2 hours per day to top up. I'm also having new alternator fitted as old one is knackered. Does anyone have any advice for me and how much I should expect to pay as I'm trying to avoid any potential overspend! Many thanks