Rick

Do you get much heat into the calorifier or is it more of a "trickle charge". We have just fired up our Squirrel, two rads and into the calorifier, with a pumped system and the amount of heat going into the cal. is very small. Richard

I'm with you there Richard. The only drawback with sprayfoam is the cost, on every other consideration it scores top marks. We don't have unlimited funds to use on our boat so we have gone for the best in the places where it is difficult/impossible to upgrade at a later date. So, it's sprayfoam insulation and we will fit the granite worktops when the lottery win comes in. Richard

VAT equals Customs and Excise, more powers of entry than the police, prone to nick people's car when returning from the continent and deciders of what is and what isn't for personal consumption when bringing in booze and fags (although I understand they and the Government are being taken to court, shame ) Richard

Have a look, www.freesatfromsky.co.uk Richard

I don't think that setting up the dish is much of a problem, according to the boaters around my moorings. There are plenty of sat dishes in use and I watched a new one being setup this morning, took only a few minutes. £20.00 per three years isn't much of annual sub, surely. Richard

Sky has announced its free sat TV, here www.freesatfromsky.co.uk But no ITV2 so I'm told. There are lots of others though. Costs £20.00 per 3 years. Richard

Even with double glazing you still stand a chance of condensation. It all depends on the moisture content of the air inside the boat. Ventilation is, as John says, very important. Raising the temperature alone can make things worse as the higher the air temp the more water it can hold. This then condenses out on any cold surface. Richard

Just thought I'd chuck my two pennorth in, and possibly bring about a charge of heresy down on my head.After careful consideration and having seen a boat with such a finish on we have gone for a painted finish throughout. Doesn't darken appreciably and another quick coat restores all and if the colour gets boring you can change it. Richard

For anyone fitting their own floor in the boat I would recommend that you take extra effort in getting the floor a level as you can. Unfortunately I didn't and although the base plate and bearers looked pretty flat taken over the 40ft cabin length they ain't. Although I am experienced in fitting kitchens etc. in old cottages where the floors are way out of true there is no problem that can't be solved with a spirit level. On a boat on the water things are somewhat different, spirit levels aren't much use. If ever I fitted out another, and walking on the surface of Mars is more likely, I would spend that bit more time on the floor. Richard

Happy ending, mostly. I took Richard's advice and suggested to Orange that as I was excluded from their offer they obviously didn't want to keep my custom. Apparently they did because after a few half-hearted offers they came up with an attractive new contract for 12 months. At the end of that who knows what will be on offer. Amazingly I could only have the new contract if I had a new phone. I didn't want it as my Nokia 6310i has a modem and aerial socket, ideal for net access but the nice lady did say that I could put the new sim card in my old phone. I trust I am not being misled about this, am I? Richard

Ah yes, good system but how do I arrange net access? And will it support GPRS? Richard

Sterling used to, and I believe still do, offer to replace your quasi-sine wave inverter for a full sine wave if it won't do what you want for the difference in cost. I should add providing you have one of theirs in the first place. Richard

Thanks Richard, but what the heck's a pac number? Richard

(The other point is i dont think i will have the lights on with the engine running very often.) I would agree, I don't think I will have them on with the engine running very often. However, I don't know about you but if I have the opportunity to cock something up I seize it with both hands, eventually. Richard

Sorry, took that as understood. If the lights aren't on then nothing is going through the cables. Richard

( for the nice freebies you are mad about ) Well, yes they are nice freebies. I have a 120 min per month contract with Orange at the moment. If I were a new customer and signed up now for the same time I would get an extra, free, 120 mpm between 20.00hrs and 24.00hrs. for as long as I remain on the plan. Having complained to Orange about their attitude to existing customers they have offered me the same time for 20% of the normal rate. Better, but not good. I would not have objected if the free mins were for a limited period but I do think that this is unfair. Rather like the time a few years ago when building societies pulled the same stunt on their customers over mortgage rates. This was ruled out of order. Richard

I read somewhere that running a boat with an altenator controller can result in excess of 16v going through the 12v cables when the engine is running. That'll give the bulbs something to think about. Richard

Just goes to show how annoyed I was. The brain was going faster than the fingers so that I missed out a chunk,so, Richard I'd like free calls, and Webchem, no you ain't thick but perhaps I am I have now edited the post. Richard

I am an Orange contract customer. I chose Orange because it has better coverage of the waterways. However, I was more than a bit annoyed (and that's putting it very mildly)to have confirmed my suspicion that the offer of free for life, or at least for the life of the plan, evening calls was for new customers only and existing customers are left out. As a result I am considering change my service provider. Has anyone any comments on coverage of other networks re the canal system? Richard

The boat fittings could do with a bit of tidying up but I would suggest that careful examination of the engine would be advisable. Unless of course the price was right. Richard

Not entirely surprising that Charterline have gone. They had a very relaxed attitude towards hirers. I spent a week in September on one of their boats and in the pre-hire instructions we were told that it was not necessary to turn the stern gland down each day, just operate the bilge pump three or four times a day. The boat had a Beta Marine engine and I was able to tell them that the third "lump" driven by a belt was the 230 alternator. As we were on the Thames I thought it a good idea to extract the anchor from the gas locker before we went far. It took two or three minutes to get it untangled. Very re-assuring, with all those weirs. Richard

I was just about to ask about the warn% thing and found the answer but could someone explain when I, designated a "new" member, become a member and the meaning of the small blue/grey squares alongside the Warn % bit. I have five but only remember four previously. Richard

[ It's not a bad idea to steralise your tank and pipework occassionally, although how many of us actually get round to it I am not sure ( I have done it once in seven years !!) I used a Milton solution which I pumped into the pipes and left there for a few hours before flushing it out. ] David, What strength did you use the Milton at and where do you flush out to, the cut? (Pictures in minds eye of fish spluttering to the surface ) Richard

I have fitted, after advice, my expansion tank where convenient and put an automatic air bleed valve at a carefully constructed high point. The bleed valve was at the suggestion of Karunda where I bought the Bolin c/h pump, 12v and.15 (point 15)amps, pipe stat extra. Richard

We have a Morso Squirrel on our boat but haven't yet fired it up. The only negative comments I have heard from other Squirrel owners is that, even in the depths of winter they have to open a door to let the heat out. I would suspect that a 7Kw fire might be too big. Richard