Keithtug

Thanks for the info. I think I'll give it a miss!

Does anyone have or have used a shower head from Ecocamel? Their advert and website (www.ecocamel.co.uk) have some amazing claims about reducing the water required for a shower. If it does work, it would cut down the time spent at water points. Any info, anyone?

One other point about fixing screws for portholes. Ours came with hex headed domed machine screws which looked very nice until the first Brassoing day arrived. Takes about 5 times as long to polish a porthole with that type of screw! Answer? bought a large bag of flat headed countrersunk screws and changed the lot! The yearly polish takes a lot less time now.

I bought a second coolie hat and straightened the legs out so that when I removed the chimney I could fit the hat legs on the outside of the flue and fasten it in place with a giant jubilee clip (or two shorter ones joined together). This means that if the stove is still lit, the smoke can get out. The coolie hat legs can easily be shortened so that if it's pouring down, not too much rain goes down the flue. No more worries about strong winds or trees!

Glad that the Waggoners has been mentioned. We are about to set off to Llangollen and were going to use the Waggoners as a staging point for a friend to join us and leave his car there. Back to the map and guides!

We named our boat "STORMSONG" whilst it was being built, purely because the name hadn't been used before and we liked the sound of it. Then whilst we were living in Spain for 7 months waiting for it to be finished, we changed it to "BARCA LA ALEGRIA" (rough translation of Boat of Happiness or Joy). Then when we had been living on it for some time and getting all the faults and problems sorted out we got a bit dispirited and decided that that name was a bit inappropriate. So we searched around for another name that hadn't been used much, and our daughter suggested "The Owl and the Pussycat" as it's a "Beautiful Pea Green Boat!" and as the money we had left would easily be wrapped up in a £5 note, and we had a jar of honey, that was the name for us! PS we don't intend going to sea though!

Having seen what can happen during a house chimney cleanout and the bottom cloths came away, I'm a bit worried about poking the flue brush down the chimney! Or is narrowboat soot different?

We've been frozen in on the Macclesfield for over a week now, and it doesn't look as if it will melt enough to break through for a few days yet. we're a half hour trudge from the nearest road, so getting supplies like coal and water is a real bind (as well as hard work!)

Stockport is where the River Mersey starts. Pity it's not navigable all the way from Liverpool!

Thanks Gibbo, thats exactly the info I was looking for! Thanks Tony, I think I can just about manage that!

As I mentioned, I wish to use the secondary output of the Victron Phoenix, but I didn't give enough info. Sorry about that! Here is a quote from the users manual:- "Two outputs to charge two battery banks" "The Multiplus features 2 outputs, of which 1 can carry the full output current (120 amps). The second output, limited to approximately 4 A and with a slightly lower output voltage, is intended to top up a starter battery." So even if I should be putting 30 amps into the starter battery, the Victron apparently limits the current from the secondary output to about 4 amps, so a diode should be protected. I also do not start the engine when connected to shore power.

Thanks everyone for your interest and trying to sort out my query. I'm trying to split the output of my Victron Phoenix (the secondary o/p for a starter battery) so that I can keep both the starter and bow thruster batteries topped up when I'm connected up to a shore line. I have a Sterling alternator to battery unit to charge the domestics and the bow thruster battery when on the move, and the starter battery is charged up by its own separate alternator (with no electrickery involved!). Does that help?

Hi Nick, I'm looking for current handling up to about 5 amps.

Can anyone help please? I'm trying to find out the type of semiconductor diodes that have a smaller forward voltage drop than the usual 0.6 - 0.8V. I seem to remember that tunnel diodes are one option but my memory is getting pretty poor these days!

Hi Roger, you've hit the nail (or should I say machine screw/ bolt) on the head!!! The dome is quite shallow and the screw is fitted with a spanner. Thanks to everyone else for your replies, I'll chase the most promising ones up.

Hi, I'm trying to source some securing screws for one of our brass portholes (missing since new, and boat fitter is uncontactable). They are hex headed, domed, countersunk. I have no idea of the manufacturer. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as local (Cheshire) chandlers/ boat builders don't recognise them.

Hi, the Llangollen is pretty quiet today, viewed from Swanley Bridge Marina, but maybe the continuous rain has something to do with that! The level of water in the marina is about 6 inches above normal, so the hurlstone locks can't be being used much, or maybe the bywash weirs are overloaded.

Hi, as a soon to become CCers (real ones!) we would find it most helpful if posters mentioned the canal/river that they are talking about, as just having a lock, bridge, pub referred to, is very confusing for people that do not have local knowledge. TIA Keith

GOOD NEWS FOR A CHANGE!!!! The Star at Acton near Nantwich has re-opened!!! The new management seem OK and are still allowing dogs in the bar. Unfortunately no hot food will be available until Whit, but sandwiches are pretty good. There are a few real ales and more to come. Keith

Hi, just an update on the OP. It seems that there is someone negotiating to take over the Star at Acton (I found out from a boater friend who wanted to take over the Star himself, but was beaten to it). All the regulars, boaters and locals alike, will be very glad when the Star re-opens, as long as the new landlord/lady can offer the same amount of different Real Ales, and allow dogs in, as Jim & Liz did. We were temporary regulars having been frozen in just when we were going to move off the Llangollen onto the Shropshire Union before the Hurlstone locks were closed for maintenance! Will post any further news. Keith

To all those interested in the River Idle, please see my post on the other forum (JC). I'm too idle to type it in again!!!!

Does anyone have any information about the River Idle, which runs into the Trent at West Stockwith? Also anything about the occasional Rallys that are held to keep the waterway open would be very helpful.

Hi, I've been using a 3 metre extender for quite a few months with no problems (vodaphone and T-Mobile mobile modems) and have just bought three 5 metre active extenders from Maplins, one for me and 2 for a friend. One of my friend's 5 M extenders gave problems, and mine gives problems in low signal areas. The reason I wanted one was so I could tie the modem onto a pole to give extra height in the afore mentioned low signal areas! So I'm returning mine to Maplins and will just rely on the 3 M passive extender which works perfectly (that was bought from Maplins too) and is long enough to hang the modem out of a wndow.

Hi Jon, everything else on the posts seems to be OK. I can see the avatar pics and the photos in the Gallery OK. It just seems to be when a pic is in the main body of a post. I am loathe to turn off my firewall unless nothing else works. Thanks. Edit to say I can see some photos in the "Photos of your boat" "show off your craft" post. Photos on posts 122, 129, 130 and 143 are all ok, but all the rest just show the little red X ( I didn't go back any further than 122) Don't know if that will help to narrow down my problem. Keith