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Look for "project boats". You won't get much in the way of post 2000 boats with a budget of £20k unless they are real wrecks.

The two I use text me to let me know when they are coming through.

At least the old tank doesn’t look’fresh’.

I use pins with loops welded on them. Not to tie the rope to (as you often see - with the loop 12" above ground level so plenty of leverage to pull the pin) but to knock another pin through. Then knock both pins in almost to ground level. This usually is enough, but I will add a spring if I think it is needed. Rarely have a pin pulled out, although it does happen on the narrow and shallow Shroppie.

Ah yes Jetex fuse. The timer of choice for all young bomb makers. Having an oast house nearby meant a ready supply of sulphur, charcoal easy to obtain and bags of KNO3 from the agricultural merchants (used for curing sheepskins I believe).

It is a crap gearbox. I changed mine for a PRM150; a world of difference! Sorry, that doesn’t help your situation much.

There are one or two new builds around 30ft, so you could plan your delivery date to coincide with having the funds. Of course it won't be cheap. If you say what your likely budget is then you may get more helpful replies, but without a doubt if a boat is half decent then it won't be on the market for long.

Do you mean 80/20? The first figure is the propulsion percentage.

Link https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082Y1T8JX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I presume that was what you were asking. (actually '15 bottle')

I recently looked for a bottle fridge, one to hold about 12 wine and juice bottles. Those around the £90 mark were all peltier type. I did get a compressor one for £150 which works well and keeps the bottles at 6 degrees.

The starter on my Vetus 4.17 draws about 140 amps. This could include the heaters which I think draw about 40 amps. I'm not sure if the heaters remain connected when moving to the star position.

First boat, 1995 -2000 Colecroft 62ft semi-trad Second boat 2000 - 2007 Liverpool 50ft cruiser stern third boat 2007 - now Wedgwood 57ft semi-trad sailaway

Do you have a Python Drive or Aquadrive coupling? The thrust bearing in mine started making a noise, although it was more of a grumble than a tinkling.

AIUI the pipe from the seal going to the weedhatch is just to let air out so that water can get in. There will be no significant flow of water through it. As Blackrose mentions, moving the shaft in or out (ooh-err missus) by a few mm may well cure the problem, but I would still replace the seal at some point as it is likely to be worn if the shaft is. Usual cause of the seal leaking is not giving it a squirt of grease every hundred hours or so. I also wipe a little round the shaft next to the seal as well, although can't say if this actually does anything.

By "float", I was referring to the light on the controller. True it wasn't a true float voltage as the internal regulator held it to 13.9V, but it did mean the Sterling was being nothing but a box with pretty coloured lights. Incidentally, the Vetus alternator is only five years old, but still regulated to ~14.0V.

If the alternator does have a low output, say 14.0V or less, a much cheaper and easier option is to replace the regulator. A 14.6V regulator for example can cost about £15. I fitted one to my vetus alternator many years ago, and disconnected my Stirling advanced regulator and I reckon it does a better job. Whilst the Sterling did help, for all its flashing lights it didn't seem to do much more than the Kestrel, basically acting as a timer and dropping into float much too early. It didn't seem to matter how low the batteries were, it went into float after about three hours regardless.

What sort of mooring are you on? Running in gear is usually frowned upon.

My correspondent used to own a narrowboat called "George Bate". It was probably built around 1974 by Tolladine in Worcester. The previous owner were friends of a George Bate and it is he who apparently was the lock gate builder and possibly had been awarded an MBE, but maybe this was the B.E.M. Thanks for the additional information Derek; I'll pass it on to our correspondent. I am assuming that your 'George Bates' was actually 'George Bate', I suspect the names were often mixed up.

This might be of interest:

Thanks Captain. I can let you have the 1911 census info as well if interested.

My wife writes an article about the local canals for a local monthly magazine and in a recent one she looked at some of the 1911 census for boat people in Nantwich. One person mentioned was a George Bate and someone wrote in as they had a connection with him. They were interested to know if there was any further information about him. He also had a son called George who was eight in 1911. We have a reference to a George Bate who had been a lock gate builder on the Worcester & Birmingham canal who may have been the son. If anyone has any further information about George Bate we would be pleased to hear it and pass the information on to our correspondent.

A few years ago the subject of holes in the gas locker with bolts through came up. Rob of the BSS stated, in writing, that if the bolts were properly sealed then that was acceptable. Not sure if i can find where it was posted on here, but I have it printed out. As for going through the side of the boat then I can't see that that is a problem, after all there is already a big hole there. The thing is to stop the chance of gas getting into the inside of the boat, including the engine space. OK, it was posted on 6th January 2013: "Bolting a mounting plate or restraint anchors into the locker is ok provided the holes are fully 'filled-in' with no visible gaps/holes. These should also be quasi-permanent arrangements, not say access or inspection plates designed to be regularly bolted and unbolted."