steelaway
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Posts posted by steelaway
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Hi I have a Perkins 4108 Raw and just wondering if anyone knows what the running temp should be? I am a bit confused some say it should run around 93 to 95 c and some say its better running around 100c to stop it furing up inside. Also I want to fit a rev counter do I need any special one? and are they easy to fit? Any help would be greatfully excepted and thanx in advance
Hi There
I am pretty sure that all alternators have a connection for a rev counter. You may have to buy one for your engine from the engine dealer, it could be a different pulley ratio compared to car ones.
Alex
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Hi Everyone
Just spoke to my son and it seem there has been many boats ticketed and told to away by 08.00 am or pay a £25.00 fine.
Mine is on the towpath at Copper Mill Lane
Where can I put my boat?
Alex
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Hi folks. I'm a newbie here and have just entered the world of NB ownership with a project mentioned in the 'New here?' section. The current fridge is reminiscent of the 3-way one I had in my VW camper. It's pretty small and being someone who likes cooking a lot I have come to depend on a decent sized fridge freezer. As we'll be living aboard I think I'll want to replace the current one, but as we (probably) won't have a shoreline I'm concerned about draining batteries too quickly if I use a 12V fridge. Currently there's a bank of 4 x 110AH batteries on the domestic cycle. We'll have a TV set up but probably little use. PC will be used a fair amount tho I'll have to curb by usage somewhat. There's a 12v car stereo type CD player which will be used pretty extensively. Otherwise water pump and lighting is likely to be only other electrics.
What I'm hoping for is people's preferences with reasons. Discussions about this have probably been covered elsewhere and I have tried searching, but seem to be reading so much on the forum I'm losing track... Soooo much to learn
Hi There
If you do not have a charge controller I would seriously think about one, your battery's will need a lot of charge. If you have one you can buy a domestic fridge (some still have freezer compartments) as I do not think the consumption between 12v and 240v (only inverter losses) is that great but domestic fridges are generaly bigger volume.
Alex
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If any of you have boats at Springfield on the towpath you've not seen for a while, then check - lots have notices on them! Just walked the dogs there an hour ago.
Hi Everyone
Just spoke to my son and it seem there has been many boats ticketed and told to away by 08.00 am or pay a £25.00 fine.
Where can I put my boat.
Alex
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im currently moored up just 3 back from steelaway, i can say that the flow is very slow now compared with a week or so ago.
Hi There
Thanks for that. Pop up and say hello to my son Sean he is on his own and he would get the shock of his life.
Ask him about his MR2 wheel - I would love to see his face!
Alex
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I don't have windows, only portholes.
But even if you have windows, a thief would much rather enter through a door or hatch if he (or she) can gain access that way. Boat break-ins are usually done by opportunists, not professionals, and nobody wants to crawl through broken glass if they can help it. The windows that are most vulnerable are windows in bow doors, because once broken it can be easy to gain access if the doors are only locked with an internal bolt.
Hi There
Congratulations
Thats a very nice boat.
I know about vulerable bow door both my breakins have been through those doors, mainly because once you are under the cratch cover you have all the time in the world.
Alex
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I don't have windows I only have portholes.
Hi there
In that case you have covered all the bases. Although I am constantly amazed at the size and multitude of locks on front and rear doors only for them to have 3'x2' glass windows!
Alex
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This is a really basic question but, even though we have been on the cut in hire boats for over 20 years this is the fist we have owned. Now we beginning to find out what we don't know and are back to being newbies. Our ex-hire has rotting wooden stern doors and a wooden hatch. We are replacing them with steel but they will not be lined when fitted. We intend to line them with wood for insulation and to reduce condensation. We would rather not have screw heads protruding on the outside of the boat so what is the best way to bond the wood to the steel? Also, if it will fit, is it worth putting a layer of polystyrene between the steel and the wood, which also raises the bonding question again?
P
Hi There
First thing is to have the hatch FOLDED all round. If you have a welded/fabricated job it will be very heavy and hard to slide. Also you will need some thing for it to slide on - Brass or Nylon.
I would also have the opening doors folded on all sides, that way you can recess the timber sheeting inside them and seal them. Another tip - there are hinges that have push in pins, these allow you to remove the doors for repair
I have used an Evode product called 'Sticks like S--t' - honestly! but you could always screw into the side of the door/wood if needs be.
Alex
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Had to get mine back too,they quoted for 30mm and in some areas it was barely 5mm. Let them know ( once they have started ) that you are going to check the thickness and you will have them back if necessary. Downside to this is you will be days cutting back rather than hours.
Same here - I think they wanted to get their own back!
Alex
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I meant to post these pictures some time ago in reply to someone who asked how they could secure their side doors, but I can't find that particular thread now.
I came up with this idea beacuse I wasn't happy with the small brass bolts that were screwed into the door lining and would easily pull out of the wood if someone got a crowbar or even a large screwdriver between the doors on the outside.
It's basically two 10mm dome bolts - one through each door and a short piece of 40mm x 6mm bar which hinges on one bolt and slots over the other.
#
Each dome bolt has a washer and nut tightened on the inside of the door which means that the bar stands out about 15mm from the lining. The hinged end then has another washer and nyloc nut holding the bar on. The nyloc nut is used so that the bar is held firmly but not overtightened so it can still swivel. The slotted end of the bar is held/released with large wing nut.
I used a piece of galvanised bar that happened to be handy, which I admit I really should have ground smooth before painting with Hammerite.
You could also use this idea on side hatches, but the top hopper door on a side hatch usually goes over the side doors securing them effectively, so it probably wouldn't be necessary.
Hi There
After all this how have you stopped them throwing a brick through the window to gain access?
Alex
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Echo. Just ensure that it is done to a proper thickness. I understand some cowboys are skimping on the amount that they apply.
Yes Dylan you are right.
I had to get them back to refill to the 2" quoted. It was a bit obvious - as the timber battens where 2" thick and they were well below that. (total forgot to spray under the open hatch lid?) I also had it sprayed befor the ballast and floor went in so they could spray right to the base plate.
I had had the area at the back of the S/S water tank and all vertical areas in the engine bay coated at no extra cost, but they quoted 2" so I got them back.
Alex
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But does anybody know how you actually do that?
Sorry about the can of worms, but its kind of an interesting can don't you think?
Hi There
You have to know the characteristics of your engine, the torque curve graph is usually in the brochure.
Mine is a Barrus 45 and maximum torque is between 1500 & 1900 RPM and drops away very quickly after 2000RPM.
Minimum specific fuel consumption is 220 g/KW.H and rises very steeply after 2200 RPM
Therefore my engine is proped to run at 1800/1900 RPM @ 3-4 MPH.
Maximum HP is at 3000rpm but my boat will only pull maximum 2700 RPM but at that kind of revs it is like being on a RN Destoyer.
I have had three props on this boat from new and am now happy with my 19x12
Regarding alternator charging speeds, mine seem to give maximum charging at just under 1300 RPM once you 'excite' them.
Alex
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I've just been looking on the Little Brown Mouse site and caught a glimps of the thinsulate insulation that they offer. has anyone used this or got any experiance with it? what about the price, any ideas on that?
Cheers.
P&H
Hi There
No question about it as far as I am concerned - Sprayfoam!
Its the only way of filling ALL the gaps and because it is stuck to the hull, no condensation can form behind it
Alex
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I want to install a new gas hob on my boat. Many domestic hobs seem to be cheaper than 'boat' hobs and come with flame failure devices as standard and lpg jets. Snag for me is that many also have 240v ignition. Can I disconnect this and light the burners manually? Is anyone aware of any other snags in simply going to Ikea and buying a cheap hob there (apart from the queues, that is.)
Hi There
Why do you not want the 240v ignitor?
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The simple way is to get an inverter/charger combination unit.
Very pricey!!
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Thank you all for very kind offers of help and support, I've been quite touched, I always knew that we had a decent community spirit... it's one of the reasons I like boating, as well as boaters! However I've cracked it.
After cutting almost everything away from the blades last week, leaving a lot wrapped around the shaft, i unbolted the shaft from the gearbox, the shaft pretty much sprang forward on undoing the last bolt, and I managed to pull off about 12 feet of 5 x 1.5mm spring steel and assorted fabric. It was pretty keen to come off once I'd got the shaft free so the nightmare was averted.
We reckon it was one of these...
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/part...t>TUNNEL.htm
The stern tubes now luminous green where all the fabric has melted on to it, I'll leave it that way for a touch of colour.
I think bargee bill would be stumped... It has blunted 3 hacksaw blades!
Since my last boat had no weedhatch, I'd like to recommend whoever invented them for a nobel prize!
Thanks all once again.
edited to slate bargee Bill
Congratulations!!!
Only £9.99 - for all that hardend spring steel - no wonder it you had to hacksaw it of and as you say it would blunt any blades
Alex
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Is there an AC changeover switch available (shoreline/ off/ inverter) that will isolate the battery charger circuit when the inverter is selected? Such a switch could easily be made but does any manufacture actually offer one?
When we have a battery charger and inverter in the electrical system it is necessary to prevent the batteries trying to charge themselves through the inverter (yes?). One way is to have an on/off switch to the battery charger but some of us will forget to use it and the result may not be too good. A fail-safe method is to wire the battery charger in parallel with the main circuit (from the shoreline socket as shown on the excellent ‘Smartgauge’ web site) but this means we have an extra circuit with it’s own consumer unit (RCD and fuse/breaker) dedicated to the charger.
If we had a changeover switch of the type suggested we could have a fail-safe system, simplified electrics and save the cost of an additional consumer unit.
Or have I got it all wrong?
Alan
Hi Alan
I have been thinking about how I would do this for 10 minutes.
I imagine all the sockets are on one 240v fuse. The only way, as you suggest is to have a seperate socket/fuse wired to the land line side. Sorry
Alex
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Can you tell me what "sized for the worst application of the boat" means? Does it mean, for example, on a river against the tide? That sort of thing?
And also, can you tell me how to size the prop to the sfc curve of the engine?
Hi There
You had to open this can of worms again!
There seems to be two strongly held theories.
One is to tune your prop to give maximum HP available at peak revs - 17/18 x 10/12. I think this method is subject to cavitation and a bigger diameter prop is much more effective than increasing the pitch
The other one is to tune the prop to the maximum torque, this will enable you to criuse at lower revs and at maximum torque and achieve optimum MPG. Prop size maybe 19 x 10/12
You will not get maximum revs but when you ask for power the engine will be at the maximum torque and to be able to provide power quicker
Alex
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Look at my thread in 'new to boating' started Jan 11. I got some good replies.
P
Thank for that JW I will have a look at Rule pumps.
I am now worried that I am overgreasing my stern gland - 1 turn a day is my habit is this two much?
Although I never wipe of the excess I just leave to drop into the sump.
Alex
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My bilge pump has gone again.
It is an automatic one and the float is the best I could find, so is the pump I thought.
I know it suffers from all the grease out of the stern gland but there must be answer.
What is the best pump I dont care how much it costs
I need help
- Yes I know it has been said before -
Am considering buying a sailaway narrowboat...
One of the options is on a John White shell.
Does anyone have one of these, and if so, what are your experiences of it?
Another option is a Cheshire narrowboats sailaway from Lymm Marina Boat Sales
LMBS
Does anyone have experience of these too...
Thanks
Gareth
Hi There
See my ADD
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My tank is under a kitchen cupboard at the stern, and I have a cabin bilge pump installed nearby, but I'll know if I have any leaks because I'll hear the pump. If I'm out the pump is switched off.
In general I think I'd rather have the calorifier in the engine roon like yourself, because I worry about any body of water that I've brought onto the boat, not staying where it's supposed to. However, you could make the same argument about the main water tank. Most boats have them at the bow and if they leak at a joint upstream of the pump or the stopcock it could flood the boat.
The other thing is that a calorifier in an uninsulated and unheated engine room presents its own problems. I would worry about it freezing for example.
Hi Again
To be honest I had never thought about the calorifier freezing - Mmmmm.
I have a mate that had freezing problems on his boat high on the Pennines.
His shower mixer exploded and the plasic water pipe to his toilet burst but not the calorifier in the engine bay?
My stop tap is screwed into the S/S tank.
Nice speaking to you
Alex
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Not in my experience. I once tried to empty my calorifier (in order to fit an immersion heater), by disconnecting the push-fit non-return valve on the cold water feed going to the bottom of the tank. There I was ready with washing up bowl in hand - I split the connection and to my surprise nothing came out! I couldn't figure it out until I realised that the vacuum was holding the water in and I had to turn the pressure release valve at the top of the calorifier in order to release the vacuum and get the water out.
Hi There
Yes I know what you mean but if you had opened a tap the same would happen and if the tank springs a leak under the bed you wont know it till your are paddling and by then it has loads of air.
I had a problem trying to emptying my calorifier. I realised I could syphon it out with a tube into the top but the tank is below water the water!! Had to wait untill I took the boat out for blacking.
Alex
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Just a suggestion, as someone who has been looking at various boat designs and trying to gauge average prices, accesorys ect ect... it would be handy if possible on a builders website there was a detailed list of lets say the most requested or standerd hull types with a given price, the potential buyer could then add on whatever he/she wants included in the build. would make the "mind boggling pre-buying research" a hell of a lot easyer. the potential buyer could then contact you for any specifics or for confirming prices and anything els that needs more detail.
So basically giving the person the abillity to work things out for themselvs and saving endless replies to phonecalls, letters and e-mails. Let them work it out and if they are interested they can get in touch.
There is no such thing as a time waster, if someone is about to make one of the biggest purchases of thier lives of course they are going to ask loads of questions and shop around before they commit.
just my two cents
Hi There
I do agree with this proposal.
Maybe some one should produce a document that list all of the alternatives that might be required on ordering a boat.
It would be quite a document but with a series of tick boxs this one document could be sent to all prospective boat builder for a quote.
It would be much like a clerk of works would issue to all prospective suppliers.
Alex
- Yes I know it has been said before
Gas leak
in Living Afloat
Posted
Hi There
Carefully check the orange hose for cracks, they will deteriate over the years. Changing this latest bottle could be the end of it. Especially at the connection into the boat, when you change the bottle the pressure reg will hang on this end.
Alex