Peter R
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Posts posted by Peter R
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I'm another one who can only dream of keeping the bilges dry! The boat is cruiser stern, and the drain channels under the deck boards is about the only bad bit of design on the whole boat. they are too small to deal with any volume of water, they have very little 'slope' to encourage flow, and there are only two drain holes, both so small that the slightest bit of debris blocks them. The result is that every time it rains they overflow into the bilge. As I don't fancy trying to change the deck drains, I just put up with it when i'm on the boat, and got a stern cover to keep the rain outside the boat when i'm not there!
Peter
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I know that feeling - fortunately it's one problem I managed to solve
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I also use a '3' 3G dongle when on the boat, but reception is variable. I recently did a trip from Northampton to Market Harborough - reception was fine up to Crick, but I was mostly on GPRS beyond there.
As far as which network is concerned, I think they all have 'holes', just in different places! There have been several threads on this topic so you might like to try doing a few searches for some more info.
Peter
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The problem with your requirements is most likely the Stove - in my experience most hire companies tend to go more for gas central heating! There may be others but the only hire boats I know of that come with stove's are the three run by 'saisons' at Whilton Locks on the GU.
Peter
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For what it's worth, I also use the 'retainer' option with RCR as insurance against running into a problem I can't sort myself. I've only had to call on them once, and was very happy with the service I got.
Peter
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On my boat I have a small inverter I got a few years ago which I use to charge my phone...The inverter has on it
NIKKAI 150W DC-AC POWER INVERTER AC OUTLET 230V / 50 HZ
So today I took my laptop with me to see if I could use it on the boat.
The battery on the laptop is dead.
When I connected it to the inverter and switched the laptop on, the light on the laptop came on briefly, then it and the light on the inverter went out.
I tried it a couple if times.
Can anyone explain this?...Is it that the 150W inverter is not powerful enough to run a laptop?...and do you think if I got a new battery for the laptop. I would be able to charge it up using the inverter? (at the time the engine was running...so can I presume there was enough electricity available?)
If the inverter stayed on but the laptop didn't charge, then I think that would suggest that the charger doesn't like the inverter output. However, since the inverter drops out it does suggest to me that the inverter can't supply enough power. Laptops power requirements vary a lot, the power pack for my current one says 65W, it's predecessor was 135W.
Therefore, the first check is what is the rated power of the laptop power supply (should be on the label somewhere!)
However, another thought also occurs - how is the inverter connected to the 12V supply? 150W at 12V equates to 12.5Amps, if the 12V wiring isn't up to carrying this power it could be that the load of the laptop is creating sufficient voltage drop on the 12V wiring for the inverter to give up on 'under-voltage' even though the load may be within it's rating. If it is hard-wired I would hope the wiring was adequate, but if the inverter is of the type that plugs into a 'cigarette lighter' type socket (which it could be at 150W), the wiring to the socket might not be up to the job.
Peter
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Since i've had ny boat i've replaced the batteries and all the wiring between the alternator, batteries and main fuse board, plus installed new cables for the fridge. Based on my experiences I would guess that to install a shoreline, charger, inverter and 230V wiring would probably take 2-3 days. Multiply that by a professional labour charge (say £30 per hour?) and add the cost of the equipment, cables etc and you'll have a rough idea, but the only way to find out is to ask an electrician, but before you do that you need to be sure what you need done!
As others have mentioned, I would query what you need 800W of 230V power for? Also consider that to run an 800W inverter at full power for an hour will use 66.6 Amp-hours. Given that you can never discharge batteries entirely you are probably looking at needing something like one 100Ah battery per hour, and then you need to think how you are going to recharge them.
I've had a boat for just over 4 years, using it for weekends and holidays, and I don't think i've ever used more than about 100W
Peter
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Introduce yourself to a few landscape gardeners, furniture makers and timber yards. Most places now have to pay to have their waste wood taken away, so they'll happily give it to you instead. Pallet wood is easy to come by, for example, and we've even found a source of 6' square hardwood lumps! You really don't need to go scavenging on the cut.
6 foot Square!!! You must have one heck of a stove!
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Does anyone have a boat where the height of the locker is sufficient to prevent this?
Yes, but then my boat is cruiser stern, and the gas locker is at the back. If there is ever any amount of water in the gas locker, then I think it would mean the boat had sunk!
peter
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I've done the llangollen twice, both times hiring from Viking Afloat at Whitchurch.
First time we actually managed to do Whitchurch - Llangollen - Chester - Whitchurch in a week! The second we just did Whitchurch - Llangollen and back with a short tour up the Monty. Much more relaxing, and I would second Chris in saying 'do the monty' if you have time.
Only other addition to Chris's list, if you have the time and energy (and you'll need plenty of the latter!) whilst at Llangollen take the walk up to the ruined castle (Crow Castle, I think it's called - can't remember the welsh!) - climbing up there is bl**dy hard work, but the view is superb.
Peter
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Gayton Marina (northampton arm) has a polytunnel which I believe they will hire out when they're not using it themselves. Braunston marina has a couple of drydocks, but don't know for sure if they hire them for diy use. Welford Marina also have a dry dock, but again don't know about diy use. Crick Marina have a drydock that you definately can hire for diy.
If required I can provide contacts for Gayton and Crick
Peter
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Fall Ing is the entrance lock to the Calder and Hebble, and is only 2.5 miles from Stanley Ferry, so perhaps a record slow time?
I expect you mean Newlay to Stanley Ferry, Newlay Locks being the ones before Leeds that are locked up overnight.
My experience on the Leeds and Liverpool has, unfortunately, involved very long days, e.g Leeds to Manchester in 4 days, overnighting below Bingley, above Bank Newton and above Johnson's Hillock.
As I am currently about 100 miles away from the guide book, I was working from memory - from what you say I probably do mean Newlay.
Peter
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Don't forget it's a cast iron stove, so don't hit any of it too hard, as it could crack.
Alan
Don't worry, i'm not going to attack it with a sledgehammer!
Especially as when I was looking at it again on Friday I spotted a faint crack in the grate, and I don't particularly want to have to change that as well! I think a large screwdriver and a few blocks a wood to do a bit of judicious levering is probably in order, but that will have to wait a few weeks as i'm back at w**k today!
Peter
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stranded on the flooded Soar at the moment, above a lock/weir.........wouldn't entertain going further!
What with one thing and another, I can see you're going to remember this cruise, but not neccessarily for the right reasons! Hope you don't get stuck there too long.
Peter
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You simply MUST do the L&L. It's my local canal, and apart from a couple of grot spots which are soon passed, it's absolutely fabulous. From Burnley through Barlick, Gargrave and Skipton is just idyllic. Watch out for the rabbit field, with a lovely old house at the top. Suggest you get yourself an air rifle and pot dinner as you cruise past!
I did a one-way hire trip with Shire about 7 years from Burnley to Sowerby Bridge, which was great. Only problem was that we kept being late for the time-critical spots. We arrived at the Bingley '5' just after it closed and had to wait for the next day, then did the same on the section from Fall Ing into Leeds that gets locked up overnight. This left us having to really get a move on the last couple of days. I'm not sure if we set any records but looking at the guide book the other night i'm pretty sure we did Fall Ing to Stanley Ferry one day, and Stanley Ferry to Salterhebble the next!
We were still late back as having got up early to do Salterhebble - Sowerby Bridge by 10:00AM, we found the Salterhebble guillotine gate wouldn't work, and had to phone the boat yeard to get BW out - turned out some local oik had turned off the main power switch up on the gantry. Apparantly it was a regular problem, so I hope they've put a lock on it by now!
Peter
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all good info so my thnaks for that , any one tried the Virgin package?
I also have the '3' system. I've tried a speedtest on a few occasions when i've had an HSDPA connection, and it's generally been about 500kbps. The fastest i've seen is just under 1Mbps. Coverage is variable. i've just done a trip from Northampton to Market Harborough and back, and once north of Crick I only got HSDPA once, the rest of the time it was on GPRS, which is OK for text-based stuff (like the forum) but not much good for anything involving pictures.
Like Alan I have the pay-as-you go version as I only want it two or three times a year and '3' were the only people doing pay-as-you go.
Re Blackrose's problem I suspect it's number of users. Mine's been more reliable than what he quoted, but I've had several occasions where i've had an HSDPA signal for an hour or more, which has then dropped out and can't then get more than a slow GPRS. I can only assume this to be number of users in the cell.
Whichever network you go for, you'll probably find blackspots in coverage, but probably in different places.
Peter
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The following photo is I think sufficiently anonymous not to identify the boat concerned.
Well it's an alvechurch hire boat, probably either a 65' or 69', and as it's at stoke bruerne, probably based at Gayton
Regarding the notices on closed canals, it quite simple. Elfin Safety has decreed that signs (probably to an agreed european design!) have to be installed, so BW admin section probably contracts an external company to go and fit them to every lock in the country, and as the admin people are only concerned with business administration and probably know nothing about the canals, it doesn't occur to them to check how many of the locks are actually in use!
Don't you love corpoate efficiency?
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Does anyone have a decent thing to say about the Webasto marine heating system?
For what it's worth, I have one, and I haven't (so far) had any problems with it (touch wood)!
It was purchased from BK marine, installed by myself, and runs off the main fuel tank which is filled with red diesel from whatever marina I happen to be closest to when I need to fill up.
However, what I see as the critical factor is that I don't live on the boat. I also have a solid fuel stove that is my main air heating source, and a twin coil calorifier for hot water (one coil for the webasto, one for the engine). Therefore, the webasto unit is only used to heat the water on days when i'm on the boat but not cruising and to put a bit extra heat into the back cabin in very cold periods or to provide a short 'heat boost' at those times of year when I need a bit of heat morning / evening but not all day and hence not worth lighting the stove. Therefore it is not run on a daily basis and when it is, only for an hour or two a day.
Interestingly, when I went to BK to purchase it, they specifically asked if I lived on the boat. When I said no, the reply was, and I quote - 'Good, I wouldn't sell you one if you did'.
make of that what you will
Peter
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a good sealant has been used behind the fitting.
Bearing in mind that the exhaust can get quite hot so it should probably be one of the high temperature sealants
Peter
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I've driven several hire boats in addition to my own and i've yet to find one that would stay in a straight line for long if you let go of tiller. i've always just taken this to be that as the prop rotates, so does the prop wash which then tends to push the tiller off-line if you don't hold it straight. I will tend to be more pronounced at higher revs as the prop wash is stronger.
Peter
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Alan
Thanks for that. Yes the glass is secured by bolts through the door - I thought this looked a bit odd as the bottom ones slightly 'foul' the ridge around the window, but they do the job OK. The ashpan door vents might well be a user mod - when I think about it they are slightly crude, although they work very well, for getting a fine control on the amount of air admitted.
I wondered if the grate had to come out. I tried pulling it earlier but it didn't seem to want to move - probably not surpising as it may not ever have been removed, i'll have to hit it a bit harder and see what happens!
Peter
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Sign up, peeps!
OK, done. Whether i'll remember to update it is entirely another question!
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Unless it's very obscure, if you post a picture, I bet someone can tell you!
I've been to see whilton chandlery today, who don't have one in stock, so i'll have to try someplace else. looking at his stove catalogues I think it is actually a villager heron. only difference seems to be that his picture of a heron didn't have the rotating vents in the ashpan door that mine has.
The next problem is I thought i might try sticking back together at least as a short term solution, but the bottom half of the broken brick dosen't want to come out - anyone know if it should just lift out or if there is anything else that needs to come out first? photo below shows the bit that doesn't want to move.
Peter
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Thanks all
Sounds like might be a good idea to repair / replace it. If i can get a new brick for a few quid that's probably simplest, if it has to be a set then i'll probably try and repair it. Only slight problem is that I don't actually know what make of stove it is!
How much should a paint job cost?
in Boat Building & Maintenance
Posted
I had a full repaint done on my 45' done just over 2 years ago by Alvechurch at Gayton. Cost £3300, plus another £150 for the signwriting.