ITAfloat

Hi, You could buy an inverter charger with power assist, such as the Victron Multi-plus 3000. Other makes available. They can do something called "power assist", so whatever your shore power (within reason) they can temporarily make up the missing current needed by taking battery power for the limited time the water is being heated or motor is starting up, then return to shore only and whatever is left goes back to charging the batteries. I use this facility as do many other boaters to boost poor supplies or even small generators to run washing machines. As for full disclosure, be aware I also supply and install these. I've seen this work flawlessly on a 6A supply, but you do need good batteries, a decent sized battery bank and the shoreline to be stable (i'e, does't trip out because you turned something else on (on the 230v side) or you shoreline is actually shared with the next boat). If you have a decent (130A+) sized alternator, then it may be possible to run solely from your engine via a large inverter and not via the shoreline, but that's another discussion. Also consider a midi washing machine (3/4 size). ITA

Watch the footbridge heights after rain on the Stort towards Roydon. It varies a lot in bad weather. Pete is the Manager at Roydon. Don't forget Dobbs weir has a pub with mooring, food can be er differing standards and remember your gang plank for you'll surely need it on Lea after Dobbs weir and the Stort.

Jester is indeed at winkwell (just up from the fisheries. It's a ferrous-cement hull with wood planks on the outside. I've looked over the electrics on her...odd that there is no echo walking down her. That lump on top is the water tank, straight from a house. Arrived in 2010 I think at Winkwell.

Second vote for Visio. I too create my wiring diagrams using it. There are also shape libraries, like visio cafe, that others have created that you can incorporate. If you have a child in education, you may be able to purchase the academic version, for quite a saving. I know you can do this for other office products, just not sure for Visio. ITA

Section 1 of the Aquafax (marine wholesaler) catalog states 3/8" (and 1/2")OD Tube at wall thickness 0.914mm on their 10M and 30M coils of copper tube. Their 10mm (and 8mm)OD tube has a wall thickness of 1.0mm, same lengths available. Both metric and imperial are to BS EN 12735-1:2001. So as I read it, the metric pipe has a very slightly bigger wall thickness.

It's there to install the drivers and dashboard from, and is used to autostart the dashboard upon detection - you will probably have to click on the desktop icon once it is plugged in and settled to get it going afterwards. Its not needed afterwards. As it's a CD drive (emulated) then it interacts with other application (AV / Roxio / Nortons etc) without you doing anything necessarily. I updated my 'T-Mobile' version to a newer generic firmware and had far less problems. Hope you get it sorted.

OK. 1) You can try having it plugged in before you power up, then see what happens. 2) Make sure it's the same port (if you have more than one) that you originally installed it from. 3) If it has the double USB lead, make sure the second port is plugged in, as the power requirement may be too large. 4) Some have issue with the CD flash drive part playing up after the device has installed. To remove Basicly * Click Start * Right-click on 'My Computer' * Click 'Manage' * Click on 'Disk Management' under 'Computer Management / Storage' * Right-click on drive letter assigned to E220 (will be a CDFS file system device) * Click on 'Change Drive Letter and Paths...' * Verify that correct drive letter is displayed in dialog * Click 'Remove' button * Click 'Yes' button in confirmation dialog Then try connecting. Try some / all of these. Good luck. Jas EDIT - for spelling.

I agree. If the immersion is still collecting water after a few days without being used, then water could be getting in from above, or leaking from the tank into the immersion (calorifiers are normally under pressure). Make sure if you do undo the immersion itself to shut water and pump off first and open a tap to remove the pressure or you'll get very wet BUT isolate all mains electricals for safety. I've not seen one that just collects condensate before, but it's possible I suppose. Is the calorifier in the engine bay by chance? If it's under steel deck plate condensation could be dripping down onto it from above possibly in this cold weather.

Very useful. Can a MOD pin this one please? Also if there are other generic parts could anyone add to this list? Just a thought. For the belts I've previously taken them to the local motor spares place and they've matched them up no problem. ITA.

If the wires stick through the panel then have the chock block attached, then see if you have clearence behind the panel to have the chock block located there (make the hole bigger?). Just make sure there are no stray strands of wire and it's safe to do so. You'll of course have to screw the new wires in first or you'll just loose the block in the panel I've made a ring spacer from oak to hide the blocks and sink the lights on two center light fittings. adds 20mm, but you can make them from whatever you need. ITA

This is not true. Sprayfoam is not like polystyrene. Poly eats into the PVC of cables I believe, sprayform does not. This was confirmed by the surveyor also. My first boat was poly and that had cold 'bridges' (where the wood passed over a steel rib without insulation) where condensation would form on cold days on the wood. With better planning, these should have been covered, but that's down to the builder. My last two have been sprayfoamed, having been primed well. My advice is to fill every single gap and hole that is supposed to be sprayfoamed, leave none, or you may see little rusty water marks on your nice wood finish in Winter. My friend found this out to his cost and passed on this advice to me, which I hope I've taken 'onboard'. ITA

The boat is called GP Cargo, Pete and Glenda. Was with them a couple of days ago, the were heading for Apsley, near Hemel. Drop me a PM with your number and I can pass it on. Pete's hands are not so good at the mo, he's in his seventies and the cold plays havoc, so I'm not sure they are taking on full cover work at the mo, but I can ask. Jas ITA

I've done this one many times. It's a tough one. I've been with a woman boater that got her foot cought between the bricks and the moving bridge too. She was bruised and shaken, but ok. I'd say if you cannot work it safely, don't put yourself in danger - leave it open. It's inconvienient, but no-one gets hurt. Long ropes work for me too, but not as well as two people. ITA

When Sky updated my card by posting out new ones and cancelling the old one, whilst miles from "home" on a cruise, sky said that the updates can take 24hrs. If the box dials into sky it can be activated that way too, they told me. It never worked and we didn't have a phone line on the cut , so had to wait until family visited with post. Then it activated within 15 minutes of putting it in. Not sure if you can force a dial on the sky box with the old "4 0 1 SELECT" installers menu? I don't have one anymore so cannot test, sorry. ITA

I have a Paguro 4000 gen, cost about the same as my beta 43(trade price) and had it installed at the same time as the main engine on my new build. It can kick out 16A no problem and copes with running the table saw, vac and heater all at the same time (I'm still building my boat). Its raw water cooled with gas/water seperator (stops the splashing sound) as this was the quietest option. I wouldn't say they are silent, but it's quiet enough not to annoy..It's definately noiser inside the boat than out. The marina here only has 6A supply, so for me it's been used every day and I wouldn't be without it. I planned in advance for the space and it lives in the engine bay between bulkhead and main engine, though I have seen them installed inside the cabin space. Here's the link. Advanced Yacht If it's just a problem for you in winter, perhaps one of the honda 20i's would be better suited? Much much less outlay and less space consumed. Just a thought. Jas

Here's my boat, taken at Winkwell, just outside Hemel, Herts. We had about 6-8 inches of snow, then another couple a few days later.

If you're passing Les I can walk you through the set-up, or give you a hand if I'm about. I've got a kerstan dish in the shed you could try, but I'll need to collect it from home. Jas

That's where post goes at work, isn't it? Pidgeon Box I believe they are called.

Travel Power will give you 'mains' 240v whilst your engine is running, providing it has been switched on (switch on front of silver box) and if a selection switch (shoreline/generator/inverter switch) is in the correct position. If you turn your fridge to max whilst cruising and down again when stopped, the extra cold should help reduce the battery usage. I would check that the immersion is not switched on, running from the inverter. That would kill your batteries in a short time. Really only for landline use. Get someone to test the batteries with the proper 'load' tester to be sure they are still good. Blowing fuses for a few lights worries me - it may be that the toilet is on the same wire - very odd - do the lights dim as the toilet flushes? Regards, ITA Soz: cross posted with Ditchcrawler

Bilge paint used on my lockers too. Spoke to Phil at Craftmaster (other brands available...) who made it the exact colour code I wanted.

My old Eletrolux 12v 'Inlander' fridge used to draw 7 amps, partly due to insufficient cable size (voltage drop very important!). My Shoreline 12v fridge only drew 2.8A, the 12v Freezer drew 3.8A, also Shoreline. The Fridge had no ice box, which made a difference. Figures tested with the same clamp meter. Both were about 500mm wide, normal (half) height. Price of the Shoreline Fridge was about £338 in 2003. Cable size specified by Shoreline for 12v was about 1mm2 per metre (including the return). That's not cheap, and really is a must. The new boat is run in 16mm2 cable over 14M return path. I'm told some mains freezers and fridges can be 'tilt intollerent'. I never had a problem with it on the boat. I used to run a 240v freezer on the first boat that drew about 4.5A - a Candy 'A Rated' cost about £99. Hire boats, I'm told, use 240v more ofen now and a small inverter, as the cost is a fraction of the 12v versions and a greater selection. If the engine is run every day, then low battery is much less of a concern. As a liveaboard I think every Amp counts, so go for 12v (or 24v if you have it - smaller cables). If a holiday boat, I'd be going for 240v and small inverter. You could always cable for both and tuck the 12v cables (not connected) behind the fridge, in case you change your requirements - at least the hard work is done. Jas Happy shopping

Hi Lady m, I'm down at the marina tomorrow, so I'll ask around. It may be micro chiped, a local vet should be able to confirm. I'll PM you if I hear anything. ITA.