PaulG
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Posts posted by PaulG
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Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Much appreciated.
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1 hour ago, David Schweizer said:
It doesn't really matter what your, or any one else, thinks on the matter. If the BSS regulations state that negative hull return is not permitted, your boat will fail if the exanminer discovers that the boat does not comply. It could well alaso cause the examiner to wonder what othe "short cuts" on safety have been taken.
Running two wires is not that difficult, even if you have to remove some lining to fit it. I ran numerous new cable runs on Helvetia and must have removed about 60% of the lining at various times to do it.
Exactly how high is that horse you're on David?
I already indicated that I was not going down the "single conductor" route.
Or maybe you just misunderstood what I was saying... -
3 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:
Not sure about that, do you really want to own/operate a boat that does not comply with the safety regulations? It may well also invalidate your insurance if you ever make a claim.
A boat with a horn that doesn't work seems to me to be a bigger risk than a missing conductor...
Anyway, all things considered, I'll probably leave the wiring alone, put the horn on our workshop power supply and see if I can adjust it so that it operates at a lower voltage as Nick suggested.There was plenty of grunt there when I tested it on the boat the first time as I was on the landline with a Sterling charge running.
Thanks for your input folks!
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Hmmm.
Thanks Martin. Depends on whether my mods can be seen, really...
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Bought new horn, drilled and tapped holes in roof, applied plenty of siilicone sealant, mounted horn. Stood back and admired the nice neat job.
Pressed horn button to be rewarded with a brief and barely audible "ponk" noise.
Many swearwords later, new horn is removed from roof, and 12v power applied direct from socket results in an ear-splitting blast.
Seems to be voltage drop from the parsimonious builder's wiring. Couldn't actually measure it as arms and meter leads not long enough, but all connectors new, bright and shiny so that is the conclusion that I have come to.
Can't get at the wiring as it's all behind the fitout.
I'm thinking of rewiring it to use both conductors as positives, and then use the hull as the return negative.
Seems to me that the total operation time of the horn is probably 30 seconds a year at the most, so it seems unlikely to cause too many problems.
Anyone else done this?
Any BSS issues?
Anyone care to comment?
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On 10/06/2017 at 18:09, Mike the Boilerman said:
Me too. It's a delight to boat in the quieter months as you put it.
It is also a delight, just a different one, to boat in high summer and marvel at all the marina dwellers with grim and stressed expressions on their faces out on their once-a-year cruises on their £100k shiny boats getting stressed in case a fender gets scratched.
There's a H*ds*n in our marina that has put his centreline across to the next pontoon so that he's not actually touching the one that he's moored to.
Makes me smile every time I walk past.
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Went last year. Didn't like it.
Doubt if we'll go again.
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3 hours ago, john6767 said:
The BSC is electronic now you don't get a paper certificate. You should have been sent a receipt by the examiner and that as the number on it, that should be all you need as all the navigation authorities have access to the electronic database.
As to the CRT payment, I would not just cancel the direct debit, when it bounces that could cause you credit rating issues. I would talk to CRT as to the correct process as I would have thought you have committed to an annual licence even though you have not paid it all yet.
You don't get a paper one automatically, but I understand that the examiner must provide you with one if you ask for it.
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On 11/09/2016 at 19:18, Top cat said:
Down the coal mines the etiquette was not to look at somebody directly while addressing them to avoid dazzle.
Top Cat
Software engineers have carried on that tradition to this very day...
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19 hours ago, colmac said:
Plenty of mooring on the stretch between Lidl and the last lock before the basin, York St. lock. Also by the Bird in Hand pub before you get that far. In the basin there is room for two boats just past the water point provided nobody has "middle moored" as often happens. Over by the Wharf bar there are two moorings and, failing that, lock on to the river and moor on the pontoons either by the locks or outside the Angel pub. As for a mooring on the way down, we like to moor on a wee quiet bit just through Whittington Horse bridge just after Kinver. Walk over the bridge, up the lane and turn left on the main road and you will come to an excellent old pub called The Manor, formerly Whittington Manor. Good food and a nice pub. Enjoy. If you like a curry try Namaste by the Chandlers, very good.
^^^
What he says, esp. Namaste curry house. -
1 hour ago, MHS said:
We get photographed constantly. It's mainly because of Lily, our large German Shepherd bitch who is very photogenic. I'm happy that she/us have cheered someone up.
Less happy in Gas St basin two weeks ago, when a 40ish lady stood in the rear cockpit while her friend took a photo. They then swapped places, even though Lily went ballistic below decks. They scarpered as I opened the hatch.
Strewth!
You look more frightening than a GSD?
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36 minutes ago, john6767 said:
The Sky card is paired with the box, you can change the pairing online yourself, but I don't know if they restrict how often you can do that, I would suspect that they do.
You can of course use Sky Go on a computer/phone/tablet, it does not get all the channels, but for example it lets me get Sky Sports as they are part of our subscription at home.
I use Sky Go an a tablet, mostly for sports.
It does give your 4G wifi allowance a bit of a battering (a Grand Prix is about 2 gigs worth). -
I have to say that I have found this topic most intriguing. I am far from being a CRT-basher, and, quite frankly, I find some of the constant carping and moaning more than a bit irritating.
The initial seizure of the boat and subsequent events appeared to me to be just another case of a freeloader getting his comeuppance.
However, as things have progressed, I have slowly changed my mind. I've read through Nigel's court paperwork fairly thoroughly, and I have to say that, to my (non-legal) mind, I find many of his arguments to be very persuasive. Those of CRT and their legal advisers less so.
I know that everyday logic sometimes goes out of the window when it comes to application of the law, but I can't see that this will end well for CRT.
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Was reading a book in the back of the boat while moored in central Brum a few years ago. The wife got off to do some shopping, and a few minutes later I felt the boat move.
I looked up front, expecting to find that SWMBO had forgotten her purse or something, but not a bit of it. Several people were busy making themselves comfortable to pose for a photo in my well deck. They legged it quickly when I invited them to vacate the area in short, jerky movements.
SWMBO later told me that she had seen the group standing there looking at the boat. They'd obviously waited until she was out of sight and then hopped onboard. Bloody cheek.
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20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:
A recent thread has reminded me of something I intended to post a week or two ago.
Our Rivers are all at very low levels and film of the headwaters of many of our Rivers has showed them to be totally dry - we have had a little rain in the last few days but insufficient to make much difference.
When cruising the Rivers ALWAYS remember to take the bends at the wide-point, (outside of the bend) never try and cut the corner, that is the shallowest part.
As rivers curve / bend the water on the inside of the bend is slowed down and it has insufficient speed to carry its 'load' of soil particles etc and so it deposits them. The 'outside' of the bend forces the water to go faster so it actually 'scours' the river bed, making the water deeper. This is how ox-bow lakes are formed (remember them from School Geography lessons ?)
Although I know this - I have fallen into the trap - on the Trent at Farndon (near the marina) is a notorious 'corner' - very shallow - but I have managed to get-away with it on a number of occasions. On this particular occasion I didn't. To cut a long story short, I had to get off the boat and physically push it backwards and jumping back on quickly before it floated-off.
If you are not particularly experienced on Rivers (or even just a 'chancer') - DON'T CUT THE CORNERS. Its not worth the aggro.
What a difference a day makes...
it's p*ssing down.
Ever fancied a job as a "rain maker"?18 hours ago, Onewheeler said:It's also often very shallow on the left bank. Stick to the middle lad!
Quite right. Big sandbank on the left near the place where the big Dutch barge is moored.
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1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:
Don't forget that the inverter itself uses energy, so if you have to run it all the time for the fridge to work you need to factor in that consumption.
Does anyone have experience of the wee portable fridges designed to be plugged into a car lighter socket? Obviously no good for a live-aboard, but for occasional recreational use?
I have, and still use it occasionally. If you put some beer in it to cool down while you go sailing, your car battery will be as flat as a witch's t*t by the time you get back.
Don't ask me how I know this... -
I need to replace my cratch and cratch cover.
Seems to me it could be a good idea for the same supplier to do both.
Any recommendations for a company / person who covers the Tewkesbury area?
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Thanks for the input, people. I'll have a think about it.
I've been using a jump lead on occasion, and it works OK, but was thinking of a more convenient method.
Mr. Cuthound, I think I'll pass on your screwdriver method if you don't mind.
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My engine can be a bit of a s*d to start in the winter. I'm thinking of adding a switch so that I can temporarily connect the domestic bank in parallel with the starter battery.
Assuming that I use adequate cable size and a decent isolation switch, does anyone see any problems with this?
(Apart from forgetting to put the switch back and flattening the starter battery, of course!)
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Looks like some new VMs have been installed in the area between Avon Lock and Healings Mill.
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On this day in 1898, the American armoured cruiser "Maine" exploded and sank in Havana Harbour, Cuba.
The Spanish were suspected of planting a mine, and within the year they were at war with the USA.
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Saw a video of a lorry carrying gas canisters having an accident. What followed was quite amazing. Gas bottle flying all over the place and exploding. Carnage.a patrol car reversing at high speed to escape from a canister. It was in America!
Even more spectacular when it's a train...
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"Bismark" was launched on this day in 1939.
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Bag of salt to pour down the chimney for if the stove should ever roar away out of control.
Gas mask for protection from the chlorine gas that can result from the use of salt on a fire...
Split charge diode
in Boat Equipment
Posted · Edited by PaulG
Apologies if this one has been visited before. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything relevant.
I was talking with an electrical engineer the other day about my Kestrel alternator controller that has gone U/S.
(I've disabled it for the moment and I'm considering fitting a Sterling unit in its place.)
In the meantime, he suggested linking out the split charge diode on the domestic side. I'm not sure about this. I can see that it will get rid of the diode drop on the domestic side and improve the charge rate, at the expense of the engine start battery.
Alternator is an A127 with a 13.8V regulator, charging 1 x 110AH AGM start battery and 2 x 110AH AGM domestics.
Comments appreciated...