bluegreencanal

Hi Allan, I have just spent a half hour browsing this amazing blog and will look forward to having a longer browse. It is so interesting and particularly caught my eye as two very dear friends live at Torksey Lock. Have a good Christmas both of you, Sue

Oxglow and Stoveglow seem to be gettin a good press here. I have been using supertherm for three years. I liked it because it burned up leaving no unburnt coal. It does seem to make a lot of ash tho, so that in 24 hours the ash pan would probably be full (unless I can achieve this slow burning suggested by turning the vent more). Those of you keeping the fire in for up to 48 hours, how high do you make the fire...if I put a small bucket of coal on my fire (morso squirrel cleaneasy I think) it tends to burn very hot and if I close it down halfway it will still go out over about 12 hours. The coal gets all surrounded by ash and the pan fills up. I did read when we first moved aboard that you had to be careful not to superheat the stove as they can glow and cause fires...but I assume this is only caused by leaving it to draw to much... do Oxglow and Stove glow make less ash or is it the slow burning technique?? Much appreciated input everyone. Ta very muchly.

I have noticed when I am at work and the fire goes out, if it is freezing outside it is getting pretty cold indoors...sometimes 6 degrees. I know other people will experience colder. My back cabin has gone to zero in the very cold times we had last winter. What are the pro's and con's for keeping the fire burning. Is it really going to help keep cupboards aired (mine never get much above fridge temperature anyway) and the back cabin from freezing (furthest point from the fire). With central heating, it still takes a couple of hours to make the boat habitable again so I wear my ski trousers indoors sometimes and although I have tried to use the central heating the same as I ever did and keep the fire going I dont really manage to anymore. My diesel costs have gone down somewhere between 10 and 20% I would love to hear other peoples' experiences and opinions.

nice one always in favour of fuel efficiency! I have often made a double fire like this with coal in the middle and will try the upside down version now

I have a three blade ecofan, we bought it after only a few weeks into our first winter, I have never regretted it and never would I be without one - my boat is 70 ft and it makes hot air go as far as the bedroom now oh that is about 35ft and it is a narrowboat. I always try to remember to put it on the floor when cruising tho as they are expensive.

How common is this occurrence? I have never heard anyone else on this forum mention it in three years and now it makes me feel nervous...

that sounds cheap, I pay 10 for supertherm... HOW DOES THE HOT AIR THINGY WORK??? I have a tube down to the back cabin but hot air never gets along it...it is my corridor!!! I would love to be able to get the heat past half way (lovely eco fan gets it just about to the middle) In the winter if my central heating fails I have a risk of freezing in the back cabin...

ha ha very good!

I feel like a real coward as I wont do rivers...now I definitely wont :-(

Love your wc fields quote!

How d'ya know it is me??? Do tell in a PM

Hi There! How nice to be looked out for! Yes I moved about 6 boat lengths due to mooring difficulties and I think they are having trouble finding me just now!!! Shhhh

Impossible to tell as so many go past in the park... I really love the ideas proferred...does moorhen taste any good?? And would love a cat, but not fair on cat, Plastic owl...cool gun (bow and arrow??)

THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A SILLY TOPIC, BUT THERE IS A SERIOUS NOTE HERE. My paintwork has been redone at huge expense and twice this year I have had gouging scratch marks from dog claws presumably chasing birds roosting on the boat. I want to keep the boat as nice as possible to be able to resell it when I am forced to move to land by increasing age and infirmity. In the summer it got too hot and they (the birds)cleared out, but are moving in again as it gets colder at night and my boat is warmer than the surroundings. Also I have to wash the poop off as it damages paintwork. I figured I could keep dogs away if I could keep the birds away... I made a brilliant crow scarer last year from a piece of string with tin foil pennants and a bungee with the end dangling over my bed. When the crows became noisy at 5am a quick pull on the string frightened them away. It was great until it rained and the rain came down the string!!

Yes they do look competitive but I can only see them in London. The nearest mail boxes etc to me is Banbury and at 30 miles that is too far away. London is 40 miles.

Yes, I am in the same boat (not literally) and have just received the bill for £170 for my renewal. Not happy and in the process of making a big complaint...not expecting too get anywhere much tho as the only competitor to a PO Box I know of is MBE (mail boxes etc) and they charge over £300 a year. I would change to a friends house too, if it were not for the fact that my driving licence, my car insurance and many of my direct debits are linked to my po box. It jwould cost me more to change everything at a very difficult time. After a month's notice in writing to stop my PO Box for my late partner, they managed to close mine for a month too. Not only is the service more expensive, it is going downhill. I narrowly escaped missing a job interview and lost my boat licence for 4 months in the post...groan gripe chiz. Not a happy girl. This sounds very kind and friendly, is it a friendly arrnagement or is it reproducable elsewhere?

Sorry, I was just blowing off steam.I am a really peaceful, spiritual soul and was just a bit frustrated by the learning curve of doing most of my maintenance alone now. Today I finally had a cruise without problems at last reaped the benefits of all the hard work and maintenance. Hm, Zen I did read some years ago. Thank you very much David.

Yes I meant the roses.

Could anyone send me a picture of a buzzer so I know what it looks like and can fix/replace it? I am still looking for my sense of humour... ...absolutely thrilled to have found a topic to cause such mayhem tho!

Living on a canal boat is seriously hard work (which I knew then)so must I now be so terrified I cant even move the boat without stranding my guests or do I have to spend the rest of my life with oily hands or my head stuck in a manual and not enjoying the kingfishers etc WHEN AM I GOING TO REAP SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF LIVING ON A CANAL BOAT Thank you all for the helpful words I am off to look for my sense of humour, it is wandering around on the tow path somewhere staring into space and talking to itself...

yes...

These are beautiful.

I have just been out to buy a new voltmeter for my 24v monitoring, but it just occurred to me I havent heard the beeper go when you turn the on switch lately. Must I have a beeper? Just to clarify, this is the beeper that indicates you have turned the engine on, and goes off when the engine runs. thank you