Bob Chamberlain

I just read that as 'ballistic' - thought it would be a b it odd to have reactive explosive paint on a narrowboat!

I'm sure your deposit will brush off once it's dried......

Yes - pop rivets. You need to use 'blind' ones if you drill those out and replace them. Blind rivets are sealed at the end, ordinary pop rivets have a hole all the way through so could allow water to seep through over time. Alternatively you could drill those out and tap the holes to use small machine screws or similar.

Haven Knox-Johnston Really good to deal with

I thought I'd read decent reports (mostly from caravaners) on the ones that Aldi sell? The usual sound quality issues but that's no different to most cheap telly's etc.

Having worked in the university sector the majority of my life I can assure you that academics are often educated beyond their intelligence! My esteemed professor of surgery told me that in the mid nineteen eighties and he's dead right!

Could it be replaced with laminated glass? They can but that straight away to your pattern - I don't know if it is a requirement for the gas to be toughened rather than laminated but thought I'd just mention it anyway.

Before the days of diesel already having additives we used to put paraffin (kerosene) in the tank with the diesel to stop it 'freezing'.

Smashing! Thanks for the quick reply!

This will be my first winter with my boat so please forgive the following somewhat stupid question! Do you empty the water tank just by turning the taps on and pumping it all into the cut? I filled the tank in the summer and have not used very much at all - maybe as much as five gallons that's all. I was just thinking that running the pump for a long time might damage it or something. Thanks!

I have a new scaffold board that I thought would make a decent gang plank and would be grateful for any thoughts on length and what best to treat it with to weatherproof it. I wondered about fixing thin strips of hardwood across it rather than a dead smooth surface? What do people think please?

Yes it says ten but it's all sorted now anyway. Yes he does need the underwater profile because he does have real wet water in his layout. He has a 'dock' area that he wants to put a narrowboat into - not sure yet if he will actually motorise it or not...It's quite a large live steam layout in the garden.

Stainless steel and aluminium can have a weird reaction together believe it or not! That's why not a good idea on old Land-Rovers (I know Birmabright is a 'special' aluminium alloy) but you might be better with brass screws into the ally for doing term stuff?

I used to moor it at Redhill but am pretty sure it left there a long time ago. Nevertheless I might take a look when I'm up that way. Thanks.