Grace and Favour

Oh - - what a disarmingly thick-skinned 'erbert is Alistair.

There's already a thread on here - (Linky) We have but a solid fuel stove - (although the flue has a proper kink in it) I use two stainless steel scourers, weighted with a Kg of chain, and tied to the end of 2m of thin line. Drop it into the flue and drop down/pull up a few times - - works a treat

ridiculously expensive

No need to worry - there are far far more dogs on boats than cats . . . Which is maybe why we see so few Postmen on the cut?

If I had an old, well worn diesel powered car worth £200 I might risk using recycled bio-fuel. There is no way I'd put it into my boat engine, which will cost considerably more (in time, inconvenience and finance) to replace.

Ah ! - - this even happens to coincide with the Midland Chandlers Freaky Friday I suspect (4th October?)

My better half always spends 10 minutes per day clearing webs & spiders from the outside of the boat - she reckons that it reduces the number of arachnids that visit us inside the boat - - (I'm not so sure! - there are still a few every day - though I have to say that they don't 'bother' me as long as I'm not expected to share my wine with them.

Only if your boat has a particularly narrow companionway

You'll need to change your oil every 200 hours or so (depending upon the engine) That will entail oil & oil filter. Change your fuel filter every 750 or so hours. I change my alternator belts every 750 hours too

Oh yes

Maybe a previous owner of your boat had stored a box of 2" holes in the bow, and when moving them, hadn't noticed that one of the holes had escaped?

I suspect that those professions that charge a call-out fee are able to do so because they offer a service or experience / qualifications that the customer requires. A minimum wage employee may not be offering the same level of exclusivity

That's a great deal cheaper than most householders would have to pay as a call-out fee for their local plumber, sparky, locksmith etc

That's shameful! And that's a professional who's business relies upon the canals to stay in good working order.

I simply keep my old oil for (a (very) few days until I pass a boatyard/garage workshop (within walking distance) and ask nicely if they'd accept my old oil/antifreeze . . . I've never been refused yet.

My advice is: By all means offer a refundable deposit, but make your purchase subject to survey. Get it surveyed by a reputable surveyor before you give a final "yes"! (Ask on here for the name(s) of surveyors if you need - and state the town where the boat's moored - - you'll also need to arrange with a boatyard where it will be lifted out for the survey) And, when all is happy - - negotiate the price, very very few boats sell for the asking price - particularly coming up to winter

If you can borrow a jet wash cleaner, that'll clean off most of the crud on it's own. (without needing to use any chemicals)

I suggest the best form of adhesion would be something such as sikaflex/marineflex, (although epoxy adhesives would work too. However, I wonder if the combination of steel and aluminium would create corrosion of the aluminium sheets (aluminium tends to oxidise very easily) Have you considered using thin sheet stainless instead?

What Alan de Enfield said

I use straightforward 40 or 45% Phosphoric acid solution, (bought on a well known auction site!) It works as thoroughly as any branded preparation, dries within the hour, and I then commence with my chosen paint system. Not let me down yet. Edited to add: It's also the active ingredient in a leading brand of toilet "descaler", so I use it there too.

I use the (free) dishpointer.com site/ Available as an app for your phone, though I use the free on my laptop. 'Tis rather good.

We've a double skinned chimney, and packed the cavity with rockwool - - and I believe it keeps the gases warmer and the draw is therefore better. With regard to the bottom section of the liner - it's important that it fits snugly inside the cast iron collar on your roof, thus avoiding tar deposits going to your paintwork. Our chimney is one Chris Smith made in stainless steel, and is now nearly 4 years old and in excellent condition. (If you don't like stainless - one can always paint it black!). - I'll never use a chandlery bought mild steel one again!

Foxy - - if you're going down the Trent, please, please, ensure that your boat is equipped with a suitable anchor & chain & rope, you really really should wear a working lifejacket (not just a buoyancy aid), and either you, or the person(s) travelling with you, should be able to use, and equipped with a VHF radio. You should also be certain (presumably from the seller of your boat), that there is more than sufficient fuel aboard, that there is no diesel bug in the tank, and that a mechanical inspection of the craft suggests that it is fit to travel on a tidal river. You must get copies of the Sissons Charts for the Trent - - with currently lowish water levels you run the risk of running in to shallows if you don't know the correct channel to steer. (You also need to book passage through Keadby lock 24 hours in advance - Cromwell Lockie will help you do that) If this is your first journey on a narrowboat - please ensure that you are with an experienced boater on the Trent. It is not to be trifled with.

What is the rating of your alternator, (how many Amps output), and how long are you running the engine to charge the batteries when they suffer from "little charge will build and hold in the three 110a domestic batteries"? It may be a faulty alternator, )one of a number of faults) Or your Alternator belt may be too slack Or there may simply be too little charge being created (too short a charging time)

Or one can still purchase a new Francis Marine unit, of course: Suez Canal Approved searchlights are required for safe and legal navigation through the canal. Manufactured from aluminium for weight reduction, these units utilise a split mirror design and offer a twin lamp configuration with changeover facility. With two models in the range, a 380mm (15") metal halide version and a 710mm (28") 3kw version, there is a product to meet your requirements.