Jen-in-Wellies

Have you looked at Boatman Stoves at all? Inexpensive compared with a new squirrel and in some ways a better design. A couple of boating neighbours have had them. It is one I'd seriously consider. http://boatmanstove.co.uk/boatman-stove-new-colour-range Jen

It looks like the support for the front guard grid that stops the coals touching the door and glass and falling out when the door is open. They are fragile. One of them on mine is broken too. The front guard grid thing also appears to be missing. This slides on to the supports so it can be removed for cleaning ash out. Ask about this guard, or you'll need to buy another as it is important for safety. It should be possible to fabricate a new support for the guard if you are handy. Just noticed something much more important. There appear to be two pieces missing near the top of the f

When I bought my Squirrel, around 14 years ago, I got the non-back boiler one, then added their back boiler. There were no blanking plates for the pipes to go through. Instead there were divots in the casting showing where the pipes were to go. These were drilled out with a hole saw to take the pipes. The thin convection plates on the back also had to be drilled. The rear fire brick and deflector plate were removed and the back boiler eased in to place, which was tricky, but doable. Back nuts on the pipes sealed the holes. Then the convection plates were refitted and the plumbing connections m

On the inside, or the outside of the stove?

Possibly. Depends on the stove it is going in. On a Morso Squirrel, the backboiler replaces a firebrick and a cast iron flue gas deflector. The fire bricks on the inside of the stove protect the cast iron, or steel plate from getting overheated and distorting from the burning coals. The water inside a back boiler have a similar effect as the heat carried away by circulation prevents the metal from overheating. You might fit this on the inside of the stove, then get the input and output pipes connected to the outside of the stove with bulkhead fittings. That is how I'd do it. It may be possible

Another option would be to get a small, 20W or so solar panel and connect it to the engine battery. No need for a charge controller with such a small panel. Will keep the starter batt trickle charged in the weak winter sunshine. A two output battery charger, or a second small mains trickle charger for the start batt would also do the trick, if you are on a shore lead much of the time. Have had to do the jump leads from the house to engine battery thing once to get going after the engine battery died. Is there anything connected to the engine battery all the time per chance, excluding

Hopefully it will get sorted soon. That area tends to silt up, as I discovered. The EA have a sluice adjacent to the lock and run down a lot of water during the winter. The backwater to the bottom of the lock ends up with a lot of silt dropping out of suspension. My boat stuck on the bottom lock mud bank in 2013. I've removed a lot of heavy stuff, emptied the water tank and set up a 3:1 hauling Z-rig to try and pull the boat off the mud. All to on avail! Eventually freed by a combination of hauling, reverse prop and water run down from the top. Jen

As is usual with these things, a lot of hard work by the volunteers at the trust persuading various organisations to chip in. http://www.sleafordnavigation.co.uk/history/restoration/destination-south-kyme/ for example.

Really long term, the dust would increase engine wear, but otherwise no. Unless it was unlucky enough to eat a loose washer, or rock. What @Sir Nibble said above^^^^^.

As far as I can make out, there isn't one. The EA control water levels, but have no interest in navigation. The Sleaford Navigation Trust don't mention any requirements. You can only get there via the CaRT controlled Witham.

Went there in 2013. The silting at the winding holes and by the lock at the time made it real adventure boating, including a six mile reverse, followed by getting stuck on a mud bank overnight till some nice weed bashing contractors let down water to get the boat off! Now these problems have been fixed, then it is well worth a visit. As others have said, the locals in South Kyme are a friendly bunch. After the first lock raises you to the dizzying heights, you actually get a view of the countryside, rather than just of flood protection banks. OK, the view is of Lincolnshire flat land, but a v