Jen-in-Wellies

Panels are rated under standardised conditions of solar radiation, temperature etc. The standardisation means that comparing panels from different manufacturers is possible, but the conditions used are unrealistic for the UK, or indeed almost any where on this planet. Radiation is closer to what you'd find on a sunny day near the equator, but the panels are also held at a temperature much lower than they would realistically get out in strong sunshine.

You could have cycled the Brompton there and back. There are always alternatives. 😀 Jen, a former Brompton owner, who wouldn't have done it either!

Hungry and vengeful squirrels shave all the fur off their tails and turn in to rats.

Afraid I can't do the plummy accent, umms, arrhs and classical quotes, but here are some money saving tips from some one in receipt of an income from the government and an acknowledged expert in spending very little of his own cash on a luxury life style. This could make an informative and useful spot on the TV show. Worth the OP asking if he wants to take part? I'm no stranger to being a bit short of the readies at times. Here are my tips for you, the great unwashed, channel 5 watching, lower orders. If you are in a spot of financial bother from assorted divorce and child maintenance expenses, then try and get a government income that includes the use of two homes. One in a prestigious Westminster neighbourhood, the other a country pad in the Chilterns. With fuel and fare prices sky rocketing, getting around can be a huge expense. Instead of using buses, trains and cars, get your chauffeur to drive you to the airport and take a private aeroplane to your destination. Not a penny for you to pay! Clothing can also be expensive. The same suit, worn day in, day out will save dry cleaning costs. Sleep in it too and pyjamas aren't needed either. Accessorise with a hi-vis jacket and hard hat from whatever work place you are visiting for a photo op that day. Any company up in the grim North will be happy to give you these and not expect you to do any hard work in exchange. Barbers cost a fortune, so when the mane is getting a bit shaggy, attack it randomly with the garden shears. Need a well earned holiday, but can't afford even the cheapest package? A billionaire chum will happily give you the run of his private island in the Caribbean. Just ask! Can't afford to replace the ghastly decorations and furnishing left by the previous occupant in one of your free homes? An old couple with appalling middle class John Lewis tastes. The girlfriend wants some expensive wall paper and furniture and the miserly £30,000 grant just won't stretch that far? Simply ask a party donor to pay the balance. A side hustle writing Daily Telegraph columns can bring in a few extra quid to tide you over. Get an advance for a book about Churchill. No need to actually write the book. Worth a try, though you may not succeed. Get the current bit on the side, or spouse a government income too. I've found this a bit tough to arrange so far, though there is an "Ethics Advisor" post on the jobs board at work that I reckon she will be a shoe in for. Damned if I know what "Ethics" are, but I vaguely remember from my Eton and Oxford days it comes from the Greek ἠθικός. One of those new management fads no doubt.

Similarly, the Epever stuff, which Bimble sell seem to be good. Cheaper than Victron/Mastervolt, but with UK support and consumer protection and a low quiescent current (<1A). I fitted a 1500W one for a friend recently and would be happy with one on my own boat. Jen

At least cauliflower water doesn't smell as bad as cabbage water. 😀

No drilling involved. It would just sit in the cup.

The biggest problem with the boat in the top picture is that some one has cut a great big hole in it below where the water line will be. 😀

I've seen others use this modification and it works. Another mod would be to drill divots in the tiller to take the thumb screws, which would again stop it rotating.

Nice picture. Do we get a clue where it is?

Ingenious idea. I'd worry about the forces that a whirligig drier would put on armco piling. Especially loaded up with sheets on a windy day. That's a lot of twisting force being applied to some steel that doesn't feel like it was designed for those sorts of forces and directions. Could end up bending the steel, which won't make the navigation people happy, or you if your laundry ends up on a muddy tow path, or in the cut. Another useful type of clamp for poles are car exhaust clamps. I've used these in the past to attach TV aerials and for a heavy solar panel holder to the boat. Available to suit many sizes of pipe, or pole.

The first 95% of the work in fitting out a narrowboat takes 95% of the time. The last 5% of the work takes the other 95% of the time. At 70%, there is still a lot to do. I fitted out a narrowboat, so I know. Work out how much money it will take to do the last 30% and double it. If that still seems like a reasonable amount, then double it again. If you are intending to use this boat as a live aboard, then plan to do as much work as you can before moving on. Once on board, moving stuff from one place to another and back when working will take most of your working time. This is a common way of getting a compliant gas locker and works and is safe. The owner has more maintenance work to do keeping the inside of the locker painted and rust free, but that is it. A rusted through gas locker floor is a BSS fail for obvious reasons. Jen

Unless you are using a proper map, then Antarctica is up. By Poulpy, from a work by jimht at shaw dot ca, modified by Rodrigocd - self-made, from Image:Earthmap1000x500compac.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3692020 It will be fun watching the billionaire kleptocrats leaving on their rockets for Mars when they are through though. In this map, heaven is up. By Unknown author - unesco.org.uk, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41201813

Making burrows for water voles.

Does the rudder tube actually go through one of the tanks? If so, this is a weak point in a lot of boats. The steel wall of the tube is generally less thick than the uxter plate and side walls that make up the other sides of the tank that are in the water. In addition, it doesn't get blacked, as it is largely occupied by the tiller. A perfect place for corrosion around the water line.

The machete would have been for clearing long grass when mooring by the tow path, given the new light touch mowing policy.

A cat on board will eat the long grass, then throw up in the boat. Guess how I know that!

The old style 2p's were a copper based alloy and so ideal. The newer ones are an iron based alloy and not so suitable. See if your 2p can't be picked up by a magnet to find a copper alloy one. All the current tails design ones are iron based. Only the older Welsh fleur de lys ones are copper. Newer ones are iron.

That is an actual proper bearing, rather than the crude cup that most narrowboat rudder pivots rest in. Should be relatively easy to replace. Undo, or crop the two bolts holding it on and take the old one to your friendly local bearing merchant for a replacement. If it is the right sort of bearing, one designed for a constant end thrust, while continuously immersed in a water like substance, I don't know. As it survived many years without trouble till it got an external insult, it suggests the bearing design is fine. There are a lot of different sorts of 2 bolt bearings. First result from a search.

Length of the run also makes a difference. Longer pipe runs need bigger bore pipe to get the same flow rate, so how far is the appliance from the bottle?

Learn some more Flambé recipes for your repertoire.

Oh dear. My Nicholson's that have been used for boating in the rain have that distressed pirate treasure map look, so that is a plus I reckon. At the Cape of Good Hope, take 32 paces NNW of the down stream offside ground paddle gear of lock 25 of the Grand Union and start digging.