Jen-in-Wellies

You can get to Liverpool no problem and the Rufford Branch (official 62' limit), which give access to the Lancaster canal. What about the Leeds and Liverpool from Wigan to Leeds? Officially this is 60', but is there enough wriggle wrong to get a 62' boat through the locks diagonally? That would give you a cross Pennine loop. Would the volunteer lockies on the staircases give you grief for trying? Jen

I remember you saying you had done it in a longer boat, but couldn't remember the length. I only stated what I had seen, which matches the original posters boat.

The limiting factor for reaching the Yorkshire waterways via the Trent is Thorne lock. Officially this is 60', but I have seen a 62' narrowboat do it diagonally and longer ones still have done it. This saves going round Trent Falls, which is a bit hard core for ditch crawlers, though it is done. From there you have access to canals set up for very large boats indeed. Certainly as far as Leeds, Wakefield and Rotherham and most of the way to Ripon. You can reach Huddersfield via the narrow canal from Manchester area, but will have to return the same way because of the Hiuddersfield broad. Jen

Definitely not the Tinsley Flight up to Sheffield. The lock keepers won't let boats over 60' attempt it. Definitely not the Calder &Hebble and the Huddersfield Broad. 57'6" officially, but possible with a 60' done diagonally. I travelled with a 60' boat once on the C&H and the Saltherhebble locks had to be negotiated backwards to descend and the bottom gates only just cleared the boat. 62' would not get through. Jen

If that doesn't work try disconnecting the positive lead between the charger and the batteries. The electrons go down the negative lead to the batteries, but then they are taken away by the positive lead. Disconnecting the positive lead will give a net charge to the batteries. The wiring diagrams supplied with most chaegers are completely wrong.

Raise the battery charger higher above the batteries. The extra umph of the electrons running downhill to the batteries should get them charging properly.

Either the battery charger is broken, or the inverter isn't producing a clean enough sine wave for it. Jen

When I did this displacement calculation I took the length of the pointy bits at each end and divided those volumes by two and added the volume of the full width middle bit. Reckoned these could be approximated as triangles in area. Otherwise as you describe Ignored the counter as this is only in the water a couple of inches. Came to around 16 ton if I remember correctly. The crane driver said it was 12.5 ton when it went in the water as a sailaway with full water and fuel tanks, so about 3.5 ton of fitout inside. Jen

We might be going round and round, but do we having any effect?

Just to add. The maximum diameter of a straight flue pipe like yours will depend on the angle at which it goes through the roof collar. The greater the angle, the smaller the pipe that will fit without hitting the sides at top and bottom. Something to check on the existing pipe once the sealant is removed. This is the reason for many NB flues having welded bends as it allows a larger diameter pipe to fit through the collar. If it is touching, or very close, then the sealant can't fit and it is a route for tar and gunk to get through. The roof is at an angle and the collar tube is at an angle to the baseplate as well. The flue will also probably be at an angle from the stove and all these angles are likely different, so looking to see what the gaps are at the collar is the only way to check if a bigger, or smaller pipe is needed. Changing flue pipe diameter also affects the draw of the fire, so be careful making a change. If you do want to use a larger diameter pipe then it may well need one, or two bends put in. Bends welded in will preclude enameled pipe, which is why you don't often see it used on NB's compared with plain steel with blacking. Jen

Midland Swindlers will sell you a suitable length of plain steel pipe. Can be cut to length with a jig saw, or angry grinder with a cutting disk. Fluegas is quite acidic and well corrode its way through the flue eventually. You may get away with just digging out the old sealant between the collar and flue at the top and resealing. Most likely this is the path that the rusty gunk is taking via the sealant. Check the end of the pipe at the collar with the sealant removed. That is where mine was corroded away when I had to replace mine. High temperature silicone for the roof collar, fire cement for the collar on the stove. You need the flex that the silicone gives at one end. Jen

I assume that it is controlling the loss of water from the Llangollen. Is the canal still used as basically an open toped pipe for the reservoir at Hurleston? If so there may be restrictions on how much water can be let down to the Monty section that CaRT have to stick to. Went there in 2015, but couldn't get beyond the Queen's Head due to a stoppage on one of the locks beyond. Must go back Jen

It would be a bit retro 70's as a look. Have bought cork tiles at various times to make pin boards and such like. Unsealed tiles do smell quite strongly and are soft and susceptible to damage. The sealed ones for flooring don't smell and are more resistant to knocks. Could make the interior a bit dark and gloomy Jen

Update from CaRT just now. The pumps are fixed and the flight can be navigated. Depends on water levels in the Don. Jen

Well you are downstream of the Rotherham United ground. Just by the river on the way to Icles lock. Maybe that is where they are coming from. It must be frustrating. I was once stuck at Eastwood Lock for a week while the river was in flood. Usually the Don tends to rise quickly and fall quickly. The last few weeks there seems to have been one spell of wet weather after another, plus the pumps going phut. Jen

But I was always told that using household twin core and earth cable on a boat would mean failing the boat safety scheme! Shouldn't you be using multi-strand, rather than single core wire under the blocks?! Jen

Northern Rail's trains are pretty old, but they have got some improved ones on order:

This could be an excellent backup heating solution for a cruiser. A car style heater matrix with fan will be very compact compared with finrads and can chuck out a huge amount of heat with the fan on full. You can also duct air to where it is needed. They are designed for car cabins, so not dissimilarly sized and poorly insulated spaces. For summer, a diverter valve could prevent hot water going through the matrix, bypassing it, but that may not even be required. With the fan off, then little heat will go in to the cabin. The electric fan will use some current that would otherwise go to battery charging, but not much. There are various ones you can buy new, or a trip to your nearest car breakers would get you one very cheaply. Jen

I've been concerned about the same thing. Used to not clean the glass for weeks on end till the stove was let go out. This winter I clean it most days and have not had it crack yet. I wait till the stove is relatively cool. First thing in the morning when it has been banked up over night and before the first shovel full of the day goes on is a good time. I use hot water from the tap on an old pan scourer to reduce the temperature differential a bit too. Can't remember how many winters the current glass has done, but it is quiet a few. I have a spare glass and seal ready to go in when required. Jen

<pedant_mode>A thermoset still has a glass transition temperature. It is a temperature at which there is a change in the way a variety of temperature dependent material properties vary with temperature. For example, the temperature coefficient of expansion will be higher above the Tg than below. It will still do this even with the cross linking. </pedant_mode> Jen, who has had to measure the Tg of thermoset polymers on occasion!

Celotex is the trade name of the manufacturer. They make all sorts of panels, including the interior insulation panels that we are talking about for insulating the inside of a boat. Need to describe the exact type when comparing insulations. They also make exterior panels of various types from the cheapo ones for poor peoples homes through to the more expensive fire proof ones that will no doubt be used on the outside of the Buckingham Palace and Palace of Westminster upgrades. Jen Indeed. As long as it ignites in a similar way, or slower than wood, then that is good enough.

My boats ropes are washed about once a year. They go in the twin tub. This sits on a shelf above the bath tub and drains in to the bath. The whale gulper then sends it overboard. The water comes out of the rope black! Lock slime, goose droppings and who knows what else! I am used to caring for caving and climbing ropes, where lives depend on them so have no problem with the idea of cleaning and looking after my boat ropes. I have a set of ropes for my usual mooring site made from old caving rope and just use the boat ropes for cruising. Grit gets in to the rope and cuts fibres, reducing their strength over time. It is rough on your hands too. Jen

A 13Kg bottle seems to last 3 to 4 months for one, or two people on board and cooking every day on gas from what I and my boating neighbours have found. This includes oven use as well as rings. Going for a smaller 6Kg bottle to fit the available space might still only mean changing bottles every six weeks or so. No huge problem I'd have thought. You are aware of the boat safety scheme requirements for gas bottle lockers to be gas tight up to near the top and draining any escaping gas overboard? Jen

I used to use car exhaust clamps to hold an aluminium pole back when I had television on board. You need access from the inside of the boat to tighten them up though and I am sure there are better ways. If it is by the back door and you use this as the normal way in and out when moored, then make sure that you have a long enough pole that you don't hit your head on the aerial. Guess how I found that out! Jen