Silent Flight

Thanks considering going chrome, spiders are not bugs though!

Update for anyone interested… Tackled the chimney leak by taking the flue and cast collar out completely. Then getting multiple layers of mushed up cracked cement and crappy sealant off, packed under the collar/roof over years of botching by previous owners. Wire brushed both back to shiny metal. Few layers of red oxide and grey primer. Reseated it by and the fixings and using some very squidgy grey putty type stuff, that came on roll I picked up talking to a boat building yard came across on my travels that they use in same scenario. Can’t remember what it was called. Then around that a bit of silicone fireproof sealant. Lastly around the edge of the collar a load of sikaflex. Waiting a week to apply paint. Inside used fireproof rope near the roof and fireproof cement around the top off the stove joining the flue. Also took the opportunity to spin my stove 90 degrees so I can see the flickering flames in my new saloon refit. Gaming plus flames are helping on the windy rainy nights! Mulling over the mushroom vents, I’m tempted by replacing them as most are cross threaded on a jaunty angle and would like to place 12v fans and decent mesh for stopping bugs at the same time. Thinking chrome instead of brass. But I was wondering if there are any benefits of having chrome instead? Would they tarnish far less?? Can’t find much info about it. Would like to join the shiny boat brigade without having to polish my boat all the time😅 Also came across this article and found it interesting, has anyone done anything similar to narrowboats? https://www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/resealing-mushroom-vents-boat-watertight-69796 Seems logical and IMO looks neat! Opinions welcome 🙏

Love that, literally have some pipe insulation knocking around will give it a whirl! Nice one

Thankyou I’m still really happy with it. I would recommend Titan, think they would advise you to not keep existing folding front and back windows. Will pm you ballpark. My boat had steel framed folding windows front and back and lots of naff Perspex and wood on the sides with a canvas top and couple of old rusty ratchet straps off a wagon😂. Went to the office twice and spent a few hours with the designer, and it was evident that would be more complicated with the weight which would make it more expensive to keep existing structures. It also gave much more flexibility to create some different options for style, function etc. Intially I was taking all the window panels off, for cruising but now I tend to zip the side panels off and fold down the back with the panel in which folds and sits on my back cupboard/tank nicely. Then the front folds down onto a wooden platform I knocked up, with a soft towel to protect the strata glass( higher clarity ) still zipped in.

Thanks for the advice, but you’re wrong it won’t ‘end in tears’. He has a copy of the battery primer and many other just as helpful articles available online. I cannot do it for him, no. But I can and will continue to support my pals transition to the waterways. I will be monitoring his battery usage through the VRM portal initially until I’m confident that he is using them correctly. Appreciate the insight I’m looking to get some AGM myself next year now, seem like a great balance of cost/performance currently available! Recommended the same inverter/charger as before a new 12/3000/120. Cerbo GX S because it’s cheaper and he doesn’t need tank readings. Lead carbon battery’s as more cycles and has the budget for it after finding some good ‘bundle’ type deals online. Victron shunt and battery monitor also. The MPPT and panel/s will be the last thing as still figuring out the best place for easy install, performance, access to clean and least likely to get damaged etc. Still toying with amount and capacity of lead carbon battery’s. Any suggestions would be appreciated to suit the setup mentioned above. He has a single alternator, but will mainly have access to shore power.

Yeah ‘my friend’ has asked about getting the inverter/charger repaired. Reading into it for him, often it gets shipped back to Holland which becomes expensive and then makes more financial sense to find a replacement with a 5 year warranty. I’ve found a couple of places that are Victron dealers. However he’s been told already before and after the survey it’s an issue on the boat, so it seems like flogging a dead horse. I’m just trying to figure something out for an old pal, who wants to spend his days outside of four walls but has to have power for a certain level of care and comfort. He has a good budget to upgrade everything. I was hoping for an easy answer but that’s boats I guess. My mistake that I showed him the Victron EasySolar as it does seem like a step in the right direction, but the numbers don’t add up. Shame they haven’t made that unit in 12v!

Pretty sure that’s why he wanted it digital on the phone, so he can check the battery’s anytime from his pocket. Not used one myself but imagine if on the Victron app there would be notifications if went past a certian volt and then can act accordingly. And he favoured the closed battery’s like the glass mat/gel as topping up cells isn’t possible for him. Also the longer life doesn’t seem like a bad thing

So I guess I will have to recommend to him replace with the same multi 12/3000/120 unit, as can’t see any benefit of a multi plus 2. Or see anything with those specs as an all in one unit. And then add a mppt and Cerbo GX. Then advise to get the biggest/best battery’s you want to shell out for? Cant find any alternatives to Victron or any other options in this specific situation Okay thanks will let him know the dials are a option too then

@Tony BrooksHe wants the displays on his phone, as he has mobility problems so wouldn’t be able to go down into the battery bank and check each one

I agree, he will be on shore power for 5 days a week and hopefully cruising for the weekends in the better months of the year. Saying power on demand was probably bit OTT from me, but he does want to upgrade it and to be to smart. Doesn’t want generators but can see that would give power on demand

From the original post, pretty sure his intended style of boating would make sure the battery’s would be discharged/recharged fine I see yeah that would be enough to put him off. The Victron unit I posted seemed spot on but doesn’t come in a 12/3000 option. Does come in a 12/1600 but he won’t want to be going down in power size inverter. And he won’t want to change loads of other things to go 24V! Shame as thought I’d found the answer got him This is true, he didn’t want to go lithium still too expensive. There is the gel option also? He will be charging/discharging to look after correctly and wanted the smart option to make sure he is doing this right Forgotten, let’s say he will be using some of these things aswell. He basically wants power on demand but is aware of discharge and overload etc

https://www.bmstechnologies.co.uk/product/victron-energy-easysolar-ii-gx-24-3000-70-32-cep242307010/ Basically after something like this, and set it up to use AGM battery’s which can handle more discharge. Only thing is this unit is 24/3000 where it was 12/3000 previously. Would that mean changing cables and a load of products? Isn’t a lot of products 12/24v anyways? Presumably it all is 12v, as that was a 12v inverter/charger there before. He doesn’t want to have to add loads of extra stuff. Ideally pull out the old unit, and get an electrician to install a new smarter unit capable of monitoring battery’s to look after them. That also can hook up a panel or two Okay so staying at 3000, doesn’t want to change lots of cables Yeah he was going to increase the battery size, and wanted to use the AGM glass mat style He has been told the full details when getting the boat and during the survey etc. I’m not sure just took his word for it they are getting removed and need replacing

Yes it’s faulty and batteries, but knew that when planning the refit. Wants a new setup better than before kinda thing. Has Victron digital multi control but I’m unsure if can make it work to monitor from phone. Don’t think has shunt and battery monitor. The Cerbo being nice to have, is basically ticking boxes. After a setup that is capable of giving lots of power for all the mod cons and easy to monitor to look after it. Might help anyone willing to give some advice, can I clarify that the knackered inverter would okay to switch to a much more powerful unit without changing a lot of cables throughout the boat? Also is Victron the best way to go?

Happy Easter boaties, have read a few posts but haven’t seen anything specific to this. So helping a friend planning a new install. He is refitting inverter and batteries. Currently a Victron 12/3000/120 multi and 5 wet lead leisure batteries 110ah. Hoping he can up the potential power and storage without changing loads and hopefully hook up a solar panel at the same time. So advice and any links for the following would be great! Ideally the inverter will be another Victron that is compatible with 5 AGM style batteries. With capability to run a solar panel (415w) without buying another unit. And is accessible by phone(Cerbo, GX?) He will be using the standard 12/24v as much as possible for fridge etc. But still needs 230v for things like TV, Sound bar, sound system, Gaming consoles, Hifi. Usage of power would be short weekend trips and a couple of bigger journeys, but mainly on shore power in a marina. He is aware of overload and discharging batteries. Doesn’t want to go lithium and doesn’t want to change all the wiring etc, in an ideal world! Thanks!

Apologies thought I replied to this Im sure it’s not condensation firstly, as I’m used to the amount of water I wipe away using high absorption cloths (spunji) Plus I have two portholes, two Houdini’s, mulitiple windows so can some are leaking compared to others. I think window wise they are leaking (all patched up for now) from the edge of the frames to the boat. Not from the glass to window frame. So sikaflex no, Cpt tolleys yes! Cool Cannot get the flue to stop dripping when it’s lashing it down, bit concerning. Buy a boat they said, it will be great they said 😅 Will get some pics up when can. Ideally I don’t have to remove windows and hatches just yet, and can sort the flue out without it being a big job. Appreciate the comments all

This is the same router I have. And in the same position, yet my signal drops out halfway towards the stern. Where is your antenna positioned? This is how I set my router up I think, basically came with a 240v lead. Then got a new lead and wired into a some lil box that keeps the voltage between 12 -24. Think it was called a step down from memory. Am I right in thinking could do something similar then with a booster like the ones you have linked ?

So as I’ve started to get my boat closer to how I want it, the increased wet weather has highlighted a whole new headache. I’m getting leaks from a lot of the windows, a porthole, a Houdini hatch, mushroom vents and also the flue for the log burner. I knew I had a project taking on the boat and is something I would of eventually and maybe got new thermal break windows etc, but I’m really not in the best position to be doing that right now. I will be sorting it when it’s dry enough, and I’m sure lots of other boaters have had issues like this before. I’ve tried to patch up what I can for now. But any advice on how to fix this when it’s less wet would be appreciated. I understand I would have to remove and reseat using sikaflex for the windows. I’m not sure how to safely remove and then prep the window and recondition the frame itself and the space it’s going back into. Houdini hatch and flue are something I’m particularly clueless about. TIA

Reviving old thread but it’s a sticky, so anyways. What device is favoured to boost Wi-Fi signal from a 4g router with antenna attached? The router is on the 12v and ideally I want a booster that also works on 12v. TIA

Ripped out a cupboard in the wheelhouse. It had a gap at the bottom so stuff would fall into the engine bay. Also very hard to access weedhatch. Not ideal! Had some metal plating cut out and welded back in the corner. Suspect water was pooling here from the leaky wheelhouse. Boxed in the header tank and galvanic isolater on the left. Moved the stern greaser to the cupboard on left. On the right is a cool drinks cupboard. Bench lifts up and comes away, to give access to weedhatch and engine. New panel for the gap at bottom also lifts out. Cushions on order for the new bench! Engine serviced! Thanks to @robtheplodfor the link to his informative video on this one. Most helpful!

Expensive, double a standard pram hood. However they are fitting canvas on the roofboxes I made soon. And making cushions for the outside bench with trim of same fabric.

Each to their own I get it, my godmother has a cruiser stern nd prefers waterproofs. Tbf see what you mean about being down. I just posted it down as they were installing. It’s not folded down properly in the picture. Does }fold away much neater than that. Corrected you there.

No stress. I Didn’t see any, just the jubilee and ascension!

That’s the multi jet 150 I believe. Great engine. Fun overtaking cars in a motorhome hahha. Enjoy your travels!

Well you’ve galloped around some of the emerald isles then! Sounds like a epic trip tho Border is a bit busy. But not seen anything like it so! I’m afraid I’m not sure, I know it’s been hand painted!? I could give you the ladies details but she did say they were a limited run. Waited a few weeks for it. But welcome to try PM me if you’re interested!

Can’t beat the Ducato chassis for a motorhome imo! Covehithe beach just above southwold is stunning if you have the time.