docus
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Posts posted by docus
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Hi all,
It's been a while since I was on the forum - nice to be back
I lived on a narrowboat for 5 years, but have been back on dry land for a while. I'm now looking to return to the water, this time on a Dutch barge.
One of my favourite places to explore was up the river Stort. I remember some of the bridges up that way were very low. Also, the river was quite shallow and silted in places.
I wonder if it would be possible to get a Dutch barge up the Stort? I don't have the boat yet so can't give any definite dimensions. I've not got much experience with barges (as you can probably tell
) so I don't know so much about their handling.Would a typical Dutch, such as Tjalk, be likely to make it under the bridges and through the shallower stretches?
Any wisdom most gratefully received!
Many thanks,
docus
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Springfield Marina, River Lea, east London - £12.50 for a 25kg sack of Homefire ovals, and £12.50 for a 25kg sack of Phurnacite.
I also sometimes buy coal from a garage near my work in north-west London (Texaco Garage in Hendon) - £9 for a 20kg sack of Homefire ovals, and £7 for a 20kg sack of house coal.
Does anyone know of anywhere cheap in London with decent supplies - most garages charge astronomical prices!
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I was about to ask this very question myself! I've just got two new batteries (long story) but I already had two which were only 18 months old. The two older ones both seem OK - they still read 12.55v more than a week after disconnecting them. I had worried that the two older ones would somehow 'drag down' the new ones, but now I think I'll hook them all up together to make an uber-battery-bank!
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Heebus Jeebus, that's flippin' expensive - and it's scarily vague on whether you can moor there for longer than 72 hours... imagine buying it at that price and then having permission to moor long-term refused!
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Yep, washing machine still working amazingly well - haven't had to run the engine for power since about February, it all runs off the solar panels.
You wouldn't be able to operate it from under a worktop - the toploading doors simply wouldn't open and you wouldn't be able to fill it or operate the controls. However, it's very very light and easy to slide out from under a worktop. The wash cycle is only 15 minutes long, so you wouldn't have it out in the open for long before you can just slide it back underneath. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Wow, I've got to get one of those...! Also, I was wondering what total wattage of solar panels you have to have managed that long without charging? Impressive stuff.
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I've been using a 3-Mobile internet dongle for a few months now. I've been around the river Lee in north and east London, where you'd expect good coverage. It was OK for a while but it's gone downhill recently. It cuts out all the time and when I do manage to connect it's painfully slow. I really would NOT recommend 3 after this experience.
I've heard Vodafone is faster in this area, but I don't have any experience of it myself.
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Hmm, I'm moored near the filter beds and I heard someone tearing past on a motorbike or scooter twice late last night - I wonder if it was the same person checking out the boats further down the river from Springfield? I heard a boat here got burgled recently. A shame that it's getting dodgy around these parts.
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Thanks to all for the advice - I tried white spirit and wire wool on a patch and it took the oil off quite well. There's still dark dye in the grain, but maybe I'll just have to live with that, unless anyone has any ideas! It's going to take many many hours to clean the whole lot, but maybe that'll teach me not to rush in blindly next time..... but I doubt it!
Thanks again,
Docus
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Hello,
I've recently been treating the wood panels in my cabin with Danish Oil. However, I've been using oil with a dark tint (Colron from B&Q), which makes the cabin feel a bit too dark. I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to remove the oil? If I could bring it back to bare wood I would like to redo it with clear, untinted oil, or perhaps a clear varnish. I'm reluctant to sand it off because it's only a very thin oak veneer (oak-faced ply) and I don't trust myself not to sand right through it!
Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Docus (unfortunately not very good at DIY...)
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Hi Scotty, just wondering which model you went for in the end - after your report and the other thread I'm thinking of getting one myself!
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Holy moly, after reading this I have no idea which Dongle to go for.
I will be mainly based in London from West of Kensal Green to as far North East as Tottenham and occasional jaunts up the Lee as far as Stantead Abbotts. Mainly I would want to use it London though.
I don't download movies or anything else (although I do music) and use the internet all the time, pretty much every night for at least an hour and work from home on internet access at least one day per week all day.
SO, I realise there's a ridiculous variety of opinions on someone finding T mobile to work and someone else to hate them.....but is there any consensus on LONDON ONLY???? It would be great if you wonderful peopel could offer consensus to save my eyes hurting any more searching!!
(You lot really are wonderful, never met a more helpful bunch).
All the best
Scotty
Hello Scotty,
I think I may have met you a few weeks ago, moored near Lea Bridge? Anyway, I do the same route as you and I'm very happy with 3. The reception can be a bit variable (but still useable) in places that are further from residential streets, like Stonebridge Lock, but nearer the bustle it works consistently. (I haven't tried it up as far as Stanstead Abbotts yet.)
All the best!
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Hello,
Is your cat still missing?
Our cat disappeared from almost the same spot as you only a few weeks ago. We were very worried and put posters up everywhere, but she turned up three days later. She had sneaked into a neighbour's boat, and the owner had then gone away and locked her in without seeing her.
I would advise talking to everyone in all the boats around to check if yours has done the same!
All the best, I know how horrible it feels!
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SHE CAME BACK!
She had got shut in a neighbour's boat...
PHEW!
Anyone else who loses their cat, don't give up hope and make sure to talk to all your neighbours!
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PLEASE HELP!
Our much loved cat disappeared from our boat on Thursday night (5th March).
She is black with white paws and a white nose.
We are moored beside Springfield Park in Hackney, London, E5.
There are lots of boats around there so I'm asking everyone I see, but I thought I'd post here as well, just in case.
Please reply here or PM for my phone number.
Thanks for looking!
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Amazing, anyone got any experience with it? Am I right in saying 3 amps x 7 hours in bed = 21 amps per night? That doesn't sound like too much for my bank of four 110a leisure batteries - or have I misunderstood?
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Thanks to everyone for the advice! I went to Maplin today and bought one of the converters kindly recommended - I tested it in my car's cigarette lighter socket and it worked well, so hopefully it'll work on the boat too. This is going to open up a whole new world of electronic appliances on the boat for me - so much for 'getting away from it all'!
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Thanks for the replies! I was quite surprised to see the actual voltage coming from the powerpack was exactly 12v. I'll give it a try and see how it goes!
What about appliances that take e.g. 13v (like my digital radio)? What would the chances of that working with the above method be? How far from dead on 12v can it be before it damages it?
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Hello,
I've had an idea and I was wondering if I could run it past some wiser heads to see if it'll work!
I have a hi-fi that runs on 240v. However, the lead has a powerpack on it that transforms the voltage to 12v exactly, which then goes into the back of the hi-fi. If I snip the lead and solder on a regular 12v cigarette lighter plug, instead of the 240v plug and powerpack, would the hi-fi work?
Any tips appreciated!
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Sorry to derail... I have an embarrassingly ignorant question...
I was wondering what people mean by filling up the batteries? What do you fill it up with? How do you know when it needs filling? I had a look but couldn't see where to pour anything in.
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Hi, 1st post on this site!
We have a new Dometic gas fridge on our nb. I think Dometic is the new name for Electrolux? Anyway it looks very similar to the old Electrolux fridges. We're very happy with it, it works well - quiet, sturdy, reliable and keeps things cool. The freezer compartment is currently storing jars of now solid blackberry compote! I don't know how much gas it uses because I've never been without it and so don't know how long a gas bottle would last in its absence. But I can make a 13kg bottle stretch to about 4 weeks max (we liveaboard). I've been told that's not great, but I prefer not to run the engine too much - it scares the cats!
) so I don't know so much about their handling.
Is it possible to get a barge up the river Stort?
in General Boating
Posted
Thanks to everyone for the advice
I'm now looking at a widebeam instead as I think it might suit my purposes better.
I was wondering, with the way some of the smaller, more awkward Stort bridges curve down, would the sides of a 12ft widebeam have trouble squeezing through anywhere?
Thanks again - I really appreciate it!