TandC

So what do you actually use the hatch for, that you can't do with a straight-down filler neck? I can dip the tank to the bottom - and that the filler is located close to the stern it is probably not far off at the lowest point. I'm still not convinced it's worth the faff - especially on a widebeam 10ft where you'd need go-go-gadget arms to be able to reach all areas within the bottom of the tank (i'm thinking that what - you may need to extract all the fuel, and maybe hoover out any infected gunk, etc? What are you actually DOING through that hatch that makes it so useful?) Thanks for the BS extract Alan - that's interesting, although I note that the vast majority of boats don't seem to have one... is it another one of those where depends on what standards your applying for your RCD compliance etc?

What ho. My new boat is still unpainted and being fitted. It has an integral fuel tank to the stern as per below - you can just see the filler cap in this ropey picture. It does not have a tank inspection hatch, and I am now wondering whether this is an oversight... and while it's still unpainted, now would be time to cut a hole, do any welding etc. Is it necessary first? The filler cap is directly over the tank allowing me to pump out fuel for polishing etc - but its small. I obviously don't want to create another maintenance headache or something that will leak water into the fuel tank... What's the right size for an inspection hatch? I surely needs to be big enough to be worth bothering with otherwise may as well just rely on the filler.... Does anyone have a "good design" idea that they could share some photos of?

It's always a relief when you find the source of the problem - and particularly when it isn't as drastic as you had imagined through all those sleepless nights! That sounds much more resolvable.

Thanks for sharing the Protex link - they have some great products on there. Sometimes, the biggest challenge to a project is that you know what you want to achieve, but have no idea of what hardware solutions are available. Those latches with the 90-degree keeper plate are ideal.

If you need a repair or replacement tank, Jay Wolfe Tanks in Kingsthorpe, Northampton are excellent - provided me with two stainless tanks now.

this is a helpful thread

My boatyard recommended I use a subfloor that was 25mm plywood rather than 18mm plywood as they said modern ply is a bit crap and flexes. I bit the bullet and spent the money and I am glad I did - there is no "bounce" or flex - and i'd be confident of sticking LVT flooring to it directly. As a result I have a load of 18mm structural ply going spare if anyone wants any!!

I've not used them, but Kev Kyte Marine Engineering travels extensively and from the photos I've seen and positive reviews knows his onions - interweb search will provide his details.

I've recently used SML Paint's "Bilge Paint" for the inside cabin bilge - it's Xylene-based and dries incredibly quickly. Two coats applied - easy to roll on and brush into corners. Looks good and has not chipped or scratched with all the work involved in laying slabs, walking on it, moving timbers etc etc. Where storm rain came in, the water drained back and pooled for a couple of weeks but did'nt lead to any rust breakthroughs. Defo a better product than red oxide / blacking which is what I had in previous boat. In the engine bay i've used Jotun epoxy-based Jotamastic 80. This stuff is very hardwearing and waterproof - and if money had been no object then two coats of that throughout the cabin bilge would have been by option, but SML said it was probably overkill.

My view on it is if I were looking at that boat, as it stands, it is on the cusp of not being insurable - therefore, it has to have some steelwork done - slapping on some paint (epoxy or otherwise) wouldnt feel like a very sustainable solution for the long-term. There are so many second hand boats out there - it'd have to be a really good deal to make buying a lemon worth the faff. Perhaps there's some real benefits to this one - it's local, out the water already, near a welder, etc. You want to get the welding done (overplating or pits), and then the gold standard would be to shotblast and epoxy. Ours is now 25 years on from having been overplated and epoxied. Those costs have been totally worth it.

There's a cautionary tale here somewhere.... For now - contact the CRT and buy yourself some time with regard the boat being left moored where it is. That takes that stress out. Concentrate on getting well. If you have no safe means of heating the boat (no solid fuel stove?) - then consider your alternative living options while you get better, returning to a cold boat in a stressful situation isn't going to help your recovery. When you are better, spend some time exploring your boat - what sort of engine is it? what sort of boiler? Make, model numbers - look for any identification. What did previous engineers tell you and what work has been done, what parts have you bought? Take photos of your engine, of your boiler - post them here and people will help you identify them. Make notes of it all. If you contact tradespeople with nothing but a vague "i dont know... it doesn't work..." you set yourself up a) for pisstakers or b) for anyone who's reliable/good it usually sets of the alarm bells "oh this job is one to avoid..." If you can give them a clearer understanding of what you are asking them to come help with then you're more likely to get someone who knows what they're dealing with who can help. Reach a clear agreement in advance as to what the costs will be for initial visit and fault finding - and then carefully discuss with them what they think are the problems, how they would approach the job, timescales, costs, and reach a good agreement first.... anyone professional will understand and should set this out for you, so you can make your decisions (and feel free not to leap to a decision immediately - that is where some here may be able to give you better advice on how to proceed).

While I wish you well, it sounds like an internet forum is unlikely to be able to assist you. There are helpful members here who can give first-hand advice where there is a clear problem or such like, but in your situation you really are going to need to get someone to come to your boat who can look at your engine, fault find, and you can commission to do the repairs. If you get on Facebook you'll find there are some very active London boater groups. Through that, you need to advertise for a mobile engine mechanic who operates in London. You may also be able to contact the CRT's Welfare Officer for your area as they may have some advice or at least make sure that their system knows of your situation. I think it was a chap called Sean Williams but that was a few years ago. On their website, they list Laura Hudson 07789 642 446 as the license officer for the Paddington Arm so call her and see if she can assist.

We made both our pram cover and our cratch cover (twice after losing the first) and if you're on a budget, can go somewhere with a large table to work (we did ours outside but it was summer), and have decent machine then you can do a perfectly acceptable job and save £000s. On material - PVC apparently is more prone to cracking in time due to the sunlight. But it's smoother finish makes it easier to clean. But most now seem to be made from PU-coated acrylic canvas, which is what we went with and it is readily available, well priced and easy to work with. Ours has stood the test of time and I'm very lazy having only cleaned it a couple of times in 15 years... This is the same stuff. https://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/sauleda-acrylic-canvas-pu-coated And then use the centrefold edge binding in colour matched: https://www.profabrics.co.uk/collections/marine-webbing-tape-binding-edging-tape/products/acrylic-centrefold-tape-22mm ANd make sure you use the UV stable thread or it will degrade. https://www.profabrics.co.uk/collections/marine-webbing-tape-binding-edging-tape/products/acrylic-centrefold-tape-22mm . We did sew in windows using PVC window material - but it does make the job a lot harder and increases the leaks... 2nd time cratch I didn't bother and instead put an perspex window into the cratch triangle for light. In the pramhood, there is a rear screen which does make a big difference with light, but i wouldnt bother again as it does weep. Sewing machine - all this talk of "you need an industrial machine" - you don't. A good quality domestic machine with brand new (sharp) denim needles (size 90) are fine. Our machine was bought new for the job, but it is just a decent quality dressmaking machine. It did cost £400 brand new - just get one off eBay or Marketplace. Ours was a Husqvarna Emerald and there are loads out there. That machine easily punches through 4 layers of material (think of a rolled hem - that's 4 layers) plus edgebinding. And no dramas with the window material either. Technique matters more - let it do the work - have someone to take the weight of the material - take your time etc. Cratchboard - made ours from painted wood - and you can buy the "lift the dot" or turnbuckle fittings online https://www.profabrics.co.uk/collections/marine-fasteners-turnbutton - i used turnbuttons on ours, and they work well. For the pramhood - I can't remember where i bought the stainless tube... it was expensive. 316 stainless tube. https://www.seascrew.com/browse.cfm?MARINE-GRADE-STAINLESS-TUBE-AND-FITTINGS-&l=0000001282 - dont buy it from chandler - find a local metal stockholder and get them to order it - it was still pricey, but loads cheaper than a chandlery - this was 15 years ago tho. And then you can buy all the fittings you need online to match. I drew a template of my hoops on plywood and then used a heavy duty conduit bender, laying the hoop onto my template to match and tweaking it a bit more to get it exact. You can buy all the deck fittings online - and you just drill and rivet them onto your hoop tube. I've got black nylon webbing straps, clips etc that hold my hoops up - all off ebay.. Back to the covers... You need to plan your design carefully - considering the ease of working with smaller sections that you join together, where are sewed joins going to lay when finished (avoiding any where rainwater may pool etc.) Fit some of the key turnbuckles first - they give you tensioning points to work from. Make templates - i used old tarpaulins to make templates. My technique was to do only basic templates just enough to get me started on the real material - and then i worked on these - putting them in place, pulling tight, working out where I wanted to fold for hems, pinning, taking it back etc. A lot of the work was done with the actual cover itself. That PU coated stuff takes fold well - so you can fold a hem, pin it, and it will stay roughly flat - and that means you can take the cover back, adjust etc. Don't worry about the pin holes - they don't leak. Seems almost self-healing.. If you're not familiar with basic dressmaking techniques or how to use the machine, go to the library and get a book. Practice. Different stitch patterns are useful (which is why a good quality domestic machine is handy). We used running straight stitch pattern for most, but also a tight zig-zag on areas of stress). You need to take the thread off those big spools onto smaller domestic spools - ask on Facebook for empty thread spools. Use an electric screwdriver and pencil to wind thread... do a quite a few. Make up lots of bobbins of thread cos when it runs out mid-waythrough a vital seam it's a pain. It's better to be wasteful of thread than have to start midway. Hmmm not sure i can think of anything else right now The hardest part was getting good tension and allowing that the fabric will stretch out over time and become baggy. I don't think the pram hood was great, but it doesn't leak. You want to avoid pools of water as that will leak through - so in your design, you want BIG curves on your hoops, steep angles on your cratch to help shed water down the fabric not letting it sit. It's hard to describe but I tried to avoid cutting/sewing the fabric and so have one long run off the roll for the pramhood top, with sides that fix to it. But, I think that makes it more prone to stretching when it's a continuous length off the roll. It may have gone less baggy if it was sections sewn together. Ours has totally done the job for 15 years - it doesn't look as good as a pro job - but I haven't spent £5k on it either. I'd put some photos up but the pram-cover is in storage as we have a deck house thing on in winter, and its cold outside.... Feel free to PM

For engine to/from coil in the calorifier - my calorifier instructions stated: Engine connections (15mm barbed), to the coil - Use heater hose from the engine and pass over the barbed fittings and fix with jubilee clips. I haven't got round to it yet but I'll be using hose as per the ASAP supplies link above - although it may be available cheaper off the roll from a decent auto or engineering place. For Webasto to/from secondary coil in the calorifier - the brass fittings on the calorifier were for push-fit plastic fittings (Hep2O or I used JGSpeedfit). So mine is JG Speedfit - all the links between calorifer to expansion vessel, the cold feed in, etc. It is easy to work with. I found that Speedfit fittings (Tees, elbows, unequal tees etc) are all good to 85c but it is the plastic isolation valves that are not - so where I have a balancing valve fitted to adjust the flow into the calorifier coil, there I have used a compression ball-valve (as in, its metal - not plastic) - with the appropriate pipe inserts. Ditto for valves to turn off the radiator loop for summer, etc. These are rated for high temperatures of central heating. The instructions for a SureCal calorifier installation are here: https://www.surejust.co.uk/surecal-vertical-calorifier-connection-instructions#:~:text=First%2C select a suitable location,temperature of 65°C.

But hasn't that changed now so that exemption no longer applies - it's whenever the boat goes on the market, regardless ..?