TandC

I'm midway through a re-paint (you can thank me for the wind and rain arrival) - popped over to Midland Swindlers in Braunston today to pick up some final tins of International TopLak so I can get finished, and because I see that they are on special offer - down to £22 a tin. They had barely any stock - fortunately two last tins of the red I needed - but not a blue. When asking if any more would be delivered, the assistant told me that the reason it is on special offer is because this formulation is to be discontinued due to the environmental impacts, now only to be available to professional boat painters not the general public. A new, "amateur friendly" formulation is to follow, to minimise environmental impact. Anyway, not sure whether that is new news, true news, or fake news, but thought I'd share. Anyway - quick question, seeing as the rain has stalled my progress - I'm overpainting my roof having sanded out some areas of cracked paint under duck poos.... there is a solid base of adhered primer/undercoat/topcoats which has been sanded down to 400gt. I have then given that spot primer where required, then a full coat of undercoat, and a full coat of 50/50 undercoat/Toplac. That was on Sunday - then the rain came. Possible window of dry weather tomorrow - so may get a coat on.... If give that a hand sand - can I get away with using ScotchBrite maroon pads to give it a good key - or should I be using 400gt or even lower to ensure a good adhearance? Ta

sooo.... at the risk of dragging this on! If you consider the particular situation / limitations: Large, easily accessible cruiserstern engine bay No water-cooling infrastructure (skin tank etc) No real opportunity to adjust ballast Solar limited by roof size to around 350w Battery bank limited to around x4 110amphr batteries (although if weight is saved - could be increased) Liveaboard - but probably relatively limited cruising compared to many Why would a serial arrangement not be worth exploring? Air-cooled diesel generator - running an electric motor. Even if you didn't have a huge solar array, or a massive battery bank to allow maximum cruising off the batteries - why would that arrangement be so unfeasible? Wouldn't running a diesel generator to generate the propulsion energy (electric ) be not dis-similar to just running a Lister? Is that a really really inefficient way to use them (as in, as the sole power source, rather than supplementing shore-charge/solar charge). Is a generator, motor, whatever electric control wizardy - THAT much more expensive than the costs of acquiring a new water-called engine, installing it (and the construction of a skin-tank) plus the hospital silencer arrangement etc. Even if buying a recon BMC engine from Calcutt Boats, that's still going to cost a weighty few bob to have the skin tank constructed etc. How much is a diesel generator... a cooling radiator... a BellMarine motor... potentially additional batteries... control kit.... ? I promise I shall leave now....!

haha! And then you find one of these on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fischer-panda-agt-4000-12v-/274348225282?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=EAIaIQobChMIvs3_oYTb8gIVc4BQBh3A4wZ3EAQYASABEgK-BPD_BwE I guess the good thing about a Lister is that they last long enough to ensure you go deaf before they break

I wouldn't say that I'm not... but I am conscious of the limitations on the boat and I am not sure of the arrangements. A hybrid engine is out - too expensive. What is involved in your system? Does it require any water-cooled components to install? Or is it something that could be installed in an engine bay... no need for skin tank etc? How does your diesel generator perform alongside a modern water-cooled engine.... ? Is it a ridiculous idea to consider convert to a serial electric motor, when the maximum capacity would be say 660amp hours of batteries (weight/space in engine bay is the limiting factor)? I'd not even be that fussed about long periods of only-electric silent running. If the diesel generator was quiet enough, why not just use it as an alternative to achieve a quieter propulsion? I mean, if you're going to power the boat using a filthy inefficient diesel Lister engine, why not use a diesel generator to run an electric motor? That had been my original train of thought when I opened this can of worms!!

HybridMarine just replied very promptly to my "how long is a piece of string" question around conversion costs: They quote around £30,000, depending on the battery choices potentially more... and that is without installation. So - how much to convert to a modern water-cooled engine, with hospital silencer....? 10 - 15k? The boat is our liveaboard, has been for 15 years so it'd be a wrench to part with it - and getting a new boat, with all the work associated with getting it to our fit-out requirements etc is no small task and would be v. expensive. Hence me considering swapping the engine - although it does seem ridiculous. I expect we shall just soldier on!

All good comments. The hybrid marine system has an appeal - but is unlikely really feasible or economical. I'd be interested to find out their costs... The main issue at present really is the noise - making the cruising experience less of a chore. I've done everything to try and soundproof the engine, the bay, the deckboards, etc and it's a game of diminishing returns. So if we are really serious, it's probably most likely to look at replacement engines - and that's probably up to £10k with fitting i guess. The other issue is weight - we'd need to replace with a system weighing no more than, or the same as, a Lister SR2 with 440amphrs of batteries... anything more than that would mean doing a fair amount of work with the fitout to access the existing ballast and removing etc. So, as we all know... we'll stick our fingers in our ears and get on with the bloody Lister!!

Anyone got one of those Fisher Panda diesel generator / electric motor arrangements? After another season of being deafened by the roaring sound, choked by the diesel fumes, and underwhelmed by the lack of any sort of power when needed, I again find myself thinking evil thoughts about the Lister SR2 under our large cruiserstern deck. It's been utterly reliable for 15 years of our ownership (and the 60 years onboard prior to that) - but having a quieter, cleaner option would be very attractive. I just wonder what the costs are - are they still so expensive as to make it un-economical? Is running a diesel generator to power an electric motor a pointless exercise? Far cheaper to look into a replacement diesel engine/gearbox and run a hospital silencer etc...? Just pondering....

Thanks James - from a quick google that one looks only 50cm wide and that would leave a big gap, plus reduced size oven etc - so while I'm grateful for the recommendation I am not sure it'll fit. I'm also not sure what the situation is with converting a mains gas one to LPG - there seem to be lots of conversion kits, a set of jets for oven/hobs, which would be fine but I've read conflicting advice on whether they can all be converted. There are Zanussi ones which would do if they can be converted Thanks - i had looked at these. I'd be happy to convert them if it's possible - just a case of changing the jets i think? - but not sure if this is doable

I'm after any recommendations as to where to find a 55cm wide freestanding gas cooker - hob, grill, oven. Sodding typical in that the original New World model 55TWLG is no longer available and I built the kitchen to its 55cm width. There seems hardly any 55cm models - some Zanussi ones but they have an electric grill which is no good to us. Any ideas? Require 55cm width - gas oven, gas grill and x 4 hobs all with the required flame failure devices etc...

Hello all, I have a slight weep of diesel from the fuel lift pump on my Lister SR2. From the pump itself it states "Made in England: Type D". It's hard to tell if there is a gasket fail between the body of the pump and where it mounts to the engine, or if there is a gasket horizontally within the body of the lift pump itself. Anyone have any experience of these - any recommendations on addressing the problem? Is it a full new pump time? Gasket change? Are there any common issues.... Thanks, Tim

We made our pram hood and cratch cover around 11 years ago and while it is looking a bit tatty now. It is up at least 8 months of the year and I've only bothered to clean the fabric a couple of times, despite that we live under two big Ash trees and all their residents (with assorted bowel problems!). Only now am I considering replacing the cratch as the plywood triangle is shot and is an opportunity to increase the height a little. We also made a "Sports canopy" a couple of years back - a cover for the back deck that doesnt use poles that we can take away when we're cruising - not so good for storage etc, but keeps the rain off the deck and out the engine bay (old cruiser stern, rubbish drainage arrangement). I don't think it cost more than £300 - 400 for both Acorn Canvas were really helpful - not sure if he is still trading though? Bought the canvas and folding edge-binding from him and I think also the plastic window material. You can also get the eyelets, turnbuckles, etc Stainless steel tube can be bought from any decent steel stockholder / fabricator. I bought appropriate stainless fittings online, yacht places etc have them - they slot onto the steel tubes and can be affixed with a screw or I just used a rivet. There are various arrangements using quick-release pins to slot the tube socket ends into, screwed to the boat permanently. I measured and drew out the tube shapes onto a plywood guide and used an industrial conduit pipe bender to get them to shape - stainless is HARD so have your Weetabix. I made three slightly different sized "n" shapes, each leg has a a socket fitting, they go into a fitting secured permanently on the roof handrail and the seat structure around the sterndeck. Small hoop on roof, largest hoop in the middle, slightly smaller hoop at the back to create the tent-like ridge. I bought black webbing tape with hooks and fittings off eBay - two lengths run from the seat up and over the tops of the hoops - they have quick-snap poppers on, with the corresponding riveted onto the top of the tubes. It allows me to "raise" and "lower" the two large hoops and the webbing extends forward down the line of the boat and hooks into an eyelet further down the handrail. Sewing machine - we went through i guess 6 layers of canvas. I used a good quality brand (Husquavarna - i mean, they make chainsaws!) but it is just a domestic machine - no problems at all. Don't worry about being told you need an industrial machine - I didn't find it an issue. Man-handling all the material around and through the machine body can be a pain, but even on a domestic that is doable. Be wary of the canvas capacity to stretch - particularly if you use long, continuous runs - ours is constructed of probably 4m single length - but that stretched over the first few months and created sagging. That's where the professionals really come into their own: A high quality tight fit - no sags, no puddles, no leaks. . I had to remedy this by using an additional support rib made of ply that just slots in on top of the tubes and takes out that slack in the fabric. It has served the test of time - over 10 years, still serviceable and no leaks. Totally changed the cruiser-stern from a water-logged liability into a place to store things and hang coats, shoes etc. It can look a little "saggy" in places, but I take that over the cost. We used the window material and while a rear screen on the back deck cover does mean that it is always light in there, i'm not sure i'd bother with the cratch again. The two large windows i sewed in just look dirty all the time and it's a faff to make. A professional will get you a high quality finish, no sags, it won't leak - but there is a reason they cost as much as they do, not only the skills and experience, but it is a seriously time-consuming job!

oh god..i can't believe I'm going to continue this on... so what would be the easiest way to obtain an accurate state of charge meter?? Just seems if one is going to the effort of maximising the solar charge capacity, I should probably try and have a way of knowing how it is performing and when our demands are outstripping supply. Ideally something that can be read from a panel, rather than requiring a phone app etc.....?

This is great - thank you all so much for the advice. I can now work out the cabling and connector arrangements and get things sorted. Will report back once it's up and running.

I didn't think it was that straightforward when you mix panels of different sizes.... lots of web content explaining why it introduces losses... hence me starting this whole sorry saga in the first place...!

Okay - these are good points, and now I appreciate then that if running two controllers at the same time, if one goes into float then it really doesn't matter a great deal. However.... Practically - I would prefer to run just the single 40amp controller for a variety of reasons (space and temperatures in the cupboard, not needing to install more cabling for the extra controller to the batteries, not having two remote screens, I can liberate the spare 20amp controller to a neighbour/other project) - , if what Jen has suggested is an acceptable approach as that sounds like a winner... but I can't work out how to compare the two outputs. The choice remains - use two controllers, and obtain the maximum possible charge current from 520watts. Or use one controller, with the pair of 100ws wired in series, then paralleled with the 320 into a single controller.... but I can't work out in my head how to then compare that output.... does it create significant losses that would outweigh all those practical reasons, when the whole point of doing this is to get a decent uplift in charging capacity...? I've tried to find the formula to work it out, using the information on the technical specification labels, but am not grasping it! Oh dear. I am a bear of very little brain