casper ghost

Oh dear, do you think this was a dig at me I do wish people would stop using this forum for political purposes, lets keep to the boating topics please.

In Shropshire, by the Severn it's tipping it down, river not very high yet. Takes a couple of days for the rain from Wales to get here. With my engine the Severn is always impassable

I think an RCD is a waste too, but don't see anyone buying it without one, not these days. I certainly wouldn't want to pay more to have it. We build our boats ourselves so no RCD but as any boat already built can pass an RCD it shows that they mean nothing.. It's only paper work, can't cost 2000.00.

The whole clan here today, me my brother and my dad. Put up the swim , which is 13 feet long. 2 hull side plates, which are 9.5 feet each, a couple of knees and some 3x2 angle across the base plate. A dirty me and my Dad.

The 2 engines are a Lister HR2 and a Ruston 2VTH. The RH rotates different at each end and as yet i've not decided which end to fit alternator, which is why i wanted to know whether alternators work both ways.

Hi. I have another question, which will probably make me look really foolish but do alternators work in either rotation as i'm marinising two engines and have to fit alternators and will have to make the bracket myself..

Hi again. I'm changing the engine as i'm hoping to extend the boat and the Sabb hardly copes with the 43 feet it has to push now.. While changing i'm just checking these charging details so i get the best next time. From the advice it's a relay splitter with no regulator needed. Thanks.

Ok, i've read the information in the link. Very useful. However it does mention split charge diodes, which i know i have. It says they are all but useless! Should i be changing this diode for a modern unit to allow better charging?

No probs. I like to keep my boat as simple as possible, only 12 volt except a 150 watt invertor to run a tv. My Sabb engine probably wouldn't like to run a bigger alternator than the car one i have. But soon i hope to fit a bigger engine and have a 100 amp alternator to fit with it, not sure if i will then need an external regulator, though my battery usage will not change.

Yep, a serious question, i may know alot about boats, but not electronics. My boat only has a car alternator but luckily i use very little power. Thanks for response.

How strong are you? a weeks worth of beer

Ok, i must admit that i don't know what an alternator regulator does ( and don't say it regulates the alternator ). Sure my boat has an alternator but no regulator, am I missing out on something really exciting?

Me and my Dad worked on build today. Didn't do too much. Made and fitted the drop down skeg, tack welded some of the base plates and put one of the floor supports on. Each of these jobs took far longer than expected but that's only normal. The drop skeg.

A days work on build. lined up base plates and cut round for swim using a grinder. We had to spend 2 hours moving the steel as the plates we will need first have ended up at the bottom.

I believe so, most mass manufactured boats use 2 metre plates as i think you can get them off a roll, so any length you want and it saves on cost. The problem is that i've been in some boats where the inside floor width is only 5ft 10. The sides then being at a slant makes it more awkward to fit the furniture with things having to be built in rather than using cheaper free standing. It's known as Birmingham Square when the sides are vertical.

Yes you're right, the sides will be less than 6ft 10. It's the same as Casper which has an interior width of just over 6ft 3. It gives the inside a more spacious feel than the usual 2 metre base plate and is easier for an ameteur to build.

Hi. We're using 8mm base plate, each sheet is 6 foot 10 wide and 10 foot long. We're having vertical hull sides to allow more floor space inside. These sheets are rather heavy. We built Casper 9 years ago at the same place so have a rough idea what we're doing, but it takes 9 years to forget how hard work it is before you want to build another. The link is to a blog held on this forum, i've clicked on it, seems to work though not much info on it yet.

I am useless on computers but think it works now.

The lorry load of steel arrived today, it's not easy unloading all the steel required for a 59 foot boat by hand it was hard work. We layed the base plates using scaffold poles to lever it about, far too heavy to lift. We did some grinding on the joining edges of the base plates, ready for welding. That's about it for the day. Lovely weather for working hard though.

Unloading steel for a 59 foot narrow boat by hand, which was hard work.

We've done some plans, although rough and mainly just in my head. The steel is ordered and delivery is tomorrow morning. The boat will be a 59 foot trad for my brother which he wants to be unique, so he wants the front to look a bit like an old joey boat, vertical stem post with large rubbing strakes. We already have the windows, which are off an old ship, so should be interesting.

I know a few garages that will sell you red diesel and they have no interest what it's for, as long as it's not for a car. As for pollution, pumping out bilges is the biggest culprit. Diesel is too dear to waste spilling into the cut.

Hi. I had one of the little 2 stroke gennies, you can buy them for as little as 70.00. Mine worked fine for about 2 years but then it packed up, but only due to dirty fuel. I then sold in for spares for 26.00 so worked out quite cheap. It also did about 8 hours to the gallon. My dad has a Honda genny which is now 25 years old, it's never been serviced, not even an oil top up, it works like new and gets some serious abuse too, can't beat an old Honda. Just checked out the link. WOW thats an astronomic price just for a 2kw genny.. My electric start 6 kw diesel genny only cost 600.00 new..