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Dave Taylor

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  • Posts

    51
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  • Website URL
    http://nbzindagi.blogspot.com/

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Lapford, Devon
  • Occupation
    Semi-retired
  • Boat Name
    Zindagi
  • Boat Location
    Hatherton Marina, Staffs & Worcs

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  1. It would be VERY useful to know where we stand BEFORE we plan to fill up, especially if there is no great choice of suppliers within range. This 'flexibility' which allows suppliers to limit the %ages which they will accept actually undermines the responsibility – which falls on the boater – to accurately declare the %ages which they use. Effectively, the suppliers' limited acceptance of different %ages forces the boater to break the law, which can't be right. I should have thought that the 'administrative burden' falling on the supplier would be very simply handled by appropriate software. Only need to enter the relevant %ages declared and the computer would work it all out!
  2. Briefly, touching on the '60/40 rule' (so-called) I seem to remember that when the need to declare your percentage was introduced, the option was open for boaters to declare WHATEVER percentage they calculated to be correct. I went to some considerable pains to calculate my %ages and – to start with at least – most boatyards agreed. Then there seemed to be a conspiracy to only allow 60/40 or 100% domestic and no-one would accept other %ages. As we no longer live aboard, it is not such an issue for us as it was, but did the rules actually change, or were we railroaded by boatyards being awkward?
  3. Yes, Kuranda will be keen to say it's OK on HVO because they say that their hobs etc are OK on red diesel. Our experience on board was that red diesel was an ongoing disaster, especially for the Wallas hob. We didn't run the oven much, so that didn't get the chance to clog up with sooty bits. All OK since we changed to kerosene, but it would be nice to be able to run the hob and oven on HVO – IF they will run just as cleanly!
  4. That's interesting, too! Most domestic CH oil boilers use kerosene (ours does), so does that mean that HVO can replace kerosene as well as diesel, across the board? We have a Wallas hob and oven on our boat, designed to run on diesel but running much better on kerosene, and the Wallas dealers (Kuranda) say that they will run well on HVO. Perhaps I need to get my next domestic oil fill to be HVO instead of kerosene? I'll check with the manufacturers of our cooker/boiler.
  5. From some of the earlier comments in this discussion (notably from Up-Side-Down, 13th September) and from the IWA's report , it seems that HVO is proving to be a winner in engines of all ages. I haven't seen Listers mentioned, but Bolinders and others have apparently trialled it with success, as well as the newer generations of engine.
  6. I have suggested to the IWA that what boaters need is an up-to-date and constantly updated online directory of waterway-based HVO suppliers. Yes, of course we can ask boatyards to supply HVO when we are filling up but, if they don't have it and the next yard does have it, they probably won't tell us and we may never know that there was a supplier within easy range. So, a combination of knowing where it is and asking for it even when they don't have it MAY have some effect in increasing the waterside supply – without having to buy in 205-litre barrels or 1000-litre IBCs ourselves!
  7. Much appreciated! I have been looking for this. I have passed on the info to a few more people, who will also be grateful. Many Thanks, Dave
  8. That's great, Peter, many thanks As you will have seen from the replies from cuthound and by'eck, I have now been given lots of very similar advice, so all I need to do is follow it! Thanks very much, one and all!
  9. Thanks again to cuthound, and also to by'eck for the confirmation of availability of sulphuric acid. Looks like the faulty cell(s) may live again - just so long as the plates are not buckled and there is still SOME active material left in them!! It may be some while before I complete this work, but I'll report back when it's done - either way, success or failure!
  10. Thanks for this, very helpful. No, the cell casings are opaque, so I can't see the plates. I suspect that the cause is sediment at the bottom of the faulty cell(s), especially as the boat was moved by lorry fairly recently and the inevitable extra bumps and vibration may have contributed to the 'fall out'. You don't say anything about whether to rinse out with water (presumably distilled) or anything else, nor about the advisability of re-using the old acid or getting fresh. Any words of wisdom on these points will be greatly appreciated! Any other points to note?
  11. Thanks for this, Peter. I just logged on today after ages, to see whether anyone was talking about batteries and to see whether anyone would say anything useful for my situation. You did, so many thanks! We have ex-forklift cells, heavy brutes and big, each at 2 volts, arranged as 2 banks in parallel, each bank being 6 in series. Result, of course = 12 volts and lots of capacity. Recently found that the whole lot were losing charge fast and tried isolating the two banks. One bank healthy and keeps its charge, other bank not good and I suspect one or more shorted cells. I next need to identify the faulty cell(s) and was wondering about the possibility of doing as you said, draining out the faulty ones and refilling. Didn't even know it was possible, but just wondered. Seems it can be done, so can you (or anyone else) give some more specific pointers about how to go about it? For example, you say 'wash out' the cells - with water?? - and then refill with fresh acid. Worth using the old acid or is that a waste of time? Where to get fresh acid and what concentration? Would I be able to get it ready mixed from (say) an auto battery supplier? Thanks. Dave
  12. Thanks, but no email or web address there! Not that I can find, anyway! After posting the question, I went on Googling (as I had already done for about half an hour) and eventually came up with johnwhiteboats@hotmail.co.uk . Tried it, and have already received a very helpful reply! Not only good steelwork, good response to customer enquiries, too! The search is now off! Thanks again.
  13. Does anyone have either an email address or a website address for John White Boat Builders of Liverpool? Thanks
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