Bobbybass

Been told there may be limited reopening this Friday..

I just fitted a new oven and hob. Both were 5/16 . The oven was below the hob so I attached the fixed pipe directly to it. That was accessible with the hob out...however dropping the hob in over the top , I wasn't happy with the possibility of stressing the joint when I inserted back on the work surface. I attached a 8mm to 5/16 compression Fulham nozzle to the pipe and the hob fitting, replacing the brass olives with copper. I then used approved flexible pipe (orange...about 300mm between the two nozzles. Tested with leak spray...and was happy that the movement of replacing the hob hadn't disturbed the joins.

There was a boat yard at Windsor ...Bell Weir ?.... where they have boats like this FREE !!!. There's a reason for that....

Not sure if this is of any interest. On my boat I only had a single coil calorifier with nothing else. That means long periods of engine running in the marina. I had an old 3 gallon tank with a 240v immersion. I put aT in the cold water feed. I used a second pressure relief valve and T into the original outgoing pressure relief pipe. I bought a simple 2 input 1 output change over valve on eBay so it either takes water from the engine tank or my mini immersion tank. When I apply power to the immersion tank it energises the valve and changes it over. The immersion is only 1Kw ( less than 5 amps on 240v ) but heats enough for a nice shower in about 20 minutes. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F122778968124

From my own experience...I would never attempt to get off the stern and leave the prop spinning. When I did my PBL2 with stern drive..this was an accepted practice..but having fallen off twice over the years I wouldn't do that. No criticism.. personal preference.

You could try the fuel filter. It's so tiny you can hardly see it...about 4mm wide and 6mm long. It's in the clicking metering pump...where the fuel pipe attaches. You have to remove the inlet pipe and poke about with your nail to get it out. it's like a tiny thimble. Worth a check before you commit to expense.

I bring the bow angled in ..almost up to the boat in front...and my wife hops off with the bow line. She then comes back so the line is at quite a steep angle to the boat. I then say..."pull back"...but she doesn't do this hard and allows a little slack. I then point the tiller/ slight forward burst only.. so that the bow is trying to head away from the bank...at this point I may allow her to slack it slightly. Because the bow cannot actually head back out...the trigonometry/angle of the dangle. .means that the stern will come in. I then get off and using bow and stern lines we gently pull it in. Using this technique, I have parallel parked a sixty footer in a space about a foot longer than the boat. Quite impressive.

I had a Beta 43. Changed oil and filters every 200 hours..and used Wilko oil. At 10,000 hours it started without heaters...ran without smoke...and didn't use a drop of oil between services. As has been said..its a plant engine. I worked in plant hire for years and we ran these in generators and diggers. Long term hire on sites we did visit and service, but they probably did over 500 hours between oil changes...and had dirt and dust chucked at them. Never a problem. A really great little engine.

I would just be wary of anything with a naked flame. Remember...the Cutty Sark...and Notre Damme !

Are you leaving it on all day..?.. I left it on about 3 hours...3AH from a 150AH battery bank ?

I just leave the inverter on.....with a table lamp with 11 watt energy saver bulb. Hardly draws any power...( I make that about 1 amp at 12 volts..?..no..?)… Guess you could use a 12 volt LED.

It was a few years back...but as far as I can remember...the engine plate had some bolts...and the drive plate didn't...so I had to cut some slots so that the plate would fit flat on the face.... This was due to the fact that the engines and gearboxes were made by different companies and cobbled together. When I was going to change the plate .. it was Adrian at Beta...who said it is always best to take them the old plate to match it up. May be worth giving them a ring ( nice folks)….and giving them your engine and gearbox numbers and see if there are any things you need to know. They may just tell you it's a straight forward plate change job...( since when has … straight forward... ever applied to narrowboats.. ? )...

I had a Beta 43 and a PRM 120....but I had to hacksaw some parts of the drive plate to make it fit. This was not just me...I took the old plate to Beta in Gloucester to make sure I had the correct one and Adrian told me that's what I needed to do. (He originally said he was going to do it for me.....but suddenly lost enthusiasm ? ) Maybe you won't need to do that ..but be prepared...

Few years back I bought a Lockmaster for my wife to use. It was a Christmas present. She hated it.... Firstly it weighed a ton...secondly....my wife ( not all women) was in no way adept at using a ratchet drive...

So...not a problem then....as they will be pumping out....and my grossen boggen flushen wand....will be attached to their rinse hose. Anyway...this has all been very interesting...but we should all give up on the subject now. Bye.