Bobbybass

Will take a walk and view...and report on summit tomorrow....

I'm moored near top of Crofton so will be able to give accurate info when I have it.

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.

So… several marinas that I have visited...who have their rinse hose attached directly to a standard tap....that is linked to the stand pipes for marina boats.....are breaking the law..?

OK... So that red non-return connector won't do ?

No no no...my comment wasn't aimed at you. The member 'Chewbacka'...….said I needed a anti siphon check valve....but obviously ( maybe) thought...it was something I left down there.....whereas it's just an extension to my water hose...

You missed this point. You attach this to your water hose......put the bent end down the bog...and blast the tank.... This is just a hose pipe with a bent end.... You don't leave it down there !!! I took out my cassette when I lived aboard.....non hobby....and fitted a macerator and pump out. I could only figure that people that like lugging cassettes etc...must have a toilet fetish....liking to see there pooh on a 3 day basis....

This is my ..through the eyeball tank washer.... I named it a grossen boggen flushen ..

Thank you all...but as usual when talking about toilets...it's going right off my original topic. I want to go cruising...so don't want to take out the tank and fit a cassette...or a mascerator...or a new tank ...or a composter...or spend long hours arguing which system is best....? I was just asking for ideas to make my current tank a little better with limited work. I now think I have the root of the problem. The previous owners left it for long periods with part full tank...with 'stuff' gradually solidifying under the bog and around the pump out and rinse pipe. There is no air vent, and so the partially blocked pump out pipe means that when you bung water down the rinse it blows back. I know this is the case as when I had the pump out valve open and we tried to fill the tank with water via the rinse..it shot straight back out and the electronic contents gauge shot up to full with the pressure. The gases build up...there is no way out or airflow for encouraging good bacteria and so when you flush the loo the gases come back through the eyeball. I have now followed several suggestions : I have made up a 'wand' with a tap....the bottom is bent 10mm copper pipe ..headed to 15mm and a standard hose connector....that will go through the eyeball vent and I can flush the length of the tank with some pressure . I have ordered the parts from Leesan to add a 1 1/2 inch breather pipe and an external vent. Added to this..I left the boat with a considerable amount of Wilko Bio liquid in the tank to soften the material on the bottom....(tanks bottom..not mine) I have ordered an aquarium air pump ...timer....and attachments...to drill a 10mm hole in the opposite end of the tank..and then periodically it will put an airflow across the contents... I will supplement this with a biological tank liquid to encourage the 'good' bacteria. I will see how this goes...hopefully go cruising...and will report back in some weeks/months. Thanks all for your constructive...and sometimes amusing suggestions...? Bob

Fine Boater Sam... But it needs fresh water from the canal via a sea cock ?... No ?

No..the pumpout and the rinse are both on the roof. The pumpout hose is not smelling.. I've had experience of that before so recognise the smell. The problem is that the tank is effectively sealed. There is no breather. If we put water down the rinse (3/4 inch) fitting and hose...AND open the toilet eyeball, the water will flow in, but close that eyeball and the tank pressures up. The pumpout obviously goes to the bottom of the tank and so the only way out for gases is via the rinse hose ( if I left the plug out). That isn't practical as it's only 3/4 inch and not capable of handling the sudden expulsion of gas when you flush. It also means that there is hardly any airflow to help the good bacteria and so it stinks. Several on here (plus other posts in the past) have told of how it essential to have an airflow over the tank , and in my case I have zero airflow. Thank you for your ideas, I'll adopt various suggestions to suit my situation. Bob. I'll squash you in a cassette !.. ?