Coots Forever

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful advice. We had another boater, who it turns out was also a gas engineer take a look and replace the hoses, all seems to be in safe working order. Thank goodness for the boating community, he was able to get it fixed in a day! Good point about our last BSS inspection, only done a few months ago, not good. Thanks again for everyone's comments. Sarah x

Hi, Just wondered if anyone could help. Last night our gas stopped working, on closer inspection in the gas locker it looks like the pipes leading from the calor gas cylinders to the regulator have perished, and the switch at the bottom of the regulaator has become very stiff. I have called round some local Gas Safe registered engineers who have LPG experience, and spoke to someone who said he would need a specialist Marine licence to work on LPG supply on a boat. He recommended two possible options. First, to find a Marine Gas engineer, but warned he didn't know of any locally and that it would be very expensive. Or he said we could buy the parts from a caravan shop and do it ourselves. Just wondered if anyone could recommend a marine gas engineer in the north west? or if they had any experiences doing it themselves - just wondering how likely it is that we will blow the boat up!? Any advice much appreciated, Sarah&Andy

Hello, Really interesting post and some great advice. We are at a similar stage, and making a really tough choice about whether to stay on our widebeam or move back to land closer to my parents and our home town. After swinging back and to with the decision - We have just put the boat on the market, thinking that if he sells we'll be very sad to leave, but closer to family & friends, And if he doesn't sell we'll have a boat baby! Having thought it through and read your posts, I really think it would be fine, there are lots of benefits. But my only question that someone might be able to help me with is heating. It would be our first baby, so not really an expert, and I read a few books about keeping a constant temperature for a new born above 18 degrees ??? We have a cracking stove and some diesel radiators, and for us, even in the depths of -14 in freezing January we are fine, with extra layers and thick pjs. How do other people find this with children?, Is the very cold weather a problem for babies? Any tips? Boatman Al, I wish you all the very best and congratulations, it is such a lovely way of life. and if we end up being boat parents too, I'll be in touch! Sarah x

Hi everyone, Just to give an update, after a few days of my partner and my dad getting soggy feet, we have fitted a new calorifier etc, and followed some of the advice from you guys, so back to enjoying our new live aboard! Phew! We learnt a lot, got to know our boating neighbours (who were helpful and sympathetic) and we know the blokes at the local plumbing supplies shop pretty well too , having popped in 6 times a day for various bits & bobs! We also sampled a few local pubs & indian take aways, for stress relief at the end of the soggy days ... so feel fully initiated into the area! It made a good story at the wedding we went to at the weekend! It's all about having good stories! Thanks again for the advice. Coots Forever xx

That's a good idea, how do I check the pressure? Xx

Thank you everyone for your advice and support. Its good to know what we need to replace, & to understand the system a bit better, we will get a new twin coil calorifier & pressure release valve. I have googled some suppliers in the area. We are safely tucked up, I've had a large gin, the bilges remain empty and we've not sunk. So feel a little better! All part of the adventure! Thank you again coots forever

The tank is fitted with a PRV and has a calorifier. The tank had a hole on the side that wasn't there yesterday, the insulation is splayed outwards like an explosion and water was pouring from it. The water pump kept pumping today and the bilge filled with water very quickly. We've emptied the bilge and shut off all the water. We will order a new tank and fit it, but need to know if it's just a faulty tank or if there's anything else that might have caused it. Any help from anyone who has had any experience of this kind of problem would be most appreciated. Thank for everyones support. Coots forever xxx

Hello, my partner and I are very new live aboards, we got our new home last week. We went on a bit of a cruise to get used to her, all was going well, we ran low on water yesterday & filled up today. & this evening discovered that our hot water tank has burst a leak. Looks like the tank exploded. We have shut everything off. Water pump & stop cock are off. We are a day from home, so will be ok to go on tomorrow. We will need to replace the tank, but are at a loss on how this happened. We don't want it to happen again! Any thoughts on what could have happened and how to avoid it. We were ready for the learning curve, but a little shaken by this. Thanks Coots Forever

Thanks for all the help. I gave Middlewich boats a call, and also checked out Top Locks website. The prices were slighlty cheaper than I first thought, so I can go along too. I think that's good advice from Ditchcrawler - If I got the other-half to try and share his new knowledge with me after the course, I think I'd start having flashbacks to my Dad teaching me to drive! Lots of shouting! Great stuff, looking forward to it, thanks again. Miss Coot. Yay! Thought no-one would get it! Yes I was always a fan of the books from being little, then when we started looking at living on a boat, it all started coming back to me! My partner had no-idea what I was talking about, the 'Hulabaloos' and all that! so I got the DVD of the BBC production, and was quite suprised he liked it! I think he wants to name our boat 'The Death and Glory'! Coots Forever!

Hello, We are about to buy our very first boat, and it is my other-half's birthday next month. He has said a few time that he fancies doing a Helmsman course, so was thinking of organising one for his birthday pressy. A nice day out, a certificate to hang on the wall, and maybe a pub dinner if he's lucky. I have looked on a few websites, and would only be able to afford for him to go. I could jog along the tow path maybe...or go to the pub. Has anyone done one of these? We've had a couple of boating holidays, but would be good to learn a bit more for when we are trying to handle a 57 fter! Does anyone have any recommendations of a good course? Also, if this sound like a lame present, feel free to let me know! Location isn't a problem, we are North West, but happy to go anywhere. Thanks Miss Coot.

Hi, I'm just looking for a bit of advice. We have decided to go ahead and by a buy a widebeam to live aboard. We have done the sums, and searched around, and think we have found the one. We have viewed it a few times, and therefore met the seller, who is really nice and helpful. He has all the documentation etc, and it seems great. We have agreed on a price, and we are ready to apply for finance. My question is - is it best to go through a brokerage (as I've noticed the boat is listed with some), or to complete as a private sale? Just a bit nervous, as if it was a house I'd have 3rd party involved to help, but if it was a big expensive car, I would maybe buy privately...so it feels somewhere in between. So maybe: * Does going through a brokerage cost loads? * Is there any benefit? Any thoughts? Many thanks Coots Forever. Ps: Just had a thought, am I using the right word when I'm talking about 'brokerage', I literally know nothing about this! I think I mean the person that helps you sort out the sale, make sure the money transfer goes ok, a little bit like an Estate Agent for a house...although I've had some varying experinece with estate agents in my time...think this is what I'm getting at!

Wow, thanks for everyone's advice, really helpful. We've been to visit again tonight, and have decided to take the plunge! Very excited! We'll let you know how we get on! I'm using far too many exclamation marks here, but hey ho! Thanks again, Sarah & Andy.

Thanks, the RBOA website was really useful, I'll order that book, I think they ask you to post a cheque, so will share any pearls of wisdom I learn from it! I just read somewhere else that the NHS allow 'Care of' C/o, addresses to register at a gps - so maybe the farm address, or ma & pas. Thanks for the advice, I'm off to try Ecover Washing Up liquid on my hair! Coots Forever x

Hello, We are new to this forum, so hello everyone! We have been reading posts as guests for a while now, as we were researching our liveaboard dream! They have been really helpful, thank you. We've put together a budget, we've looked at different boats in some lovely places, we may have found 'The One'...but before we take the plunge we had a couple of questions (The boring stuff that I've avoided asking so far!). It would be great if anyone can offer some advice. 1) Doctors: The boat we have our eye on is on a 'end of garden' farm reidential mooring, it's well estblished with many boats. Does anyone know if you can register at a local GPs? 2) Electoral role: Just looking to the future, where we may want to get a 'land' mortgage in 5 years ish time. Would we be registered as living anywhere, or would they wonder if we had been in prison / on the run!? 3) Dirty Water: The boat owner said that the dirty water from the washing machine goes into the canal, so we would use Ecover type washing powder, which is fine, as we already do. However, does this mean the same for shampoo, toothpaste etc - I'll have to sign up to using herbal toothpaste, which is fine, but I may need to psych myself up for that! Any thoughts? Thank you again for the forum for all the advice so far, very helpful. Any help much appreciated. Sarah & Andy