davewally

We now seem to have a boat also. Verbal offer has been accepted. It is suddenly all happening very suddenly. We now need to do the paperwork and organise a survey. Now a couple of questions. Since and can't get enough time off work at the moment we are considering moving the boat on a lorry. Does anyone have an idea of price to go from Alvechurch to somewhere on the K & A? and who might do it. Since the blacking was last done in 2008 we are thinking having it done whilst the boat is out. So does anyone have reccommendations of where on the K & A we could have it craned in and blacked at the same time? Hoping we might get a better price for craning in if we aslo gaive them some work at the same time. This one also has space for a washer Thanks for any help Dave

Hi again We are going to look at a G & J Reeves/Black Prince boat tomorrow, built 2003. Does anyone have any comments on what to look for on these boats? Thanks Dave

Nice boat. I like the quality of the photos. Unfortunately out of our price range. We are thinking 30 to 40k. ps I will have to join the doggie threads as we also have a border collie pup, Sasha. Thanks Dave

Top of the flight at Devizes. Looking for about 60 foot, cruiser stern so modernish. Our ideal spec seems to include solid fuel stove, diesel central heating and undecided on toilet (don't start on that I haven't any popcorn). Two berth, side doors and lots of batteries. I have about 200W worth of solar panels under my desk at work and will work out a charging system using them. Our (Heathers) one luxury may be a washing machine (space permitting) but not sure about that yet. Dave

Yipee! we've just won a mooring auction. Now we just need to finish redecorating the house, buy a boat and sell the house. Easy? Heather and Dave

Hi Luctor, I believe that I met you at Church lock, Bedwyn on Sunday afternoon. My daughter and I gave you a hand pushing the gates. We were there looking at a mooring. Mooring first then a boat. If so you are the first forum member I have met. I like your boat but my wife said we have to buy one closer to being ready to move on to. A shame because I love your hull. Good luck with the conversion. I look forwards to seeing your progress and hopefully soon being on the canal and seeing you around. Cheers Dave

Hi all, as an electronics engineer I find this topic interesting. Please all tell me where I am wrong in my understanding of this. If a boat is sitting in water it can't generate a current into the water as there is no return path for the current. I would think it unlikely a welded steel hull would have enough resistance to have a significant potential difference along it's length. The reason for electrolytic corrosion would be when it is connected to something, by a landline? or touching the ground or a piling. People have mention needing the boat to be positive to cause the electrodes to corrode. How about an ac current. Flow one way would cause metal to be lost and flow the other way would not cause it to be deposited back resulting in a net loss. I say this because one of the ways of earthing a mains supply is to ground the neutral conductor back at the source. I have seen the RCD at my father in laws house catch fire dut to this. It started with a loose terminal causing it to overheat and start burning. He rang me and I legged it to his house with a meter. I cut the seal and removed the electricity boards fuse and the fire continued. When I measured the neutral - earth voltage I found about 90V ac. A phone call to the electricity board and they promised to attend. By then the fire brigade were on standby outside the house waiting for the worst. It turned to be a neighbours oven had been left on and the element had failed whilst she was at work. Tthe whole row of houses disconnected until she returned. There is another thread where gonads has been measuring the dc voltage trying to find the source. What if the source was ac from someones landline connection. A meter on dc wouldn'd show anything. A bout between the leaking one and a piling would be a low resistance path causing the current to flow throgh it. An ac current could cause electrodes at either side to disappear. How about that for a theory. It's just a theory. I am waiting to be told how I am wrong (I won't be upset). Dave

Are we thinking the swame here? The boat being the lowest resistance path between the other boat and the earthed pontoon. Dave

Isn't it used to bolt your outboard to when the engine fails? I'll get my coat now. Dave

Hi I like the look of these http://gyroscope.com/d.asp?product=VULCANSTOVEFAN even more complicated and more to go wrong. Dave

Hi, thanks for suggestions. Unfortunately our prelimary spec of 55 - 60ft cruiser stern seems to be in short supply at the moment. We both have a weeks holiday so thought it would be a good chance for a day out looking at boats. That does give me more time to renovate the house prior to selling. I am sure we will find some. Thanks again Dave

Hi all, we are still in the early stage of looking at boats. We have been to Whilton several times and find the laid back attitude to looking on your own very useful. We are not yet in a position to buy a boat but are still looking at boats to work out what layout and spec would suit us. We are based in Glos so Whilton is only 1.5 hours, K & A close etc. My question is, where else can we browse boats for sale without a saleseman accompanying us? It would be nice to have a few places in the same area so a chance to look at a goood number of boats. Many thanks Dave

Hi all, I have obviously stirred this a little. I am not trying to not pay BW for my place on the canals, I just can't find a residential mooring. I expect to spend time on the mooring and time out on the canals. I have no intention of breaking the 14 day rule. With a fixed mooring and working in Swindon my cruising range will be quite limited. Anyway about boats. I am thinking about 60 foot, cruiser stern. It has to house two people and a dog and ocasional visitors. The moment you mention a narrowboat everybody says they will come to stay. My spec so far is pumpout toilet, solid fuel stove, lots of batteries and an inverter. How messy is pumping out a toilet? I currently live in the cotswolds with a septic tank. I have often had to rod my own drains, redig soakaways etc, so I am used to the mess and can cope. Hull thickness, I have seen 10,6,4 as the norm but some boats are 8,6,4 or even 6,6,4. Are these thinner thicknesses a problem? Is a petrol generator a good idea to charge the batteries quicker and without the need to run the engine? I was thinking of a small washing machine as this could be used from the generator. I like the idea of a small room between the stern door and the bedroom to use for wet clothes, washing machine and as an office (I would like to work from home in the future). Cratch cover sounds a good idea for the winter. I could fit one later. I can probably get some old solar panel prototypes from work. I am thinking of designing an MPPT controller and fitting these. Many thanks Dave

Hi all, I need to explain more. My health is fine. I will be lugging the gas bottles, emptying the toilet, working locks etc. I expect to anyway. My wife has just been diagnosed with arthritis. She will be active for some years to come but this won't last forever. There will come a time in the future when it will be too much. We want to get out and enjoy life whilst we still can rather than wait till it is too late. I know the K&A is a water based caravan park but working in Swindon it is the only waterway within range. I would love to keep it strictly within the rules. But a residential mooring seems unlikely. I have read the british waterways license terms. If you are a continuous cruser it is well explained about being on a journey and moving to different areas. What is vague is if you have a leisure mooring that restricts the number of nights you can be present you will be spending time out on the towpath (I think that's a good thing). Obviously you have to move after 14 days. What isn't clear is if you have a mooring and move on the towpath after 14 days do you have to move to the next parish or are you allowed to move a shorter distance. I don't wamt to break any rules. I am just after a way of living on a boat in the absense of availability of residential moorings. After all if I have spent upto 40000 on a boat I don't want british waterways telling me I have to take it of the canals. As I said I wamy to abide by the rules. They are just a bit vague. I know people have some strong feelings about this. I just want some help. Also any other boating, liveabord advice would be very welcome. Thanks Dave

Hi all, this is my first post to this forum, please be gentle with me. My wife and I are looking to buy a boat as a liveaboard on the K & A. I work in Swindon so need to be in the Wilts area, whilst I have this job. Our ideal is a 60ft cruiser stern, probably pumpout (but that depends on the mooring), solid fuel stove etc... We intend to sell our house, pay of the remains of the mortgage, spend some of the money on the boat and put the remains into a high interest account (this currently looks better than property). This was a long term plan but for medical reasons we now want to do this quicker to enjoy our dream before it's too late. Advice welcome. We are looking for a mooring. I would love to find a residential but this looks unlikely so my big question is if a get a leisure mooring and then spend time on the towpath ( so as not to upset the mooring rules), after 14 days when I have to move can I stay in the same area or do I have to move to another parish like a continuous cruiser does? I knows this is a hot topic, but as I said I would love residential but I think this may be difficult. Thanks in advance for all your replies, you will probably here a lot of questions from me. Dave