Jump to content

Robin2

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    933

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Robin2

  2. What is so great about living aboard?

    in Living Afloat

    Posted

    In my eyes this is utter failure and not what I wanted at all.

     

    I get the impression that external circumstances are pushing you boatwards. I think you will have seen from almost every reply that boaters don't consider boating to be failure - generally it's the opposite. Please don't blame the boat or the canals if they have not caused the problem - look at them as a new start.

     

    I have a firm policy for myself that regret for past decisions is a complete waste of time, and just depressing. If you have reasonable health and can afford a boat (even a cheap one) things are pretty good. I continue to be amazed at how much stuff everyone buys that is totally unnecessary.

  3. RCR read the small print

    in General Boating

    Posted

     

    We already have the answer! You would connect the starter solenoid and the pull in coil of the shut down solenoid to the start contacts of the key switch. This puts about 58 amps at 10 volts (typical voltage during cranking) through the key switch.

     

    By moving the pull in wire to the motor side of the starter soilenoid we reduce the current through the key switch to about 33 amps at 10 volts.

     

    I have been following this thread just to add to my background knowledge. I did not think any of the solenoids would draw 58 amps or 33 amps - I thought the current would be in the range 1 to 5 amps. Have I misunderstood something?

  5. What is so great about living aboard?

    in Living Afloat

    Posted

    I may soon have to live aboard, somewhat against my better judgement. I have been a regualr on this forum for some time and have yet to see many negative comments about life aboard. Most comments are just too positive to be believed, all very starry eyed (except sueb :) nothing can be that good can it? What is a more realistic, worts and all appraisal? and no I am not a troll, whatever that is.

     

    I am beginning to doubt this ...

  6. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    We sign it, so it is ultimately down to us, but it does give us some re-dress ourselves, and back up that it has been independantly surveyed and assessed. Not that we have needed it to date. We just feel it is a good practise. It is purely our choice.

    I know you weren't knocking us, sorry, that was a generalised comment really! :blush:

     

    I thought the £500 might be because the professional was carrying the risk.

  7. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    I know of few professional surveyors who would do all that, travelling aswell, for less than that and be any good!

    Don't knock it when a builder is trying to offer independant surveying, assesment, and regulation off their own backs! Everyone is quick to knock us for self-cert'ing, so surely it is a GOOD thing that we, and a few other reputable builders do so?

     

    I am not trying to knock you. I am just a little suspicious of the usual professional rip off.

     

    If things go wrong (and I hope they don't) would the Trading Standards people prosecute you or the professional for issuing a false RCD certificate?

  10. RCR read the small print

    in General Boating

    Posted

    If there is a concern that the stop solenoid (more correctly the go solenoid) is losing power it would seem worthwhile to wire a telltale bulb from it. If the bulb goes out when the engine stops it would seem to be an electrical problem. If not - look elsewhere. (I gather that a new solenoid has been fitted with no improvement).

  12. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Then perhaps it could be avided by professional boat builders choosing to get boats independantly checked. It costs us in the region of £500 per boat, money well spent for peace of mind, (us and our customers) a good nights sleep and someone to keep us updated aswell!

     

    If the professional is familiar with his professional techniques and if you are a responsible builder producing successive boats that have a lot in common with each other it is hard to see how a fee of £500 is justified? I can understand that sort of charge for a one-off or a first boat of a series where more investigation and hand-holding would be necessary.

  13. Digital amp meter question

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Point of order.

     

    If the meter will measure negative and positive amps, and it is not powered by its own battery, then the input impedance of the meter will almost certainly not be in the megohm range. It will actually be quite low. Maybe a few 10s of Kohms. Possibly a hundred or so but not megohms.

     

     

    Are you referring to a meter that draws its power from the shunt wires? Does it make a difference if it has a separate power wire?

  14. Digital amp meter question

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Just to return to the good point made earlier in post #2 by WotEver, and which is perhaps in danger of being forgotten, to the OP why do you NEED high accuracy?

     

    If you can correctly answer the question, in detail, then you probably do need a shunt meter. If not, then "just because someone says so" is not a good enough reason. I have a "car-type" ammeter, and I accept that it is probably up to 10% wrong at times, but it serves the purpose most of the time.

     

    I recall a story about economic forecasting. Some expert is supposed to have said if you get the sign right you're doing ok.

  16. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    well exactly, 'farcical' is putting it lightly.

    My boat already has a full and complete BSSC and has had for the last two and a half years, it had the official inspection at one year old necessary in order for sailaways to get a repeat licence, and it passed with flying colours.

    So, an official body tested my boat to make sure it complied with the British Safety Standards and it did, obviously I wasn't allowed to do this myself. It cost £85 for the inspection and a £40 administration fee to BW £125 in all, which is a fair price for the necessary 'M.O.T.' as it has been described. A BSS I have no problem with and welcome with open arms just as I do the M.O.T. on my car.

    It's the RCD and the quango know as BSI that's annoying me. To many people are letting the RCD be overplayed to them 'we're told we need it so therefore we must do' and 'It's there to protect us' The reason they can't enforce anything is because there is nothing to enforce. You don't get a certificate saying "This Is Your RCD" that can be inspected.

     

    In reality, you only have to make sure that everything about your boat complies with the regulations, which when you break it down is quite simple LINK. You have to document all of this information (see earlier link), fill in your declaration of conformityLINK, compile a user manual (see earlier link), and purchase a builders CE plate from the chandlers engrave it and attach.

     

    The CE plate is the certificate.

     

    I have no gripe with the BSI apart from the prohibitive cost of acquiring the standards documents which should be available free of charge, or for a small fee to cover reproduction costs if people want paper copies.

     

    The BSS is intended to ensure on-going compliance with safety standards. I can't recall if. for example, it concerns itself with stability.

     

    Um "In the recent past this process has been carried out (forget where) and I believe prosecutions + big fines were the result." that statement's more vague than the RCD! :rolleyes:

     

    Isn't this a little unfair on somebody who was trying to help?

  17. Digital amp meter question

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Increased voltdrop across the shunt - yes, as you say

     

    Voltdrop along the meter connecting cables - no because the voltage measured by the instrument will be lower than across the shunt.

     

    I don't understand this.

     

    I am under the impression that, because the meter has a resistance of 10 MegOhms or so the 10 or 20 Ohms in the connecting cable and fuses is irrelevant.

     

    I don't see how putting extra resistance (even a tiny amount) in the metering wires could cause extra current to flow in the shunt. For all practical purposes there is no current flow in the metering wires.

  18. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    if the RCD was to protect the buyer then it would be applicable after the first five years of a boats life also.

    Or is it there to protect the more affluent purchasers of canal boats? and it disregards the people that can only afford a boat over five years? It's a little bit mixed up is it not?

     

    It applies for the whole life of a boat if it applies to it at all. Any boat put on the market within the first 5 years of its life must comply. If you build a boat and don't sell it within 5 years it does not apply as it was only intended to ensure standards for commercially built boats and not for "home made" boats. Clearly a buyer of an older boat has the option to reject one that does not come with an RCD certificate. Equally a person could apply for and get an RCD certificate for old boat that meets the requirements. I can't remember what is the status of boats that were in existence and within the EU prior to the RCD Directive coming into force.

     

    I do agree that it is a bit farcical if cowboy builders can self certify for category D.

  24. Recreational Craft Directive

    in General Boating

    Posted

    BSI is an independent institution with a Royal Charter, originating from a standards committee set up by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

    Where did you learn that the taxpayer pays for it?

     

    How very interesting.

     

    I assumed it was a Government body but I have had a look at its accounts and it is a private non-profit-distributing body.

     

    Who the f*** allowed it to get a monopoly on this business and charge ridiculous prices to get copies of standards that should be in the public domain?????

  25. What is so great about living aboard?

    in Living Afloat

    Posted

    Thanks for your very considered reply, Chieftiff. I concur with most of what you say. Are you sure that the inland waterways will be exciting enough for you? ever though of lumpy water? you could get a really nice blue water boat for the price of a new,not very good narrowboat.

     

    If you want to make a trip at sea you have to check the weather and tides carefully. You will probably be at sea for a minimum of 4 hours with nowhere nearby to moor if you change your mind. And it is windy and lumpy and uncomfortable quite a lot of the time. (Obviously some people don't mind the lumpy stuff). And if you breakdown you can't pull over to the bank to make repairs. Been there, done all that.

     

    On the canal you can be moving 10 minutes after you think you might like to, and you can usually stop and moor up within 5 or 10 minutes.

     

    And the nice parts of boating - being on the water, going slowly, seeing wildlife is the same (albeit the wildlife are different species).

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.