Bones

last boat had a pot belly stove and I 100% recommend that you don't get one. Unless you aren't fussed about being warm. They don't stay in all night and they aren't air tight which means they aren't as controllable or as efficient as others.

I phoned up the supplier who will give me a new bit of door seal stuff to fit it.. they were fabulous about it, and apparently it's quite rare - typical its on my stove!!!!!!

Ta! I think I shall phone up the place I got it from as its new... Doesn't sound too big a job though - phew!

Talking of squirell stoves and staying warm, I have a leak in mine - I think smoke is coming through from the door seal - what do I do about it?!?!?!?!?!

Fantastic Guys - well done!!! Can you post a piccy of the ecofan so we can all see what they look like? It sounds fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I built a frame out of 2x2 which I screwed to the floor (or rather through the floor to the floorboards underneath) I then put a bit of ply on top of that and screwed that to the frame. THEN I put a slab of marble on top of all of that and then the stove. I screwed the stove feet down through the marble into the ply (ontop of the frame) to secure the stove and the marble. Gosh - this makes it look as if I have built a huge tower... i didn't the base is about an index finger high. As for ballast - I make all my visitors stand on the other side of the boat and am thinking of becoming a sculpturer. Actually, It doesn't skew the boat very much - and I have bookcases on the other side which seems to sort it out.

As a kid I always imagined the Thames to consist of debris and bodies (bedtime stories in our house were rather victorian gothic like!). I suppose they would never have known the name of the diseases individuals caught from the river ways (which had sewerage pumped into them), but it seems that anyone injured in water would be invited to dine with the grim reaper. Plunge baths are meant to be rather healthy... if they help tone up I might cut a hole in the ice and have a go myself - Perhaps I could start a new business - 10p a dip! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr,

Gosh!!!! Actually come to think of it, I think there is a women who has a morning swim whatever the weather in the sea by plymouth! I am not sure if she glows as a result.... Much warmer the last coulpe of nights - perhaps summer is returning!? I rather miss scraping the ice off my car...

lovely! Although I prefer to eat the rats before they get to me....

And relax...........................

Good advice - nothing like a mouth full of diesl and a heart attack to embrace the day with!!!!!!!!!!

Having not had a stove for the last few months and thus been a trifle nippy to say the least I have now got my Morso working, and am finding Tom and Sophies tips from another thread superb!!! I don't mind cold mornings, but I do like the idea of the stove staying in.... I am finding mine to be totally controllable and am in wonder at it. Of course, I am only breaking it in at the moment so not burning too hot a fire and not too long, so its still a bit nippy in the mornings. However, when I return from work they heat up wonderfully and its excellent for defrosting my eyebrows!!!!

I am delighted to announce that as of 30minutes ago I am no longer cold on my boat!!!! I have just finished fitting the stove and have lit a small fire to break it in (a bit like a pipe!). Warmth is definately the fashion for today!!!!!!!!

if you don't want the hassle of doing it yourself Uxbridge boat centre will send you a catalogue on request which has a diagram at the back for you to fill in your dimensions - send it off, they send a quote and will make it up for you.

Its a rutland 915 - I THINK but I will check it later. I didn't buy it, but the person who did is staying with me, so I will ask him! I am absolutely positive its the best one available - I have seen many wind generators on my travels and they certainly don't seem effective as the one on the last boat (thats if going around is a good indicator!). The 8ft height of it probably helped too. I didn't run the engine at all to charge the batteries for weeks on end. (I don't have a TV and the fridge was gas, but the stereo and lights weren't)

I had a wind generator on my last boat and they are fabulous. Put it up on the roof of the boat with an eight metre scaffold. It will whizz for england and make you very happy.

I have no doubt that others will disagree. Indeed!!! I have no idea how anyone can cruise a boat single handedly without a centre line. I have known people do it but I still find a centre line so much easier! - especially in the wind. Its just so simple. I don't use ropes in the lock unless there are more than one of me, and then they are quite handy...

there is parellel here with a church building in addleston (hang in with me). The people in the street complained because the 'institution' sold the church in their street. They were up in arms not only because the building was to close, but that it would become a centre for islam. The vicar said it was built as a place of worship and should remain thus. The locals didn't agree, and were fed up (to put it politel)y that there would be an increase in traffic. The minister did point out that no-one from that street (the street who complained, the street for whom that church was local) went to the church. Therefore, if the locals wanted the church, if they wanted it to be a part of their community they should have supported it. Seems to me, with castle mill, the locals want it - do they support it. If they do, and if others do, then it should remain. Its all to easy to sell somewhere for the money it will bring in for flats, but surely none of us support that? We are into community, into support, and if anywhere is an important part of community it should be maintained. Whether we have visited or not, whether it is a mess or not, surely its about maintaining our history, and our community. Sure, it might have been difficult finding someone to take it over - but they did, and they are there. Offering any citizen enormous amounts of money is tempting - is that what BW will do? Then thats what they will do. We still have to fight for a right, for our heritage, but we have to accept if it goes, it has to go for the right price, and sure, we'll suffer, but lets then buy it for the price BW offer the current owner, if we can't, we are in his position and of course we would take the money. Thats why today, we have to support all that we stand for, whether we like it or not whether its cheaper elsewhere. Sounds like the village shop scenario to me - people want the shop, but they prefer to shop in the supermarket... more wine anyone?

i won't pretend I have read all the threads, coz I aint. However, as a newbit to doing my own boat I do wonder what I can do to do my boat out in a traditional style. As working boats are well gone, and even the museums don't show much for tradition, its tough to work out what to do. I am stripping my own boat and doing it out as a 'home'. This 'home' as I call it won't be based on a land property, and indeed i have no desire to replicate the landowners glory on the river. I want somewhere practical, useful and that which conserves energy without freezing my bones to a state of death (I am happy to shiver, but I DO object to my freezing hair). It strikes me that 'tradition' isn't just about the way we do our boats out, but to do with our way of life. I went to Dapdune wharf recently and even then I had no hints as to how to maintain tradition. Indeed, part of me thinks I should do my boat out as I can with the tools available (and I am often accused of living like a cave man and how do I cope - even my neighbours don't think I live aboard!!!). and tradition is simply about the lifestyle. How one kits out ones boat doesn't mean we are traditional? What do you all think? It seems many think the old traditions are dying. I love roses and castles, skeletons and caracesses, I can paint the latter, but not the former - that means I have to pay someone for the former and I just don't have the money.

I have only just discovered after 2 years afloat that boats can be warm. With an efficient stove they are toasty cosey and wonderful (and I have only been on single glazed boats). Without heating I had to rely on hotwater bottles, thermals and star jumps and a good sense of humour. In recent years the winters haven't been consistently cold - just a few freezing days here and there. The key is to get the chill off the boat - or at least thats what I think.

such a shame.

I would think that if you wash off the droppings there is not a problem. Personally I would don a face mask and rubber gloves to do this, just to be on the safe side. Excellent suggestion! I think I shall just wear a face mask and rubber gloves all the time. Always wanted an excuse....

Hmmm... My boat hates me.... it doesn't like having hols drilled and is upset with the paint colour and is cold and.. and... and... how can I convince it its good for it? I suppose my boat sees me as the dentist...