boatyboy

Evenin all.A while ago for some reason my warning buzzer stopped working on my Engine control panel.I have Purchased a new PCB which includes the buzzer(£44.00).So what i'm after is a wireing diagram please for a Vetus MR17 aprox age of mine is 9 years.Any help would be much appreciated.By the way...sit down.......A complete new panel is around the £800 mark direct from the vetus shop.........Why? Why ? Dave

Hey..I have the same niosy problem,and i'm interested in the reduced voltage theory.Hows that done then?

Hey..I have the same niosy problem,and i'm interested in the reduced voltage theory.Hows that done then?

My Dad used to say "If it ain't broke don't fix it".Think back to your car...How often did you flush that through.....Never i bet.Unless you have leaks to stop,and are suffering from overheating i'd leave well alone.

Looks ok don't it.where would you put it on a narrowboat.Dunno how they make things that cheap. I guess it won't go for long.Just noticed it runs for 6.5 hours.does it pack up after that??

We have the Bubble stove(oil fired).And it used to blow out in anything over a stiff breeze.When it did it filled the boat with very acrid fumey white smoke.We were advised to buy a rotating cowl by Harworth heating (bubble stove makers)surprise surprise . After the initial sharp intake of breath at the cost we bought one.Now i won't say its stopped all the blowing out,as looking back a week or so with all that wind we had to let the fire out.But all in all i would say get one.They work ok,but don't see why they cost nearly 80 squid. They are very poorly made,as they look like something i made in metal work at school when i was eleven years old Dave

Last year whilst on the Llangolen canal i dropped my favorite windlass in a lock.Out come my trusty magnet,and Guess what.........I pulled out not only my own but 4 more!!! Now we 'lock dangle' everywhere.Got so many mooring pins/pileing clips and lock windlas's i could start a shop.. Wanna buy some BW Now it looks like i've got to dabble under the cover of moon light.

From what i was understand the green bead in the viewing cap is purely to tell you if you need to top the battery up.The bead is in the bottom of a curved plastic tube.when the fluid is up to the correct level it floats to the top.When the level is low the green bead disapears around the curve so you can't see it.Simples... I've just replaced all 4 of our leisure batteries after one year.(we live and cruise on our boat all year round(CC) So i guess that they must have reached their cycles limit) The new ones have transformed the boat.I'm never going to fart around buying one at a time anymore. Dave

Hi Chris.sorry to hijack the topic but Whilst we are on the subject.I've always thought our narrowboat had a propeler that was too smal. Can you help me please.I have a 57'semi trad,with a seventeen inch prop,i don't know or understand what the other measurements mean.My engine is a Vetus MR 1.7.Is that enough info ? Do i need to change it for a larger one? Dave

Yes we get that too.We solved it by cutting small foam circle about 1" thick that fits just inside the internal brass inner ring.The foam still breathes and let fresh air in.If you think you have condensation...Thats nothing if you have houdine type roof hatches,some days we could almost have a shower under ours.

Aha.Re the coconuts.I was told today that the coconuts were thrown in by the bag full as an experiment a few years back to see if they would produce shoots.Coconuts need to be in water for a long time before they germinate.(i'm only repeating what i was told here remember!!) And some have been found with green shoots coming out of the shell.We've seen about a hundred today,none with growing shoots though.I think someone was winding me up don't you

Oh not good eh?? Not sure where that is.Been along here twice before but never seen it this bad

Ah forgot to mention about the oil,i saw and smelt that.Funny thing is though there is a small floating BW craft rusting away here in the basin at Brentford that looks like its built for scooping up rubbish in the cut.Oh i forgot.....BW ain't got no money.Yes they efin well have,coz they got mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi all.We have just spent another month on the Thames,having joined it from the Oxford through the Dukes cut.The moment we swung onto the Thames we felt reborn.so wide and so clean.We headed up to lechlade,(never done that end before).Just love those twisty turny bits that get tighter and tighter the nearer you get to Lechlade,and wonderful scenery.miles of open countryside with hardly any roads or houses. This river is by far the best in the country(IMHO)and we are sad to be off it.We came out at Brentford today and straight away noticed the amount of rubbish in the canal,make one proud to be British !We both feel like turning round back onto thr Thames.Whilst on the river we met several hire boats with foreigners on board who were heading to the GU.What must they think of all that crap in the water eh.(BW....get your fingers out) Dave

The National trust have been dredging the lock all day today,and now boats are ok to use the lock.Tomorrow morning they plan to dredge the pound below the lock,so i guess there may well be some waiting time whilst the dredger moves to allow you to use the lock.Hope this post has been helpful? Dave

Spoke to water guys again.The locky on the Thames lock will be advising Those boaters entering the Wey from the Thames end. Dave Hi There,I guess my boat sits a bit low eh.Love the Thames!! our favorite waterway in the country. Dave

Evenin all.Just thought i would post this up for anyone heading up or down the Wey.Last night oiks totally drained the pound between New Haw lock and Coxes lock.Leaving it empty.The pound is now full again and looks fine to navigate until you try using Coxes lock.Due to so much silt and stones being washed into the lock the gate will not close at the bottom.We were trying for nearly 3 hours with 4 other boats to shift all the rubbish away from the cill.But it would appear that there is a gravel bank built up in the middle of the chamber that is so high that your boat get left high and dry by 12 inches.so don't go into the lock if you are coming to coxes from the Thames end.I expect there will be an official stoppage posted for this sometime.National trust guys were there helping us,but had to call it quits The National trust plan to dredge the lock and pound sometime tomorrow,So i suppose that some guy in a suit will have to come along to do the usual risk assesment and so on. But that will have to travel down from godalming which is 6 hours cruising away from here.If you need further info other than what i've put here, please feel free to phone me on 07902925144. Coz we ain't going nowhere until at least mid afternoon tomorrow. Dave .....N/B Urquheart Castle

This is a subject close to my heart.Recently we were cruising on the thames near to lechlade,most of those that have done that end of the thames will know that its rather twisty turney,and most of the moorings are on fields using good old fashioned spikes.I know its a river,therefore deeper and wider.but a lot narrower than further downstream.We were safely moored up for the night.It was around 8.30pm and dark and raining.when we heard the sound of an engine coming on a bit fast.It was a narrow boat from Anglo welsh going flat out,music blasting out,and had about 6 guys standing on the roof,p**sed as farts and shouting abuse at us pearing out of our port holes.One shouted to us... "Do you wankers smoke weed all day?" Due to their speed we we ripped off our pins,i was able to get my boots on just in time to jump to the bank before we started to drift away. I know its a hot topic on here this sort of thing, but what is it about hire companies ??? do they not warn these idiots about the problems they cause with their speeds.One thing we have noticed every time we go on the Thames is that the Plastic boats with their 'suburban sea captains'have no respect for moored up boats on pins either. I have contacted Anglo welsh on the Thames,and they will be having a word with the hirers,bit like shutting the stable door me thinks. Dave

Hi thanks guys.You have all been very helpful and have confirmed my suspicions.That batteries FAQ link is great too.Am i right from reading on there that if my 4 batteries are only half charged each day for long periods that the battery will not charge any more than half no matter how long i try and charge them. Cheers Dave

Hi.This topic is most probably been asked on here many times.But here goes............. I fitted 4 new 110ah batteries 13 months ago.We are continuous cruiser and cruise all year round.therefore we only motor along for about 3 to 4 hours a day. The telly (240 volt) never goes on before 7 o/clock at night, and off by 10.Only candles alight as well. The reason for switching off that time is because the fridge generally starts flashing around that time.And you won't believe the size of the wire going to the fridge,its as thick as a pencil.Therefore the fridge ain't flashing due to voltage drop.And soon after the inverter alarm goes off.So the question i'm asking is 'A'...Are my batteries due for a change,or 'B' am i expecting to much from them? Would anyone expect them to give up the ghost after one year? Thanks in advance ....Dave

Debdale wharf !!! brilliant service

Hi Everyone.Is it me? yes is it just me?? Like most folk on here the wife and i try to moor in the middle of nowhere miles from anyone else.And before someone shouts "Its the hire season ya know" yes i do know. We were moored on the leicester section of the GU the other day near Yelvertoft marina,we were attached to a piece of piling just over the length of our boat by about 15 ft. when a private boat started heading for this 15ft piece of piling behind us.They ended up ramming my rear button as they tried to squeeze as much of their 50 + foot boat onto this short bit of piling.I'm afraid i let rip at them a bit,they backed off with no more than a by your leave as if nothing had happened!! What is it with people that they have this damn sheep like flocking instinct and feel that perhaps we want campany.WELL WE DON'T!!!!nothing pisses me off more than this happening. One very memorable one last year was on the Tardebigge flight.We had just spent around 6 hours in the peeng rain,and decided to stop on the long moorings one lock down from the top.Bearing in mind it was late autumn around 5.pm.We stopped on the very last pair of rings on the top end. I noticed that there was a boat in the top lock coming down.Now if you guys know the moorings i'm talking about there is enough room to moor twenty boats yeah? This private boat decided to stop for the night (it was getting dark)He moored right up to my button,on the same bloody ring as i was on.WHY WHY???? I'm afraid i got cross with him too. I said to him "don't you just love it when you take a sunday afternoon ride out in the car and find a nice gate way in a field miles from anywhere,Get the picnic out and some inconciderate bugger stops right next to ya" or when you park the car as far away from other cars in Tescos car park only to find a car either side of your car when you return.His answer was a cracker..."It gets very busy here mate" "Not at 5pm this time of the year it don't" i replied At present we are on the North oxford canal moored near to Braunston.Two boats were obviously crusing together,now this'll get you laughing...One tried to moor in front and crashed his back end into my bows,and left his damn smoky engine running for two hours after he had tied up. The one that stopped behind also rammed me,and had a bloody disco going inside. Both boats were private ones.Where has good old common courtesy gone to?? Roll on the winter we say.Hire boats gone to bed for 6 months,most of the others in a marina somewhere.Ok Rant over......Gimme your best shot,I'm ready for the flak.........time for me cocoa..night night OLD GIT Dave

Give this guy a call...Auto Unit Ltd Unit 1, Dunstan Gate, Paxton Rd, Gorse Lane Industrial Estate, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex CO15 4LR. What he don't know about alternators ain't worth knowing.....Tel: 01255 433363 ask for Ray,and tell him Dave Smith sent you.Good luck !!

I Know this ever so slightly off topic,but it still concerns horns and the use of them.But this time its from road traffic.Any of you been up the Ashby canal ???? Well there are several nice mooring spots near the hump back bridges.Now to the point of my post.......Why do blinking motorists insist on bibbing their bloody horns just before they rise over the hump?? Does the fact that they have bibbed give them the right over other traffic approaching the bridge from the other way. I just don't see how a car coming the other way could hear them honk. Getting back to the mooring's by the bridge,its only after one has tied up for the night that they honk about every 5 minutes, even at night, and its damn annoying . Dave ........................night night sleep tight....i hope

Hi Guys Thanks for all the help,it was all very informative.I have been in contact with a guy who refurbishes alternators and starters,he did a search using the numbers i gave him off my vetus alternator,he came back telling me that my Vetus engine is the same as used in a fork lift truck no less,and due to the electrical requirement on a fork truck not being that high they fitted such a small (50amp) alternator.I did know that under the yellow paint it was a Mitsubishi truck engine, I've been telling everone that i have the same engine as a Misubishi warrior pick up truck !! but not a bloody fork truck. One final thing perhaps you could help with ...That is when i post a new topic on here i don't get email notification of replies, even though i tick the box for that notification