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Hi All, Now I've done the engine compartment I'm looking to paint the other ones, mainly the two lockers under the Semi-trad seats (where i store chains/pins etc), the Bow Thruster tube area and the Bow Gas Locker. None are too bad but need a bit of rust treatment (lots of 'ok' existing paint). I just used plain bilge paint in the engine bay but thinking i maybe need something a bit robust on these or it'll get very easily chipped especially in my chains locker? I've read about Jotamastic 87 but this seems quite expensive..... any other suggestions? not fussed about colour etc thanks!!! rob

My iPad tells me I have 14 new BT emails but I can't open them. Anyone know why? Is it a problem with BT or my iPad?

BT charge me a small monthly fee for the privilege of having an email account with them. It used to be free till I closed my landline down. I have a lot of saved email files with BT and don't want to lose them but wondered if I could save them somewhere else and wave BT goodbye. Any ideas?

I was thinking is it possible to have remote switches to control bow thrusters say on the tiller ?. On my boat the joy stick control is too far away to reach especially with the tiller hard over, which is when you normally want to use it.

This post is me finishing a job that I had to carry out on advice fantastic helpfull forum members of a posting about a month ago, which I earlier today posted again on the original post I just want to make sure what I've done today is safe, which is why I reposted I was in the Engine bay today sorting out a timer issue which is now fixed, so while i was on a DIY high I thought I finish of a job that went from NOT fitting a split relay, (different post fitting a split charging relay) to me changing the charging cables which was way too small and close to being dangous and causing a fire!! So I got the right thickness cables running from the bow thruster battery's lenght of boat to the engine start battery, connected to 40 amp alternator. Today I've disconnected these cables from engine battery, and routed them nicely and neatly connected them to the positive and negative/earth terminals on the side of the engine. These are conecting to the 150 amp alternator, and domestic side. Hoping this is safe?, and when engine running more amps being pumped into bow thruster battery's, so that the BT battery's have a better chance off keeping up with BT use age.? Hope I done good?? Thanks all Col

I can't quite figure out where the new brushes for my Vetus BT go? In all the other electric motors I've ever seen the brushes contact somewhere near the top of the rotor. I started taking off the metal grille but I couldn't see where they go behind it, and then I wondered if I have to take the yellow top off the motor housing? The diagram in my Vetus manual is of no help at all.

I'm looking at replacing my two 13 year old Hi-Fase BT batteries - yes they came with the boat but have finally died! I would replace them with he same brand/model but it doesn't look like they make them any more. They're 110ah wet lead/acid (refillable) and are labelled dual use (start/leisure). I'm a bit restricted in terms of the physical dimensions (max: L34cm x W17.5cm x H25cm) as I need to get them into the locker on the bow. Because of the voltage drop to the bow I've never seen them at more than 14.6v when being charged, so I'm wondering if I could use sealed wet/lead acids as there is a lot more choice and I'm more likely to find the dimensions I need. My understanding (which may be wrong) is that sealed maintenance-free lead/acid batteries shouldn't be charged higher than 14.4v because if they gas you can't replace the fluid? I'm just looking at car start batteries so how about these? Are Numax any good? https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/numax/c31-1000/ Thanks. By the way, I really don't want this thread to turn into a silly debate about the immorality of BTs, but I realise that some of you just can't help yourselves, so if you must then by all means knock yourselves out....

Have just discovered I have free BT sport access via my EE max plan, managed to set it up OK but as I'm new to this malarkey I was wondering how much data I would use for 90 minutes of football, anyone have any ball park figures on this Thanks. Itv reception a bit ropey via free view at the moment so need a backup plan for tomorrow. Need I say why?

Evening all Just wondering if anyone has any experience or thoughts on the NASA BM1 bluetooth battery monitors? Here's a link to an example: http://www.nasamarine.com/product/bm-1-bluetooth/ I'm looking at this system over a more conventional battery monitor as to put the monitor display where I would like it/ in a place that isn't inconvenient would require over 7m of wire, which would have to be quite large gauge for reasons of voltdrop etc (I also don't really fancy routing the wire if i'm honest). I pretty much always have my smartphone on me when i'm aboard the boat which would be able to communicate to the monitor, and I intend to keep my current battery monitoring system of an ammeter and voltmeter as a backup. The boat has two 130Ah leisure batteries that once I have a more adequate monitoring system in place I will replace, and I can never see me exceeding the 100A (1200W) limit of this monitor as I only have a 500W inverter and no other major loads (and no cause to fit a larger inverter as there is no room aboard for a washing machine/dishwasher/ Corby trouser press). Many thanks as ever

Any recommendations on a pair of batteries for a bow thruster ?.

Anyone know why my BT email system has stopped working on my iPad (had nothing since 23th Dec)?

All of a sudden I’m getting this message on my BT email inbox! Anyone know why/what I need to do? “This message has not been downloaded from the server.”

Just got out of the dry docking by panel lights up, but no motor working at front but have power on the panel getting practice without BT busy down here any BT vetus electric advice?? panicking lol

I'm getting my boat out this summer to grit blast and epoxy the base plate, BT tunnel and rudder stock tube all of which have never been done. The sides were epoxied 7 years ago and still look perfect. The grit blasting will be done by the yard or their contractor and I'll be doing the rest of the work myself. That includes removing the BT motor/leg and the rudder and minimum of 3 coats of epoxy. I've decided to book 2 weeks out the water because a week might be cutting it too fine. The baseplate is about 15m x 3.6m. Day 1 will be pressure washing and removing the rudder and BT tunnel. Day 2 blasting. Day 3 cleaning off all the dust from blasting. Days 4, 5 & 6 painting. If I only had a week that doesn't leave much time for the epoxy to cure. Even winter grade hardeners take 48 hours to fully cure before going back in the water, plus I've got to put the rudder and BT back together. I could do it in a week but if anything goes wrong or takes longer than expected I'll be getting stressed about having to go back in the water before I'm ready with the slipway booked for the next boat. The extra week is only costing another £150 so it makes sense to me. The only added complication is that the slipway owner told me he will need to move some boats about after I've been out for a week which means I'll need to go back into the water for a few hours and then come out again. Obviously the BT will need to be refitted before the boat goes back in (my BT doesn't have a cofferdam), but the rudder wouldn't have to be back on as the boat can be roped into position off and back onto the slipway trolley. Anyway, I'm wondering whether I'd be better off booking two separate weeks; one to do the baseplate and the other to do the BT tunnel and rudder stock tube? That would mean only the baseplate is blasted because I'm not going to pay twice for that, but anyway I'm dubious how well a long BT tunnel and rudder stock tube can be blasted given there's no way to get a good angle on the lance. I was thinking about cleaning the BT tunnel with a big steel chimney brush and using a 2 or 3" steel pipe cleaner for the rudder stock tube. I already have these as I bought them several years ago but never got to use them. I also have some drain cleaning rods which I use for cleaning my chimney & flue. Anyway I'd be interested in the constructive views of others...

Just a quickie, Does anyone have experience of the BT dongle? They say you pay £40 and top up in £10 goes. The question is, does that £10 run out after a month. irrespective of whether you used it, or does it carry over to the next?