Leave boat for longer than norm.....

[Scholar Gypsy]

20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I went and turned our heating off on 4th March, checked all pumps, battery charger etc were turned off, master switches off, AC off and that the Solar was working OK.

 

With hindsight, pretty much just timed it right.

Me too.  I also replaced the float switch on the bilge pump, which had failed - despite being less than two years old.  Really odd as I had not had a float switch for the previous 38 years..

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Me too.  I also replaced the float switch on the bilge pump, which had failed - despite being less than two years old.  Really odd as I had not had a float switch for the previous 38 years..

 

Probably a film of manufacturing oil on the contacts, or some light oxidation. Operating it a few dozen times may well have got it working. Its a common problem with new things left unused for long periods. 

 

This assumes it didn't actually wear out by operating every ten minutes for the two years!

 

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Probably a film of manufacturing oil on the contacts, or some light oxidation. Operating it a few dozen times may well have got it working. Its a common problem with new things left unused for long periods. 

 

This assumes it didn't actually wear out by operating every ten minutes for the two years!

 

 

I reckon it was operating once every few days for the two years. The switch was still clicking, but not running the pump. Inconsistent readings with the multimeter, so as you say probably a problem with the contacts. Anyway I junked it.  I've tightened the gland a bit so I am quite hopeful that I when I finally get back to the boat there will be no water in the sump tray....  

[Midnight]

18 hours ago, Halsey said:

 

 

 

Once in 16 years - pretty amazing batteries!

Is that unusual?
The current battery bank is 2 x 240AH own brand sealed from Alpha Batteries in Rochdale which were relatively inexpensive and at least 6 years old now .
Does keeping them on charge help them last longer? - Maybe someone who knows about such things could comment.

[Movin' on]

54 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Is that unusual?
The current battery bank is 2 x 240AH own brand sealed from Alpha Batteries in Rochdale which were relatively inexpensive and at least 6 years old now .
Does keeping them on charge help them last longer? - Maybe someone who knows about such things could comment.

 

I reckon "cheap" (but not the cheapest on eBay) batts are good for 5 years on a boat that is well used and kept on trickle/solar charge when left is about right...……….. others will give you the techy stuff but in my 50 odd years boating that's been about as good a guide as I need.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Halsey

[Midnight]

46 minutes ago, Halsey said:

 

I reckon "cheap" (but not the cheapest on eBay) batts are good for 5 years on a boat that is well used and kept on trickle/solar charge when left is about right...……….. others will give you the techy stuff but in my 50 odd years boating that's been about as good a guide as I need.

The first set I had were 3 x Squadron 250AH gels, lasted ages. TBH I'm not convinced they were goosed when I changed them. I had an issue with the Mikuni CH burner not starting and was told it was probably the batteries. As it happened changing them didn't help  :-(

[WotEver]

On 01/04/2020 at 11:27, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Odd you should say that, most of my life I've been happy to shave a thin layer of green mould  off my cheese should it have any, reasoning that the cheese underneath is still safe to eat given lots of cheeses have blue veins of mould by design. 

 

I happened to mention this to a microbiologist customer and he had a purple fit say no I must NOT do this! If I must try to save a block of mouldy cheese, cut off a layer at least half an inch thick all over and bin it. Better to bin the whole block of cheese. I was rather taken aback by this....

 

 

I’ve always done the same, basing my argument on “it’s only mouldy on the outside” 

[Keeping Up]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

I’ve always done the same, basing my argument on “it’s only mouldy on the outside” 

Me too

[MtB]

 

Apparently the mould penetrates some way below the surface so the slivers I slice off don't really get rid of it. 

 

I remain to be convinced on that point but it now I've been told, any cheese I eat from just below the sliced off surface does seem to taste faintly odd.

 

Psychological, possibly.... 

 

 

[Chagall]

But isn't cheese mostly just bacteria anyway?   If you look at cheese under a microscope you wont want to eat it again! 

[ditchcrawler]

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/food-and-nutrition/faq-20058492

 

[Ianws]

https://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/blog/2017/02/08/why-did-samuel-pepys-bury-his-cheese-and-other-pressing-questions/

 

As most primary school children know these days, Parmesan should be okay.

[Chagall]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/food-and-nutrition/faq-20058492

 

Well Yes thank you for that, however my hoarding instincts wont let me throw good food,  I will cut a little more off the mouldy stuff and try to remember to eat it before it gets strong enough to walk out of the fridge by itself. 

[magpie patrick]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Apparently the mould penetrates some way below the surface so the slivers I slice off don't really get rid of it. 

 

I remain to be convinced on that point but it now I've been told, any cheese I eat from just below the sliced off surface does seem to taste faintly odd.

 

Psychological, possibly.... 

 

 

I'm still alive, you're still alive  

 

Cheese has already gone off once anyway, that's how it's made... 

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

I'm still alive, you're still alive  

 

Yes but look what happened to both of us!!

 

 

 

[Ianws]

My wife just cuts off the mouldy bits. There’s a difference between the unpleasant mould and bacteria. Bacteria can cause food spoilage or poisoning. Food spoilage is easy to spot , you wouldn’t want to eat it but it’s not dangerous, but food poisoning bacteria growth doesn’t have visible signs. Bacteria need warmth, moisture and time to grow, which is probably why hard cheeses tend to fare better, less moisture.Take care with high risk foods past their use by dates. 

[Slim]

I was on the boat when the marina (Cropredy) 'evicted' all those "with a primary residence elsewhere" . Cleared every bit of food and most of the drink ?. I remembered to both grease and tighten the stern gland (left a note by the ignition key). Also thought to put clingfilm over the toilet bowel. Again with a note on seat ?. Water off, all electrics off apart from charger. Time will tell if I missed anything and at the end of the day it's only a boat.

On the matter of cheese I too have cut mould off and carried on eating. Has anyone suffered ill effects from doing so?

I suspect  in the present situation both sell by and use by dates will be viewed a little more liberally .    

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, Chagall said:

But isn't cheese mostly just bacteria anyway?   If you look at cheese under a microscope you wont want to eat it again! 

No it's mostly fermented curds. Fermentation occurs as a result of bacterial activity but cheese isn't mostly bacteria by weight, volume, or any other measure.

16 minutes ago, Slim said:

I was on the boat when the marina (Cropredy) 'evicted' all those "with a primary residence elsewhere" . Cleared every bit of food and most of the drink ?. I remembered to both grease and tighten the stern gland (left a note by the ignition key). Also thought to put clingfilm over the toilet bowel. 

 

You wrapped your arse with clingfilm? That's one way of reminding yourself not to use the boat toilet I suppose!

[Phoenix_V]

On 01/04/2020 at 16:27, Halsey said:

 

 

 

Once in 16 years - pretty amazing batteries!

should be due for anothr change soon then

[nikvah]

On 01/04/2020 at 11:27, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Odd you should say that, most of my life I've been happy to shave a thin layer of green mould  off my cheese should it have any, reasoning that the cheese underneath is still safe to eat given lots of cheeses have blue veins of mould by design. 

 

I happened to mention this to a microbiologist customer and he had a purple fit say no I must NOT do this! If I must try to save a block of mouldy cheese, cut off a layer at least half an inch thick all over and bin it. Better to bin the whole block of cheese. I was rather taken aback by this....

 

 

I know that mold has a root system of mycelii/myceliums that grow throughout the cheese or jam but i still just shave the top layer off. I've not heard of harmful cheese mold (campylobacter being a bacteria) but the top could host a mixture of nasties.

Meanwhile I fret for my boat at Venetian Marina where they've told me there are no staff patrolling the boats. Poor show I think.

[tree monkey]

6 hours ago, nikvah said:

I know that mold has a root system of mycelii/myceliums that grow throughout the cheese or jam but i still just shave the top layer off. I've not heard of harmful cheese mold (campylobacter being a bacteria) but the top could host a mixture of nasties.

Meanwhile I fret for my boat at Venetian Marina where they've told me there are no staff patrolling the boats. Poor show I think.

It's not a root system it is the fungi, what you see on the surface is only the fruiting body.

Purely speculation but the extent of the mycelium will depend on the availability of its food source, as cheese is, I would imagine,  fungi food heavy it's likely the penetration is limited.

Like most of you I only cut the surface layer off and I'm not dead yet

[Slim]

12 hours ago, blackrose said:

No it's mostly fermented curds. Fermentation occurs as a result of bacterial activity but cheese isn't mostly bacteria by weight, volume, or any other measure.

 

You wrapped your arse with clingfilm? That's one way of reminding yourself not to use the boat toilet I suppose!

Not quite ?

Pumpout system relies upon water trapped in the bottom of the bowl to prevent smells. Over a period of time evaporation. Clingfilm MAY stop this happening (I hope)    

[Keeping Up]

26 minutes ago, Slim said:

Not quite ?

Pumpout system relies upon water trapped in the bottom of the bowl to prevent smells. Over a period of time evaporation. Clingfilm MAY stop this happening (I hope)    

The last time that we had to leave the boat for such a long period of time, not only did the bowl water evaporate but far more seriously the contents of the tank settled and the liquid evaporated to leave the bottom part of the tank covered in a thick immovable sludge which required considerable manual work through the inspection hatch to remove. I'm not looking forward to having to do that again.

[Slim]

2 hours ago, Keeping Up said:

The last time that we had to leave the boat for such a long period of time, not only did the bowl water evaporate but far more seriously the contents of the tank settled and the liquid evaporated to leave the bottom part of the tank covered in a thick immovable sludge which required considerable manual work through the inspection hatch to remove. I'm not looking forward to having to do that again.

Thank you for those words of comfort. How long before the bucket and chuck it brigade come along? ?

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, Slim said:

Thank you for those words of comfort. How long before the bucket and chuck it brigade come along? ?

There are allegedly benefits to both systems, unfortunately I cannot think of any myself for a holding tank (despite having one on each of my boats)