Ex Hire Boat in France.

[Josm100]

Just now, Albion said:

Ah, so was it the damp, cold, of Ireland that she couldn't stand then rather than just the temperature per se?

Roger

The abiding persistent damp, the fact that you couldn't get dry and the cold sunk deep to the bone. Missouri has a dry cold that will literally make your eyes hurt and cause static shocks whenever you touch something metal, but you can escape it with layers. Not so in ireland. 

[Albion]

2 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

The abiding persistent damp, the fact that you couldn't get dry and the cold sunk deep to the bone. Missouri has a dry cold that will literally make your eyes hurt and cause static shocks whenever you touch something metal, but you can escape it with layers. Not so in ireland. 

In that case, from what you've told us, she'll prefer it in central France. ?

Roger

[Josm100]

6 minutes ago, Albion said:

Ah, so was it the damp, cold, of Ireland that she couldn't stand then rather than just the temperature per se?

Roger

The abiding persistent damp, the fact that you couldn't get dry and the cold sunk deep to the bone. Missouri has a dry cold that will literally make your eyes hurt and cause static shocks whenever you touch something metal, but you can escape it with layers. Not so in ireland. 

https://betamarine.co.uk/portfolio-item/kc-hybrid-propulsion/

 

Does anyone have any experience with this propulsion system, or know how much they cost? I like the environmental aspect of them and the fact you could lock up or down without the fumes. 

[Stilllearning]

We hired one of these, good bedroom layout, main cabin at the stern, upper steering and sun deck position, 2 more cabins forward, reasonable kitchen and dining area.

The upper steering position was the best place to steer from, but the wheel was very imprecise. 

https://www.franceafloat.com/capestang-midi/

[Josm100]

https://betamarine.co.uk/portfolio-item/kc-hybrid-propulsion/

 

Does anyone have any experience with this propulsion system, or know how much they cost? I like the environmental aspect of them and the fact you could lock up or down without the fumes

1 minute ago, Stilllearning said:

We hired one of these, good bedroom layout, main cabin at the stern, upper steering and sun deck position, 2 more cabins forward, reasonable kitchen and dining area.

The upper steering position was the best place to steer from, but the wheel was very imprecise. 

https://www.franceafloat.com/capestang-midi/

Thanks. Good to know. 

[Josm100]

16 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

https://betamarine.co.uk/portfolio-item/kc-hybrid-propulsion/

 

Does anyone have any experience with this propulsion system, or know how much they cost? I like the environmental aspect of them and the fact you could lock up or down without the fumes

Thanks. Good to know. 

I just looked a a few posts on hybrid systems, people did not seem impressed with the options available at the moment. 

[Athy]

17 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

We hired one of these, good bedroom layout, main cabin at the stern, upper steering and sun deck position, 2 more cabins forward, reasonable kitchen and dining area.

The upper steering position was the best place to steer from, but the wheel was very imprecise. 

https://www.franceafloat.com/capestang-midi/

Slightly off-topic, but that brings back pleasant memories. We hired a boat from Le Somail and went through Capestang on our way towards Carcassonne. It was a narrowboat - Napton Boats have a subsidiary company over there.

1 hour ago, Albion said:

 Also, I was surprised to see that there was no engine coolant heat exchange system for the calorifier so you were reliant on plug in port electricity bornes or using the gas heating system for heating the water. I have no idea if this as continued in the later models. On the whole though they went well and certainly were popular.

Roger

From memory, the engine heated the domestic water on all the ones which we hired.

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, Josm100 said:

 

I like the idea of adding a hybrid system like the one manufactured by beta marine, that would take care of the small fuel tank issue, but I wonder if it would even fit. 

 

 

Do you think a hybrid would use that much less fuel

[WotEver]

15 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Do you think a hybrid would use that much less fuel

I would expect it to use more as you have more inefficiencies in the system. 

[Josm100]

39 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Do you think a hybrid would use that much less fuel

I don't know to be honest. 'They' say one hour of diesel provides two hours of electric but they say all kinds of things.

With the addition of solar panels (especially in south of France) and charging from shore it could be possible but I'd have to do a lot of research.

 

Greenline boats have a highly regarded range of boats using yanmar hybrids that do about twenty five miles at 4-5 knots and run all the electric systems. People really like those for coastal crusing so it's a proven system. 

 

I guess I like the idea of silent cruising too, and the lack of fumes, and that has it's own value to me. 

 

Do barge engines ever run at load? Isn't there plenty of power left to charge a battery, and don't diesels run more efficiently at higher loads anyway? Even if it's only 1 hour of electric for one hour of diesel cruising isn't that a 50% saving? 

 

But this is off the topic of my original question, more a side note, but I appreciate your opinions.  Joe.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Josm100
Correction

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, Josm100 said:

 

https://betamarine.co.uk/portfolio-item/kc-hybrid-propulsion/

 

Does anyone have any experience with this propulsion system, or know how much they cost? 

 

 

 

I would say it's a bit difficult getting in and off at the locks, and it might not fit in a narrow lock!!

 

 

 

Seriously though, I've come across 2 of these systems recently, and the boat is remarkably easy to control once you get used to it. Having a remote means you can send the boat into a lock from the bank too.

One of the boats had NO solar,  an absolutely crazy decision by the owner, but he travelled most of the network successfully before selling.

Edited June 14, 2020 by matty40s

[Tam & Di]

3 hours ago, Josm100 said:

I tried to research on there, there seemed to be a lot of knowledgeable people and was interesting. 

 

However the forum posts seemed to be all jumbled about with no clear starting post or chronology to the replys.  Plus I couldn't find a search function to find topics.

I'm surprised that you say that. There certainly is a search function - I will check to see if it is only available to members. Obviously you have just subscribed to CanalWorld and started your own topic, otherwise if you did a search for 'penichette' I think you find it equally jumbled and offering contradictory views. CWDF is a brilliant way into boating, but if you are set on cruising on the continent you will find more of the fine detail on the DBA site. Many of us here use both.

 

Tam

[Josm100]

3 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I'm surprised that you say that. There certainly is a search function - I will check to see if it is only available to members. Obviously you have just subscribed to CanalWorld and started your own topic, otherwise if you did a search for 'penichette' I think you find it equally jumbled and offering contradictory views. CWDF is a brilliant way into boating, but if you are set on cruising on the continent you will find more of the fine detail on the DBA site. Many of us here use both.

 

Tam

Thanks Tam, I'll try it again, I just walked away confused. But maybe I have limited access since I'm not a member. If you say it's good, and I'm sure it is, I don't mind paying to become a member to get that functionality.  

[Josm100]

9 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

 

 

I would say it's a bit difficult getting in and off at the locks, and it might not fit in a narrow lock!!

 

 

 

Seriously though, I've come across 2 of these systems recently, and the boat is remarkably easy to control once you get used to it. Having a remote means you can send the boat into a lock from the bank too.

One of the boats had NO solar,  an absolutely crazy decision by the owner, but he travelled most of the network successfully before selling.

Thanks. The posts I found about these systems were from people who seem to have had no direct experience with them or even driven them, but had lots of very strong negative opinions. Good to hear from someone who has direct knowledge. And yes that engine looks oversized in that picture! 

[WotEver]

25 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

 

 

I would say it's a bit difficult getting in and off at the locks, and it might not fit in a narrow lock!!

?

[Naughty Cal]

4 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

£35K for a 1986 ex hire boat

Some are more expensive than that!

 

Broads ex hire boats are more expensive still.

[Josm100]

44 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

I'm surprised that you say that. There certainly is a search function - I will check to see if it is only available to members. Obviously you have just subscribed to CanalWorld and started your own topic, otherwise if you did a search for 'penichette' I think you find it equally jumbled and offering contradictory views. CWDF is a brilliant way into boating, but if you are set on cruising on the continent you will find more of the fine detail on the DBA site. Many of us here use both.

 

Tam

Hi Tam, so the tool bar that allows the search function is only available to members, and a google search seems to have jumbled all the replys while leaving out the OP question!

 

I'll sign up in a bit and all will be grand. Thanks for the help. 

[matty40s]

44 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

Thanks. The posts I found about these systems were from people who seem to have had no direct experience with them or even driven them, but had lots of very strong negative opinions. Good to hear from someone who has direct knowledge. And yes that engine looks oversized in that picture! 

It was slightly spooky to have a boat going along in virtual silence. The owner of one  managed several BCN challenges on his boat, without having to go on a landline at all. 

 

[Josm100]

6 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It was slightly spooky to have a boat going along in virtual silence. The owner of one  managed several BCN challenges on his boat, without having to go on a landline at all. 

 

BCN? Birmingham Canal Navigation? Forgive the ignorant Irish/Yank. 

[peterboat]

55 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

Thanks. The posts I found about these systems were from people who seem to have had no direct experience with them or even driven them, but had lots of very strong negative opinions. Good to hear from someone who has direct knowledge. And yes that engine looks oversized in that picture! 

I have a full electric drive train it works well, I have solar only for charging the batteries and propulsion, I love the silent operation.  The first boat I fitted electric to was a broads cruiser they are an ideal candidate light with lots of upper surfaces for solar panels,  if you go the hybrid route fit lithium batteries not 2 volt cells as the speed of charging is way faster with lithium batteries. With enough solar most of your cruising could be in silence, just running the engine for hot water at the end of the day, don't be put off what is a good idea 

[Josm100]

4 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I have a full electric drive train it works well, I have solar only for charging the batteries and propulsion, I love the silent operation.  The first boat I fitted electric to was a broads cruiser they are an ideal candidate light with lots of upper surfaces for solar panels,  if you go the hybrid route fit lithium batteries not 2 volt cells as the speed of charging is way faster with lithium batteries. With enough solar most of your cruising could be in silence, just running the engine for hot water at the end of the day, don't be put off what is a good idea 

Cheers, appreciate the input. What do you think is a reasonable budget for the system to be retrofitted into an existing boat? 

[Athy]

21 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

BCN? Birmingham Canal Navigation? Forgive the ignorant Irish/Yank. 

Not ignorant at all, because you are absolutely right.

In case you didn't get Naughty Cal's reference, Broads = Norfolk Broads in Eastern England. She didn't mean females selling their boats.

[Josm100]

27 minutes ago, Athy said:

Not ignorant at all, because you are absolutely right.

In case you didn't get Naughty Cal's reference, Broads = Norfolk Broads in Eastern England. She didn't mean females selling their boats.

Well, that makes everything seem less exciting. But yeah, I thought Norfolk there too. Thanks. I grew up next to the Barrow Navigation in Ireland, I need to do that in a boat sometime. 

 

Actually Athy is a pretty town on the Barrow. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by Josm100
More info

[Athy]

32 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

 

 

Actually Athy is a pretty town.

Well, I've been called many things but.....I never knew that.

Oddly enough, my forum name is an abbreviation of my surname, which is a town in Lancashire.

 

I've awaded you a "greeny" or "greeno" for your post. You'll see it just under your avatar. Members can award them to posts which they like, for whatever reason. You can't trade them in for beer, but some people think they're nice to have.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Athy

[peterboat]

47 minutes ago, Josm100 said:

Cheers, appreciate the input. What do you think is a reasonable budget for the system to be retrofitted into an existing boat? 

In truth I have no idea but if an existing engine is good then it can be retro fitted to it, a lynch motor and controller would be the best bet, as it can be used to charge the batteries when using the diesel engine.  I did think about it for my boat but decided all electric was better for me. Lynch motors  or google Cedric lynch who is chief engineer for saietta electric motors,  who is a genius on this stuff