Can I turn my theory into reality? Fossil fuel free, 100% off grid, but modcons

[Ronaldo47]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The problem with chicken manure is the high levels of ammonia which is VERY bad for the environment

I well remember my late father saying that, after he had started keeping chickens during the war, he found out the hard way that applying fresh chicken manure to the garden killed everything off. He used to leave it for a year before using it. 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Ronaldo47
typos

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Jerra said:

Firstly it would depend on the breed.  I once was on a farm where everyday the sheep were in a different field.  I asked the famer about this and he said "the stone walls are only 4' 6" they can clear them".  The breed was Jacob sheep. 

Splendid beasts! Although I would have thought those horns might be a bit of a danger to solar panels.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

Forgive me if I've missed it, but nobody seems to have mentioned in words of one or two syllables that the first thing the OP needs is an energy audit. 

 

How much energy is needed, and where is it coming from. Do the calculations first. The rest is merely detail.

 

 

 

I think the OP lost interest in this thread days ago! 

[GUMPY]

8 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

I think the OP lost interest in this thread days ago! 

Probably because we didn't pat him on the back and say what a great idea you have had 😱

[reg]

On 04/11/2021 at 13:00, TitaniumSquirrel said:

I am hoping that given the large battery bank, when I do have the glorious Winter days, combined with using precious little electricity each day and a change of habits, that I can "bank" enough to last me a few days

 

Looks like from the above  the op has already conceeded that his original objectives are not achievable.

 

Hopefully the op has taken on board some of the comments, the on topic ones at least, made so far. The op should by now have inkling that they have quite a lot to learn about narrowboats and narrowboating.

Some bullet points that may help the op

 

.I recall that a reply has been given that you can't just occasionally  hang 4kw of solar  off the side of the boat without there bring significant ballasting problems. I would add to this that i think it would be totally  impractical anyway.

 

Filling the roof totally with solar panels creates a set of problems if traveling alone. I envisage difficulties doing locks solo if access to the roof is blocked, the op should in time begin to understand this point.

Also a completely full roof would make the use of double ropes or even  a single topevdifficult to use, again the op should eventually with experience understand this point.

 

Hopefully the op has now sone understanding of why their original post is fundamentaly flawed.

 

Hopefully the op will take the comments on board and have a good old mull over them. 

 

 

 

[MtB]

2 hours ago, reg said:

Filling the roof totally with solar panels creates a set of problems if traveling alone. I envisage difficulties doing locks solo if access to the roof is blocked, the op should in time begin to understand this point.

Also a completely full roof would make the use of double ropes or even  a single topevdifficult to use, again the op should eventually with experience understand this point.

 

Good points in your post mostly, except for this. Not just you but one or two other posters appear to have overlooked the OP's comments that he intended his boat to be permanently moored and NEVER move. 

 

So hardly a boat at all. Might as well be a thread about a log cabin. 

[Peanut]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

“So hardly a boat at all. Might as well be a thread about a log cabin.”

^^^^^^

[Mad Harold]

20 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I agree. I have learned to avoid the chippies that are open but empty. 

 

But paradoxically I also tend to avoid those with long queues! 

I had a chippy for a couple of years some time ago.

Friday teatime and Saturday lunch,the queue was out of the door.

The rest of the week as quiet,so like Chinese and Asian takaways,I used to fry to order and the customer had to wait.

There were very few who wouldn't.

 

[howardang]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Good points in your post mostly, except for this. Not just you but one or two other posters appear to have overlooked the OP's comments that he intended his boat to be permanently moored and NEVER move. 

 

So hardly a boat at all. Might as well be a thread about a log cabin. 

The Op does actually contradict himself on a few occasions. He frequently emphasises that  he has a permanent mooring, but then says that he will go cruising occasionally - either solo or with friends. A log cabin on wheels perhaps?

 

This appears to be yet another post about a "bee in a bonnet" from a poster who doesn't like to hear the realities. I would like to know a couple of straightforward things like how he will dispose of toilet and other waste, and how he intends to fill water tanks.

 

Certainly this is a popcorn thread to be followed with interest

 

Howard

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, howardang said:

I would like to know a couple of straightforward things like how he will dispose of toilet and other waste, and how he intends to fill water tanks.

 

 

Those very anomolies were the reason I asked if he had considered a houseboat rather than a 'canal boat', but the answer was the mooring he has secured has no facilities.

 

Maybe he plans to 'pump-out' from one end of the boat, and 'pump-in' at the other end.

[Tony Brooks]

I don't know for sure but I understood that toilet discharge into the river was allowed in that area but I am not sure about the Cam. Then there are the filter manufacturers who claim that their filters allow you to drink canal water - rather him than me!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Maybe he plans to 'pump-out' from one end of the boat, and 'pump-in' at the other end.

Then surely, CWDF can offer some practical advice, rather than being so negative.

• Work out which way the current is flowing. Easy on rivers, can be harder on canals. The Llangollen would be an idea canal to have your boat on, with its fast flow. I'm sure there would be no objections.
• Pump in at the upstream end.
• Pump out at the downstream end.
• Make sure no one else is pumping out upstream of you.
• If you do move the boat, only cruise upstream if you have pumped out recently.

See, that wasn't so difficult. 😁

[Machpoint005]

Or just buy shares in a water company?

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

Or just buy shares in a water company?

 

 

 

 

Does that allow you to make unlimited deposits and withdrawls from the Canal ?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Does that allow you to make unlimited deposits and withdrawls from the Canal ?

Perks of share ownership. Certainly the water companies are happy pumping out raw sewage. (Last weeks scandal)

Edited November 7, 2021 by Jen-in-Wellies

[tree monkey]

37 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Does that allow you to make unlimited deposits and withdrawls from the Canal ?

There would be a certain irony if a director of a water company was fine for discharging sewage into a river from their own boat

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, reg said:

.I recall that a reply has been given that you can't just occasionally  hang 4kw of solar  off the side of the boat without there bring significant ballasting problems. I would add to this that i think it would be totally  impractical anyway.

 

There use to be a boat moored up near Anderton with the cabin side covered in solar panels.

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

There use to be a boat moored up near Anderton with the cabin side covered in solar panels.

We saw one up that way, possibly on the Macc. that also had panels hangung from cross trees on masts, it made it look like a scruffy square rigger.

[reg]

5 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Good points in your post mostly, except for this. Not just you but one or two other posters appear to have overlooked the OP's comments that he intended his boat to be permanently moored and NEVER move. 

 

So hardly a boat at all. Might as well be a thread about a log cabin. 

I have already made that point in a previous post and the op conceded that on balance it was probably correct. I believe the op has accepted that the original post was flawed.

 

I actually have no problem with postings that are put up to get shot down as sometimes they can be productive.

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

7 minutes ago, reg said:

I have already made that point in a previous post and the op conceded that on balance it was probably correct. I believe the op has accepted that the original post was flawed.

 

I actually have no problem with postings that are put up to get shot down as sometimes they can be productive.

 

 

 

I agree, but I certainly have a problem when a poster starts of by saying they don't want  their ideas criticised, even if they do retract it later and say they are happy with constructive criticism. Much the same as posters who ask for help/advice and then can't be botherd to provide the info requested to allow a sensible diagnosis to be made or explain why it is not possible.

 

[StephenA]

5 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Good points in your post mostly, except for this. Not just you but one or two other posters appear to have overlooked the OP's comments that he intended his boat to be permanently moored and NEVER move. 

 

So hardly a boat at all. Might as well be a thread about a log cabin. 

 

So how is he going to fill up his water tank, or empty his toilet? At least a log cabin could have a well and a cesspit.

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

So how is he going to fill up his water tank, or empty his toilet? At least a log cabin could have a well and a cesspit.

 

Already discussed, only about 12 posts ago (sorry - no post numbers on this forum)

Edited November 7, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[StephenA]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Already discussed, only about 12 posts ago (sorry - no post numbers on this forum)

 

Missed that 

[Briss]

...and "mod cons" covers a lot of ground, like washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave, steam iron etc etc. This would be problematic, to say the least.

[reg]

3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I agree, but I certainly have a problem when a poster starts of by saying they don't want  their ideas criticised, even if they do retract it later and say they are happy with constructive criticism. Much the same as posters who ask for help/advice and then can't be botherd to provide the info requested to allow a sensible diagnosis to be made or explain why it is not possible.

 

To be honest I was just having a stab at being polite, wondered what it would be like.

Edited November 7, 2021 by reg