Fire extinguishers...

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Janz said:

Cool, I had no idea of any of this

 

That's why we are telling you about it.  We'd hate to see you come unstuck because you weren't aware of some of the regulations and processes that only apply to boats.

 

I don't think you're trying to pull a fast one, just that your timing is tight.

 

Personally I'd work out where the stove and cooker are going as they are the big two for BSS and get them installed before your test.  It'll save you 160 quid or so in retesting fees if you can do them before your first BSS test.  Also having the stove in makes working on the boat far more pleasant if we get a cold snap in March or April, and we have had snow in May recently ...

[Tony Brooks]

I would comment that it sounds as if you intend to refit narrow boat style. That is with fixed down floors with bulkheads, appliances and furniture on too, making getting into the bilge impossible to extremely difficult. I suggest that you do it cruiser style where the bulkheads, fixed furniture and fixed appliances go in first and only then the main floor boards.

[Alan de Enfield]

56 minutes ago, Janz said:

Cool, I had no idea of any of this.

 

So, 'the penny finally drops'.

We are not trying to cause you problems, we are trying to save you problems.

 

Wiring rules, Gas rules, Fuel rules, Fuel storage rules (Petrol), Generator rules, etc etce etc will all impact on how you do things - do not do things thinking they are correct and then find out they are not,

Do not do things the same as you would on a car, or in a house, the rules, regulations and requirements are very different.

 

Example : You cannot just take your CO alarm from your house and use it on the boat. The Boat CO alarms are approved to a different sprcification (part 2 instead of Part 1) It is all explained on the BSS Website.

 

Read and learn what is acceptable and required, then do the work.

 

This was written a few years ago but is just as valid today.

 

 

Have you invalidated your BSS Certificate?

 

Saturday, 15 June 2013 08:29

THE Nationwide Alliance of Boat Surveyors and Examiners (NABSE) were greatly encouraged to read the May issue of ‘News from the Fens’ where Kelvin Alexander-Duggan highlighted a situation all too familiar to NABSE Boat Safety Scheme Examiners, writes Chairman Graham Freeman. The situation being when BSS Examiners encounter non-compliant changes to craft configuration that have been made at some point during the ‘maximum four years validity period’ of the Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (BSSC).   Invalidate the certificate As Kelvin rightly points out, many owners believe that their BSSC is valid for four years and, by doing what the majority of boat owners do in the form of alterations/improvements to their craft, they sometimes (unknowingly) invalidate their BSSC because they do not realise that such actions may contravene the BSSC 'terms and conditions' which are to be found on the rear of the 'old' (pre 1st April 2013) Certificate and which clearly state: The validity of this certificate may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained and/or alterations are made ... For BSSC's awarded after 1st April 2013, a revised set of terms and conditions entitled ‘About the BSS Examination and its Limitations’ is issued to the owner in either hard copy format or emailed as a .pdf document and these state:   Revised terms The owner’s on-going responsibility: it is crucial to maintain the vessel in good condition in accordance with the safety requirements; and, any other licensing, registration or mooring conditions of the relevant navigation or harbour authority. The validity of a BSS pass result may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained; and/or non-compliant alterations are made.... NABSE strongly supports Kelvin's recommendation for purchasers not to place undue reliance on any accompanying BSSC as proof that a boat is compliant with the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) at the time of purchase. Prospective buyers are encouraged to check that the boat's paperwork actually reflects the configuration of the boat for sale. If, for example, the boat has had an engine change, major electrical re-work, a galley re-fit or any of its LPG appliances changed/upgraded since its last examination, the certificate may not be valid if the work was carried out in a non-BSS compliant manner (which could also have insurance implications).   Establish validity Accordingly, purchasers should request the surveyor conducting their pre-purchase survey to establish the validity of any certificate and should consider the need to budget for the eventuality that a new BSSC may be required to bring the boat into compliance before the purchase is completed to reduce the need to redress any issues downstream through Trading Standards/Civil Court proceedings. For owners who are contemplating changes to their craft's configuration, NABSE recommends that they ensure that the work is carried out by a company/individual who is competent to carry out the work and understands the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme. For those intending to implement such changes themselves, they should, in the first instance, seek guidance from the BSS Office (http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/contact-us) to establish if the intended work may impact upon the validity of their current BSSC. Where owners are thinking of making changes around the time that their current BSSC is due renewal, NABSE recommends that they contact a BSS Examiner to ascertain if the work they are contemplating has the possibility to invalidate their 'new' BSSC. Details of NABSE BSS Examiners can be found at: http://www.nabse.co.uk/Pages/map.aspx.

 

[Janz]

12 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

That's why we are telling you about it.  We'd hate to see you come unstuck because you weren't aware of some of the regulations and processes that only apply to boats.

 

I don't think you're trying to pull a fast one, just that your timing is tight.

 

Personally I'd work out where the stove and cooker are going as they are the big two for BSS and get them installed before your test.  It'll save you 160 quid or so in retesting fees if you can do them before your first BSS test.  Also having the stove in makes working on the boat far more pleasant if we get a cold snap in March or April, and we have had snow in May recently ...

Ok cool, I do appreciate your good advice. I know where my cooker will go, it's just the stove that I'm stuck on. That obviously needs a big hole drilled into the roof. I have the heat sink for it, or whatever they call that part of the flue but it's a big job & one that may have to be done at a later date because I really don't have the equipment to drill it & if I do drill it, it's permanent. I think for now it would be one less thing for me to have to deal with & I'll just remove it entirely & store it at home. It may be better if I just get a diesel heater for now & live with that. I can work with that. They're easy to install & it would only cost me a hundred quid. Obviously it won't be as nice but I just have too much on my plate to worry about. It's a shame because I have two nice bits of granite - one that it would sit on & one for the back wall. There really is no point in cutting big holes in my roof for some examiner to tell me it's too close to this or that & fail me. I'll also do away with the fridge. That is something I was told wouldn't pass muster with the BSS people. So that just leaves the cooker. Is there anything special I need to consider with regards to the cooker? Any age limits? Does it have to be a boat spec cooker or will a bog standard home cooker be acceptable? Do I need to get a gas engineer to fit it? Corgi registered or is that just for boilers? All I have is a copper pipe installed right now. Will copper be ok or do I need the plastic/rubber stuff instead?

I wanted a large ceramic butler's sink or do they insist it has to be a stainless item? My pal has a stainless item on his boat so I know that will be ok but I couldn't wash my clothes in it. I know restaurants have to have stainless worktops for sterilising purposes. Would a wooden item transgress their rules? Regarding access for the pipework... do they want to see the pipework? Should I leave it open or create some sort of access panel to facilitate inspection? The gas pipe runs the length of the boat adjacent to the water pipe & the wiring is cable tied to the water pipe. Is that a fail? Would I need to have the pipes separate & the wiring pinned or otherwise fixed to the woodwork? Any engine/bay requirements? My internal lighting is LED but I have no exterior lights except a motorbike headlamp I fitted to get it here. Do I need a tail light, side lights etc? Would having a motorcycle headlamp fail? I don't plan to do much night sailing but I had to when I sailed it here because there were just not enough hours of daylight & I wanted to get home & sleep in a comfortable bed. Are there restrictions for night sailing too? I can't really think of anything else that would cause offence to the BSSers or the CRT but if you guys let me know I'll either fix it or get rid of it...👍

[Janz]

12 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I would comment that it sounds as if you intend to refit narrow boat style. That is with fixed down floors with bulkheads, appliances and furniture on too, making getting into the bilge impossible to extremely difficult. I suggest that you do it cruiser style where the bulkheads, fixed furniture and fixed appliances go in first and only then the main floor boards.

I have large 18mm thick plywood floor panels. Eight in total. I was going to fit flooring to each individual panel & glue some rubber matting underneath them for insulation & to stop them from rattling on the cross members when I walk on them. On the flip side, I was going to use hard wearing lino for the kitchen & bathroom panels & mock wood (i don't know what it's called) for all other areas & maybe rugs etc. I always want to be able to lift the panels, so I was planning to lock them together somehow (hinges?) along the centre line of the boat & then I'd be able to lift each panel like you do for the engine bay just by moving furniture out of the way.

I'm going to keep the whole thing open plan, so no walls, room dividers or bulkheads.

Nothing will be fixed unless it's a capital offence with the BSS. Everything will be freestanding. Maybe some curtains that can be pulled across to isolate a bedroom from the rest of the boat would be a good idea. It will only be me on the boat, Tony, & maybe a GF or two. I don't have pets.

I'm quite tall (6'3"), but the good thing about my boat is that it's very lofty. There's at least five or six inches of air above my head, so I'd want to fit a loft bed that extends through the floor (at least eight inches) & sits directly on rubber covered wide wooden pads (to spread the weight) on the hull baseplate & maybe bolted to the cross members, also to ease the weight on the baseplate. That way I can easily push up the bed & gain access to under the floor. My water pump is also under the floor at the very front of the boat, so I'll need to access that. I may need to shorten the bed legs somewhat but I want to preserve as much storage space beneath the bed as I can...👍

[Janz]

13 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

So, 'the penny finally drops'.

We are not trying to cause you problems, we are trying to save you problems.

 

Wiring rules, Gas rules, Fuel rules, Fuel storage rules (Petrol), Generator rules, etc etce etc will all impact on how you do things - do not do things thinking they are correct and then find out they are not,

Do not do things the same as you would on a car, or in a house, the rules, regulations and requirements are very different.

 

Example : You cannot just take your CO alarm from your house and use it on the boat. The Boat CO alarms are approved to a different sprcification (part 2 instead of Part 1) It is all explained on the BSS Website.

 

Read and learn what is acceptable and required, then do the work.

 

This was written a few years ago but is just as valid today.

 

 

Have you invalidated your BSS Certificate?

 

Saturday, 15 June 2013 08:29

THE Nationwide Alliance of Boat Surveyors and Examiners (NABSE) were greatly encouraged to read the May issue of ‘News from the Fens’ where Kelvin Alexander-Duggan highlighted a situation all too familiar to NABSE Boat Safety Scheme Examiners, writes Chairman Graham Freeman. The situation being when BSS Examiners encounter non-compliant changes to craft configuration that have been made at some point during the ‘maximum four years validity period’ of the Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (BSSC).   Invalidate the certificate As Kelvin rightly points out, many owners believe that their BSSC is valid for four years and, by doing what the majority of boat owners do in the form of alterations/improvements to their craft, they sometimes (unknowingly) invalidate their BSSC because they do not realise that such actions may contravene the BSSC 'terms and conditions' which are to be found on the rear of the 'old' (pre 1st April 2013) Certificate and which clearly state: The validity of this certificate may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained and/or alterations are made ... For BSSC's awarded after 1st April 2013, a revised set of terms and conditions entitled ‘About the BSS Examination and its Limitations’ is issued to the owner in either hard copy format or emailed as a .pdf document and these state:   Revised terms The owner’s on-going responsibility: it is crucial to maintain the vessel in good condition in accordance with the safety requirements; and, any other licensing, registration or mooring conditions of the relevant navigation or harbour authority. The validity of a BSS pass result may be affected and can be cancelled if the vessel is not properly maintained; and/or non-compliant alterations are made.... NABSE strongly supports Kelvin's recommendation for purchasers not to place undue reliance on any accompanying BSSC as proof that a boat is compliant with the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) at the time of purchase. Prospective buyers are encouraged to check that the boat's paperwork actually reflects the configuration of the boat for sale. If, for example, the boat has had an engine change, major electrical re-work, a galley re-fit or any of its LPG appliances changed/upgraded since its last examination, the certificate may not be valid if the work was carried out in a non-BSS compliant manner (which could also have insurance implications).   Establish validity Accordingly, purchasers should request the surveyor conducting their pre-purchase survey to establish the validity of any certificate and should consider the need to budget for the eventuality that a new BSSC may be required to bring the boat into compliance before the purchase is completed to reduce the need to redress any issues downstream through Trading Standards/Civil Court proceedings. For owners who are contemplating changes to their craft's configuration, NABSE recommends that they ensure that the work is carried out by a company/individual who is competent to carry out the work and understands the requirements of the Boat Safety Scheme. For those intending to implement such changes themselves, they should, in the first instance, seek guidance from the BSS Office (http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/contact-us) to establish if the intended work may impact upon the validity of their current BSSC. Where owners are thinking of making changes around the time that their current BSSC is due renewal, NABSE recommends that they contact a BSS Examiner to ascertain if the work they are contemplating has the possibility to invalidate their 'new' BSSC. Details of NABSE BSS Examiners can be found at: http://www.nabse.co.uk/Pages/map.aspx.

 

I don't think you're trying to cause me any problems, Alan. This is by a country mile the best forum for sound advice that I have encountered & I have forums for all of my interests. I would be fairly lost without your help because the only thing that I really know regarding boats are engines. Everything else is all Greek to me. I freely admit that I'm somewhat of a nonconformist & rules & regulations are not & have never been my strongpoint. If I can bend them, I will... but I do realise that they ain't there for decoration, so I only break them if I feel I can get away with it. I, like most people, have preferred ways of doing things & reasons why I do things that way but I can take no for an answer.

I will study the BSS & tailor my plans accordingly. I have already decided to remove certain things from my build simply because I don't want to waste my time & my processing power by doing something unconventional & thus affording a BSSer the opportunity to fail me off the back of it. For example my stove. I have written that off completely. Too much hassle, too little time. I shall stick it in the garden instead. They can point out some faults here & there but they can't prevent me from my progress. My insurer wanted a survey to get fully comprehensive insurance. Can't afford it. So, third party only it shall be but they can't stop me from doing what I want. My gas fridge. Someone on here told me it was unlikely to get through the BSS. Fine. I'll save for a 12 volt fridge. I do learn, Alan. Just because I despise bureaucracy doesn't mean that I can't adhere to its strictures, plus I don't have a choice... I was my disabled father's live-in carer. Had to give up a good job & decent flat to do it but he unfortunately died in the middle of the pandemic & the council want me out of his council house, so for the last year & a half all I've had is threats, notice-to-quit enforcement, eviction proceedings & bailiffs knocking on my door. It actually drove me to depression & since then I've been living on £125 per month Universal Credit - £4.18 per day depending on how many days in the month there are. The reason my UC is so low is due to the rules regarding the bedroom tax. So I had to follow those rules but it doesn't mean I have to like it & it doesn't mean I have to respect those rules. I don't, & any opportunity I get to work without telling my charming benefits adviser, I take it... & that's how & why I have my boat. It's an absolute necessity. My safety net... so I'll not allow someone to prevent me from having it due to some technicality or breach of regulation 386 of subsection 12. Not me. Mama never raised no fool. This is my last stand & I plan to make it a good 'un...👍

 

[LadyG]

You seem to be asking some very unusual and wide ranging questions, assuming you have many skills, and a few tools, presumably, but very limited cash,  if I were you, I would have a look at lots of boats, eg if you live near Whilton marina, where you can wander around and look at boats all day. Alternatively find someone with some practical experience on board, to discuss your plans.

Doing things in a conventional way is not necessarily to comply with regulations, the narrowboat building and fitting out has evolved over hundreds of years, and one thing that had always been essential is the solid fuel stove. This needs to be fitted for winter, it is a background heat, will dry your clothes a secondary cooking device, and provide a cheery focus in long dark days. There are indeed rules and regulations here, but if you don't fit it properly you can end up with a safety hazard. It is best installed centrally to be most effective for heating. 

You mention a £100 diesel heater, you will find that you need a marinised heater, not just any lorry heater from ebay. I try to avoid using my Epespacher/Webasto  other than  for background heating on cold days, it has two large radiators takes time to warm the boat, uses fuel and electricity which needs to be replaced, with more fuel. It is on thermostat, and wakes me up when it kicks in, its fairly noisy. 

Use the search facility to find out all about stoves. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by LadyG

[LadyG]

Regarding navigational lighting, it's a bit of a grey area (others may not agree). 

You will need a tunnel light, having one which switches from the control area is the best idea, but I assume that a few battery powered Led magnetic lights would be OK. You need to avoid blinding boats coming towards you, and you need to illuminate the roof and a bit ahead of you. 

Having a white stern light, even a torch or magnetic Led will help a boat coming behind you, in a long tunnel it is difficult to judge how close one is to the boat in front. 

On certain rivers, and canals, commercial navigation is the norm and you should have conventional nav lighting, you need to check on this, the length of the boat is relevant. You are best avoiding night travel on these commercial canals and rivers  imho. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Having a white stern light, even a torch or magnetic Led will help a boat coming behind you, in a long tunnel it is difficult to judge how close one is to the boat in front. 

 

I would disagree with that, if the following boat can't see they are too close there is something wrong with their eyes. What it will do is confuse and hold up a boat behind you that is waiting to enter a one way tunnel. The white stern light looks like a boat that is coming towards you. Stern lights are not a requirement on most/all CaRT canals but are on waterways that require navigation lights. I would suggest that as a courtesy to following boaters that if you have a white stern light linked to your tunnel light switch you mask it before entering a tunnel.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

What it will do is confuse and hold up a boat behind you that is waiting to enter a one way tunnel. The white stern light looks like a boat that is coming towards you.

This has happened to me. Took a lot of watching to deduce that the boat was moving away from the tunnel entrance, not towards.

[Bod]

"It's an absolute necessity. My safety net... so I'll not allow someone to prevent me from having it due to some technicality or breach of regulation 386 of subsection 12. Not me. Mama never raised no fool. This is my last stand & I plan to make it a good 'un...👍"

 

Please be aware that C&RT DO HAVE the right to remove unsafe boats from their waterways.

It is in the legislation that governs the their waterways, that all boats must have a valid BSS certificate, any boat that the Trust feel is unsafe can be inspected, and if found in a dangerous state, and not rectified within a short time can be removed, and either sold if there is value, or destroyed.

 

You asked about cookers.  All gas appliances, ovens/hobs, etc. must have flame failure devices fitted on all burners. (BSS fail if not) Most new cookers, and all that are designed for flats will have this.  Older 2nd hand may not. Check also that the cooker you are intending to fit is jetted for LPG not natural gas. (domestic house gas)

 

Even using a granite slab behind the stove will transmit enough heat over time to ignite dry plywood.  It has happened, the regulations regarding stove installation are there for a reason.

Think now where the stove will go, make the surrounding area correctly, then when you do fit the stove no lining needs to be destroyed and remade.

 

Bod

 

 

 

 

[LadyG]

OK, well I confess I don't have a stern light, but I did have a small light at my feet, I did this after trying to follow a boat, which had no lighting whatsoever, I knew he was in front of me cos I saw him entering tunnel as I was approaching the entrance. 

[Janz]

Guys, I'm out for a date with my neighb but I will reply when I get home. I'm having issues with my solar since I took it all off the roof for the storms, so I could use some tips & tricks regarding that. She doesn't really use solar so she can't help me but all my batteries are flat - starter, leisure & spare, so I've either reconnected it wrong or there's some other issue.

Bless you..!

[Alan de Enfield]

Presumably your starter, domestics and 'spare' are all on different circuits so (in theory) it should be impossible for them to be all flattened at the same time.

 

Have you switched on your master switches (often 'big red key shaped' things) ?

 

More information needed.

[LadyG]

26 minutes ago, Janz said:

Guys, I'm out for a date with my neighb but I will reply when I get home. I'm having issues with my solar since I took it all off the roof for the storms, so I could use some tips & tricks regarding that. She doesn't really use solar so she can't help me but all my batteries are flat - starter, leisure & spare, so I've either reconnected it wrong or there's some other issue.

Bless you..!

Gosh, well maybe go to a place where you can charge up your phone, or we won't be able to hear any more difficulties. 

I don't know much, but your starter battery should have been charged by the engine, or generator, together with the domestic batteries. Once full then starter battery should be isolated from the domestic to prevent them all going flat. 

Of course they might all be knackered, and won't hold charge. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

I fear that you may have a 1, 2, Both, off  switch and you left it at both when there was no charging taking place so your domestic use flattened both batteries.

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Gosh, well maybe go to a place where you can charge up your phone, or we won't be able to hear any more difficulties. 

I don't know much, but your starter battery should have been charged by the engine, along with the domestic batteries. Once full then starter battery should be isolated from the domestic to prevent them all going flat. 

If on shore power you won't have so many problems of course. 

#

Remember that he doesn't have a fitted boat, doesn't move and doesn't have a BSS

[Janz]

6 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Presumably your starter, domestics and 'spare' are all on different circuits so (in theory) it should be impossible for them to be all flattened at the same time.

 

Have you switched on your master switches (often 'big red key shaped' things) ?

 

More information needed.

I think I've run them flat twofold. Firstly, I've had to disconnect all my solar because two panels got blown off in the middle of storm Eunice & I only managed to recover one. Had bare wires on the roof for the period I was away from the boat, so there's that... plus, I have seriously depleted my water & the taps are now trickling brown rusty ooze & the pump seems to be on permanently, so there's that...

Been distracted too, which doesn't help but tomorrow I shall give the whole plot a good coat of looking at...

I have just killed the isolator switch & I'm going to quickly whip off the starter battery & my jump battery, take them home & charge them. But I need to just sit in my car & chill for a bit 'cos I've had a right busy day. Got Munoz on the juke & the heater full knacker...

Blessings..!

[Janz]

6 hours ago, LadyG said:

Gosh, well maybe go to a place where you can charge up your phone, or we won't be able to hear any more difficulties. 

I don't know much, but your starter battery should have been charged by the engine, or generator, together with the domestic batteries. Once full then starter battery should be isolated from the domestic to prevent them all going flat. 

Of course they might all be knackered, and won't hold charge. 

 

Thanks m'Lady... I have been a slacker today & you're right, I haven't been paying attention to the isolator switch. See my other post to Alan for the gory deets. I'm just going to slap the battery on an overnight charge 'cos I'm hosting a pleasure boat tour tomoz for my brother & his GF. I'm intrigued how you knew my phone was flat though...

Yous lot are proper crystal ball gurus 😍

[Janz]

6 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I fear that you may have a 1, 2, Both, off  switch and you left it at both when there was no charging taking place so your domestic use flattened both batteries.

Reckon you are exactly right, Tony. I'm starting to think there's a hush hush Canalworld cam been installed on my tub by one of your agents 'cos the accuracy of your diagnostics is just too uncanny for this world...👍

[Janz]

15 hours ago, Bod said:

"It's an absolute necessity. My safety net... so I'll not allow someone to prevent me from having it due to some technicality or breach of regulation 386 of subsection 12. Not me. Mama never raised no fool. This is my last stand & I plan to make it a good 'un...👍"

 

Please be aware that C&RT DO HAVE the right to remove unsafe boats from their waterways.

It is in the legislation that governs the their waterways, that all boats must have a valid BSS certificate, any boat that the Trust feel is unsafe can be inspected, and if found in a dangerous state, and not rectified within a short time can be removed, and either sold if there is value, or destroyed.

 

You asked about cookers.  All gas appliances, ovens/hobs, etc. must have flame failure devices fitted on all burners. (BSS fail if not) Most new cookers, and all that are designed for flats will have this.  Older 2nd hand may not. Check also that the cooker you are intending to fit is jetted for LPG not natural gas. (domestic house gas)

 

Even using a granite slab behind the stove will transmit enough heat over time to ignite dry plywood.  It has happened, the regulations regarding stove installation are there for a reason.

Think now where the stove will go, make the surrounding area correctly, then when you do fit the stove no lining needs to be destroyed and remade.

 

Bod

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm moored up with possibly the coolest bunch of boaters in west London at lock 100 in Brentford - the Thames gateway. Nobody moves anywhere, so despite the fact that this is a heavy CRT zone, they have left us alone for three weeks. Ok, I expected some degree of leniency because of the storms but I'm off on my Gulliver's tomorrow. Thanks for your sound advice. I'm going to dissect the BSS requirements from Monday & see just how the legal framework operates. I have met my local CRT operative & she's cool. This has been backed up by the other boaters around here & I feel fairly privileged to have been accepted into their scene. I appreciate this might not be the same everywhere but the guys around here have made me 100% sure I made the right decision to get a boat. Especially the girls. I'm pretty amazed. My neighbour is stunningly beautiful & so are her pals. I have really lucked out mooring up here. It seems to be a mecca for single, fiesty & independent femmes fatales...

Blessings 🙏

[Janz]

7 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

#

Remember that he doesn't have a fitted boat, doesn't move and doesn't have a BSS

I do move, Alan but I'm well in with the community here so I don't want to go too far. I do have a BSS but it runs out in June, hence my rushing into stuff & my demanding, spiky enthusiasm 😂

If all goes well & it has been going very well so far, I'm in boating Valhalla - have dinners cooked for me, dates with babes, got my ex Bulgarian army boat neighb building me a generator made from an alternator & I'm ten mins walk from my house, five mins from the supermarket & pub, three mins from the Thames & two mins from the CRT boater facilities which are a bit minging but I'll clean them up. I couldn't have found a better place to relax & be all I can be if I tried. I'm even covered by CCTV from the Riverside Clinic car park, so I can leave my Merc sat here all night 10 feet away from my boat. Everyone looks after each other here. I don't get that from my house neighbours & there's lots of space if anyone on here wants to come visit...🏴‍☠️

[Janz]

16 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

This has happened to me. Took a lot of watching to deduce that the boat was moving away from the tunnel entrance, not towards.

👍White stern light is it? Ok cool, I was gonna fit a red one but that's great, I have some spare motorbike head & tail lights to fit that can be rotated to port/starboard as ness.

Sailing down here from north Herts was a pretty dim affair. In fact the last stretch was like something from Apocalypse Now but I'm going to light up my boat with halogens 'cos night boating is cool unless you have to get through locks. I want to experience tunnels & aquaducts if I ever get out of this crap concrete jungle I'm currently marooned in...

[Jen-in-Wellies]

6 hours ago, Janz said:

👍White stern light is it? Ok cool, I was gonna fit a red one but that's great, I have some spare motorbike head & tail lights to fit that can be rotated to port/starboard as ness.

Sailing down here from north Herts was a pretty dim affair. In fact the last stretch was like something from Apocalypse Now but I'm going to light up my boat with halogens 'cos night boating is cool unless you have to get through locks. I want to experience tunnels & aquaducts if I ever get out of this crap concrete jungle I'm currently marooned in...

That will really confuse people! A boat is not a motorbike. You need to show the lights people on the waterways expect. For general canal use, you just need a white light facing forward to help you work out where the tunnel walls are. There are some waterways where you are mixing it with commercial boats and have requirements for proper navigation lights which meet, as far as is possible the collision regulations.

Night boating is fun, but less is more. Lots of lights just wrecks your night vision. Pick a night with moonlight and you just need a standard tunnel light to show others where you are. Also, too much light blinds any one else boating in your vicinity and won't make you popular. Massive LED tunnel lights do not help you make friends with other boaters, for example.

Jen

[Tony Brooks]

7 hours ago, Janz said:

Reckon you are exactly right, Tony. I'm starting to think there's a hush hush Canalworld cam been installed on my tub by one of your agents 'cos the accuracy of your diagnostics is just too uncanny for this world...👍

 

No camera, just 60 years experience of boats and engineering  allowing me to have a stab at what equipment a particular type of boat is likely to have according to when it was built. Actually you telling me that both your battery leads had fuses was the clue that suggested such a switch.

 

I hate those switches with a vengeance because far too many people have been caught out like you. If they wear or corrode inside they can also break before making when you twist it with the engine running and that can destroy alternators. Although it will effectively halves the amount f domestic electricity you can store my advice would be to designate on battery for starting (say bat 1), the other domestic (so bat 2). Only set to bat 1 for starting and then twist to Both when any form of charging is taking place. The batteries will automatically apportion the charge between themselves with the flatter one taking more of the available charge. Only set to bat 2 when no charging or only an very small solar charge is taking place. That makes bat 2 your domestic battery and preserves bat 1 for engine starting.

 

Hopefully you can get a jump start and then run at about 1200 rpm for the rest of the day with the switch set to both so you charge both batteries. Then set to bat 2 the instant you stop charging. If t is a Lister SL or SR engine post a photo of the front of the engine with the belt and pulley because those tend to suffer charging problems unless modified.