Running engines before 8pm

[Naughty Cal]

I find that amazing assuming the batts are standard 110amp. The biggest draw must be a fridge and tv. If the fridge is normal boat size I think it great those two batts can supply power for two or three days or do you have solar.

No solar.

 

The fridge is a 12v compressor fridge that is very efficient. Standard fit to the boat and located outside in the cockpit. The compressor is rated at 0.5-2.5 amps max and runs about 20 minutes in each hour.

 

http://www.mps-trading.co.uk/engel-sb47f-12v-upright-fridge%2Ffreezer~72

 

The other big power consumer is the diesel heating but again it isn't on all day, a couple of hours in the morning and a few at night to get the cabin warm. Again this doesn't use huge amounts of power.

 

http://www.webasto.com/fileadmin/webasto_files/documents/international/hd/data-sheet/commercial-vehicles/truck/heating-systems/truck-air-top-2000.pdf

 

We have LED lighting though out the boat, all of which was bought cheaply from Ebay and an energy efficient LED TV when we take it to the boat. It's at home at the moment as we don't tend to use it during the summer months.

 

Other then that it is the usual assortment of water pumps, stereo etc.

 

We have an electric kettle, toaster, slow cooker and inverter but if we are mooring up for a few days we don't use it and revert to the gas for cooking and boiling the kettle. We boil the kettle to wash the pots and use a solar shower to heat water for showering to avoid running the engine to heat the water.

 

Technology has come on and appliances and lighting are more efficient. In theory people should be consuming less electricity not having to run engines for hours on end to create more!

[Tacet]

When I started boating it was common to have two batteries and sometimes just one on boats.

 

When I started boating, we had no batteries unless you include zinc-carbon cells. The next stage was a used car battery, charged at home; when it went flat, that was it for the rest of the fortnight.

 

And we were happy.

[Naughty Cal]

And probably the worst situation of all are folk who disturb the peace by keep running their engines even when tied up in marinas or boatyards WITH a mains hook up, we have a couple of boats here that do frequently just to heat water. It must cost them a fortune in fuel. I sometimes offer to fit an immersion element in their calorifier or fit an instantaneous gas water heater which they usually refuse, saying ''they're ugly things we don't want one of those hanging on the wall''. And there's those that seem to delight in the sound of their own engine running all the time, even when there's no need to and enjoy sitting there in their droning boxes listening to it.

We have a few of those in our marina.

 

Never go anywhere, but come down on a Sunday evening and shatter the peace by firing up huge great diesel engines. Leave them running for half an hour, usually revving them up for no reason at all, Then they switch them off, march back down the pontoon and head home.

 

Pointless.

[jenlyn]

No solar.

 

The fridge is a 12v compressor fridge that is very efficient. Standard fit to the boat and located outside in the cockpit. The compressor is rated at 0.5-2.5 amps max and runs about 20 minutes in each hour.

 

http://www.mps-trading.co.uk/engel-sb47f-12v-upright-fridge%2Ffreezer~72

 

The other big power consumer is the diesel heating but again it isn't on all day, a couple of hours in the morning and a few at night to get the cabin warm. Again this doesn't use huge amounts of power.

 

http://www.webasto.com/fileadmin/webasto_files/documents/international/hd/data-sheet/commercial-vehicles/truck/heating-systems/truck-air-top-2000.pdf

 

We have LED lighting though out the boat, all of which was bought cheaply from Ebay and an energy efficient LED TV when we take it to the boat. It's at home at the moment as we don't tend to use it during the summer months.

 

Other then that it is the usual assortment of water pumps, stereo etc.

 

We have an electric kettle, toaster, slow cooker and inverter but if we are mooring up for a few days we don't use it and revert to the gas for cooking and boiling the kettle. We boil the kettle to wash the pots and use a solar shower to heat water for showering to avoid running the engine to heat the water.

 

Technology has come on and appliances and lighting are more efficient. In theory people should be consuming less electricity not having to run engines for hours on end to create more!

Does not add up. Sorry.

[Dharl]

We have a few of those in our marina.

 

Never go anywhere, but come down on a Sunday evening and shatter the peace by firing up huge great diesel engines. Leave them running for half an hour, usually revving them up for no reason at all, Then they switch them off, march back down the pontoon and head home.

 

Pointless.

better to run the engine if not used for a while to ensure all systems work, as well as check the bilges and other systems etc, especially if leaving the boat for a while. However agree its better to do that with a little cruise than just popping down for an hour or two to do it. But not every gets as much opportunity to use their boats as much as they would like!

 

ref mooring close to other boats, the only time we do that is at VMs, so that other boats can make use of facilities, then we try and be considerate to others if we need to charge the engine after cruising (rarely). If out in the wilds try not to moor to close to anybody!

[mango]

If it's only running between 8am and 8pm, they are not being a nuisance. They are following the guidelines.

I think some should perhaps look at getting a different hobby. Cming seems to be getting popular.

You can believe that if you want.

[jenlyn]

You can believe that if you want.

Well, yes I do.

• Generating excessive noise –whether human, dog or electricity generator. Please don’t use electricity generators, including the boat's engine between 8pm and 8am unless you are moored completely out of earshot of other people. If you are moored close to houses, avoid running the generator or engine when stationary and be responsive to neighbours' requests for peace and quiet. [unquote]

[Athy]

 

I think they can look quite nice as modern industrial sculpture.

 

I reckon the late, lamented Rico Rodriguez could have got a tune out of that.

[MtB]

A two-tone tune, presumably...

 

A sad loss indeed. I never knew until he died just how much he'd done. Even playing in Georgie Fame's band, the Blue Flames IIRC. (Whatever happened to Mr Fame?)

[dogless]

We live on boats. Why would we be surprised to find that a moored boat runs it's engine at some point between 8am and 8pm ?

Rog

[Athy]

A two-tone tune, presumably...

 

A sad loss indeed. I never knew until he died just how much he'd done. Even playing in Georgie Fame's band, the Blue Flames IIRC. (Whatever happened to Mr Fame?)

Mr. Fame is alive and gigging. I've just received a five-CD set of most of his '60s music (some never issued before) so obviously there is a demand for his style.

 

I'll let you off with the Two Tone bit! That was a brief phase of Rico's career. He was extremely prolific in the earliest days of the Jamaican recording industry before he came to Britain in 1962, doing dozens of sessions, sometimes under his own name (his version of the jazz tune 'Flying Home' as "Rico And The Four Stars" is a favourite in my collection) or as trombonist in bands like the rather splendidly-named Clue J. & The Blues Blasters. He was first-choice trombonist for just about anyone making a soul, ska or reggae record in Britain in the '60s and '70s, played with my musical hero Prince Buster, appeared on Top Of The Pops backing Paul Young, and latterly found financial security as a longtime Jools Holland bandsman. I saw him on stage a few times but regrettably never met or interviewed him, he was reputed to be an A1 nice guy.

 

Oh yes, he played in Two Tone band The Specials for a while. Probably needed the money.

[mango]

 

Well, yes I do.

• Generating excessive noise –whether human, dog or electricity generator. Please don’t use electricity generators, including the boat's engine between 8pm and 8am unless you are moored completely out of earshot of other people. If you are moored close to houses, avoid running the generator or engine when stationary and be responsive to neighbours' requests for peace and quiet. [unquote]

 

That supports my argument rather than your earlier post. But maybe it's something we can agree on.

[jenlyn]

That supports my argument

[Jim Batty]

It must depend on your power requirements. If folk have power taking gadgets on board, and everyone is entitled to live their life, then there will be a need to run engine if moored. On the other hand if you use hardly any power the need is removed. As long as the times arekept then as boaters we must accept engines will be run.

I do like to moor away from busy spots so we can run engine when we like. It is amazing how many times someone comes and moors real close when in both directions it is visibly empty for a long distance. We have decided they must be marina boats that feel the need to be close.

 

Funny, this sort of thing often happens on buses, trains and the tube. Sit down anywhere in an empty (if you can find such a thing) public transport vehicle ... and the next person who comes on board will very often sit within a couple of seats of you. Human attraction? I once got on a completely empty bus and about ten minutes later the next person who climbed aboard walked to the back and sat in the paired seat right beside me! It seemed quite bizarre. (And, no, he wasn't trying to pick me up). When I said to him, 'You must really like this seat,' he said 'Well, I always sit here!', and never spoke again.

 

We also like to moor in the middle of nowhere when we can. Hearing the sound of the wind and lapping of water is one of its delights! Installing 200w of solar on the roof has been like magic -- we no longer need to run the engine to recharge batteries between March and October. Can't say I miss it.

[tidal]

We live on boats. Why would we be surprised to find that a moored boat runs it's engine at some point between 8am and 8pm ?

Rog

 

I guess I am less bothered by such things because of the inordinate amount of time I've spent in salty harbours or marinas where engines start up and run (and boats pass and bounce you about) at all times of the day and night depending on the tides/weather.

 

By comparison the cuts and their marinas are positive havens of peace to my mind

[bizzard]

It wasn't that many years ago that I think most boaters had never even heard of the rule about running engines between 8am and 8pm only, but always just asked their neighbors on nearby boats if they minded. In some cases folk on a string of boats moored up would all come to an agreement to all run their engines at the same time for half an hour or so to get it over and done with in one go and then all return to peacefulness again.

[Sabcat]

Some people are just looking for something to play their faces about. A disproportionate amount of them seem to have boats and use this forum.

[GreyLady]

I dont live on a boat yet but do live at the side of the canal, I think as long as people are not running engines after 8pm or before 8am then leave them to it.

 

I say enjoy the canals and stop judging/moaning how others use them.

 

life is too short for nosey neighbours on the moan.

 

sorry but thats how I see it.

[Athy]

It wasn't that many years ago that I think most boaters had never even heard of the rule about running engines between 8am and 8pm only, but always just asked their neighbors on nearby boats if they minded. In some cases folk on a string of boats moored up would all come to an agreement to all run their engines at the same time for half an hour or so to get it over and done with in one go and then all return to peacefulness again.

Such local arrangements still exist. Not far from where we moor, a group of liveaboards on LT moorings have agreed amongst themselves that they can run engines up to 10 p.m. There are no houses within earshot so they do what they want without bothering anyone else.

[tidal]

Such local arrangements still exist. Not far from where we moor, a group of liveaboards on LT moorings have agreed amongst themselves that they can run engines up to 10 p.m. There are no houses within earshot so they do what they want without bothering anyone else.

 

Nice sensible arrangement

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Suppose it it is September, when the Silvertops leave the marina's! And common sense is discarded...

Well as someone who moors in a marina and my head is a mich lighter colour than that should I take offence just like the boaters with no home mooring do when people mention bridge hopping.

[Naughty Cal]

 

I guess I am less bothered by such things because of the inordinate amount of time I've spent in salty harbours or marinas where engines start up and run (and boats pass and bounce you about) at all times of the day and night depending on the tides/weather.

 

By comparison the cuts and their marinas are positive havens of peace to my mind

Indeed.

 

I suspect some on here would be in for quite a shock if they spent a night or two on the coast.

[JamesWoolcock]

Anyway, more seriously he's moored in Cambrian Wharf so is right under the Flapper which is Birmingham' Heavy Metal pub.

He's gong to be very very unhappy at the weekend!!!

 

A surprisingly good and friendly pub, two real ales, and they let the dog in (she coped surprisingly well).

Good quiz (on Wednesdays?) but the music can be very loud!

 

............Dave

Not so. I always moor here when In Birmingham and I had a lovely weekend. I was in The Prince of Wales.

[jenlyn]

I was in The Prince of Wales.

Oh dear.

[ditchcrawler]

better to run the engine if not used for a while to ensure all systems work, as well as check the bilges and other systems etc, especially if leaving the boat for a while. However agree its better to do that with a little cruise than just popping down for an hour or two to do it. But not every gets as much opportunity to use their boats as much as they would like!

 

Worst thing you can do for an engine, just start it and leave it for half an hour to make sure its OK. If you are going to start it you need to work it so it reaches full working temperature, I should just lay there for a year at least with no problem especially if it had an oil change before being put to bed.