Maintenance

Job 1

Wednesday November 20th

1.  Create storage space for second folding solar panel.  By slightly moving the front fire extinguisher the panel in its carry case sits neatly against the side under the gunwale.

2.  Consider replacing the ground wire from the bus bar in the electrics cupboard to the current sensing resistor on the battery ground.  Defer pending acquisition of larger cable termination rings

3.  Fit solar power cutoff switch (as per Victron Smartsolar spec).

4.  Test the two panels wired in series.  Considering this is now winter and the sun is low they performed well and are quite capable of powering domestic services during the day and maintaining batteries in float mode.

 

Forecast freezing weather

Tuesday November 19th

Usually the boat is winterised by now but this year for me has been a busy autumn.   My plan was to come on Thursday or Friday to do this and one or two other little jobs, however with the forecast giving a sequence of negative temperatures starting tonight, I thought it best to come early, so I arrived at the marina at about 3pm.  Yes the boat was cold, but everything works, so I got the fire going and turned on the Eberspacher.  The replacement diesel water heater that I installed this year is the latest model, but the thermal output is slightly lower than the original.  It is noticeable.  The water is just that bit cooler after an hour with the radiators on.   At least I’m on shore power and can use the electric blanket.

Removal of the wind generator and a flirtation with solar panels

For many years now, but before Pat passed away, we had a wind generator mounted on the roof and which could be deployed quickly.  Initially this was used mainly to keep the batteries charged when moored at Harefield because we had no possibility of a mains hook up there.   When we moved marinas, we did have electricity so we kept the generator for use when casually moored.   Although the Rutland is a really good piece of kit it’s no good without wind and it is just a fact that canals are, for the most part, very sheltered so I was disappointed with its contribution to our energy budget.   I did have some glue on solar panels throughout much of the narrowboat’s life but they were not particularly efficient, early days in the solar experience I suspect, and these had other problems with deep rust pockets developing in the roof around the edges of the panels. When we had the boat repainted, they had to go.   Now that I am single handing, I spend a lot of time on the roof of the boat when working locks and need to keep obstructions and trip hazards to a minimum, so do not want large modern mounted panels on the roof, even though they would otherwise be an excellent solution to avoid the need to run the engine when moored up for any length of time.   Previously we were always going places “at speed”, aka long days motoring, and the batteries were never really a worry.   I don’t want to use the boat like that now I am alone so having to run the engine for 4 hours when moored, just to charge batteries, seems wrong.   Petrol generators present a risk from the handling of a highly flammable fuel and converting them to gas is an option but its the bother of getting gas and its storage.   

Self contained lithium battery power storage packages have appeared on the market recently (“Ecoflow Delta” caught my eye) and so I bought one for use at home.  It is really quite a useful bit of kit for camping or taking a kilowatt of power for some purpose away from a mains supply.  It then occurred to me that it would be really useful on the boat.  But how to keep it charged?   Would the existing alternator/domestic battery/inverter charger be able to cope.  It takes an hour to charge from fully discharged I.e. 1 kilowatt for one hour.   The alternator only manages around 60 amps which is 720 watts at 12 volts, so what happens is that the rest has to come from the domestic batteries.  Not ideal, however it does work as a backup supply when the batteries are running low.  So to make this work, what I do is to put a significant charge on the domestics before topping up the lithium.   This doesn’t shorten total recharging time in this case but to use an extra kilowatt over the normal domestic battery use would be very unusual if cruising every day.  

This Ecoflow company sells folding solar panels.  A nominal 220 watts and they are double sided, supplied for camping.  So I got one.  It turns out to be a very practical solution.  Doesn’t give 220 watts of course, more like 150 watts under good average sunny conditions and very quick easy to set up.  They work best, of course with a MPPT controller so this post is really about fitting that into a practical easy to use solution.

Getting ready for 1st trip of the year.

It’s just the ring from Barby via Oxford, Limehouse, Regent and Grand Union.  No big deal, but the boat got little use last year and now I will be single handing.  So I don’t want problems.  Of course there will always be something.  I know that.

First job.  Sweep the flue.  All clear.  Test fire and CO alarms.

2. I’ve had some trouble with pumpout.  It transpired that there was a leak in the suction tube running from the tank to the gunnel fitting.   You hear it hissing.   Now sealed with a large blob of epoxy.

3. Check the engine and warm it up.  Remove the link between the starter battery and the domestics, used to keep the former charged when boat not in use and on shore power.

4. Massive amount of rainwater has accumulated in the engine room side bilges.  I guess that the drainage around the deck board is not up to the job.  Needs the large wet vac to get it all out.

5. Retrieved the wind generator from storage on the boat and returned it to its roof fittings.

6  Replaced the security camera

7. New kettle

8. Tested yet another portable hand-held vacuum cleaner.  Seems OK.

9. More measurements made on the rear sliding hatch.  It needs the lining replacing, but it’s not a straightforward job.

 

Battery change

There are a huge range of opinions about batteries.  Not so much engine starter batteries, but leisure or domestic batteries.  Our first set of batteries when we bought the boat didn't do very well.  One failed and was replaced free of charge no problem.  When I bought the next set I had been impressed by the sales pitch of "Elecsol" and bought a set which lasted 5 years.   Not bad really, so I got a second set, although I had a bit of difficulty finding them.  These didn't last long at all.   They had probably been sitting on a shelf untended for ages.  After all have you ever heard of a battery sales outlet that goes around charging up it store every month or so.  The batteries are all in nice presentation boxes.   Elecsols by now seemed to have a bad name anyway.   The next set were straight forward flooded and lasted around 3 years.  All this time I was picking up tips from various sources on the web.  So I bought a very neat battery monitor which gave me voltage, amps (charging and discharging) and an amp/hour monitor.  Supposedly the amp/hour monitor would set to battery capacity when fully charged and then giving available power as discharge took place, bearing in mind that the batteries should never be run down below half capacity.   This didn't work really and still led to poor battery life, but the ammeter did give a better understanding of where power went over the course of a charge discharge cycle.  More reading and more understanding.   Now I think I understand about sulphation and can see in my mind how discharge and recharging affects the cross section of a battery plate, and why it takes so long to get a full recharge.   This last set of flooded wet cell batteries have lasted 7 years with careful management and regular distilled water top ups.  My aim has been to never let the voltage fall below 12.3 and when in use and at other times they are on a mains floating voltage charger.   The set I have just bought are wet cell sealed batteries "zero maintenance": "fit and forget".   I shall continue with the regime above and we will see how it all works out.   By next time we should be onto lithium!

Actually changing the batteries is a difficult job for me because they are located on the swim under the counter which gives only a few inches clearance.   However, by putting a board across the rear of the engine compartment it is possible to slide them out onto the board to get an easy lift out.

De-cluttering the boat and other sundry jobs

Possessions build up!  Expecting visitors and having to find space for them to put their stuff, decluttering was required.   So some will go away (home to clutter there?) and some will go to the car only to return in due course.   I must say the boat does look good after!

The bowthruster joystick finally broke off.  It is vulnerable to damage as it projects into the port rear seating space.   A replacement can be obtained and an order has been put in (expensive), but on back order with delivery promised at the nd of August.  No good really.   A little thought and a sprung momentary two way toggle switch was obtained from Vehicle electrical specialist for minimum cost.   Just needs a little panel making and job done.

It has been decided to recover the bathroom floor.  As an inexpensive solution, and already having vinyl self adhesive tiles left over from a job at home, this gained approval, and the job done using a little spray adhesive on the existing floor covering to help.  Working in such a confined space was exceedingly tiring for an old-timer.  At the end I thought a shower was called for and then discovered that the shower pump wouldn’t work blowing the circuit breaker.   Investigation definitely pointed to the pump and rather than mess about trying to find the cause, went to Midland Chandlers to find a new one.   Of course a replacement like for like was not possible, so a different manufacturer’s product was purchased.  This had a different configuration as well as being larger and required re-plumbing and fitting vertically to obtain enough space.   (Having recovered the old one and taken it home where I have better facilities, dismantling it found it to be dry and rusted up.   Freeing and cleaning it got it working.   It can be a “spare”.   

 

Bottom Blacking and more

We have just collected the boat from Debdale Wharf Marina after a week’s work plus.   In the early days of having the boat when we were moored at Harefield right next to the slipway, we had the boat pulled out, and ourselves jet washed the boat, scraped the sides and put three coats of Comastic on.  However when we moved our mooring it was necessary to make other arrangements and in the first instance we used Rose Narrowboats.  It cost us a lot more really as a result of all the little add-ons.   Seeing how some of the boatyards deal with this process in a seemingly rushed way made me look for other solutions to steel preservation.   I had read about grit-blasting and two part epoxy coatings and knew that Debdale had a reputation for this work.   Getting in touch and learning of the method used by them, I decided to go down that route.   The boat is 20 years old and a thorough hull inspection was warranted plus the prospect of a good 10 years life from the technique convinced me.   The special feature is the hot zinc sprayed coating put on after the steel is cleaned and before the epoxy coating.   

Toilet day2: Swapping the cooker/hob

Well it became evident later yesterday evening that there was a leak under the toilet after all the effort yesterday to partially dismantle and restore the “works” to remove a plastic toy.   So the dismantling and restoring was repeated, after overnight brain activity. What could be done differently?   Conversation with our boat's neighbour suggested that a thin smear of Vaseline should be used when re-fixing soft rubbery parts to hard parts using screw clips.   This made sense.  As the metal strip circling the join is tightened up the metal will move over the plastic and if the interface is sticky (I.e. no Vaseline) the soft part might pucker up creating a leak.  If the interface is not sticky, then the metal strip will give an even pressure - no leak.   As a second point, I had experienced difficulty in the confined space using the screwdriver, so maybe the rings were just not tight enough.  This time I used a baby socket instead of the screwdriver.  With experience the whole job was very much faster than before, but just as much water on the floor in spite of every effort to keep it to the minimum!!!

Swapping out the cooker/hob

This has been in planning for a month or more. The old one was rusting and the oven and hob spark ignition had failed.  Clearly if fitting a replacement the ideal would be not having to do a major galley rebuild.  An internet search found nothing suitable, but visiting a major chandler dealing principally with Narrowboats we were shown the specifically engineered replacement for us.   Sure the oven is a little smaller that the old, but the body of the oven fits perfectly.   It took just 4 screws to remove the old one, after disconnecting the gas bottles, shutting all the valves and disconnecting the hoses.  We now await the arrival of an appropriate LPG boat certified gas engineer to install it

Macerater toilet

I guess this story is really about the disadvantages of a macerated toilet.  A 5 year old dropped a small plastic toy (of which he was very fond) in the toilet and flushed it.   He did own up to be fair.  However the noise of the blades grating on this bit of plastic was evidence enough that some way had to be found of getting it out.   The fact is that the toilet has to come out and some dismantling is going to be required.   I’ve done this before, so have some experience which pays off.  Number one, the discharge pipe inevitable has a sump and collects fluids, so never let the the disconnected pipe drop otherwise all this stuff, which can be unpleasant, will run out.   Number 2, the toilet probably has to be turned upside down to get at the works easily, so get as much liquid out as you can before, but even then the will be “losses”.   So old towels are in order.    Fortunately, even though it made a horrible noise grating on this bit of plastic the system still worked, so I was able to flush a few lots of clean water down before starting.

Fortunately the “rubber” bits which connect the various components seemed to be made of some very flexible silicone type material fastened with worm drive hose clips.  Easy to remove and a bit more difficult to replace.  To my surprise, the pipe insides were very clean with no sign of limescale.   So the regime learnt after previous experiences has paid off, namely leaving the boat with proprietary treatment in the bowl when away.   The toy was quickly found and removed.  It all went back together easily and the whole experience took about an hour (including thinking time!)   

 

Left as usual from Devizes at 07:10 and started the first 6 locks to the Caen Hill Flight proper. First picture.  A little ungainly because there are no lower lock landings, so one has to motor out, and moor up to close the bottom gates.  Pat is always working ahead as this gives a straight in to the next lock and we think saves time.  Arriving at Caen Hill Locks proper we were met by a host of volunteer lock-keepers, so an easy ride for us.  Actually we can’t keep our hands clean and it is done to help if at all possible, but at least by always having the next lock ready there is nothing you can do to make things any easier.    We were left to our own devices for foxhanger locks.  Rather surprisingly there is only room for two boats on the moorings below the locks, and further on it is all shallow and difficult.   We tried mooring up on the vegetation a couple of times but it only helps to destroy the bank.   Moving on we were very lucky to find a space at Sells Green.   So far we have been lucky because there are so few boats moving about, but in the summer season finding moorings must be a nightmare.   Tomorrow we are only moving a mile or two to Seend.  Let’s see what that has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starter Motor Failure

This was not down to me and the story was recorded in the travel blog. (See Congerstone 17 Nov 16)  Suffice it to say, attempting to start off after an overnight stop, no starter.  Checking the battery showed normal voltage.  This has happened before and was traced back eventually to mud in the starter relay.   This time the symptoms were similar!    RCR were called out, diagnosed a failed motor and took the old starter motor away.  Sourcing and fitting a new one did not initially solve the problem until the relay was changed (again).   The old one had seized most likely blowing the relay up with excess current.   

Installing the Calorifier (Part 2)

To complete the installation a number of issues remain:- 

1. The hot water take off
2. Re-Fitting the pressure relief valve.
3. Fitting the new shower mixer valve

The first was very straightforward.  Just a matter of connecting in the existing pipework (which also includes the hot water shower feed)

The second required some juggling with the range of fitting I had anticipating would be needed.

The third proved impossible given that I could see no way of removing the existing taps without risk of damaging the tilework.

To test for leaks without the risk of leaks I shut off all hot taps and pressurised the air in the empty cylinder with the water pump feeding water into the bottom of the tank, then testing the joints with gas fitters leak testing solution.   Loads of bubbles at the pressure relief valve site.    My daughter (the plumber) says she always used 14 turns + of PTFE tape on these kinds of fittings.   I just hadn't used enough.   Releasing the pressure in the cylinder it was easy to remove and refit the valve without the need to drain anything down.    Job done?    No.   The pressure vessel feed leaked at the pipe joints and just needed a few more turns on the jubilee clips.

We now have hot water.

We have decided not to try and replace the shower valve.   It will be difficult to source one for the right pip centres in any case.

Installing the calorifier (Part 1)

The calorifier came with 1/2 inch BSP female tappings for the coils and feeds.  I had requested that.   I thought I would use JG Speed Fit fittings - the specs seemed OK for this use although I was concerned that the high water temperatures in the engine circulation might be an issue.   (So far not).    These push fit connections can easily be released if not happy.    The existing grey plastic pipes will connect OK.   I had already proved that with the cold feed stopcock.

The cylinder passed through the cupboard opening (door removed) exactly as planned, the insulation shaving process having proved correct.   Connecting the coil feeds from engine and Eperspacher was simple and amazingly quick although in spite of all the planning and checking that I had everything I needed, I still needed one trip to Screwfix for an extra adapter.    For the highest coil, the pipes enter the cupboard at floor level, so a bleed off valve was inserted at the highest point.   Filling the central heating expansion tank and getting the circulation going was a little time consuming but not from the calorifier point of view.   The Eberspacher sits high under the counter and has a bleed off screw of its own which is a little tricky to access.   This needed several visits.   The engine circulation worked first time and took very little additional coolant.

So far the cylinder is still empty.   One remaining job recommended to me was to fit an expansion vessel.   It was felt that relying on the pressure relief valve to discharge the expanding water in this closed system might have been the cause of the previous problems by stressing up the cylinder too much.    A suitable item had been obtained and was fitted on the back shower wall where there was a suitable space.  Not wanting to risk screwing into the back of the shower cabinet, a wooden plate was glued to the wall and used to make the vessel.   It is connected with some high pressure plastic hose into the cold feed.   A non return valve is suggested placed in the cold water feed to the cylinder to avoid a reverse flow when dropping the pressure when a cold tap is opened in the mains feed.   I didn't fit this.   No room.    

With this done we now have central heating and can run the engine for its twice monthly exercise. 

 

More on the calorifier

The cold water service was made secure with a new stop-cock and the water tank drained and given its winter dose of non-toxic antifreeze.

A new calorifier has been sourced from Coppercylinder supplies (http://www.coppercylinder.co.uk/).   Same dimensions as the old one, so the lagging needed to be shaved.  A jig was built to achieve the minimum waste and a really accurate cut.  The risk of a freehand cut damaging the copper cylinder wall was too great.

 The previous installation was done in plastic pipe, so components have been sourced to fit.  At the same time there is an opportunity to fit a thermostatic shower mixer tap.     There has been a lot of head scratching to decide how to fill the pipes when fitted to avoid any airlocks.

End of Cruise jobs

1. An oil change.  All straightforward stuff now.

2. An attempt at gearbox oil change.  Not straightforward.  I was using the electric oil extractor.  The outlet pressure blew a hole in the pipe and sprayed oil everywhere.  Not a lot, but just enough to mean a cleaning up bother.   I need to source some better pipe.

3. Remove the leaking hot water calorifier.
  Armed with the sundries from the chandlers (like push fit stop ends) and the wet vac, disconnecting the engine and boiler circulating pipes went too easily.  The remaining pipes were also easily disconnected and then I discovered that the insulating foam jacket made it too fat to get out of the cupboard.   So some time was spent stripping some off each side.  Eventually with success.   The photo shows the effects of what must have been a chronic leak over possibly some years

4. This led to the discovery that the stop valve in the cold water feed does not shut the flow off completely, so a replacement has to be bought and fitted as soon as possible.

Domestic Alternator Failure

As recorded in the journey blog, the domestic alternator failed at Limehouse.  The clue was the screeching from the domestic charger voltage alarm.   A quick check proved the fan belt was intact, so the alternator was itself the problem.   Letting it cool seemed to make no difference and RCR was called.  An engineer arrived later that afternoon and confirmed the diagnosis although he did manage to get some current out of it.   Clearly it was going to be a problem.  Being domestic, RCR only cover work done to get a boat moving again and not domestic stuff, so we will have to pay or find a boatyard somewhere else to do the work.  Using RCR staff was clearly the best solution and through their "Canal Contracting" arm the work can be done - at a cost.   The alternator was taken away for refurbishment and found to be irreparable.  So a new one was sourced and fitted.   The difference in charge rate with a modern alternator is dramatic.

It was considered that the external alternator controller which I had fitted when the boat was three or so years old was a contributory factor in the death of the alternator.  Such are no longer needed with modern alternators which run at a slightly hight voltage.

Fuel filter change

As we might have a bumpy ride on the Thames on Sunday I thought it wise to change the fuel filter as a precaution.   It's a quick job, the longest part being tickling the fuel pump by hand to purge the air out of the filter.   We still have one in reserve.

The Ceramica Macerator Toilet Saga

Half a clothes peg got into the toilet bowl unnoticed and sucked into the macerator which made a lot of nasty noise.   The only way to get this out is to remove the toilet, disconnecting the water supply and discharge pipe together with most of the electrical connections.   Since the thing has to be tipped on its face to get at the works it is necessary to empty the bowl.   How?   Got my trusty plastic pipe out and stuck one end end on to the shower drain and surrounded it with a wet flannel to make a seal and the other end in the bowl.    To my amazement it worked.    Next disconnect the water.   Fortunately there is a stopcock locally so only a few drops of spill likely.   Next the discharge pipe which connects high up behind the top of the toilet and is a rubber to plastic connection sealed with a screw up metal band.   That came off easily but MISTAKE 1.  I let the discharge pipe drop.   Foolish.   The main run to the holding tank is on the floor and so acts as a sump for all kinds of nasty stuff.  Let the end drop and it all runs out.   Once that mess was cleaned up on to the mission.  The remaining pipes were disconnected and sure enough, there was the missing peg.
  Here lay MISTAKE 2. only I didn't know yet.   To my astonishment the whole of the rubber pipework and indeed the interior of the macerator as far as I could tell was lined with a hard thick layer of lime scale.   The one way valve was totally encrusted and how the toilet worked at all was a mystery.   Lee Sanitation had recommended regular use of lime scale remover, but this is really acid and I have always feared for the integrity of the steel holding tank.   We heard a horror story once about what happens when the tank fails.   We cleaned out as much as we could and put the toilet back together and tested it.   There was a flood.  That was when mistake 2 became evident.  The top of the rubber connection between the S Bend outlet and the macerator has perished and been holed at some stage, probably by my fingers.   Lee Sanitation can no longer obtain spares for this toilet, and as it is in any case very "old" by their reckoning a new toilet seemed the only option.   We agreed and Baxter Boatfitting Services very kindly agreed to take delivery on our behalf, but the nature of our timetable means that we cannot wait around for it to be fitted by them, earliest next week.   In the meantime what do we do?   Well after a lot of deep thought, was a temporary repair possible.

Reassembled pipework showing bandage repair

  The pipe is not under any real pressure if at all.  So having some LS-X in the cupboard and a very stretchy piece of bandage in our first aid box, the latter was smeared with a good dollop of the silicone and applied tightly to the pipe.    It worked!   So no panic.   Perhaps this was MISTAKE 3.   I should not have rushed in to buying a new toilet, because the old one is perfectly functional.   Well yes, we will have to replace it so it is not as bad as all that, but we will now have to carry a large box around with us until I can get to a suitable place near a plumbers merchants to install it, and then what to do with the old one?

1 day later .....

 The macerator was jammed solid by broken up limescale.   With difficulty it was un-jammed and the toilet re-assembled, but it lasted only a few seconds before jamming again.  Furthermore, several attempts at flushing without discharging had raised the water level and the old leak was evident, though not as dramatic as it had been before the temporary repair.   Nothing for it but to remove the whole thing and install the new one.  That was all last night.   Today the installation.  Amazingly this was a pretty straightforward process.   The discharge pipe had a plastic angle on the end to link up to the old toilet.  The new one came with a new angle connector, so all that was necessary was to cut the old angle off and shorten the pipe.    It was just about in the right place to reconnect.  The amount of limscale build up in this discharge pipe is horrifying.
 We need to find a solution to this before it is totally blocked.     The water feed on the new toilet was a simple washing machine type connector with tube.   A Plumb Center 10 minutes walk away provided an appropriate converter.   All the mish-mash of the old electrical wiring was pulled out and the rewiring into a central control box was very simple.   The new base has a larger footprint than the old, so the lino cutout is obscured.  The only small problem is that the cutout for the old user control panel was too big for the smaller new panel and a bit of creative carpentry will be needed in the future.    The thing performs excellently and has a "soft closure" for the seat.  So buying a new toilet was not a mistake after all.  Overall very impressed and it is French to boot.   They've come a long way since the hole in the floor jobs that I remember as a child.

 

Wind generator Update

As mentioned in the earlier post, the Rudland 914i wind generator when stowed for cruising is swung down about its base pivot with the head resting forward and facing down with the nose piece positioned in a soft ring.   This means that the tail or rudder is pointing upwards and becomes the highest part of the boat.

The "fan" stowed in the reverse position

  For the more modern canals (mostly the double lock canals) the listed air draft is high enough, for the most part, for this not to be a problem.  The narrow canals are a different case altogether, and have to be assumed without adequate headroom throughout.  To overcome this restriction, the base pivot was so positioned so as to allow the head to be swung backwards with the tail now located in the rear hatch with the pole supported in a 'U' block, the blades resting on the open hatch cover.  This worked well, but required all stays to be disconnected and was just a bit of a pain to be honest, especially if it was required in an "emergency".   Furthermore if it rained, some protection was needed for the open hatch.   So human character being as it is the "fan" (as we call it) was left in the forward position if we thought we could get away with it, but keeping a wary eye open assessing each bridge as we came near.   The Macclesfield Canal proved the error of this practice.   The beautiful stone bridges gave adequate clearance to start with, and as they were of an apparent standard construction we felt confident that they would not be a problem... until at Macclesfield there was one that had been shotcreted underneath and the fin was, lets say, 1mm too high.   Very difficult to judge.    Well the generator is very sturdily made and resisted.   In the event it appeared that only the fin and its attachment got bent and repairs were easily made.   Clearly another solution was required.

The rudder fin modification showing the fan in the forward stowed position.

The solution was simple in fact.   Just one attachment bolt was removed from the fin and supporting bar permitting the fin to fall forwards when the fan was stowed forwards, and by replacing the bolt in the fin only, it fell back into proper position when in use.    This has proved successful to the point that we just made it under the railway bridge at Stoke on Trent.   This is a seriously low bridge and there are few worse.  There are lower bridges around and there could conceivably be some which would require the entire assembly to be removed, however they are well placarded.

After two year's experience with the generator you must ask, was it worth it.   Has the product lived up to expectations.   The answer is yes and no.  Yes it has done what was expected of it, namely to provide a trickle of current to bring the batteries up to full charge (when the wind blows of course). The batteries have been in much better condition since they were changed last year, rarely falling below 70% charge each morning according to the "Smartgauge".  On the other hand, "No" because the refrigerator is always trying to discharge the batteries and they never have a chance to get fully charged, so in a way the original design brief was flawed.  The best solution will come in the future when new battery technology improves the problem we have with the lead acid batteries, namely degradation due to partial charge and discharge, and the lifetime limit of cycles.  Perhaps we are not far off with Lithium Ion, but it is just too expensive for now.   This product is ideally suited to maintaining battery voltage when no demands are being made, on moorings for example.  It has proved well able to survive some of the stormy conditions experienced in the winter of 2013/14.

Maintenance work at Braidbar Boats

When we need serious work doing we take the boat back to Braidbar.  I guess we feel confident that we would get a good job done, but of course it is expensive.

There has been a lot of on board discussion about the saloon bench seating.  It was made in house and has plenty of storage underneath which is good.  It converts easily into a double bed which again has been very useful, however it is not a comfortable seat for evening relaxation.  The TV is positioned in the front corner of the boat and the bench seat runs down the boat on the opposite wall, so watching the TV is not easy either being always on the skew.   We had a discussion with Peter Mason of Braidbar as to whether it would be practicable to have it removed and free standing chairs used instead.  The answer was that it would be easy enough to remove, but extremely difficult to aquire the wood and to replace the trim and finish.   Thus very expensive.    A compromise solution was agreed which was to move the TV.   A slightly enlarged shelf above the radiator would accommodate a new "Avtec" television.    We purchased this from John Lewis along with the active aerial.   This has been highly successful both from the technical reception of TV signals and from the more comfortable viewing angle.

The rear fenders have been a mess since I replaced them years back.  (Well the work was done by Tradline Fenders of Braunston).  Basically an attempt had been made to extend the fenders back far enough to protect the rudder, but this had not been very successful from the outset and subsequently they had collapsed for want of a better word.   This lack of protection might have contributed to a lock cill incident reported previously.   Braidbar fitted new black ones for me.    They are great.

The Houdini Hatch has been leaking slightly and the plywood trim around it in the interior is becoming damaged and blackened.   A repair was necessary.   This is definitely out of my competance level.   Braidbar advised that the only way to repair it was to remove it, treat and repair the rust damage to the steelwork and to refit it using a new skirt around the roof trim to cover the wood damage.   There was no practical way to cut the damage out and repair the roof.   This has been successful and even enhances the look of the hatch from inside.   We now have no leak.

The deck boards are tired and starting to break up.   Technically not a difficult job except for routing out the recess for the lifting handle, but sourcing the board itself seemed difficult.   A new set has been made and fitted including the soundproofing for the engine-room deck board.  A subtle improvement made damage less likely lifting and replacing the board.

I have been very disappointed with the four Elecsol 125AH batteries purchased in 2012.   They have just not stood up to the demands made on them and after only 2 years use I am fed up with them, vowing to just fit cheap leisure batteries in future.  It occurs to me that you need really new batteries, not some that have been neglected on a showroom shelf for 12 months.  So those sourced by a busy boatyard from a reputable dealer should cut the mustard.   Braidbar fitted four new 110AH wet cell batteries got from Midland Chandlers.  The difference with the new batteries was evident. 

I know that when the boat was built the ballast requirements were very carefully calculated.  The ballast in our case was paving slabs fitted under the floor.  Thus when the boat was being built it had a marked list, which gradually, as time went on and more of the interior was finished corrected itself.  However, when we had our shakedown cruise it was evident that a small list remained and four extra paving slabs were installed under one of the dinette seats.    Now that the boat is "fully complete" with all the accumulation of personal nick-nacks, tac, or even rubbish, the list has reappeared and the original calculations validated.   We asked Braidbar to remove some//all of the slabs to correct this.

 

Cratch

I thought it would be a good idea to "service" the cratch board.   There is a redundant horn on the front and the paintwork needs looking at.    So I removed the covers and knocked out the top plank whereupon the front fell in.   It fitted in the car exactly and I took it home.

On closer inspection the wood has rotted at one corner and it seems it was only the paint that made it look alright.   Quite a large chunk was removed with still some incipent rot evident.   I bought some rotting wood hardener and applied that liberally and made up a piece of wood to fit in the hole fixing it with silicone adhesive and filling the cracks with car body filler before rubbing down.   You can hardly see the join, but I reckon the repair will not last.

I took all the furniture off prior to rubbing down and painting.   The headlight was in a sorry state and I threw it away getting a classic car headlight instead.   Similar looking, but chrome.    The radio aerial has been playing up and that too was seriously corroded at the connection end.   A bodge repair was made using brass instead of  the steel screw.    Because the whole assembly must be capable of demounting, electrical connections need making and breaking easily and the aerial is no exception.   I was mounted at the front to reduce interference from the LED lighting.    One FMC connection needed remaking.

The diamonds on the front needed repainting of course and involved black lining between the colours.  The painting went well using a flat signwriting brush (Probably has a special name) and the lining was done with a black permanent marker and ruler.   Will it last?

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 8

Last minuite whizz round this morning.  Replace the front fender.   Remove the sink drain tube (as we were using the boat the tube diverts the waste water).   Remove the Acrow prop from the stern.  Then wait for the marina staff to re-launch the boat.   The long rope and pulley is attached to the boat and the JCB connected some 100 yards away.  Chocks away, then using levers the boat is started rolling and gathers speed until the slack is taken up, then gently let down into the water floating off the carriage bogies.      One last job to be done now that I have access from the bows.  Paint the last bit of the counter.

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 7

Not much left to do whilst the boat is up on the slipway.   Took the opportunity to touch up the bow decoration.   It is much easier to do this at eye level than down low on the water.

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 6

More painting today - principally the rear counter.   Have to do this in sections otherwise it would be impossible to get off the boat!

Topped up stern tube greaser and also did a minor re-routing of the windgenerator cable in the pole.

Have had to scrap the rear fender(s).   They had "decomposed" to such an extent that they were useless anyway.   The rudder sticks out quite a long way and if this is to be protected a custom made fender is required based around something rigid but with a compressible end.   Thinking cap on!

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 5

Finished off the bow thruster repair now a new M8 bolt is to hand.  Refitted the grills.

Did some repair work to the from cratch sheets where two of the studs have torn out and need a patch.

More painting - first coat and sand to the rear gunwale.   Finishing coat tomorrow.  Cold nights and morning dew means that this is really afternoon work.

Installed three new fire extinguishers.   The existing ones are life expired and it is cheaper to buy new than have them serviced as one offs.   

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 4

Put the last coat of blacking on this morning including weed hatch.   Then started making good on paint jobs, foremost the rear counter at the waterline where rusting tends to occur.

Emptied the engine bilge of residual water using the wet-vac.   Mostly stern tube leakage this is not oily as such but there is a lot of old grease accumulating and the bilge pump needs removing and cleaning.

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 3

Spent most of the morning refitting the bowthruster gearbox - the new one purchased earlier as a guaranteee of getting the whole thing sorted in a week.   Checking the drawings it seemed that the bolt holes in the tube were not to spec, so they were drilled out to 8.5mm.    The thing was offered up and a way found to support it in place (without the anode fitted to make more room) to permit bolting up from above.   It was then removed and the seal and some sicaflex applied to the top to provide a watertight seal.   This is the scary bit because I will only know that it is OK when the boat is back in the water.   It took a couple of goes and a bit of jiggling to get the holes lined up and all appears well.    The props were attached using a tiny finger mounted hexagon key to spin the retaining screws in (the ones that had taken me ages to get out) only using the Allen key for the final tightening.   The props appear to spin freely, but will need testing once the hydraulic motor is firmly attached.   It needs a new bolt to be complete. 

Remaining work was a power wash of the gunwales to get rid of the algae and lichen growth.   Sanding and red oxide painting of the rear counter and some Comastic to the weed hatch.

We have been remarkably lucky with the weather.  Cold early mornings but wall to wall sunshine and warm days.   No excuses really for not getting everything finished off.

Boat Blacking Week 2014:Day 2

First job was to get the bow thruster gear box out of the tube.   Some of the bolts were a bit resistant.  One hex socket bolt was munged and required the mole wrench and a large lever.   A long mooring pin was similarly used to lift the cast hydraulic engine mounting block free.   With all that gone and the oil reservoir feed disconnected a lump of wood was pushed down the tube from out side and hit with a hammer gently to free the sealant.    With the gearbox out it was now possible to examine it for the source of the oil leak.    It was simply a loose drainage plug.    It would have been much simpler and quicker to have tightened this in situ, however, a replacement would have been necessary and note also that it can only be accessed from one side (starboard).

Another coat of blacking was applied.

Boat Blacking Week 2014

The boat was hauled up onto the slipway this morning and was power washed.   The weather was perfect with light breeze and sunshine, so the starboard side dried off quickly.  I scraped the swim where the skin tank is located to avoid excessive build up there.   (I did have a bit of overheating on the Trent last year).  The angle grinder got going with a finishing wheel to deal with any rust spots at the waterline and then  the first coat of comastic using a big roller.  I try to thin the stuff down slightly which makes it better for the roller, but the solvent evaporates very quickly so there is a need to work fast.    Pat helped with a brush finishing off the difficult bits around the stern and bow.  Then it was a chance to look at the bow thruster.   The gearbox in the tube is leaking oil slightly and needs sorting.   This is a bit of a leap in the dark for me, but advice from the UK agent (AR Peachment) plus the manufacturer's limited documentation suggests that it is within my capability.   First job is the get the props off.    There is just one little hexagon screw to remove but it is only possible to get to it by feel right up the tube.   My left hand was much better than my right for this even though I am right handed.  Couldn't shift it with the allen key alone, but a bit of tubing gave some leverage and it moved OK after that.    There was only room for a 1/6th turn at a time, so it took ages.   However, the props came off quite easily to my surprise.    Enough for today.   To be continued tomorrow.

Solid Fuel Stove (Squirrel)

Rust has always been a bit of a problem.   There is an earlier post to this site detailing some experiences with the carbon monoxide alarm waking us at night and the finding of a leaking back plate at the site of the alternate flue connection due to rusted through bolts giving way.   I suspected that there was a leak of rainwater alongside the top of the flue but recent experience shows that this might just be condensation forming when the boat is out of use.

During last year's cruise, whilst closing the stove door, there was a sort of metallic grating sound and the top of the stove was seen to jump upwards.  Closer inspection revealed that the sides had burst out as well leaving gaps giving a view to the interior.    Clearly the stove was unfit for further use.   Well we were forced to use it occasionally in very cold wet weather, but only with a strong fire burning to guarantee a good draft and never at night.   There is nothing like a fire to warm the boat in wet weather.  It is dry heat and the ventilation is improved, and after all houses have open fires.   There was never any indication of carbon monoxide in the cabin.

The immediate problem was what to do about it.  My impression was that the stove would have to come out later confirmed by an engineer.  So it was not going to be quick to deal with, so we waited until our return.   A quote was obtained and the options of repair or buy new considered.   Essentially there was nothing wrong with the cast iron components (at first sight) so repair was elected, although there was only a few hundred pounds difference.   The expectation was that the engineer would indicate where and when he would be available to get the stove out, either at Harefield where we moor, or we would take the boat to him and wait a few days while the work was done.   However, Harefield were not happy about another engineer on their site but never came back with an alternate solution and we hadn't heard from our chap either.   Getting frustrated I decided to remove the stove myself and take it for repair.   But how is it done?   The flue is fixed at the roof and the stove top and has to be removed first obviously, but how?   An internet forum provided all the answers, detailing how a flue is fitted.   So working backwards, the seal has to be removed from the top outide.  This consists of fireproof webbing and a top seal with heat resistant silicone.   It took a while to dig this all out and allows the flue to be lifted up once the seal at the stove to is also cleared.    This proved impossible with the methods I tried (small drill bit, screwdriver etc.), however as the whole stove top plate was loose I was able to lift this up, support it with some timber in the lifted position and slide the stove out from underneath.   Then the flue and stove top could be dropped.    Removing as much of the stove components as possible, the carcase could be lifted out and into the car.   Further investigation of the flue collar on the stove top now from underneath revealed the bolts holding this in and it was easily separated.  (Doing this in the first place would have saved a lot of wasted effort).

The stove was duly repaired.   A crack was found in one of the side plates, and a number of small components were needed, but the whole thing came in cheaper than expected thanks I suppose to my efforts.    But now the stove was reassembled, how was I going to get it in again all in one piece?   The cunning plan was to take the boat to the boatyard (Uxbridge) there was the stove waiting and three burly folk to put it in the boat for me.   No problem.   The installing it was down to me, but now fully understanding how it all fits and with the necessary items to hand, this was an amazingly quick process.  Just place the stove into its original place, screw it down; slide the flue up first, then down into the collar.   Tape inserted into the collar around the flue, then fire cement.   Then more tape at the top finished off with heat resistant silicone.

Windgenerator

As our style of cruising has slowed down we are no longer running the engine for long enough hours to keep the batteries properly topped up and it does not seem right to have to run the big diesel engine just for what amounts to a fraction of a kilowatt for the last few amps over a couple of hours that are necessary.  A petrol (or gas) generator would be noisy and besides I do not want petrol on the boat.  I explored the possibility of a methanol fuel cell, but these are obcenely expensive to buy although otherwise would possibly fit the brief, though high grade methanol is not cheap either.   So we have elected for a windgenerator.

We bought one from Marlec, the Rudland 914i.   It comes in a box to be assembled, but only consists of the actual fan.   A suitable pole with fittings is available as an add on but needs stays if mounted on a narrowboat roof and these have to be sourced independently.  The pole is supplied with a pair of mounting plates that permit it to be hinged at the bottom for rapid lowering/raising.   The planning for the installation of this pole caused the biggest headache as the roof would have to be drilled and tapped to install ring bolts so clearly it would have to be in the right position from the outset for the cable run to be possible which again would need the roof cutting.   Reference to another member of Cutweb with experience advised against directly fitting the hingeplate to the roof as transmitted noise could be a problem, so a wooden base plate was fabricated on four rubber feet that could be wedged between a mushroom vent and the roof cross-brace without using any screws.   A small amount of silicone sealant was strategically placed to keep it in place.   Finding a souce of stainless stranded wire stays proved difficult.   A yachty chandlery was suggested as the best option and a visit was made to a large shop at Shepperton.  Ring bolts, turnbuckles, and shackles were available and instead of wire, a proprietory, thin non elastic rope was recommended.  This could be tied and avoid the need for wire clamps.  Electrical wire was also needed and specified by Marlec, 4mm² for the battery connection and I elected for 2mm² for the rest as the run should be short.

Installation took place at Castleford where we were moored for 48 hours and an excellent nearby hardware store proved valuable for the unexpected bolts and other tools that proved necessary.  The longest time was spent on the wiring from the roof through to the regulator and back to the batteries. A waterproof connector was purchased for the roof and this was installed first using a hole cutter.  The route chosen followed the existing solar wiring but was fiddly needing a cupboard door removing for access and a panel from under the gunwale similarly.   However carefully I plan there is always the unexpected and I hadn't registered that the steel bulkhead though to the engine compartment would naturally have a layer of insulation sandwiched between it and the wooden cladding inside.   The wire would need protecting from the sharp steel edge so I had bought a grommet which turned out in the circumstances to be useless.  It needed a pipe pushed through to channel the wire.  Being without an appropriate hole cutter this took some hours and two visits to the hardware store in town.   The second difficulty was the seemingly simple job of connecting the wires to the regulator.   Had the difficulty been anticipated this would have been easier.  The problem was that with the unit already mounted and the connector on the lower edge it was necessary in the end to lie flat on the floor looking upwards to locate the wire in the small holes provided.  Really the wire end needed to be tinned.  One strand always wanted to escape and testing revealed a short circuit.  The 4mm wire had to be thinned down to even get in at all neatly.

Building the charger from the components proved straightforward and assembling the pole likewise.  The ringbolts were soon in place and the thin rope looped back at each end and secured with tightly bound stainless steel locking wire with the double end sheathed in heatshrink sleeving to cover.   Getting the right length for the stays was a bit hit and miss, and a bowline was used initially to gauge the length needed before the final assembly.  The loops can easily be unfastened and altered.   The turnbuckles allow some adjustment for true vertical in daily use and also to release the strain when unhooking.   Normally the generator is stowed forwards, but the "rudder" projects upwards risking damage under low bridges.  If necessary, stowage can be reversed as shown.   Click on images to see a full size version.

 

Reversed stowing position for reduced air draft

Quick release hook for demounting pole forwards

The pole base hinge and mounting board

 

The finished result. Note that the pole is offset to the side. This is to allow forward stowage to the left of the mushroom vents as well as permitting access to the front of the roof by the side.

 

Routine engine maintenance

An oil change and new oil filter.  One has to be very methodical to limit oil spills on board and nothing overboard.  I wrap a plastic bag round the old oil filter before removing it to catch the waste oil left in the filter and have a receptical ready to drop oily stuff into.

The left hand bilge gets messy with rainwater and hydraulic oil leaks.  Never could find out wherefrom. With heavy rain the drainage is insufficient for all the water draining off the back roof and it collects here.  Used the oil sucker to get most of it.

Also changed the oil in the PRM gearbox.  Need the oil sucker for this.

Tightened up the stern tube gland to reduce the dripping into the back bilge.

Teddington

Heavy rain overnight and drizzle on and off most of the morning ending in more heavy rain.  A very murky morning.  I even put the nav lights on to start off so the boat would be more visible to the rowers, who even at 7 am and barely light, were out on the water.   Penton Hoook Lock was the first and on self service of course at this time.   Very slow!  The user pedestals are of the older type whereby the sluice buttons have to be pressed for 10 seconds and then wait for 2 minutes and repeat.   The first two minutes saw the lock water lowered by about 1 foot.  Then it speeded up a bit.   On the canals we just open up everything at once when going down, but in the big locks like on the Thames I suppose there might be more of a surge if doing that.   By Shepperton we were on full service again.   Good progress to Reddington in time for lunch at 12:00.  Now we wait for the tide for the next leg to Brentford.

Bow Thruster

During our recent cruise on the Thames the bow thruster misbehaved, by intermittently failing on one side then totally on left command. It is a "Twin-Prop" hydraulic device and is very useful on occasion especially when single handing. Logic pointed to a switch failure confirmed quickly with the volt meter. On emailing Cramm in Holland an almost immediate reply told me that they no longer support the "Twin-Prop" and that I should contact AR Peachment. Another quick-fire exchange told me that a direct replacement was not available, but supplied details of a suitable substitute which I received by overnight post and fitted yesterday. Pity I couldn't get just the microswitch, but it works fine now and I am 74 quid worse off. Only snag is that the notch which stops the lever from twisting in the panel is 90 deg out, so now I can select up and down, not left and right Looking for a needle file!

Roof

The roof takes a hammering from solar UV light as well as more physical damage from coal bags, the gang plank and being walked on. Part is still in original paint and showing signs of rust quite badly. Over the last few days most, but inevitably not the smallest of these rust spots have been rubbed down and primed with either a two part epoxy rust treatment or a cellulosed based red oxide paint. After waiting for a dry quiet day with minimal sun, a top coat of blue gloss was applied yesterday and left to dry.

Hull blacking

It has been nearly 3 years since the boat was out last for a hull inspection and blacking.   Now it is out again.   The process of getting it exactly in position in the water at the slipway with the underwater bogies in suitable positions to support it once out, went smoothly and the boat was dragged up, secured and a ladder placed for access.   This time I have paid for the bottom to be pressure washed and this was done immediately.   Last year I spent a lot of time scraping the hull and using an angle grinder to get a relatively smmoth surface.   As most of the removed material last time seemed to be old paint which was quite secure and giving that any rust spots are clean and shiny after the pressure was  I decided to start painting immediately.  It was a sunny day and the surface was dry.    I use "Comastic" which is a bitumen based coating made up with xylene.   Nasty stuff, but it dries quickly.  I had two partly used tins saved from 3 and 6 years ago, so bought some thinners to make these workable which worked out well.    The first coat has to be brush worked (ideally sprayed I was informed) to get into all the nooks and crannies, so it is hard work with what is a very thick sticky material.   However the first coat was finished on the same day.  This is worth the effort because the weather is always an unknown when getting the boat out and it is not possible to use the backing in the wet, so once the first coat is on, if all else fails, then at least the steel is protected.    However, good weather prevailed for the first 4 days and the 3 coats had been applied and the other necessary painting at the stern completed as well before the rain arrived on Tuesday.   While the boat is on the slipway (Friday is changeover day) other small tasks can be dealt with.

Battery check

Battery voltage was 12.6 on opening up the boat reducing to 12.3 when heater turned on. Engine run to keep the cobwebs away. Showed charge rate of 21 amps reducing quickly to 4 amps at 14.4 volts.

Winterisation

Firstly, an end of season oil and filter change, now a well rehearsed routine with no surprises.

Secondly the issue of engine antifreeze.  The manual says this should be drained and replaced every two years, but apart from top ups to the cooling system (with neat antifreeze) this has never been done for 9 years.  So I thought I should have a go.   So... how to drain the system?   Does the skin tank and calorifier circulate the same body of coolant?    Looking at the pipework it looks like it does, so presumably, what I consider to be the heat exchanger on the top of the engine is just there for wet exhaust type installation.  The manual points to the tap on the bottom of the engine block for draining the coolant, but the pipework leading to the calorifier and skin tank are at a lower level and would not drain from here.   I am reluctant to disconnect the hoses, because from past experience they never go back on without leaks.   So I set to just drain from the tap as far as I could.     Turning the tap, nothing came out.   It loked like a simple spigot type with hole, so I pushed a narrow scredriver into the outlet and sure enough, as the tap was turned the screwdriver slipped in, but then struck something solid.  Twisting and pushing revealed some white powder which I took to be limescale.  After the screwdriver had penetrated about 3 cm I struck water, but it wouldn't flow - until I loosened the filler cap - doh!
    I managed to drain about 8 litres of clean blueish solution, then closed up and refilled with 50% ethylene glycol Halfords mixture.   I checked the bleed connection on the skin tank to confirm it was still full.   Job done?

Thirdly, the rear fenders were finally replaced after their removal earlier in the year to negotiate the Calder & Hebble.

Then finally, to protect the domestic water system, the tank was drained and laced with pink potable antifreeze, then flushed through to all points.

 

Routine Maintenance

After our long cruise, some work is necessary.

1. Engine oil and filter change
2. Gearbox oil change.  I use a Pela oil sucker for this, but must find a wider bore tube.  It takes so long otherwise.
3. Check battery water.  The "eye" is green all round and sampled cells OK.
4. Scrape a bit of flaky paint in the engine bilge floor and paint with rust converter.  Had to use a cushion to lie on the engine block to reach down.
5. Clean out remainder of bilge.  Rain water collects on the port side after heavy rain.  The drainage gutter around the deck board is not up to the job.  Also use some oil & grease remover under the engine.
6. Remove rear step locker for lid repair.  Lid had cracked at a previous biscuit joint.

7. Remove selected curtains for washing.  Clean rails.  They get greasy around the galley.

LED Lighting issues resolved

Tests proved that the radio interference from the LED lighting was not through the wires. A better aerial was therefore needed, as the present one is in the cabin and rather minimilistic. After experimentation I settled on a flexible stick aerial mounted on the cratch board. This can be removed easily when air draft is a critical issue.

Engine service, LED lighting review, batteries

Being a member of River Canal Rescue is a good idea.  I have had need to call them out in the past, perhaps the most needy being at Huddersield when the prop got wound up with steel wire ending up with the engineer in the water in a dry suit.   The company obviously has a need to keep its engineers occupied in the winter and offer an annual engine inspection as part of their gold membership, and an engine service in the winter for an additional fee.   I thought I would take advantage of the latter this year.  It's not that I can't chnage an oil filter, but more to get an insight into the things I don't normally check.

The engineer took spent about 2 hours with the boat and did all the usual things like change the oil and filter, although I advised him that changing the fuel filter was a bad idea with a full fuel tank.  He checked the engine electrics, tightened up the belts, blew the dust (old belt dust) out of the alternators and generally found things in good shape which was reassuring.  Perhaps most useful were a number of tips, some of which I need to act on.   RCR recommend "Marine16" as a good fuel treatment especially for the new red diesel spec which is likely to include biofuel.  Static fuel in tanks for a long time might not be a good idea.  He suggested that it might be good practice to run down the tank to near empty (what I try to do anyway) as a regular plan rather than keep topping up.  Especially in the warmer weather when the bug is more likely to multiply.   Suggestions also about keeping spare control cables and belts on board.

LED Lighting

Brilliant though this is we have found a serious disadvantage.  The FM Radio stops working on all stations except BBC radio 3 and 4, when the lights are turned on.   My thinking is that this must be due to a frequency fed back through the power supply, or a radio frequency transmitted from the light electronics.   Nearer lights having a more pronounced effect might support the latter.   Suggestions welcome for dealing with this.

Battery Maintenance

We have no power hook up in the marina and I rely on the solar panels for battery maintenance.  In the winter, it seems that there is just not enough light to keep the batteries up to scratch.   It looks as if we will have to start more regular winter cruising again.    We did when we first had the boat, which is probably why we had no problems in the first year or two.   I suppose I could make a fuss and get wired up.   However, I rather like the idea of taking the boat out.

LED Lighting

So impressed were we by the light output from some sample SMD lights that we obtained at the Cutweb Rally I decided to kit out the whole boat as far as the general ceiling lights are concerned.  This was done today.   Current drain from lighting is now negligable in the overall scheme of things.

Post cruise maintenance - oil and batteries

Whilst I did have the kit with me to do a 200 hour oil and filter change during our recent cruise, I decided to wait until return.   We visited the boat today, took it up one lock to warm the oil and did the oil change bankside.   This is a now well rehearsed routine, the engine cover board taken off the boat and used as firm standing for oil containers, the hot oil is pumped out of the engine into a bucket, the old filter is removed wrapped in a plastic bag to reduce spill into the bilge, new filter put on, new oil poured in, bucket emptied into now empty oil containers.  All in all a clean job.

Batteries

Reading the travel log you will pick up on the fact that I was becoming concerned about the state of the batteries, purchsed new in autumn 2008 but now only able to hold about 50 amp hours from fully charged before discharge to 11.7 volts.  This is a "fully discharged" state as far as lead acid batteries are concerned.  I would have expected at least 175 AH from batteries notionally totalling 500AH.    On return to the marina I ordered 4 new batteries.  Having been warned off "Elecsol" with bad reports of many returns from disatisfied customers, I was recommended to buy "Numax" 135 AH batteries giving a total of 540AH.  This is all notional as ratings have been downgraded apparently, but should at least give better performance.   These were fitted today.

My plan is to test the old batteries independently to confirm their condition.  Two questions arise.  Was the problem due to a wiring fault?  i.e. two or more batteries in the bank effectively isolated from the remainder.  A full test should reveal the answer.  Secondly, did I make a tactical mistake in replacing the batteries in the autumn when recharging from the solar panels is at its weakest over winter, thereby running the batteries down to a critical level?

Solid fuel stove repairs

As we were due to pass Braidbar Boats in Higher Poynton on our planned trip to the Ribble Link, I had arranged with the yard to have a look at our stove.   I had not tried too hard to check the rusted spigot at the back of the stove for fear of causing irreparable damage.   On getting to the boatyard an assessment was done almost immediately by Peter, the boss, who recommended that the foreman, Ian, should look at it in the morning.  He duly came and within a short period had the offending disk removed.  A stud holding the retaining clip had sheared.  Within the hour the part was returned with a first class repair and the spigot was replaced and cemented in to make a leaktight seal.   The leak had been quite serious, although probably just contributing to the stove draught, rather than leaking flue gases into the cabin.   Certainly no indication of that from the carbon monoxide alarm.

Boat Safety Examination

The boat passed the test.  There are always a few surprises.  I had checked the solid fuel stove, but not like the examiner does.   Although the floor fixings (screws) appeared OK, the head on one was just sitting there, having sheared off.  The other was loose.   These were fixed within minutes.   Of more concern is the flue spigot at the rear which has rusted and burst out.  Our flue exits at the top so the rear access is redundant and therefore closed off. There is no sign of a leak of flue gases, but clearly this needs expert attention.   Our flexible gas hoses are fine but should be replaced at some convenient time.

I have been concerned of late with the conditon of the gas locker in the bows.  It was given a coat of primer when the boat was built, but never painted.  As it has drainage holes near the water line it is always wet and has rusted badly.  After the winter layover it has dried out and gave me an opportunity to have a better look after the bottles were removed.   I scraped out about three dustpans full of flaked rust.   The well was then treated with 'f123' rust converter and given a coat of two pack mastic epoxy.   It looks much better, but will the cure last?  The BSS examiner told me that about 5 boats have sunk after the gas bottles had fallen through the rusted floor.   Could not happen to ours - the sinking that is -  as there is a bulkhead.

Getting Ready for the off

Over the last couple of weeks we have revisited the boat in anticipation of the forthcoming Boat Safety examination (like an MOT) and our trip to the north.   The water system has been flushed through and tank refilled.   The risk of days of heavy frost have now passed.   Battery voltages are now good and running the engine shows only a few amps going in, so either the batteries are heavily sulphated or full.  Most of the items flagged as advisory in the last BSC Exam have been dealt with including additional low vevel ventilation and the gas alarm.  The stove also had a new flue fitted at Braidbar last summer.

The curtains have been removed for washing and fire retardant application and the cratch cover sent away for repair.  The stitching on the zips has been giving way.   It is after all 8 years old now.

Winter

Spent lunchtime getting one or two winterisation jobs done.  A pump out - not sure whether this is best, but at least emptying the tank now might prevent build up of bottom sludge. A fuel tank fill.  At antifreeze in the water system.

Rectification of minor problems

When Nuggler had the first (and most recent) Boat Safety Examination, there were one or two items on the advisory list which bothered us.  One was cabin ventilation.  The examiner found that the low level ventilation was inadequate for 6 persons.  Not that we are likely to accommodate 6 persons now the children are grown up, four yes!   The other was the external mains land line connection socket which apparently was not up to present day standards, not being "weatherproof" even though it has a cover.    It was my intention, therefore, to raise these issues with the boat builder when the opportunity arose.   This opportunity has been a while coming and in the meantime there are a few other things which are best dealt with by the boat builder.

1. The rudder bearing is worn.

2. The stove flue has rusted at its connection with the stove and is potentially leaking flue gases.  Not good!  This has, no doubt arisen because of water ingress.   We have had no proper flue cover, relying instead on a metal plate to cover the external opening when moored.  This was clearly inadequate.

3. One of the rear steps had cracked.

4. The dinette window was leaking rain water in one corner.

5. The roof ring was cracked and worn out.

Bottom Blacking

It has come round time to do Nuggler's bottom again.   So on the 1st May I sat on the boat waiting for the marina crew to remove the boat currently on the slipway and drag me up.   They appeared quite early but explained that they were waiting for the but up there to be surveyed and then they had another one that they needed also to survey first.   As a consolation for the delay, they offered to pressure wash the boat for me free of charge - a nice gesture which I accepted.    The result was, however, that I was a bit later than usual getting to grips with the scale using the scraper and angle grinder and wasn't really ready for the first coat of "Comastic" on day 1.    Good news, though, I had some help coming in the persons of my daughter and her partner, so on Saturday and Sunday we made very good progress in good weather, and by Monday when I was alone again I had three coats applied.  All that remained then was the other small jobs - repainting the stern, sorting the gunwales and quite a few other small but nontheless important jobs.   The last of these was to sand down the floor in the gally and put a coat of varnish on the front half of the boat floor.   Having done this and escaping through the rear, it was obvious that the rest will have to be done at a later time.

  

Routine engine maintenance

The boat is being put away for the winter and now is the time for an engine check, oil change and new filter.  It is actually only 113 hours since the last oil change, but the oil pressure reads top of the scale when the oil is cold which is unusual.   My rationalising for this is that the filter is choked, so a change is in order.  I used cheap oil the last time and this might be the reason plus the fact that we have been on the river and the engine works harder.   Maybe this is a good thing.

I took the boat out of the marina as usual (because of our mooring arrangement, access to the stern is restructed and I like to have a secure solid base for decanting oil).   The change was uneventful and after the oil pressure was in the normal range.   I used expensive semi synthetic oil this time as the engine will lie unused for about 4 months.

The opportunity was taken to apply a little varnish here and there.

The water tank was drained and the usual flush through with dilute monopropylene glycol ("non-toxic" antifreeze.)