Scotland and Ireland in one video....

Visited my good friends John and Carrie to undertake some RC flying on their land... great views and a great place, just no canals !!

This video was about 100m up looking up the west coast of Scotland then yaw'd over to look at the Irish coastline then back down Loch Ryan.

Lots of canal stuff to come as we get the kitchen sorted then the boat painted, and did I mention we are berthed at Mercia until the New Year?

Heat your saloon for 8p a day?

Click here 

I will certainly give this a go.... would be a good solution for those half and half days when the fire may be too much.

If you liveaboards do it or try it let me know how you get on?

A cracking boat for sale - Starcross

This is a real nice boat. I understand Jim is trading up so to speak.

When I heard it was for sale I guessed a price a little higher than the sale price so I think it is a real bargain.

I think it should sell nice and quick,

Link here....Click Me 

Hope to see you on the new boat sometime soon Jim....

Tempted by marina life...??

We took Percy to Willington the other week to get some prices for kitchen alterations. It was a nice trip and apart from making a real dog dinner of the entrance when a wide beam appeared as we approached it was just a great autumnal cruise.

While we are waiting for Justin and his team to get creative on what can be achieved (more on that later re electric fridges) Percy is moored up on Justin's moorings. Mercia is only 10 minutes by car from our house so i popped over to sort out the oil pressure gauge - see previous post.

I have to say it was a very nice place to be, some activity but not a lot and very quiet and peaceful.

Not sure if Mercia would be our first choice, Kings Bromley has always been a better marian for how we like to boat. Plus I am not sure I could live so close to another boat. We are lucky on our linier moorings... just fine views !!

Under some pressure

..... in more ways than one but that is another story......

The pressure my 'Sun' like headline refers to is oil pressure, let me explain.....

Yogi has recently had a Lister CS 2 put into his boat and we have been exchanging information. We got onto the question of oil pressure. Now the CS2 has a splash system - there are dippers on the crankshaft that basically flick oil all over the inners of the engine. It get this oil from a trough that is replenished by a simple plunger type pump. (the pump does also have dedicated oilways to get oil to important parts of the inner engine, all simple, and I like simple, it reminds me a lot of myself !

Anyhow when Tony Redshaw marinised my Lister he added an external oilway from the top of the pump that had a sight glass in line that returned the oil to the sump. Very simple and elegant with one drawback, you could only 'check it  maybe on startup then close the valve to allow the oil to go to where is should go to and not be allowed to use the sight glass route.

I wanted to have a constant visual check the pump was pumping - paranoid I know as these things go on for ever with very little attention in the off grid generator community.

So I purchased and fitted the correct oil pump. Rather than explain I'll show you it working

Nice sound.....I nearly nodded off when bringing Percy back to Willington, such a sweet rhythmic sound.

Anyhow it works and shows me I have oil pumping, so Yogi, a reasonable investment £30 from Stationary engine parts, link here

Now the pump is very basic, there is a replacement that is described as better machined so I think I'll order one up and fit at some point  - after all it is a pretty important part of the boat, plus it is a pleasure working on and around the engine in the light and warmth and the dry !! !!

Slow up fast down

I like a hobby or two.... when not on the boat I have been experimenting with quadcopters and flight boards/software/electronics.

Now I have to start again. Good job it was not filming the canals which is what I wanted it to do eventually !!

The carpentry cruise

.... may not happen this weekend, it depends how much more rain we get and what the Trent does.

By way of explanation. We want some work done on the kitchen to make the boat more habitable for longer stays. We have a gas fridge that by all accounts is still the best mode of cold food on board. This is especially so as Percy only has 220ah of battery capacity. The fridge is a good working three way and when cruising we drop it to 240v and it get very cold but uses up the free power we generate when the batteries are topped up.

We want it dropping down under the worktop to open up the kitchen a little. We also want a new work top and sink unit. We would like to replace the fridge with a flying cupboard to keep some storage but still take advantage of the extra work space for maybe a small microwave.

I have one estimate but would like Justin at Aqua narrowboats to have a look. His joinery is excellent and we know we would get a good job done. If the weather stops the mini cruise down to Willington we may have to see if Justin will come to the boat.

We do not mind rainy cruising, you get more of the canal to yourself and the scenery takes on a bucolic feel. Our other boats would have been less appealing, Sylph and Comet both being cruiser sterns cold lonely places in the winter. Waterlily had a covered semi trad back, still cold a little less wet but difficult to use in position to get in and out of the boat. Percy has a great railways guardsman stove next to the trad back end and with the doors shut and the hatch partially closed it is a warm and dry place to be. An umbrella can be used in the really bad rain.

So we will be aboard, depends if the rain keeps coming and the Trent comes up..... watch this space !