TheKeymeister

If it only has to be accessible for BSS purposes, and not day to day use, then I don't mind taking the panelling down once every 4 years and will make it easier for myself when building it. I wasn't planning on making it totally inaccessible as sods law says the moment it's all together I'll decide to add something! If that's an acceptable way of having your pipework accessible though then I'm happy at that and that's another big problem sorted :-) I haven't got a particular BSS examiner yet, I have only had it 4 years and it's been on an exemption for just under a year after the sinking...

I am in the middle of refitting my cruiser after it sank a while back. At the moment there will be no gas appliances, I just want to get it running and usable for now, but would like to future proof where possible. The layout is a front and rear cabin, with the controls and engine in the centre. There is a gas locker at the back end, with a lift up top for access from outside. The pipe previously ran through the rear cabin under the built in bench seats, through the engine bay at the back of the diesel tank, and into the kitchen area. This pipe has now been removed, and so have the bench seats. I have built a wooden frame either side of the rear cabin, with the space under the gunwales filled with insulation and ducts for future use. This space would be the only sensible place to run a gas pipe, but as it will be finished with tongue and groove panelling it will mean the pipe will not be readily accessible. The only place I could run it where it would be accessible would be in a surface mounted trunking low down, or under the floor, which I believe are both frowned upon. I am fairly happy to screw the tongue and groove in rather than nailing it, and remove it for each BSS examination, but I'm not sure that's acceptable either. The total run of pipe that won't be accessible will be 1700mm, and will feed a gas hob/grill only. Any thoughts or suggestions on this one? If need be, we will have to go without gas and find another method of cooking.

Thanks for the info As an aside, if anyone needs a copy of a workshop manual for the Mitsubishi K3D/Vetus M3.10, or the Mitsubishi L3C, let me know, many hours of research and jiggery pokery found workshop manuals for Toro Groundmaster lawnmowers that used those engines, but it's far from immediately obvious to find! All mainly because I'm far too tight to pay for one from these people who flog PDF manuals online....you can take a man out of yorkshire and all that...

Looks I might be able to answer my own question here.... found a PDF for Bowman heat exchangers and apparently the ML130 is for Mitsubishi L3 engines. Having referred to the paperwork I have got, it's apparently 800cc, and further research indicates the L3C engine is 800cc so fits the bill quite well.... I've also found that the engine model and number is on the block just below the injector pump, I'll have a run out tomorrow to confirm and report back... If anyone knows where I can get a head gasket and any other useful gaskets then do let me know!

Hi all, after my boat sunk last year I am now in the process of trying to sort the engine out. Looks like I've been quite lucky as I've had the head off and it doesn't look bad in there, manifolds are a bit worse for wear though. Didn't grab any pictures before the big clean up, I was having a major flap at the time! Main problem I'm having is that all I know about it is it's a Mitsubishi 3 cylinder diesel. From what I've seen online I reckon it's a Mitsubishi K3 of some description, most likely a Mitsubishi K3D, which was sold as a Vetus M3.10. I'm struggling to find any sort of engine numbers to help, I've found a 4 digit casting number on the block but that's it. The heat exchanger/exhaust is a Bowman ML130 with the year 1988 stamped on the plate. I'm struggling to find any decent pictures from a 'happier time' either, could have sworn blind I had some. Can anyone help? I'm also going to need somewhere that sells the correct head gasket and preferably the other gaskets too, before I draw the cornflakes packet out Just to add...it looks like it wasn't always blue, the paint job definitely looks like a later addition, and the boat itself was a similar shade of blue at some point in its life. I know the Vetus engines are usually yellow so here's hoping...

As some may remember my cruiser had a slight sinking last year at Sutton Stop, unfortunately with working away at the Olympics, moving house and changing jobs it's taken me this long to do anything about it. It's now completely stripped out but my BSS expiry date is drawing closer.... It wasn't a million miles off before, but can anyone help with the minimum requirements for what is essentially an empty shell with an engine in the middle? All gas appliances are gone (and will be for the foreseeable future), toilet/shower room gone, electrics ripped out, etc etc. My plan is to give it a good scrub down, ply/tongue & groove line it all (or can I leave that until afterwards?!), get the engine going, put as many bilge pumps as I can fit in, stick a couple of lights in the cabin and sort out the couple of bits I know need doing such as the battery/fuel isolator plates and the engine drip tray. The ventilation wasn't great looking at the current certificate, is this as critical now there isn't any gas? And how do I stand with fire extinguishers / blankets? Any help much appreciated!

It has 3 pots, I think it's a bit oversized for what it's powering to be honest! Seems bulletproof so far, has survived an injection pump full of water and me overheating it, just remains to be seen if it survives the bath it's had!

My thinking exactly - it seems caravans etc of a similar vintage started coming with FFDs so shouldn't be too hard. As it's in such a confined space anyway, combined with a sleeping area, I'll be much happier if a FFD is fitted anyway - if I'm buying new/secondhand it's no bother to make sure it has an FFD

That's a big help, thanks for that - I will look up the clearance distances and work it into my plans. I will have to watch out for the flame failure device issue, I doubt very much the existing one has such a thing (and I also doubt very much it was installed pre-2000, but there you go!) No curtains at present - but that is a valid point, the previous curtains 'clipped on' above the windows, I thought it was a lazy crap way of putting curtains up but can now see the sense in it!

Following sinking my 24' cruiser, it's having a full gutting out and refit. This gives me the opportunity to move things about a bit, but I have a couple of questions about the gas appliances. Currently there's a gas locker built into the back of the boat (up to BSS spec with locking lid and drain at the bottom etc). The two appliances are a boiler mounted next to the sink, and a gas hob/oven in the corner. The cooker has seen better days and looks a bit tired and ropey so would like to do away with it. The boiler hardly ever gets used, and for the hot water I need (washing pots) I'm happy to boil a kettle on the hob - so will be ripping it out. The full width sink is far too big so a caravan sink will be used. The toilet/shower room has about 3'6" headroom and the only way I can physically get into it is by backing in crouched down - so I will be ripping this out too and stashing the porta potti in a cupboard in case of emergency! My main question is - can I set up the new gas hob (most likely sourced from caravan/trailer tent breakers) as per my quick diagram below? I am wondering if there is some sort of rule that prevents a gas appliance being in the path of the exit from a sleeping area? I know it's not ideal, but to be honest the hob will hardly be used, as the main source of cooking is BBQ or a pub - so the gas is usually valved off at the bottle anyway. Ventilation & extinguishers etc will be provided as required by the regs. Putting the 'new' cooker and sink at the other side, but not ideal due to the layout of the boat. Any advice very welcome!

That's right - thanks for the update! My secondment finally finishes at the end of next week so hopefully it will be full steam ahead

Only just seen the last reply - doubtful on the insurance as it was in a bad state beforehand anyway. As far as I know it's still floating anyway, being on secondment in London hasn't helped the recovery/refit effort at all Any details on identifying the make/model of the craft are welcome! It's listed as a Dawncraft from 1965, although I've never seen another one the same. Has a diesel engine fitted in the middle, that looks like a retrofit (especially as it's a newish looking Mitsubishi). The sliding side panels to gain access to the middle look DIY as well! All the folding roof section is pretty much u/s - had an accident with the wind when it was moored on the staffs & worcs a couple of years back and ripped the whole thing off and I have cobbled it back together as you can see (I love unistrut)... My other passion is old Land Rovers and I've managed to pick up a front windscreen, rear cab window and a pair of doors to replace the rotten mess that's there now, and a piece of canvas as the roof! Pics of the replacement will follow in due course Refit is well into the planning stages now and I will stick another thread in the relevant section about the questions I have with the gas appliances.

I did have an instance where a mooring at a site near to me (Hillmorton, Moors Lane) had a 70ft ish mooring that went unsold for ages, and my boat is only 25ft, so I asked if they could make a smaller mooring - and they did, and listed two new ones on the auction site. Worth trying if there's not much demand!

Thats what did it! Moved from my old mooring south of Hillmorton Locks to where it is now, it hadn't moved since October and didn't leak a drop which is probably what went wrong! Fortunately the "expensive stuff" will be covered, I maintain diesel engines at work so happy to strip it myself, and replacement batteries will come from work too....

I used to be moored just past Hillmorton Locks, the very first time we moved it there, it took 4 very long days from Wolverhampton and we moored in the wrong place then moved it by the ropes. Left a windlass, mooring pin, makeshift mooring pin (piece of unistrut), and hammer on the towpath. Managed to fall asleep while waiting for a lift home for 20 minutes and guess what the entire lot was gone. Wouldn't mind but the unistrut was at least 18 inches in the ground - welcome to it if they're that desperate!!! Also had a broken side panel once so covered it over with a tarp and some house bricks, on the canal facing side not towpath. Came back two days later and both the tarp and the bricks were missing! Could not believe it