Gary Peacock

It seems little changes! lol

So what happened to Gwendoline then?

"I know we will have a boat safety certificate." Why would you on a new boat?

I would ask Stirling for their view on the things!

Disconnected skin fittings very near the waterline seemed to be the cause, maybe the weight of the snow or collected water put them below the waterline?

The change from working to recreational does in theory fall under the remit of the RCD. But of course that only applies if you were to sell it on within five years from completion.

People are now claiming VAT back on qualifying broad beam boats and barge style narrowboats in light of previous tribunal rulings. Even if the builder is no longer trading it seems to be possible to claim back the VAT paid due to incorrect VAT assessment at the time of purchase.

You could try these people- http://www.hovercraftconsultants.co.uk/document.htm

I was trained by both Mastervolt & Victron and before my day they were one and the same. Victron have a large R&D department and a very small sales department. Mastervolt have a very large sales department and a smaller R&D department. Both companies have had occasional problems with their products in recent years and rectified them satisfactorily. I personally prefer Victron because I have had less problems with it and the price is a bit less if you use the third party ESP panels and accessories from Energy Solutions. I do also like Mastervolt but find to do a job based solely on Mastervolt components it can become eye watering expensive and Mastervolt UK used to be absolutely awful to deal with but since that roll is now filled by Aquafax things are probably a lot better now. Both manufacturers are in a far different league to the "Dark arts enthusiast kit" will it work or won't it that is so beloved in the Ditch crawling world.

On a stability course I attended much was made and demonstrated about the negative effects of the loading of narrowboat roofs and who potentially would be responsible if one was to capsize! I took it with a pinch of salt but it might be worth considering I do know that by the legal tests of stability narrowboats can be a bit near to the mark already in many cases.

You are really stuck with the manufacturer- Phone: 01302 742 520 (int +44-1302-742-520) Fax: 01302 750 573 (int +44-1302-750-573) email: sales@oilstoves.co.uk Address: Harworth Heating Ltd Blyth Road Harworth Doncaster South Yorkshire DN11 8NE They have a bit of a reputation according to some of being a bit difficult to deal with but in all honesty we never had any really big issues just the normal hassle you get with many marine suppliers.

Like I said Sterling is very popular with the believers that are happy to pay the marked up prices for the additional stickers. I aren't involved in selling it anymore and don't have a problem with people buying it or not buying it I will quite happily install the stuff if people believe it suits there needs. I still like Victron and Mastervolt personally but that kind of kit is a now getting a bit complex plus pricey for most ditch crawlers to have installed. The ditch crawling market does seem more happily suited to some of the kit sourced from the Far East and badged for sale in the UK by the various importers.

Yes either the boatbuilder or the better sprayfoamers warm it up with a space heater before starting.

So the question is what will everybody do when it comes out? Mr & Mrs Bill Boater? My guess will ignore it if they don't like the content. Bodge it and Scarper Ltd "we only do the fitting out" will do much the same. Maybe a few of the "proper" if any are left boatbuilders will be bright enough to realise the potential legal implications of ignoring it and be creative. The BSS and their response will be of interest no doubt. Maybe the delay is intended to build up the excitement!!!

New one on me that one. I was always told the reverse, the thing it doesn't like is oil or grease on the plate I found.

I don't get involved with Sterling stuff without the customer is a believer!

A word of caution Barrus marinise Yanmar engines in the UK, just because a boat is fitted with a Yanmar or Mitsubishi industrial engine does not make it a Barrus product.

They are very good and totally based on domestic heating components so in theory cheap to fix and service compared to marine units. However they do need to be correctly installed and professionally commissioned or fun and games can be had! It is also well worth having them serviced professionally yearly.

I think you have to consider wireless for what it is and is really intended to be used for! I install wireless networks for some fairly well known clients who spend a lot of money to get good coverage, but the reality is that the common specifications for wireless communications are very rigid especially in the UK in regards to transmission power. Messing with the standards and country specific setup can achieve some good results but is probably technically illegal most other solutions rely on the black arts of improving the performance of the antenna be that with off the shelf products to coffee tin and string things. In theory any Internet connection can for not a lot of money be linked to a decent access point set up and give a reasonable range of "free" wireless access but the problem is that regardless of if connections is land or mobile based the ISP concerned will get upset at any heavy use of bandwidth or if they become aware of what you are doing. My advice would be not to spend too much on equipment claiming fantastic results but rather to Google a bit on the subject and experiment a bit for free or just a few quid, the end result will be much the same.

Load of Bollocks! Get them to sort it!

I would just "Black it" that's what would be normally be done from new.

You need to look at - BS EN ISO 9094-2 Small craft — Fire protection — Part 2: Craft with a hull length of over 15 m These bits of it might help 4.1 Boat layout and design 4.1.1 Bilges that may contain spillage of flammable liquids shall be accessible for cleaning 4.1.2 Compartments containing petrol/gasoline engines and/or petrol/gasoline tanks shall be separated from enclosed accommodation spaces. This condition is met if the structure fulfils the following requirements: a) the boundaries are continuously sealed (e.g. welded, brazed, glued, laminated or otherwise sealed); penetrations for cables, piping, etc. are closed by fittings, seals and/or sealants; c) access openings, such as doors, hatches, etc., are equipped with fittings so that they can be secured in the closed position. The effectiveness of the boundary joints or sealing may be demonstrated either by documentation or visual inspection. 4.2 Escape routes 4.2.1 General The following requirements shall be met irrespective of the accommodation arrangement. Where there are two escape routes only one may pass through, over and beside an engine space. Where the distance between a cooking or open-flame heating-appliance burner and the nearest side of an escape route is less than 750 mm, a second escape route shall be provided. In an enclosed galley, this requirement does not apply where the dead end beyond the cooker is less than 2 m. No escape route shall pass directly over a cooking or open-flame heating appliance. 4.2.2 Open-accommodation arrangement Where living or sleeping accommodation is not separated from the nearest exit, i.e. people can move around without passing through any door, the following shall apply. The distance to the nearest exit shall not exceed (LH/3) m. The distance shall be measured in the horizontal plane as the shortest distance between the nearest part of the exit and - the farthest point where a person can stand (minimum height 1,60 m), or - the midpoint of a berth, whichever is the greater distance. NOTE Doors of toilet or shower compartments are disregarded. 4.2.3 Enclosed accommodation arrangement Where living or sleeping accommodation is separated from the nearest main exit by bulkheads and doors, escape routes and exits from accommodation areas shall be arranged to reduce the risk of people being trapped and the following conditions shall be met. - Each accommodation section shall have more than one escape route leading finally to the open air, unless it is a single cabin or compartment intended to accommodate no more than four persons and the exit leads directly to the open air without passing through or over engine spaces or over cooking appliances. The cabin must not contain cooking or open-flame heating devices. - For individual cabins intended to accommodate no more than four persons, and not containing cooking or open-flame heating devices, escape routes may form shared escape ways for up to 2 m, measured to a two-way escape route from the door or entrance. -Shower and toilet compartments are regarded as part of the compartment or passageway that gives access to their doors and therefore do not require alternative escape routes. - With multilevel arrangements, the exits shall lead to a different accommodation section or compartment, as far as practicable. 4.3 Exits Any exit from an accommodation space or from any other space shall have the following minimum clear openings: - circular shape: diameter 450 mm; - any other shape: minimum dimension of 380 mm and minimum area 0,18 m2. The exit shall be large enough to allow for a 380 mm diameter circle to be inscribed. Exits shall be readily accessible. Exits leading to the weather deck or to the open air shall be capable of being opened from the inside and outside when secured and unlocked. The requirement does not apply to portlights of sufficient size to be designated as exits. Where deck hatches are designated as exits, footholds, ladders, steps or other means shall be provided. The vertical distance between the upper foothold and the exit shall not exceed 1,2 m. These aids shall be permanently located in the accommodation space (and be marked, unless their use is self-evident). Escape facilities, unless self-evident, or doors shall be identified by the appropriate ISO or national symbol.

A bit hard to work out without knowing the setup. What is there between the travel power control box and the AC input of the combi? It is also probably well worth having a look at the five wires that connect to the generator if one of them as come loose or go knocked off that would probably cause some strange results.