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Hello all, Sorry for the long post and the rather basic questions, I am a genius with computers but a complete novice when it comes to boats. I have recently become the owner of another cabin cruiser after receiving a second chance offer on eBay and am after some advice/guidance on renovating her. This was the original advert: 20ft Cabin Cruiser Chenise is a great little family cruiser ideal for both river and sea, she has a forward cabin equipped with sink, work tops, bench seating with storage under, top hatch with integrated fan and two under counter cupboards. The V shaped hull is designed to form a bed with the appropriate cushions and boarding. A 12v inverter is fitted to power 240v equipment via the solar charged battery such as dvd player, radio etc. The rear deck has a full canopy witch has recently been re-proofed, the flooring is decking planks with an access panel to the electric bilge pump. Bench seating with loads of storage under including manual bilge pump. Water from the bilge and sink is ejected via built in ports. Steering wheel and remote controls for the main engine, cabin door with padlock clasp, window and port hole with removable panel. The decks have anti slip plates, bow rails, bow anchor roller, tie off points etc. 2x nav lights and 1x rod holder. Main Engine. Mercury 40hp (pull start) connected to remote steering and controls, last serviced November 2014. Great motor and moves her along on both river and sea. (see below) Auxiliary Motor. Mariner 2hp. Small unit but pushes her along to get you home if main engine should fail. Recent service with new impeller, oil etc. Chenise is a great boat and has given us some good family weekend fishing / cruising etc. She is currently moored at Heybridge Basin in Essex offering great cruising and fishing and access to the sea via the manned sea lock. It is possible to sail to Chelmsford stopping off at supermarkets and pubs on the way for great family days out. (Moorings available) Chenise was bought with the intention of a full refurbishment but enjoyed her so much we never got round to it and just enjoyed her “as is”. We have now purchased a larger boat hence this sale. Bad Bits. Used boat 2 weeks ago and all fine but now can’t start main engine, started to rub down cabin but never finished. Needs some TLC but will come good. Viewing welcomed and encouraged. Was purchased in this location so no trailer. If you buy to remove she will need to be sailed through sea lock to a slip way about 15 min sail at the cost of £30 to use slip way. (aux engine will get you there) Less than 10 feedback score please contact me before bidding! UK buyers only. You bid to buy, not view or haggle so please come and view if you have any concerns as this is now relisted and I really need the mooring for new boat Pictures can be viewed here: http://s287.photobucket.com/user/southeastbikers/library/Chenice?sort=3&page=1 The pictures are from two adverts, the original sale in August, which apparently fell through (and then the Mercury outboard unit stopped working) and how it looks now with the yellow/green interior, sink, and worktop units. She is cosmetically a tidy cabin cruiser but I need help with creating a 'plan' of things required to have her canal/seaworthy as I wish to take her from her current moorings out of the sealock and around to other rivers/routes (she is currently on a 13mile navigation that does not connect to anything else) So far I have secured the rights to her moorings and insured her with AIG (Insured her as a Microplus, although any confirmation would be great!), and thankfully at this stage she does not require a BSC due to being moored at the Basin, but obviously this would be necessary to take her on either the current navigation or any other inland waters. My first priority is to have the outboard repaired and hopefully have this running, having no experience of outboards and limited experiences of boats in general this will certainly be an adventure/challenge, I am currently attempting to contact the previous owner to obtain the 'auxilary engine' mentioned in the advert as this was not left on the boat, nor were any batteries or other marine items. My questions are: The boat apparently has 2 navigation lights but I have not seen a fuse panel like we have on our other boat, infact I am not sure how any of the electrical components are being powered so would like to fit a fuse panel, are these panels difficult to wire in yourself and do they need to meet any sort of requirements? What one would I require? According to the advert, there was a small auxilary engine (which we are still attempting to obtain), other boats we have seen have these mounted on a square block that protudes from one side of the transom, but our boat does not have this, is there a specialist mount we require to mount this next to the main engine? I aim to kit out the interior further, do I require a particular foam/wood for this purpose? I am not a fan of the padlock/clasp cabin lock, are there any issues with fitting a general yale-type door lock to cabin doors? I'm sure I will come across more on a closer inspection over the weekend, but all help for now is much appreciated!

Hello all, I have finally had the opportunity to look at my Mercury 40hp outboard and I'm really unhappy with the condition of it, for an outboard that was supposedly serviced this time last year the condition is poor in the sense that the wiring is shot in various places, one of the prop fins has a chunk out of it and it appears the engine had an electric start but the wiring has perished and parts for this have been removed. Also the positive wire appears to be connected by the last 3 strands of it's inner copper wire, so far I have tilted the engine out of the water and removed the spark plugs which are BUHW-2, a design of spark plug I have never seen before. (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NGK-BUHW-2-5626-Spark-Plug-Mercury-Mariner-2-Stroke-Outboard-Engines-4hp-90hp-/181528880213?hash=item2a43f6e455:g:BOsAAOxyJX1TF5M2) I have no idea what model of outboard it is, or it's age, only that it is a heavy unit, I thought it was a four stroke but could not find any oil filler caps so possibly a 2 stroke premix? Knowing nothing of the engine, I am now thinking the best idea would be to have a boat mechanic refurb the engine (rewire, change the prop and service), can this be done with the engine in situ or would I need to remove the unit and take it to a specialist? The good news is that the outboard is currently connected to a throttle/gear control box and steering wheel via a morse cable system, I'm now thinking of replacing the entire outboard and selling off the mercury unit after it's refurb, but are the controls universal and would it be a simple case of disconnecting the throttle arm and attaching the cables for throttle/gears? Thank you!

Hello one and all I was prompted to start a new thread....I am thinking twin deisel electric 5kw out boards....to move 40 foot by 10 foot open barge....why you ask? At the mo I have a perfectly adequate living space on the back of my bedford tm 4x4 truck, I don't want to sell it..... so I build an open barge, drop my living quarters in.... plug it into my generator along with my twin outboards and away I go....simples....or so the meerkats tell us The box is ex army too made from aliuminum so no rusting for me, it measure 15x8 foot the rest of the barge will be open to do as I wish with.....I thought deisel electric because my box is all electic now why change it or build a new one?.....so if I want to travel the water ways I go by barge or if I want to go,on holiday some where nice transfer the box back to the truck and Europe here we come....your thoughts please.