dnks34

The tube going into the stern gland might be a water cooling line from your raw water circuit. As others have said it could be you dont have a greaser. There may or may not be a grease cup on the gland itself.

Assuming there is a stern greaser actually attached to the other end of the tube it might depend a lot on who fitted it out!!

I don't think many people can say they enjoy cleaning bilges but coupled with that G Clamp not being noticed in 5 or 6 years of ownership It suggests to me the engines have been neglected never mind the rest of the boat. I have been known to be sceptical of the value of a survey but unless you are happy to spend whats needed to bring it up to a better standard I would be glad of the survey and think long term its saved me money and see what else is out there. If you do decide to take it on I would be doing something with the potentially dangerous wiring Vaughan has pointed out rather sharpish!!

On our boat we had both banks connected via a 100amp relay and suitable cabling which was switched on with the ignition so both banks charged via the alternator with the engine running and were separate from eachother with ignition off, simple cheap and effective.

If you have the space in your battery box upgrading the 90ah to 110ah would also be worthwhile, or at least the one you intend using for your domestics.

If the Alternator is putting a good charge to them while you are running then Id say they have had it. Its worth sussing out how your charging system works, some might have a battery changeover switch others could have a hidden relay that connects the 2 batteries when the ignition is on or they may be both connected to the starter as you suspect. Thick cabling on the positive between the 2 batteries would suggest they are connected together as one bank providing no split charge diode or smart splitter is in the line. I always go for the cheapest leisure batteries available from a reputable retailer (usually online). Then if they only last 2 or 3 years you wont be so mad when they inevitably begin to fail.

If the owner didn't know it was there after having it that long I think your safe to suspect its probably not been very well looked after! My first thought was as Vaughan has already explained that it may be in a different position for installation reasons but I wouldn't have thought a G Clamp would be a suitable way to fasten it long term. A lot of diy can take place on boats!

If your engine is cranking ok it sounds like your domestic battery may be weak, is it the type you can top up?

Is there definitely a mains battery charger connected as I would have expected it to mask battery problems when switched on.

The OP posted a screenshot of a BBC news article, if we cant take that for being relatively accurate at face value then I don't know what to say! Maybe a Fox did it....!

Dogs are supposedly domesticated animals, that is the difference. Otters, foxes......polar bears are wild animals and should be left to nature!

Dogs are supposedly mans best friend but their toileting needs leave a lot to be desired! I have only ever had female dogs and they tend to squat for a widdle, i couldnt be doing with walking a male dog and having it wazzing up everything as we walked along. Sticking to female I don't have rotting woodwork in the garden but I do have little brown burn patches in the grass which I regularly have to see to. When we are out I try to encourage her to go in rough ground but i never know what she might stand in!

I agree but the upshot is we still have a potentially dangerous animal marauding about off the lead! There is also the likelihood this type of behaviour wasn't completely unusual for that dog. Picture this scene, quiet beach, known aggressive dog, the owner thinks aww fido needs a run off the lead theres no one about but behind that large rock out of sight of the owner where the seal pup may have been is a family with buckets and spades, what could happen. Being the owner of a small breed dog many times I have had to threaten larger dogs marauding about who clearly see my dog as prey, she has been bitten by larger animals a few times. I am a firm believer that the moment any dog demonstrates any dangerous or aggressive behaviour to any other living being is when it needs taking off the streets as its a potential danger to others. Then the owners should be banned for life for not dealing with it before an attack occurred.

Nonsense, any dog that has demonstrated an instinct to kill is then a dangerous animal. The dog is far from blameless. It should be on a lead but let it live this time next time it could be a child. Dogs are not all born savages.....my dog would be kept on a lead but even if she wasn't I am absolutely certain she wouldn't attack a seal pup. The owner is just as much to blame as the dog

In my mind any dog capable of attacking another creature so viciously could easily do the same to a small child. I hope the dog is found and dealt with appropriately.

The Native Americans also have a saying that begins To many Chiefs .......

Before calling emergency services did anyone think to check if he was taking part in an organised event?!

I have also seen youths jumping from Beccles bypass bridge before now and seen a large group of kids jumping from moorings on the Chet, i have also seen children from a Hire boat swimming in Womack Water. This type of thing probably happens quite a lot but when groups of people are now to be seen swimming up the river its going to get harder and harder pointing out the very real dangers swimming in open water poses. I agree with JM regarding the possibility of mixed messages. In my opinion I wouldn't be making any reference to “organised events” at all in any literature with advice about swimming.

We were having to do this also, it could also explain why the locals were walking round with trousers or long sleeved clothing on! Talking to a few residents they are not all heat lovers and stay inside as much as possible when the temperatures reach the hottest.

We went in October a few years ago and it was hitting 30c (86f) even then so I imagine December being similar. A relative has been mid November and they had it over 100f but apparently that wasn't normal for the time of year. I thought we were leaving the heat behind coming home. I think its actually worse over here as unless your lucky enough to have an air-coned property theres very little respite from it.

I arrived back on Thursday morning from a 2 week holiday in Orlando. They really know what hot is over there, the temperature hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on most days I was there, and I saw locals walking about in Jeans! The heat doesn't stop Floridian life like it does over here, the only difference I could see is there is Air Conditioning everywhere so you are generally only exposed to the heat when outside.

The only time I have ever caught a fishing line was fortunately just before the boat was being lifted so luckily the fisherman got his rig back. If they don't make themselves visible in amongst high reeds there isn’t really a lot can be done and theres not a lot of point shouting about it. Fishing line can do a lot of damage to stern gear if you are unlucky so the fisherman may have come off best out of it!

Id have thought it will pick up once the school holidays begin.

If any or all of their probable expensive advice is to be disregarded if unfavourable what is the legitmate benefit of paying for the privilege of Consultancy services. It all seems very unnecessary to me and makes me wonder if Consultants are needed because those in charge of whatever project have no idea what they are actually doing. I would be perfectly happy in providing my services as a Consultant and tell the BA the Acle Project is a stupid idea for free.

The consultants probably said.... “you are going to need more money”