Regulo

As an aside, when I fitted mine, I teed it into the existing discharge line from the electric pump, then couldn't fathom why it wasn't pumping overboard. Of course, you need a non-return valve on the outlet from the electric pump, otherwise you just re-circulate water back through there. I decided a y-diverter valve was a better solution, so that was my arrangement.

I fitted a manual pump to my boat alongside the electric one - belt and braces, if you like. It's quite an eye-opener to see just how much water these hand pumps can shift.

Ooooh! An optimist!!! Now, now, TheQ, we can't have that. . The default state on here is grumpy pessimism. If you want to deviate from the norm, please apply in writing at least 14 days in advance. Include a passport photograph and full bank details.

A word of pessimistic caution from your Pitsea correspondent: The vaccine is only proven to be 95% effective in trials after 2 doses. I would treat your elderly and vulnerable loved ones as if they were in the 5%, if you want to be sure of protecting them. And now, back to the studio, where everyone is even more pessimistic than me.

The cracks are starting to appear in the vaccination programme! My friend (90) had her first Pfizer jab pre-Christmas, with the second booked for yesterday, 6th. When the change in the length of time between jabs was announced, I went online to check if she had to attend or not. It stated that if your second jab was due after the 4th of January, you should not attend, but wait to be contacted. Her friend next door, with no internet access, phoned their GP, who said they should attend! I took them both to the vaccination hub, and jabs were jabbed. The staff said that they were worried that there were few people attending, and wondered why!!! Hope this isn't a harbinger for the rest of the vaccination programme.

Don't know if anything has changed from my time at BT (and it's previous alibis) but there was a code an engineer could dial to get the line and various parameters checked without the line owner being charged. If a chargeable call was made, it had to be logged for a credit to the bill. But we are talking 40 years ago!!!

Lesser men wouldn't have fought on with your beloved Dylan, Tim. There are hard times ahead, but we're all with you, whatever the outcome.

How dare you?!!!!! That's a very rude thing to write in the obscure dialect of the interior Wanifrogo tribe of Borneo. Apologise immediately, or it might be your head shrunk on their loincloth belt next.

Under the bridge looking from Woods side to opposite bank?

You need two mudweights, MM. But take the back one up overnight, in case the wind gets up and comes at you broadside on. You'll probably drag if that happens. Barton Broad for me on the Northern broads, Bargate if South.

Yet another one - DPD can't deliver my parcel, but if I give them all my details they'll try again. Which is surprising, as I haven't ordered anything.

Oh, MM, you do like to cheer us up, don't you?

Let me help, MM. There's The Swan and Grebe in the High Street, The Harnser at Stalham Green, and a nice walk to The Sutton Staithe Hotel. I understand the Holiday park across the road from Richardsons also has a bar/restaurant open to non-residents, but I haven't been there. Hope that helps.

Who's Dame Shingles? Is she one of the Queen's Ladies-in-Waiting? But, seriously, I've had a mild dose of shingles, and that was bad enough! I really feel for what you're going through.

I have a hydronic Ebo on Sunbird, does hot water, radiator, and hot air matrix, no problem. You do need a twin coil calorifier, one coil off the engine, one for the Ebo heating circuit. Mine is not pressurised in any way, just a small header tank above the highest point of the system. No pump needed, it's all in the Hydronic unit.

Poor old MM, he's reaching peak critical thinking overload! His brain will melt if we keep throwing more things to think about at him.

Ooooh! He knows Pythagoras. Probably personally. That makes it clearer. Any obstructions on the rear cabin roof? Handrails?

Back in probably 1980, my young cousin Steve was steering us just after Brundall headed to Norwich. He was only 12 or so, and under the watchful eye of Uncle Alf. He was well into the centre of the river as we approached the right hander before the Surlingham Broad entrance, so Uncle said, "What are you going to do if a coaster comes round the bend?" Steve replied, " No coasters come up here nowadays". At which precise second the bows of one of the largest coasters I'd ever seen appeared! Steve did resume the correct side of the river, sharpish. From that day, that particular bend is known as "Steve's Corner".

Lost me, MM! Not difficult, I grant you. Why are we talking about port to starboard? I can't visualize this arrangement, you'd end up with a cable diagonally across the cabin, surely? Either across the top of the rear roof with the roof slid back, or across the cockpit with it slid closed. What am I missing? Apart from a few billion brain cells?

What you need to consider first of all, MM, is how many conductors you need between your sliding canopy and the fixed interior. Lights and solar panel combined. I presume there are only two conductors on solar panels? Then you'll need four conductors in your connecting cord, or two cords with two conductors.

Hi, MM, two years ago I fitted a Sterling Advanced Alternator Regulator. Not as all singing and dancing as a London Rascal set-up, but it's made a big difference to getting charge into the batteries. An evening of telly, heating and the fridge overnight really winds the batteries down, and on a 2 week cruise, it used to gradually drag the batteries low. Just couldn't cruise long enough to recharge them. 2 hours now, and they're pretty much back up. One thing to watch, make sure your batteries are in good condition before fitting one - the charging Amps go through the roof at first! If you are really serious about living aboard on a permanent basis, I'd seriously look at LiFePo batteries. They are VERY expensive, and need a dedicated charging set-up, but should last many times longer than lead acid. It was only the initial expense that put me off, weighed against my remaining years of boating. If I knew I would be living aboard for the foreseeable future, I wouldn't hesitate.

Despite my post of 20 minutes ago, here's a word I actually learnt from MauriceMynah - Transesterification (I think). Good word, haven't a clue what it means!! Something to do with making Diesel out of chip oil. Or is it vice versa?

Mauricemynaherification State of unrelenting idiocy

Now that's interesting. When I got the previous phone, Vodafone sent me a message to say something along the lines of, " now let's set your new phone up to work correctly". I followed the instructions, and that phone couldn't hotspot. When I got this new phone, Voda again sent that message, but this time I ignored it, and the phone works perfectly, and can hotspot. I wonder if the network providers can somehow lock your phone remotely to hotspotting? Or detect when you're trying to instigate it? By the way, what have the providers got against hotspotting? You're paying for the data, whatever you choose to do with it. Especially on Pay-as-You-Go. Ditto, Honor 7S, £69.95 in Argos.

Suppose that could explain it. I searched online, but apart from "rooting" the phone to change something buried away in the workings, no-one could explain it. I wasn't confident enough to try that, so used Bluetooth tethering. Bit of a faff, every time I wanted to use it, but it served it's purpose at the time.