Smoggy

Just to add a bit of balance here, I used bridge lifts at haven a good few times last year and each time they were great, one time we had to be called through as were waiting in the flow for the light to go green but the lock was jammed so the light wouldn't change, I've always been told by port ops that certain hours are avoided for traffic reasons and once they dropped it back down for an ambulance which I won't complain about but I've always found them on station waiting for me and had good comms over vhf. I don't think they ever lift while you are moored up but they call you on the vhf to get you on station so they can lift. I've found the bridges at lowestoft good too as long as you aim for the normal opening times and book in advance, it's normally mutford lock that goes wrong. VHF comms to reedham bridge is another matter, I've been ignored by them many times and had it start to open as soon as I tie up to the waiting pontoon, sound a bit like anchors.

Whoa! Stop now! Everyone knows tests like these need to be run both ways to get an average, off you go then Robin let us know how much the return trip costs......

I don't recall the bss caring about how well a boat fares at sea in fact there are a few allowances for sea going boats regarding fixed ventilation, that sea trip may have shook a few things loose or left a fuel pipe fretting against something (I doubt it has but it might).

You beat me to it BB but it seems it's no longer the case going by this note in the current bss regs but must be removed for the check. It's still worth making sure there's nothing in there that can damage the regulator or pipework, let's face it how many of us always keep a gas spanner in the gas locker (assuming a spanner is required). You do need to make sure the examiner can get at all the bits that need checking and it's easier to rectify any issues found without extra clutter so if stuff isn't needed it doesn't hurt to leave it at home. Don't worry about the bss check ,most examiners will try and sort small issues there and then rather than fail the boat, if they don't use a different examiner next time.

And don't forget to swap your fuel and pump out labels over....

I would imagine a pressure washer lance poked into the silt would shift a lot, even better while the boat engine is swilling it all out into the river.

As long as you bond in a good box section underneath (on the inside) running back up to the deck it should be fine, after all it's only for river use.

Chuck a small amount of fuel through with it to make sure the treatment doesn't just sit in the filler pipe if you have any dips in the filler.

I'll give you £11.10 no problem, oh £1110! no 'kin chance.... (whats a decimal point between friends) If it has the starboard navigators seat I see another vertical male genitalia issue as the 90 degree cushion should be done in 2 bits so the seat can be put up, that said it would probably work just a harder shape to stow. When it's down to a hundred quid give me a shout.

That doesn't look black enough to me for a proper bug infestation, more waxy as Vaughan says, I've had filters clogged solid with black sludge before so definately seen it in the flesh. Eberspacher heaters have a gauze filter on the inlet side of the pump behind the hose fitting, I think webastos have the same. The bug in question generally lives at the interface of water and diesel extracting nutrients from the diesel and oxygen from the water, if you have metal fuel tanks there's a good chance of condensation build up in the tank, the sludge is often the dead bugs as the living bugs tend to form mats in the tank. Marine 16 is good stuff, give it a strong shock dose to kill it all off and a smaller dose when filling to keep it clear, a £12 bottle should give a preventative dose for 2000 litres.

Could be the wolf, there was one escaped from a sanctuary last night but they didn't mention lung capacity on the news report. Not sure why there is a wolf sanctuary in the UK though, we don't get many displaced wolves here.

I'd love to help but my chainsaw got nicked out of my shed over Christmas.....

Getting reported today as only noticed it gone last night, nicked from st.neots in cambs. from my shed. There was a spate of it over Christmas/new year round this way but I didn't spot anything amiss as there was no damage to anything and other power tools were still lying around, they must have carried it over a 6' high gate as it was locked and no sign of forcing.

If anyone is offered a tohatsu 2 stroke 4hp outboard please check numbers as I have had one nicked from my shed, model is M4C-3F9 serial number is 78016, it is silver/grey and has integral tank and a bolt in place of the trim pin. It was nabbed probably over the Christmas period as there was a spate of shed/garage break in around here but I have only just noticed it missing, also with a stihl MS181 chainsaw but I can't find where I wrote the serial number for that.

I've seen spirit of breydon moored at the old nra staging on breydon before so dropped off the plane to go past and once clear gone back on the plane then did the same on the way back across (it was a shakedown run), got a cheery wave from them so no it's not just about speed, if you bounce another boat about it's wrong but if it's clear no problem.

With double D rings one passes through the other if the rings are on each strap (mine is like that - Seago), if both on one strap the loose strap end would pass through the first ring, around the second ring and back through the first (been used on crash helmets for years). Check dates on activators and check for green dot on hammar avtivators, inflate overnight to leak check but use a pump not your breath as that fills the bladder full of moisture and rots the gas bottle. If in doubt have them properly serviced before relying on them.

Diesel heaters are not the only domestic use of fuel, just running the engine charges the batteries for light and heats water, that's domestic usage.

Plannar seem to be getting a good name and much cheaper than eber/webasto, look for owen cox on the ybw forums as he deals with them.

Did you buy a boat to be within 24 hours of a shore power hookup or to go boating? I'd go for the option that means you can spend a couple of days without having to run or be within hookup distance, you've paid more than the cost of a good fridge for the boat so why scrimp now and be reliant on inverters and big battery banks. Forget the 3 way options as on 12v they are absolute battery killers, 12/24v compressor fridge every time for me.