Smoggy

Most small electronic units these days come with a transformer built into the plug and output low dc volts so if you get to look at one check the mains adaptors out put volts and amps (usually on the adaptor itself) if you find one with a 5v output it makes it easy to run it off a usb socket, just have to make your own lead up, if 12v be wary of running direct from the boats system as voltage can vary quite a lot when charging and surge as things like water pumps kick in which may damage the unit, dc to dc converters are cheap to use inline.

Looking at the one bikertov linked to it would likely work off 12v but would maybe need a voltage stabiliser in the power line.

Don't know a out james whale but I'm back on fantasizing about sally james...

Tizwaz day, yeah that's messed up all the old gits like me with a terminal earworm! Sorry but it started with a pub conversation with younger people that had no clue about it and for once I felt sorry for the gits that can move without making noises like a beached walrus reaching for the next hit of tamazipam, how the hell did people turn into rational adults without tizwaz? Oh that's right they didn't, but global warming has a place for snowflakes. And to finish the job.... Saturday is tizwaz, never a day to miss cos, Saturday is tizwaz day.

Can I make a suggestion?

Picked up an outboard motor thursday on a bit (huge) of a gamble, it was advertised as for spares and stated that the cylinder block was knackered so no issues with the deal, I recon I'm gonna have a wee bit of a challenge but going to have a bloody good go at rebuilding the block (with a lot of help from Pete the welder at work). When I got it home I hooked up the fuel tank and gave the primer bulb a few squeezes and tugged on the pull cord and away it went sweet as a nut so has to be worth a go at saving, it's a honda BF6B with the throttle stop removed to make it an 8HP, it's the same motor other than the restriction. Not sure how it's not showing signs of major overheating with the level of crud blocking the water jacket but it all looks good other than the corrosion issue. The crank, rods, and pistons look like they've barely run, main bearings look immaculate, these have not been cleaned they are as lifted out, the bores still show signs of the cross hatching, not bad for a 2005 motor. Wish me luck.... The clean up process so far, will be better when I get into the blasting cabinet at work. I'm thinking a bit of aluminium bar drilled and tapped to replace the missing thread and the radius of the missing water jacket looks close to the skirt of a lycoming piston (this bit came to me in the pub after a few beers, lots in the scrap bin at work and a good grade of aluminium) welded into place will cause much less distortion than building it all up in weld. If I can get it up and running with no leaks for less than £200 I'll be chuffed, that includes the £80 I gave for it.

I found an easy way to cut the usage of hair dryers and curling brushes to help on battery life, cheap clippers from fleabay, I doubt swmbo will go along with it but it's so much easier......

My 40 year old rm69 has never had a blockage in my ownership (yet), my previous boat had the same and the only blockage I had in 10 years of ownership was blanket weed across the inlet flush water, took 5 minutes to clear and it was just river water. And I need the exercise.

I still struggle with the concept of an electric loo on a boat, I can work a handle at home OK so why is a pump so much harder. That would make the thought of a flat battery overnight quite horrifying.

That's cheating! It's not as old as it looks, built 2000 I believe.

A small thermostatic fan heater will do just run it on low power, it's all we use during winter over night when plugged in just give it a boost from the boats own heating when leaving the pub (other hostelries are available-apparently) so it's toasty and shut off before you go to bed and let the fan heater keep the edge off overnight, once you are in bed it shouldn't be a problem. Luckily I can phone the boats heating when ordering the last pint so it's toasty on arrival.

You got a much better piccy than me then.

I'm now back at work wishing you lot would sod off with your weather forecasts , at least I've managed to sort a van run for later in the week going fairly close to an outboard I need to collect, sometimes work has its uses.

If stopping at prickwillow check to see if the drainage engine museum is having a running day, it's fascinating and check the high water kings lynn level mark in the stairway then look out the back at the general land level, and don't ffs tell al quaeda about denver sluice. There used to be two good pubs on the old west, lazy otter and fish & duck at the cam confluence, technically it should be called the cam from there as the great ouse originally went out to sea at wisbechistan and that area was mostly a marshy estuary, there's a book from imray (can't remeber name as been on the lash all afternoon) that jones's probably have about the history of those waterways which is worth a read. 1st time we did brownshill staunch it was only the wire fences stopping us going around it as the water was that high.

Know the feeling, back to work tomorrow and probably got a stack of stuff waiting for me. We usually get an iraqi summer instead, partly sunni but mostly shiite.

It's like the minimum wage, it just starts a race to the bottom, set a fair price from the outset instead of trying to profiteer and discount when the footfall tells you to sod off. It also breeds a bit loyalty amongst customers.

The gravel is a pain but between our last visits there was a plastic lattice laid in it for the main routes to the tables, follow the lines and it's a lot easier walking for most of the way. The Nog is good but we still prefer the blackshore at coldham Hall. Now if the Heron were to have Woodfordes Albion it would be another matter..... come on broom you know you want to!

My princess 30ds has a pair of 150 volvos and burns roughly 50 litres an hour at 16-17knots, mine are the tmd41a's and I recon on being around 6.5 ton. I've not done the Thames bit so can't help on timings for that,we last crossed the Thames estuary in 2019.

I have some yellow and black bungees I put across the waterside routes that seem to put Tina off going the wrong way, so far....

Most of reedham quay had over topped when we left with 2 hours of flood to go, coldham Hall is now our planned lunchtime beer stop as it has a fairly high edge. Big thanks to Craig at reedham (warden) for helping hold my gelcoat off the concrete while I climbed on board and got the tail into the tide.

Gimme a wave as you pass reedham but do it quietly, I got beer and rum to snooze off, if you're running late you may see us at cantley, and if you've completely messed up your timing we'll be at surlingham by then. But I'll have money on still asleep at reedham.

Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious Is that the one?

Most crapi's (no not a typo) needed a couple of large paving slaps in the boot to get them round corners, they were just too long with no weight over the drive wheels. Classic case of form over function in the design room.

Anything much more than a metre above sea level is back in the realm of reality and saner councils control.

If it helps loddon has had a new mast this year but is only o2 and vodafone and those that share those networks, rockland is still a lost cause and brundall is poor for vodafone.