floydraser

Won't the instructions blow out of your hand on the way down?

This may be of some help but I'm no expert at all. On my boat (grp hull/wooden everything else) a previous owner was planning to fit a log burner. They lined an allocated area with some kind of heat resistant board, a bit like plasterboard, and behind the board is a layer of normal insulation as per your attic. They also cut a 7 inch diameter hole throught the teak deck for which they should hung by their private parts, but I try not to think about that.

There's one for Broadsfilm; get round there quick before it's gone!

and good luck with the project. Loads of experience around here to tap into but don't look at me, I'm only a beginner!

I bid £5 out of interest but I got out bid and it sold for £6.

I started a new contract with Virgin for broadband and two sim cards just over a month ago. All went well until they cocked up the use of a pac code to keep one of the numbers. In that short time I could write another book about how staggeringly awful, what they laughingly call "customer service" has turned out to be.

In the name of perspective I should like to mention patio heaters, log burners, junk mail and disposable cleaning wipes probably contribute more to environmental degradation than boat engines, and we don't seem to give a monkey's about any of those.

I get that completely. They can take their time and do a better job rather than rush it, and they in turn will be happy to deal with you again in the future.

Clearly the company in the op acknowledges that mistakes and cock ups happen. Instead of an abrupt statement, a gentle heads-up may represent a hint at better customer service. Having made this acknowledgement, they have no excuse not to be ready for last minutes changes which, if they want the customer to go away leaving a return booking and a good review, they should carry out with good humour.

Dreadful customer service. As you say, they should have done a lot more considering the amount you've paid already. Not very hospitable when you've travelled that far too.

Difficult one but very interesting too. I've tried to decide what I would do. Mine has a good old thumper of a Thorneycroft/Fergy tractor engine which I would be sad to get rid of. However, at some stage we have to move with the times. The trouble is we seem to be in the middle of a dramatic, fast moving progression towards electric/hybrid power and this is reflected in the prices, and not helped by the shortages due to the pandemic. I would try and buy some time; go for a refurb of the old unit and plan for hybrid/electric/hydrogen/nuclear/krypton/photon/solar/clockwork power (you saw it here first) in the future.

Nipper's Successor Nipper - Here We Go Again..

What about a name change for the "new" one??

There's a lot of Pela about isn't there? I had to google him. I bought one of these from Aldi/Lidl (can't remember) in anticipation of changing the oil. I reckon a long, rigid extension pipe would be a good idea to clean out the bottom of the diesel tank via the filler?

I forgot to mention: Anyone following this story may remember in the last video I talked of the possibility of selling the boat. But in the thread about the diesel filter I mention going cruising, and above here I mention buying wine glasses. I could also have said we opened the new cutlery bought for the boat and we are getting a new frying pan. Yes, we're hanging on to her for a while yet. Work (sorry for the bad language) has arrived again after I thought the pandemic had brought on slightly early retirement. Unfortunately it has been intense during the summer, restricting time for the boat but hey, you can't have everything can you? Where would you put it all?

Thanks for all the helpful replies so far. Sounds like there will be spillage so I'll take some old rags and something to put them in when finished. It looks like Brian Wards have filters etc so I won't have far to go to replace stuff. I'll try jumping the battery first and if it starts, fine for now. If I have to disturb anything though, it would make sense to go through the system and replace all the O rings, filters etc that get disturbed just so I know they're done. It's on the to do list before we go cruising anyway, same with the sump and gearbox oils.

Thanks for looking. For a start I'm not sure the filter is actually blocked but it sounds like it, so the thread title is designed to show up in future searches. I have experience of rebuilding petrol engines but little of diesels and even less of diesels in boats. As reported in my restoration thread the engine which usually starts very easily fired, spluttered and stopped last time. Every attempt since then, it just turns over without firing. It hasn't been started for over a year. I did put some diesel in the tank back then with additive, but I didn't fill it. I have read the instruction manual but I would like to ask those with experience for any tips on a good procedure to shorten my learning curve and save me from filling the bilge with smelly diesel. Referring to the pic below: I have hilighted two pipes and a "filter". The upper pipe with the yellow trace goes to the fuel filter on the rear of the engine, out of sight. --When creating this question I realised how few pictures I have of the engine bay. This one is from Boatshed when they were trying to sell the boat in the past.-- Am I correct that the lower pipe is the return? What is the "filter" with the tap? Thank you in anticipation.

I have said this before but and make no apology for repeating myself here: No amount of management training or previous business experience could prepare anyone fully for the pandemic. Suddenly everyone is inexperienced. Some though, already have their lives invested in business. Having survived so far, they now have to try and prepare for the future. No one here is qualified to accurately predict the future of the leisure industry unless they have seen it all before?? Anyone in business today has my sympathy and I wish them all the very best for the future. I count my blessings that I'm on the verge of retirement.

So the forecast was good for the weekend apart from rain late Friday so we nipped over Saturday arriving around midday. The objective this time was to apply a very thin layer of filler over the repairs on Saturday, ready for primer on Sunday then home Sunday evening. All went well on Saturday apart from a near disaster but more on that later. After lunch on Saturday I needed to shatter everyone's peace by using power tools to rub down rough areas ready for the filler. We have new neighbours that we met for the first time so not wanting to be a nuisance, I was ready to apologise in advance and let them know I would be no longer than 20 minutes. Nothing worse than hearing something noisey, then wondering how long it's going to go on! It would annoy me so I wouldn't inflict it anyone else. I got everything ready and plugged in then they had guests arrive. They fired up a pair of smokey 6 litre diesels and left! Sunday morning, after the dew had dried out, same again. They had returned but went shopping just has I was about to create a din. It couldn't have worked out better. Then when they came back from the shops the skipper stopped by our boat and apologised in advance for starting his noisey, smokey engines as he was going out again! We love the friendliness and banter around our area of the marina and I seriously hope its the same in all marinas; we only have experience of one! A previous owner had kindly left some tins of toplac in one of the cupboards, three of which were pre-cote. Two of those felt very light and predictably, when opened had about an inch of solid paint in the bottom. The third however was unopened. Having stood for a few years it took quite a bit of stirring but by lunchtime Sunday I had done quite a bit of work. I had also found time to put in a shelf under the helm where once the was a drawer but a previous owner had installed a speaker in the drawer front! The underside of the rear deck, or rear cabin roof depending on your viewpoint, also received primer so we won't see raw wood there anymore. Disaster: Mrs. Raser's little Sister and Brother in law came to visit on Saturday, (no, that wasn't the disaster) bringing ice for the gin. Suddenly there were cries of, "No more gin!!" Oh dear. Only a near disaster because they had both had a couple and finished the bottle. So after lunch on Sunday we nipped up to Roy's of Wroxham via Emma's Boutique (boating expensive? I wonder why?) to get gin and some wine glasses. It turns out drinking wine from gin glasses is not good form, however, form and etiquette suddenly went out of the window when it was realised that red wine glasses are slightly larger than white wine glasses for the same money. You can't buy class can you? Don't answer.

I don't actually know whether flexible/sliding arrangements are allowed but if I had to guess I would say there should be a fail-safe locking mechanism to prevent anything moving when it's not meant to. I don't see a flexible pipe as a problem as they are standard on domestics.

Try Will Kirby, Freshwater Marine. https://www.freshwatermarine.co.uk/

I'd like to know how you manage to arrange such fantastic skies in your photos? Great pics again..

If so, have a look here: https://auctions.suttonhillfarmcountryauctions.com/catalogue/lot/5d43ed47164694f98ef466182a02d3d4/0cb93d8a5e09787882125c2f0347b542/collectables-models-jewellery-silver-militarian-ho-lot-9/ It looks like the registration documents for Dragon Class boat "Clar Innis" and a capstan. I know nothing more than that. The auction is next Saturday 18th and takes place a short walk from my house. I can therefore collect and deliver the items to Brundall(ish). I could also have a walk down and view the items and take better pics if anyone is seriously interested. Obviously there's no telling what the price is going to be but I would expect boaty things to get better money in a boaty area. You would be hard pushed to find anywhere further from major sailing venues than round here. We dug out Rutland Water back in the seventies but to be honest, it was a poor effort and anyway, at RW sailors are at the bottom of the food chain below fishermen and the bloody birds.

My boat came with a handrail fitted all the way round, with "gates" each side at the rear - see pic. This just means I have to be aware and take care when mooring. But what about stern mooring? Well I plan to saw through 22mm stainless bar bracing the ex-davits, insert a hinge at one end and create another "gate" for the stern. Just my own view but the handrail does give a bit of a sense of security. I would be nervous with a gap in the stern section. Maybe something similar (only better designed!) for the above boats?

Someone's been away for three long years....