floydraser

My boat came with a Ctek M200 Marine looking after the two leisure batteries and Halfords trickle charger doing the engine battery. The Halfords one has just bitten the dust and I now have a Vetus BC12352 to do replace it. I haven't yet read all the info but I understand it can do both jobs.

What was I on about? DC3s! Excuse me, I'm a pillock.

Enthusiasts I'm guessing from the military markings. The show is all about military.

I've just stood on my front lawn and watched a couple of Douglas DC10's fly over my head at very low altitude. Last night it was a lone Spitfire and we expect ME 109's anytime soon. Tomorrow it get's even more lively. This happens in the next village: https://www.thevictoryshow.co.uk/

Oh dear. At times like these we realise that maybe it's not appropriate to "like" a post?? Keep the grandchildren running around after you for as longas possible - payback time! Hang on to the boot and put it on everytime they come round?

And of course before all that, timber. Would be interesting to see a modern narrowboat in wood.

I think grp may not be practical for a long, thin boats, probably requiring bulkheads which would restrict the choice of layout. Besides, narrowboaters a quite snobby about the use of grp, calling such things Tupperware Tubs.

Thanks again Vaughan. I have always accepted that the seams will need to be resealed and after that process we will be back to bare wood. I wouldn't try to go over the old varnish as it is discoloured and worn in a lot of places. However, I would try to butt up to it in stages if possible. It wouldn't be practical for me to do the whole deck in one go.

Well it's been a long time... It's great to be working again and even better to be working from home, but staring at this screen all day means that I'm less enthusiastic about editing videos here; I would rather be elsewhere. Anyway, last week the elsewhere was BGM and the Owl. The engineer I work for was on leave, work was caught up and the weather forecast was good. Note, the “forecast” as the BBC laughingly call it! Or could it be that BGM, Brundall, or the whole of Norfolk have their own micro-climate? I arrived Tuesday afternoon, fitted a small closing panel where the side was open after repair, removed some rotten wood from another area of work and lined the resulting void with fibreglass. Then it started to drizzle. The weather that is, not the fibreglass. The forecast said no rain so I expected it to clear soon. As I had my evening meal it rained. By the time I finished eating, the decks were quite wet and so I thought, would be the underside of the cover which was rolled onto the foredeck. I changed into shorts (trousers would have just got soaked) and an old shirt, refitted the cover, then got changed again. Blast the weather forecast I thought. That wasn't quite the end though, when I turned in later, the pillows on the bed were wet! I had removed the polythene sheeting gaffer taped to the bedroom ceiling as soon as I got the boat, to let it breathe. The rain had found it's way through exactly where the deck coating has come up, as featured in the video on deck coating. I have decided therefore, that priority will be given to making the rear of the boat completely weatherproof, aft of the door into the saloon so that I only have to partly fit the cover when it rains and I can get on and off the boat without getting wet and mucky! The other side is just about waterproof and rainwater no longer washes the mains consumer unit as it passes on it's way to the bilge. It was on this very forum that I learned about the existence of cooling water strainers and noted that now I know what that funny brass pot is for, I should clean it out. I did this and it was predictably full of weed. Fresh (ish) weed though, probably thanks to me starting the engine at low water in BGM over 12 months ago. Tried to start it again, but nothing. Flat battery. The cheapo Halfords battery charger had given up the ghost and anyway, I think the battery may have done so too. Luckily I have a Vetus BC12352 unit to do the job. This was quickly wired up and charging began. After a while I tried to start the engine and as always, she fired up straight away, but then died and refused to start again. I haven't done anything yet but a blocked fuel filter is the most likely problem we think. After the thread here about electrics, crimps and stuff, I switched the Vetus off before I came home as the wiring was only temporary; ok while I was there to keep an eye on it. To be continued.....

Vaughan's words of wisdom are always most welcome on my threads and I also appreciate how much the teak deck adds to the boat. I also love the smell of teak oil if that's the stuff to use!. However, if I experiment with oil first there will be no chance at all of anything else sticking to the wood afterwards so I'll go with the Coelan first I think.

Oooouch! Thank you Robin, I believe you are spot on. I have downloaded the factsheet and shopped around a bit. It's not quite as bad as you say though: £240 for 3 litres which covers 3 x 10sq ft (US factsheet) with all 6 coats. But still not cheap and when I add the cost of the Sikaflex 290 for the gaps.... The factsheet clearly states it can be applied over teak. I guess that's why a previous owner had a full cover made for the boat as a slightly less expensive option. Of course there are cheaper options but that would ruin the character of the boat. I'll do a bit of maths and a bit of thinking and see what I can come up with. My first thoughts are that maybe the way to go would be to do it in small sections and see if I can get a good match with the areas which are still ok. In appreciation of the forum I've just purchased nice forum flag for my 6ft pointless mast.

I got caught out by what the BBC call a forecast last week, as will be reported on my resto thread later, and someone suggested I look at the Met Office website. Yesterday when I checked, the BBC were giving another nice weekend for Brundall but the Met Office said wind and rain for Sunday. Anyone found a reliable source of forecast for Brundall Gardens Marina, especially the bit of sky above my boat?

It seems to me though, that the OP seems to expect something in the survey report. If so, I reckon the state of these electrics would have been worth mentioning even in a phone call. Maybe there has been a misunderstanding between the OP and whoever organised the survey? As someone daft enough to buy a project boat without a survey, I deserve everything I get from it. However, it seems to me the OP may have done it properly, using prefessionals, and ended up in the same.... no, I can't.

Blimey, some of you get up early don't you? Thanks for all the ideas, they are all valuable. A couple of my own thoughts: it is flexible which is why I thought it wasn't resin. It HAS actually stuck to the deck but has come unstuck where the water has got underneath, probably due to damage/penetration. But it is easy to peel off. I am now wondering if the deck is actually teak? Could it be another hardwood and the covering is there as part of the combination for an overall effect?

have posted this video here before on my restoration thread but as happens, the subjects got muddled by distraction and there was no solution offered. After my recent visit I have decided to prioritise sealing the deck around the rear so I would like to ask again. The video was shot a couple of years ago just after I got the boat. I mention the grain on the coating but this is obviously the inprint from the teak; an idiot should have known that! I also say it's not epoxy but again, that could be rubbish too. Having looked around a bit I wonder if it's polyurethane. I have contacted Sika and they say they don't have a product suitable to do the job, just the sealants. The present coating covers all the deck planking and edging. It's obviously been there for a good few years. I don't expect anyone to be able to say exactly what it is but I would welcome suggestion as to how I may find an alternative product. I wonder if a visit to somewhere like Martham Boats is on the cards? Thank you in anticipation. I don't know why there is a blank video here, just ignore it and it'll probably go away.... Deck coating.MP4 892039440_Deckcoating.MP4

Yes but in this case the OP writes, "i had a survey but nothing mentioned in the report yet", suggests to me that he paid for a full survey and expects a full report.

I'm confused by this, but then confusion is in this thread's title. Wouldn't safety be a big part of the survey, which in turn would cover these electrics?

You are not alone; most boats get their electrics "modified" by owners of varying levels of competence and eventually someone down the line has to sort it all out. You probably should have one battery for the engine as you say, and a Leisure battery for the domestics. I understand they have different characteristics with regard to charging and discharging rates. The "fuse" is actually a circuit breaker and while it could be turned off it may have been tripped by an electrical fault in the circuit or the charger. The second panel (bottom pic) is purely for the 12v system. When you are out cruising and unplugged from the 240v this is what you would be relying on; it does contain fuses. Well done for asking the questions and posting the pics but I strongly recommend you get a specialist marine electrician to cast an eye over it and explain the system clearly to you.

Ah, thanks for that. I just went to Toolstation to get my polyurethane glue, then to Lidl! Next time...

Just a heads up for anyone who, like me, uses brushes once then chucks them away. https://www.lidl.co.uk/p/diy/paintbrush-set/p45121 I'll be slicing the two widest ones down the middle to make two smaller ones for use with resin.

Good idea but probably better to send an email as it could be forwarded on easier. There are at least a couple of us moored at BGM and although I'm not familiar with Sharon Rose, one of us will find them in due course if an email fails.

Obviously I haven't the first clue about who you may be reffering to but on the evidence on this thread it sounds like the guy has a mental health problem driving any possible criminal activity. Let's hope he get's sorted out soon.

I don't know you and I don't know him. Your honour and reputation will be well known to those who are important to you. His reputation will, likewise, if not already, become apparent. Takes me back to my childhood when my Mum used to say, "Take no notice of them; it's just a 9 day wonder."

Should be £7.98 for us from Brundall Gardens then?

And most supermarkets have large car parks. As a foreigner I have noticed railway stations being kept open in the middle of no-where which may, in other areas be closed. Just yesterday before coming home I visited Buckenham station (just to check out the car park for future walking visits) and wondered how much the station itself gets used.