Emergency Over!

[Satchmo]

I am happy to say there is no longer an emergency! Following on from last week's madness: the boat has practically stopped taking on water which supports the theory that it was coming through a hull fitting somewhere, all of which are now bunged up. There is still the tiniest amount coming in from somewhere, too much to be just rainwater methinks but nothing sompared to what it was and easily handled by the new bilge pump which has rapidly become my favourite thing of all time (I think I know where the water's coming from and shall be dealing with that in the coming days).
It's been surprisingly difficult to move back on board though. Having only been living aboard for a few weeks before it started taking on water I'd only just begun to really feel comfortable and make the space my own and now it smells, everything's damp and cold and there's mould in the cupboards, I've had to use a bivvy bag every night to stop my sleeping bag getting damp. I've never owned a house or even a car so I've never felt much attachment or love for the places I've lived or the things I've owned until I got this boat and seeing it in this state is strangely almost worse than having it nearly sink. I know a public forum maybe isn't the place for sharing this stuff and I'm not looking for sympathy but it's been niggling at me and I feel better for having put it into words.
It shouldn't be like that for much longer though, I'll be installing a very nice deisal heater tomorrow which should clear up the damp problems and I've started sending off CV's so I should be back in work soon and from here things can only get better! In light of the discoveries made about this boat I'm now thinking of saving to get something slightly more reliable instead of sinking time and effort into this one, fingers crossed I'll survive the winter by which point I should have enough to buy something much nicer.
Apologies if I overshared a bit in this post and a huge thank you to everyone who offered advice and support on my previous post, it was massively helpful and made me feel much more comfortable with the decisions I made!

[charlesa]

Good luck to you Satchmo, it looks as if Norfolk is going to be somewhat dryer next week. I certainly hope so as I'm coming on the Broads then !!

Best wishes

Charles

[Chelsea14Ian]

Glad its seemed have been sorted.

[Vaughan]

Thank you very much for letting us know! Please keep us un touch with your news and I hope things will go well for you.

If it is any consolation, I grew up on a boat, from the age of 6 months, right there on Thorpe Island!

Ventilation is what you are going to need now.  Lots of open windows.  Especially if you are going to fit a fuel burning heater of some sort.  Think about plenty of air!

Please keep in contact and all the best.

[Jbx5]

Good luck Satchmo  and thanks for the update.It doesn’t sound like a very healthy environment to be living in with all the damp take care with your health mate and all the best with your job search. You seem quite a positive guy though especially with what you have just been through so I’m sure you will be sorted sooner than later. 

John 

 

 

[StillCruising]

Good luck with the drying out, dry heat and plenty of ventilation is the way to go. Fortunately its never happened to me but did happen to a friend a few years ago when his seacock froze and cracked partly sinking the boat. He was fortunate in that he had shore power available and we ran two large dehumidifiers for a long time to dry it out. 

[Smoggy]

Good luck with the drying and job hunting, make sure you use the right skin fitting for the exhaust on the heater as they get very hot, the boat ones are double skinned to protect the hull, and if it's Chinese get some enerspacher or website exhaust ducting as the Chinese stuff isn't renowned for being gas tight, co kills on boats.

[JennyMorgan]

Condensation is going to be the buzzword in the cold months ahead. A wood-burner is worth considering, very comforting too. Dry heat and ventilation has a lot to recommend it. Be wary of pneumonia, yours truly had it as a student over wintering afloat on Brayford Pool in Lincoln.  

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Satchmo said:

There is still the tiniest amount coming in from somewhere, too much to be just rainwater methinks but nothing sompared to what it was and easily handled by the new bilge pump which has rapidly become my favourite thing of all time (I think I know where the water's coming from and shall be dealing with that in the coming days).

Condensation is a curse on uninsulated steel and grp boats. By yourself you produce half a pint of liquid. Add to that what runs down windows and uninsulated surfaces, especially on small boats. Cooking, breathing & heating all produce condensation. 

https://wayfindersnow.com/2018/03/12/7-tips-for-handling-condensation-on-your-boat-or-rv-or-tiny-home/

[Polly]

Please get a Carbon Monoxide alarm. It costs peanuts and could save your life with that diesel heater. And yes take all the advice about ventilating really seriously too. 
I wonder if a load of cheap damp absorbent crystals packs would help as well, most people have them aboard in winter. 
Bilges you might think of a few packs of wood based cat litter to absorb moisture.

[JennyMorgan]

Interesting article on diesel heaters here:

https://www.riggingdoctor.com/life-aboard/2016/1/21/diesel-heater

Others might care to comment, diesel heaters not being a subject that I really know much about. Night-lights and flower pots being more my thing! 

[OldBerkshireBoy]

The cheap lorry/ camper van type heaters exhausts are crimped together as they are made to be outside under the floor, they leak and are not suitable for inside a boat.

Not having shore power it will take a long, long time to dry out the boat this time of the year.

[JennyMorgan]

Several issues spring to mind. I have had a peep at E-Bay and note that many of the diesel heaters are made in China. Firstly they all appear to state that Professional installation is highly recommended. Secondly I do wonder whether they meet the required UK standards? This is important because your boat needs to have a toll paid and the boat itself insured. For that to happen you need a valid boat safety scheme certificate issued by a BSS inspector. This is as much for your safety as it is for the safety of boats moored near to you. The BSS certificate covers not just the heater but also the installation, fuel supply and ventilation. Without that your mandatory insurance will, I suspect, be invalid. Sorry to be all heavy but a heater has, I'm sure, to be installed safely and suitably certificated. Big brother is watching!!

[OldBerkshireBoy]

JM, they are direct copies of others that have been around for ages and yes some parts need junking as they are unsuitable for boats. However I take the point that they may be outside the skill fit of some DIYers and therefore some might fail the BSS.

[JennyMorgan]

6 minutes ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

However I take the point that they may be outside the skill fit of some DIYers and therefore some might fail the BSS.

Even if a boat has a current BSS certificate it probably won't cover a subsequent, amateur installation of a diesel heater. Hopefully Andy from Freedom Boats will see this topic and will advise. 

Advice also available here:

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/

[OldBerkshireBoy]

7 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Even if a boat has a current BSS certificate it probably won't cover a subsequent, amateur installation of a diesel heater. Hopefully Andy from Freedom Boats will see this topic and will advise. 

Advice also available here:

https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/

Did I say it would? If you care to go back I said out side the skill set of some and therefore might fail the BSS. 

[JennyMorgan]

No argument whatsoever as to what you wrote.