You guys have a nice chemistry on screen. You finish each others' sentences and seem like you get on very well. Makes it fun to watch. You seem a bit apprehensive about possible negative comments or criticisms. I haven't read through the comments but I hope people are kind, encouraging and constructive. No need to be negative. :-)
Well, the chemistry gets easier when we're on the second take because SOMEONE forgot to turn on the audio recorder before she tried to finish my sentences! ;-) We're not really apprehensive, just cognizant of the fact that we don't want the balance to shift towards sounding like we're saying that canal-boating and living aboard isn't worth it. It's totally worth it, it's just got a learning curve... we want to inform, but not scare anyone off of taking the same plunge. Thanks! M.
Michael, here is an idea to give Jo the collywobbles. When you get to Bristol you lash yourselves to another narrowboat and with the required pilot on board you sail up the Severn Estuary to the start of the Severn Navigation at Lydney which takes you back to the Midland canal network.
That's plenty of votes for the window vlog, so we'll get on that with the second one (after we have any idea what we're doing from the first). Thanks! M.
Deffo on the window vid and the wifi issue too. Very enjoyable video as usual and remember that it's not just boats that need maintenance, houses and RV's do too, once you've done the vents and the windows then with luck it will last another 10-20 years.
Very helpful - same problem here. Now I'm going to give it a go! Thanks. Haven't checked yet, but hope you did the window video, I've got issues there as well!! 😱
Afraid we never did do the window video; once we did our first fix we never really found another leak and decided against risking damage by doing anything with the windows that were still sealed okay, following the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule. If you can get them out okay they’re not too hard to seal back in, just look for butyl rubber tape, as we found that works the best! M
In the Netherlands we say "koop een boot en werk je dood" transleted is that, Buy a boat and you have work until you die. keep up the goot work and I want to see the repiar of the Windows. Greetings form Harry The Ferryman.
Hi guys. We're enjoying all your K&A vlogs again. We have leaking mushrooms and are interested to know how the Marineflex stuff held up? Loved your cinematic London trailer the other day 😀
Thanks! Jo had fun with it! The video itself is proving harder to edit. The Marine Flex worked fine, so far as we can tell. No leaks at all, and still flexible but well sealed. M
Just getting wifi fitted on ours in Newbury hope it works we want to be able to pay ourselves onboard! We have a few leaks around one porthole in the bathroom to do, we wrre told BOAT means bring out another thousand! They could be right. Keep posting!
It works, but turn off cloud syncing and automatic updates; try to think about how your devices simply don't know that they're not joined to an unlimited broadband connection. All those swish background features (especially photo/video backups, but also including push notifications, etc) all use up your data, which on the boat is a suddenly much more limited resource! We can see it becoming "Bring On Another Twenty" in the future, but right now it's definitely at the Thousand setting. M
No, we sort of ran out of proper weather and time to do the next window... luckily there've been no more (known) leaks, but we still hope to do more of them (and a video) probably this is summer ... unfortunately you really need several consecutive days without a significant chance of rain to do it properly. M
Did you notice the cruel little brats at 12:24 in your video throwing stuff at the ducks. That aside, i'm really enjoying your videos, they are great entertainment with a very humorous side :))
+Finlay Buchanan Didn't notice at the time, but sadly not the first time it's happened; the ducks and Canadian geese do seem to take a fair amount of harassment and abuse, including from adults. And the pheasants; we found one today that had been mortally savaged by a dog and left dying, poor thing. If we'd seen it we'd probably have cut that out. Still, very glad you're enjoying the videos. M
+Michael Greaves We came across it for windows after the mushroom caps. I'm still glad we used the PU for the caps themselves, as butyl rubber / mastic is very thick and our available screws were rather short, but it's great stuff! M
another interesting video guys, you might not have bought a "project boat" but you will always find something needs doing on any boat, at least you will always have video content :-) keep up the good work and enjoy
I’m not sure if it’s available in the UK but butyl tape works better between mating surfaces, it doesn’t just squeeze out, then you run a bead of sealant around the outside.
We've got butyl tape for the windows, didn't even think of it for the mushroom caps. Sadly not enough of it for both and it was actually quite hard to source! Thanks! M.
These DIY video's are really, really useful as boating is whole new scary world when compared to maintaining a house or car. I'd like to see the window video :-)
Thanks, and good to know! The first attempt is back on and (knock wood) sealed, just some touching up to do. Once we're sure the process actually worked, we'll do a second one and make the video then. It's quite a rigamarole! M.
+Cara Ross They're coming, though slower than we'd hoped as we've had to set the window work aside till we get off the K&A, and need a couple of parts for the WiFi one! M
As you know I have been watching your Vlogs from the day you first sailed on your NB so to hear your leaky problems my hear goes out to you, as I hope to be buying a NB hopefully this year or early next year your experianses is something I will take note of when I buy a NB anyway another great video, take care
It's all part of the learning curve I guess! Thanks for your good wishes. The one piece of advise I would give now is, try and buy a boat that was a live-aboard. It will have been maintained much better than one that was just taken out occasionally. I wish we had realised that when we were looking. Jo
Hello, good vlog as usual, I heard you mention silicone sealant, I would suggest if you are sealing items that will be painted around that you use either waterproof acrylic or polyurethane because silicone does repel paint and the paint can also act as an aid in sealing. Happy cruising.
I've got 4 chrome mushrooms to replace due to bad chrome and over painting so, hopefully, my screws will come out as easily as yours (unlikely). I've fixed my leaking windows by tightening the screws behind the plastic trim. Quite often they're riveted, so no so easy. I'm going to take out one to see how it's sealed as I need to paint the boat and there's bound to be rust behind. The roof slide is also in bits as it leaks and needs drying out, sealing and painting. All boats are projects, so it appears.
They definitely are; hope your screws come out well also. The good thing is brass seems to do a fairly good job in steel, EXCEPT where the threads themselves have seized with rust. If it binds very hard at all, do not just apply more force, as the brass will deform and shear much easier than steel. I need to get some penetrating oil, as that should help quite a bit. If you can get it out with just a bit of trouble, running the same size and thread tap through it gently seems to help a lot. Window construction seems to be all over the place in terms of how it's actually attached. Ours were -- barely -- taped on, with wood screws through to wooden batten on the inside that provides the clamping force to hold the window in. Machine screws into the steel would probably be better, but our manufacturer was cheap and quick. Rivets would have been even cheaper and quicker, I'm so glad they didn't choose that. All boats are project boats. Too right. M.
Boat = Bring Out Another Thousand!! If you were doing a RV in the states you would be dealing with repairs. Unfortunately it is a thing of life living in a damp climate on water!! But the more you do and repair now the better this winter!! Keep up the fight on your boat and when life gets ya down have a pint and relax a bit
We're almost finished the first test window, then once we know we've got it right we'll do a smaller one that will be easier to film! It's definitely on the way! Thanks, M.
Leaks on boats, had my fair share of those. Nice repair job on the mushroom vent. Your boat is beautiful, definitely not a project boat. Windows can be a bit tricky to work out where the water is getting in on the outside, because gravity will effect where it comes out on the inside. I'd like to see a video of how your windows are installed, I may be able to offer advice. .
We ended up getting the first leaky one out and fixed soon after that video, though we didn't tape it for all my swearing. Liverpool definitely went the cheap route on its window assemblies, which is why no two of ours are installed the same way. M
Minimal List It's possible a previous owner had replaced some, window seals on boats tend to to need replacing every 5-10 years. Doesn't seem logical the boat builder would use different materials as this would add to their overheads.
I’m afraid we never did make a video specifically about it. We ended up finding a LTE modem by TP-Link and eventually settled on a Three SIM on a month-to-month plan with an unlimited tariff (approx £20)... coverage is better for us than EE at a substantially better price, but it took us a while to find it. M
@@MinimalList Thanks for the feedback Michael. i am currently with O2 but recently got a Three sim to try but have had difficulty getting my Lenovo phone unlocked.
you 2 do great videos. top tip for you: insert some wooden or plastic dowels to screw holes prior to offering mushroom vents. drop vents over dowels. hey, presto holes ready to accept fixing screws.:-)
I am on the point of buying a toilet for my narrowboat. Just watched your very useful videos about them. I was leaning towards a Separett villa 9010 but now think the airhead would be better. There only seems to be one place to buy them in the U.K. And it's £ 995.00 from Woo Woo. Seems a bit steep - do you know of a cheaper place? Keep up the videos please.
There is only one UK supplier and that is Woo Woo. The service we received from Joel was great, and I would say the price is comparable to similar marine-oriented units, though that is a bit higher than larger units that are really designed for terrestrial uses. We have only had the toilet installed for one month and our first batch of compost wasn't great, but I think that is more to do with us not getting the amount of coir vs water right, rather than there being anything wrong with the toilet. So far we really like it, but until we have used it for longer we can't give a definitive opinion. The Separett models are well-liked by those who have them, so they would likely be equally good if you don't have the size constraints we had.
Have you or are their any moister sensors located in the hull to make you aware of possible water entering the boat. This would be good for having around water tank fittings shower, pumps and to prevent any problems with water leakage at points that are not easy to get to.
That would be awfully nice, but no, I know of no such sensors in these boats. There is the bilge pump, of course, but it only empties the engine room bilge, if there's water seeping in elsewhere it will never go off. M.
"'building-an-aluminium-narrowboat-part-9". search this article and towards the bottom you can see the water sensors and their applications. We use them in drain pans in case the pan gets clogged the condensate water will not build to leak on a roof in a house. We wire them to shut of the A/C unit but it can be wired to turn on an alarm so you know if moisture has got where its not meant to be. Preventing water from entering your boat is worry no1 best to be safe than sorry.
Interesting, will check it out. I wonder how difficult it would be to retrofit an older boat like ours. There's basically no means of access incorporated into the fitout to quite a few low areas of the boat. Most of our leaks have been around obvious places (roof hatch, mushroom caps, windows), but there's obviously the chance of plumbing failures, condensation as you mention, etc. Thanks for the extra nightmare material!! M.
When you think about it where ever you live be it a house apartment caravan or boat their is always something to fix, sealants and materials fail over time. So yes to window video.
great video, very helpful, i have the same problem with vents and windows so that would be great if you could do the window one. any DIY projects would be great as we all need to do em. keeps us all out of trouble en :)
here's a tip. if you want to avoid getting sealant in places you don't want it then once you've applied the bead and before you smooth it out, overspray it with glass cleaner or something similar. you'll be left with a super edged finish and no unsightly excess anywhere. brilliant on kitchen worktops, baths, wash basins, shower trays and I presume even mushroom caps and windows and portholes. infact anything that needs sealing. seriously, it works a treat. Alan 🇮🇪🐸
Very good to know, and I've heard of this with silicone sealants. Bit worried about trying it on the polyurethane anywhere important, just because of chemistry, so I'll give it a quick try on a bit of scrap next chance I get and see how it works. Thanks! M.
Right, we'll be recording more of the DIY work. We've got a battery install, solar install, interior wood rot cleanup, and more Windows! Plenty of material! M.
Have a look at PV-T panels which are high efficiency solar hot water panels [using glycol in the panels to a hot water coil in the hot water tank] which are overprinted with a PV array so that the PV is 'cooled' by the glycol which makes the PV more efficient. Free hot water and PV electric from the same sized panel as a normal PV unit.- a plan without fault. [www.solarangel.com/tech-info]
Very interesting, and not a bad idea as well (though I wonder about the weight, as you really don't want to change the center of gravity of these boats very much) -- unfortunately we hadn't heard of the option before we'd already purchased the panels, which are sitting in our saloon waiting to be installed! Thanks. M.
I heard there was a national shortage of mushroom vents last month when a shipping container went missing but this may be fake news! Love the vlogs and very interested in the wifi issues.
Window repairs take time, especially stripping down the interior. Can of worms at times as rotten damp wood needs treating or replacing. Nothing worse than leaks and that awful damp musty smell. Investing in a cheap mini hand held belt sander for metal work will do a quicker job than the dremel and super handy for rust spot repairs.
Hopefully there isn't too much rotten wood! Need to take the rest of the facia off to investigate! So fingers crossed! Thanks for the tip in the sander, we'll look into it!
At any point are those vents covered in some kind of screen to keep bugs our? Or is there some rule that they can not be blocked by anything? Anyways thank for the information
Mine had screen on the bottom but could never really see the point as you have doors, ports and side hatches open anyway. Don't recall that many bugs around though.
It depends a great deal on the vent and the boat. In most cases there's the outside-hull component (in our case the brass mushroom), the hull-penetrating component (in our case the PVC sleeve), and the inside-hull component (in our case a simple brass ring with a not-very-fine bug screen). You kind of choose the components that fit your boat and budget, or -- like us -- you get stuck with whatever the manufacturer happened to have on the shelf. Most do seem to incorporate some sort of bug screen, but not all. The general flow of air, though, is up and out through the vents, which keeps many flying critters away, and the spiders who WILL take up residence up there will take care of most of the rest. M.
I take it you have heard of the place.Ya I have a definite Love hate thing going. I have been stuck here for 32 years. But then if you can survive here. You can survive anywere
Good video, and yes to the repair/maintenance videos. Yachties seem to swear to butyl strip for windows/deck fittings. If you want inspiration you could always consult the Sail Life You Tube channel - Madz the author of the channel has covered most of these sort of tasks.👍 you could fast forward to about 6:55 in this video of his ua-cam.com/video/PYW8-0G9zzA/v-deo.html
Will take a look at it, thank you! And yeah we've gotten some butyl rubber for the windows; might try it on one of the mushroom caps as well, though the PU from Marineflex seems to also be very highly regarded and certainly seems to be holding well! Thanks' M.
Minimal List I was talking different stuff - this stuff comes in strips and is very soft. As you tighten up the fixture(gradually) it compresses, fills gaps, seals and sort of exudes out of the sides, which you trim with a sharp knife. The usp is that it seals well but when it comes to removal in x years hence is easy to remove (unlike silicone).
Yeah, that's the same stuff; it's like a chewing gum consistancy, came in a big roll with a waxy paper backing. Problem is I bought too little of it to do all the windows and all the mushroom caps. Well, at least I thought I did, had to cut so much off the first window after it was compressed that I could have used the excess to do two mushroom caps.
in nine years i am onto one name change from Edith to Belly Button three boat blacking completed, one full repaint and colour change. the boat only came with 12v electrics so fitted 240v and also fitted a gas locker and gas system by a plumber not me. one interior repaint and colour change. Removed the water Calorifier he had fitted because it was a house tank and was never connected properly the engine runs that cool it would never heat the water hot enough anyway so fitted a instant gas water heater and its been one of my better buys. Had second engine re work re build the joys of a 1956 drag line digger engine.fitted in a diesel 6.6 kva generator in the space the water tank lived. modified the deck with ramps to take my disabled buggy. the front rooms on its third version the original had a sink in it and a bench seat we never did work out what the previous owner was thinking on that one. we removed them rebuilt part of the unit in the corner to take a tumble dryer. Removed the last of the bench seat fitted a small settee that didn't work so put in two leather chairs and a table happy with that now. The bathrooms only had the toilet swapped from pump out to compost. One of the best parts of the boat was the bedroom and yep you guessed it that changed to. The biggest change was the kitchen it started out as a 6x6 space with only a log burrner in it so removed that. kitchen number one was a fridge with a wooden work top for the small grill and two gas hob plus sink. i then purchased a 12v/240v 80 litre freezer so it needed to go below the sink but couldn't because of the pipe work so i invented my own sink from a chiefs stainless steel 16" bowl and because i removed the taps i had to invent my own that took several attempts and modifications lol. i was also using a combi microwave and discovered if i wanted a pizza i had to cook it in several goes because the oven was to small. kitchen number three. In order for the new gas cooker to fit the fridge needed to move side ways but couldn't because of the freezer so that had to go bugger. i moved the freezer its a small chest type into the bedroom i didn't want a freezer at the end of my bed so had to build a cupboard around and above it the advantage i gained extra shelving the downside my girlfriend filled them with extra clothing very quickly. so kitchen finished. Along the way i fitted solar the first lot was for powering the fridge and because the kitchen was at the front and i had space for the batteries at the front it made sence the first two panels lived there i then fitted two more after fitting the freezer so i have got three batteries at the front. this setup runs both the fridge and freezer in summer and in winter the freezer can run 240v. I then discovered thanks to house wife's of every chuffing where and other really interesting soaps (girlfriends words not mine) the rear batteries was struggling and if i needed extra help with the fridge and freezer power wise in our beautiful summers an extra three panels was fitted. After all the solar the good bit is my winter electric bill for three months was £22 so they are paying for themselves. Don't get me wrong i love living on my boat and i will only move onto dry land in a pine box boats are always changing they always will need something doing to them and i hope my major works are done and finished now they evolve and change as to your needs. its now sunny and time to relax and as i type this i look around me and notice that the paint inside the boat is really looking very tired now. Bugger time to paint lol. Oh my next idea is changing all the solar panels for the semi flexible one because they have come down in price and the ones i have got now are butt ugly will i ever be happy lol. mick or as i am also known Arightpest
Hah! Well, that puts my itsy-bitsy bit of work into perspective. Did take an angle grinder to a bit of the boat yesterday. Starting to feel more like mine! Cheers for the nutty story! M.
Minimal List it's taken years and many jobs could have been ignored but the old saying the devil finds work for idle hands. I also think he also invented eBay because I have got loads of stuff I have ordered and still not fitted. I love the life and if it means the odd bit of tinkering occurs so be it. You will find you happy medium or just spend to much like me :-(
You guys have a nice chemistry on screen. You finish each others' sentences and seem like you get on very well. Makes it fun to watch. You seem a bit apprehensive about possible negative comments or criticisms. I haven't read through the comments but I hope people are kind, encouraging and constructive. No need to be negative. :-)
Well, the chemistry gets easier when we're on the second take because SOMEONE forgot to turn on the audio recorder before she tried to finish my sentences! ;-)
We're not really apprehensive, just cognizant of the fact that we don't want the balance to shift towards sounding like we're saying that canal-boating and living aboard isn't worth it. It's totally worth it, it's just got a learning curve... we want to inform, but not scare anyone off of taking the same plunge.
Thanks! M.
Without doubt there will be many, many people who will be very interested in any videos you produce. We will all learn from your journey.
Good to know, thanks! M.
So far I've liked ALL the videos you guys have made. So my vote is for you to all the videos, I'll watch them!
Good to know, thanks! It's a bit hard to tell what might be interesting. M.
I wouldn't miss the window video for the world!!! Roll on.
Michael, here is an idea to give Jo the collywobbles. When you get to Bristol you lash yourselves to another narrowboat and with the required pilot on board you sail up the Severn Estuary to the start of the Severn Navigation at Lydney which takes you back to the Midland canal network.
Stop giving him crazy ideas! Jo
Why stop there? Ireland, here we come! M.
I totally agree bad water is not good, thanks for the vlog. Yes window vlog please.
That's plenty of votes for the window vlog, so we'll get on that with the second one (after we have any idea what we're doing from the first). Thanks! M.
Deffo on the window vid and the wifi issue too. Very enjoyable video as usual and remember that it's not just boats that need maintenance, houses and RV's do too, once you've done the vents and the windows then with luck it will last another 10-20 years.
Have you SEEN my luck???? :-) M.
Lol! From what I've see you guys are more than capable :)
Very helpful - same problem here. Now I'm going to give it a go! Thanks. Haven't checked yet, but hope you did the window video, I've got issues there as well!! 😱
Afraid we never did do the window video; once we did our first fix we never really found another leak and decided against risking damage by doing anything with the windows that were still sealed okay, following the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule. If you can get them out okay they’re not too hard to seal back in, just look for butyl rubber tape, as we found that works the best! M
Great video, thank you 😊 really helpful and clean job well done
In the Netherlands we say "koop een boot en werk je dood" transleted is that, Buy a boat and you have work until you die. keep up the goot work and I want to see the repiar of the Windows. Greetings form Harry The Ferryman.
Well, that's reassuring! Will do! M.
Wow Jo really gets to it.. GREAT to have help in the repair /maintenance department .. :-)
She’s the best! And she fits into nooks and crannies better than I do! M
Oh yes please. All the fixes you guys come up with are great.
Ok, will do!
Hi guys. We're enjoying all your K&A vlogs again. We have leaking mushrooms and are interested to know how the Marineflex stuff held up? Loved your cinematic London trailer the other day 😀
Thanks! Jo had fun with it! The video itself is proving harder to edit. The Marine Flex worked fine, so far as we can tell. No leaks at all, and still flexible but well sealed. M
Just getting wifi fitted on ours in Newbury hope it works we want to be able to pay ourselves onboard! We have a few leaks around one porthole in the bathroom to do, we wrre told BOAT means bring out another thousand! They could be right. Keep posting!
It works, but turn off cloud syncing and automatic updates; try to think about how your devices simply don't know that they're not joined to an unlimited broadband connection. All those swish background features (especially photo/video backups, but also including push notifications, etc) all use up your data, which on the boat is a suddenly much more limited resource!
We can see it becoming "Bring On Another Twenty" in the future, but right now it's definitely at the Thousand setting.
M
Yes to the porthole repair, :-). Don't know what you're going to do about the starboardhole...frustrated people working on boats, always fun to watch.
Luckily the shore doesn't give a toss about port and starboard! M.
Loved the duck races going on in the background and 🖐hi screws loose!
Always love us some duck races! M
Windows repair and wifi both sound good. Really enjoying the videos!
Good to know, thank you! M,
Hi. Thanks for all your videos, they are great. Did you ever do a window video or did I just miss it?. Thanks.
No, we sort of ran out of proper weather and time to do the next window... luckily there've been no more (known) leaks, but we still hope to do more of them (and a video) probably this is summer ... unfortunately you really need several consecutive days without a significant chance of rain to do it properly. M
Please remember to wear a good mask and gloves if there is black mold in the windows. Stay safe and enjoy. Another great video.
Good point! We haven't stated cutting or working on the majority of that yet, but I've been meaning to buy a proper respirator! M.
Never thought I would say I enjoyed watching paint dry.... but that was entertaining enough regardless.... got to have a snug boat! :-)
Haha, we we did speed some of it up! Yes, it's important to have a dry snug boat! Jo
Did you notice the cruel little brats at 12:24 in your video throwing stuff at the ducks. That aside, i'm really enjoying your videos, they are great entertainment with a very humorous side :))
+Finlay Buchanan Didn't notice at the time, but sadly not the first time it's happened; the ducks and Canadian geese do seem to take a fair amount of harassment and abuse, including from adults. And the pheasants; we found one today that had been mortally savaged by a dog and left dying, poor thing. If we'd seen it we'd probably have cut that out. Still, very glad you're enjoying the videos. M
Hi, loving your videos. In case you haven't come across it mastic tape is excellent for sealing under deck fittings.
+Michael Greaves We came across it for windows after the mushroom caps. I'm still glad we used the PU for the caps themselves, as butyl rubber / mastic is very thick and our available screws were rather short, but it's great stuff! M
another interesting video guys, you might not have bought a "project boat" but you will always find something needs doing on any boat, at least you will always have video content :-) keep up the good work and enjoy
Oh good! More content! M.
I’m not sure if it’s available in the UK but butyl tape works better between mating surfaces, it doesn’t just squeeze out, then you run a bead of sealant around the outside.
Yep, that’s what we’ve used for our windows. M
Welcome to boat ownership.
BTW, I've had some pretty good success at sealing similar projects on my sailboat using butyl tape.
We've got butyl tape for the windows, didn't even think of it for the mushroom caps. Sadly not enough of it for both and it was actually quite hard to source! Thanks! M.
These DIY video's are really, really useful as boating is whole new scary world when compared to maintaining a house or car.
I'd like to see the window video :-)
Thanks, and good to know! The first attempt is back on and (knock wood) sealed, just some touching up to do. Once we're sure the process actually worked, we'll do a second one and make the video then. It's quite a rigamarole! M.
Would love to see the window and wifi videos. Love this channel.
+Cara Ross They're coming, though slower than we'd hoped as we've had to set the window work aside till we get off the K&A, and need a couple of parts for the WiFi one! M
As you know I have been watching your Vlogs from the day you first sailed on your NB so to hear your leaky problems my hear goes out to you, as I hope to be buying a NB hopefully this year or early next year your experianses is something I will take note of when I buy a NB anyway another great video, take care
It's all part of the learning curve I guess! Thanks for your good wishes. The one piece of advise I would give now is, try and buy a boat that was a live-aboard. It will have been maintained much better than one that was just taken out occasionally. I wish we had realised that when we were looking. Jo
Hello, good vlog as usual, I heard you mention silicone sealant, I would suggest if you are sealing items that will be painted around that you use either waterproof acrylic or polyurethane because silicone does repel paint and the paint can also act as an aid in sealing. Happy cruising.
Thanks for the tip. We are planning to paint before we apply the sealant! Good to know.
I've got 4 chrome mushrooms to replace due to bad chrome and over painting so, hopefully, my screws will come out as easily as yours (unlikely). I've fixed my leaking windows by tightening the screws behind the plastic trim. Quite often they're riveted, so no so easy. I'm going to take out one to see how it's sealed as I need to paint the boat and there's bound to be rust behind. The roof slide is also in bits as it leaks and needs drying out, sealing and painting. All boats are projects, so it appears.
They definitely are; hope your screws come out well also. The good thing is brass seems to do a fairly good job in steel, EXCEPT where the threads themselves have seized with rust. If it binds very hard at all, do not just apply more force, as the brass will deform and shear much easier than steel. I need to get some penetrating oil, as that should help quite a bit. If you can get it out with just a bit of trouble, running the same size and thread tap through it gently seems to help a lot.
Window construction seems to be all over the place in terms of how it's actually attached. Ours were -- barely -- taped on, with wood screws through to wooden batten on the inside that provides the clamping force to hold the window in. Machine screws into the steel would probably be better, but our manufacturer was cheap and quick. Rivets would have been even cheaper and quicker, I'm so glad they didn't choose that.
All boats are project boats. Too right. M.
Back on Longpod on Wednesday but rain forecast for remainder of week.
Is it just me, or is meteorology in England not far advanced from squidging around with the entrails of some hapless fowl and guessing? M.
Boat = Bring Out Another Thousand!! If you were doing a RV in the states you would be dealing with repairs. Unfortunately it is a thing of life living in a damp climate on water!! But the more you do and repair now the better this winter!! Keep up the fight on your boat and when life gets ya down have a pint and relax a bit
I think that's my problem; I've never been a drinker, and clearly that's as important as diesel on a boat! M.
Minimal List good thing you are in the land of the Pub!! Look for a hard cider I am not a beer drinker. But love a good cider
I've developed a taste for some of the pub ciders, just not the pub prices! M.
As long as you do not eat the magic mushrooms caps , we will be ready for the window pain video.... all around my brain.....
I would like to see that window video please.
Good to know, thank you! M.
Definitely yes please!
We're almost finished the first test window, then once we know we've got it right we'll do a smaller one that will be easier to film! It's definitely on the way! Thanks, M.
US too, which vlog is that?
your welcom have fun on the boat
Hello! What product do you use as your topcoat please? Brand or an active ingredient necessary in narrow boat topcoat. Thank you!
Leaks on boats, had my fair share of those.
Nice repair job on the mushroom vent.
Your boat is beautiful, definitely not a project boat.
Windows can be a bit tricky to work out where the water is getting in on the outside, because gravity will effect where it comes out on the inside.
I'd like to see a video of how your windows are installed, I may be able to offer advice. .
We ended up getting the first leaky one out and fixed soon after that video, though we didn't tape it for all my swearing. Liverpool definitely went the cheap route on its window assemblies, which is why no two of ours are installed the same way. M
Minimal List It's possible a previous owner had replaced some, window seals on boats tend to to need replacing every 5-10 years. Doesn't seem logical the boat builder would use different materials as this would add to their overheads.
Yeah, every window was re-sealed by a different owner ... with Liverpool boats the original fails around the moment the warranty does! M
Great vids as per 😀.and yep WiFi vids, Window vids - Bring it on - Love it.
Good to know, thank you! M.
@@MinimalList Hello, did the WiFi/Internet video get made - have searched your uploads to no avail?
I’m afraid we never did make a video specifically about it. We ended up finding a LTE modem by TP-Link and eventually settled on a Three SIM on a month-to-month plan with an unlimited tariff (approx £20)... coverage is better for us than EE at a substantially better price, but it took us a while to find it. M
@@MinimalList Thanks for the feedback Michael. i am currently with O2 but recently got a Three sim to try but have had difficulty getting my Lenovo phone unlocked.
you 2 do great videos. top tip for you: insert some wooden or plastic dowels to screw holes prior to offering mushroom vents. drop vents over dowels. hey, presto holes ready to accept fixing screws.:-)
+Robert George good tip!
I am on the point of buying a toilet for my narrowboat. Just watched your very useful videos about them. I was leaning towards a Separett villa 9010 but now think the airhead would be better. There only seems to be one place to buy them in the U.K. And it's £ 995.00 from Woo Woo. Seems a bit steep - do you know of a cheaper place?
Keep up the videos please.
There is only one UK supplier and that is Woo Woo. The service we received from Joel was great, and I would say the price is comparable to similar marine-oriented units, though that is a bit higher than larger units that are really designed for terrestrial uses. We have only had the toilet installed for one month and our first batch of compost wasn't great, but I think that is more to do with us not getting the amount of coir vs water right, rather than there being anything wrong with the toilet. So far we really like it, but until we have used it for longer we can't give a definitive opinion. The Separett models are well-liked by those who have them, so they would likely be equally good if you don't have the size constraints we had.
Have you or are their any moister sensors located in the hull to make you aware of possible water entering the boat. This would be good for having around water tank fittings shower, pumps and to prevent any problems with water leakage at points that are not easy to get to.
That would be awfully nice, but no, I know of no such sensors in these boats. There is the bilge pump, of course, but it only empties the engine room bilge, if there's water seeping in elsewhere it will never go off. M.
"'building-an-aluminium-narrowboat-part-9". search this article and towards the bottom you can see the water sensors and their applications. We use them in drain pans in case the pan gets clogged the condensate water will not build to leak on a roof in a house. We wire them to shut of the A/C unit but it can be wired to turn on an alarm so you know if moisture has got where its not meant to be. Preventing water from entering your boat is worry no1 best to be safe than sorry.
Interesting, will check it out. I wonder how difficult it would be to retrofit an older boat like ours. There's basically no means of access incorporated into the fitout to quite a few low areas of the boat. Most of our leaks have been around obvious places (roof hatch, mushroom caps, windows), but there's obviously the chance of plumbing failures, condensation as you mention, etc. Thanks for the extra nightmare material!! M.
this is awesome something we need to do too!
It's really not that hard, especially if you get at it before the rust really sets in! M.
When you think about it where ever you live be it a house apartment caravan or boat their is always something to fix, sealants and materials fail over time. So yes to window video.
I think I'm just soft because of too many years in California. Sealant failures are not a common problem on Venice Beach! M.
Excellent.
Thank you!
great video, very helpful, i have the same problem with vents and windows so that would be great if you could do the window one. any DIY projects would be great as we all need to do em. keeps us all out of trouble en :)
Ok. Watch this space!
here's a tip. if you want to avoid getting sealant in places you don't want it then once you've applied the bead and before you smooth it out, overspray it with glass cleaner or something similar. you'll be left with a super edged finish and no unsightly excess anywhere. brilliant on kitchen worktops, baths, wash basins, shower trays and I presume even mushroom caps and windows and portholes. infact anything that needs sealing. seriously, it works a treat. Alan 🇮🇪🐸
Very good to know, and I've heard of this with silicone sealants. Bit worried about trying it on the polyurethane anywhere important, just because of chemistry, so I'll give it a quick try on a bit of scrap next chance I get and see how it works. Thanks! M.
great vid interested in all those vids keep them coming
Thank you! Will do!
How is your boat search going?
Hi The boat search is going well and will be ready to buy at the beginning of August. A little frustrating as everything i like is getting snapped up.
That seemed to happen with us too, but a bit of Perseverance helped! :-) Don't worry, the right one will come along. M.
Thanks for the videos. I would love to see any D.I.Y videos really :)
Right, we'll be recording more of the DIY work. We've got a battery install, solar install, interior wood rot cleanup, and more Windows! Plenty of material! M.
Have a look at PV-T panels which are high efficiency solar hot water panels [using glycol in the panels to a hot water coil in the hot water tank] which are overprinted with a PV array so that the PV is 'cooled' by the glycol which makes the PV more efficient. Free hot water and PV electric from the same sized panel as a normal PV unit.- a plan without fault. [www.solarangel.com/tech-info]
Very interesting, and not a bad idea as well (though I wonder about the weight, as you really don't want to change the center of gravity of these boats very much) -- unfortunately we hadn't heard of the option before we'd already purchased the panels, which are sitting in our saloon waiting to be installed! Thanks. M.
Understand your pain with regards to the boat. Please do the window video. there are so many of us with older boat that may have this issue.
There seems to be a lot of demand for the window video so watch this space!
Minimal List l am looking forward to seeing the next. Chris barbados
I heard there was a national shortage of mushroom vents last month when a shipping container went missing but this may be fake news! Love the vlogs and very interested in the wifi issues.
Ha! Interesting! Ok, will work on a short wifi video! Any news on your boat! Jo
Minimal List Don't ask. Let's just say that patience is needed and it's running thin.
Oh dear! Sounds frustrating!
top vlog very informative thank you.👍
Thanks for watching! M.
Window repairs take time, especially stripping down the interior. Can of worms at times as rotten damp wood needs treating or replacing. Nothing worse than leaks and that awful damp musty smell. Investing in a cheap mini hand held belt sander for metal work will do a quicker job than the dremel and super handy for rust spot repairs.
Hopefully there isn't too much rotten wood! Need to take the rest of the facia off to investigate! So fingers crossed! Thanks for the tip in the sander, we'll look into it!
Neatly done.....
Thanks! I was under strict supervision! Jo
At any point are those vents covered in some kind of screen to keep bugs our? Or is there some rule that they can not be blocked by anything? Anyways thank for the information
Mine had screen on the bottom but could never really see the point as you have doors, ports and side hatches open anyway. Don't recall that many bugs around though.
I live in Winnipeg . I can not imagine a world without bugs.
It depends a great deal on the vent and the boat. In most cases there's the outside-hull component (in our case the brass mushroom), the hull-penetrating component (in our case the PVC sleeve), and the inside-hull component (in our case a simple brass ring with a not-very-fine bug screen). You kind of choose the components that fit your boat and budget, or -- like us -- you get stuck with whatever the manufacturer happened to have on the shelf. Most do seem to incorporate some sort of bug screen, but not all. The general flow of air, though, is up and out through the vents, which keeps many flying critters away, and the spiders who WILL take up residence up there will take care of most of the rest. M.
Hah! You live in Winnipeg, you cannot imagine a world without hope of getting out of Winnipeg! M.
I take it you have heard of the place.Ya I have a definite Love hate thing going. I have been stuck here for 32 years. But then if you can survive here. You can survive anywere
window video - bring it on.
Will do, thanks! M.
Fix it videos are cool.
Right, more coming! Thanks! M.
some more ok Harbor Freight 100 watt solar panel kit #63585 Thunderbolt Magnum (SEE INFO BELOW)
Thanks!
Does every hire boat come with a Rainbow Unicorn Ring?
Nowhere NEAR enough *DOG* in that video!
+martin james I'm pretty sure that's because we filmed it before we got him. Also I'm not sure how much help he would have been anyway! Jo
I know, I know! Just keeping you on your toes!
BOAT...=....Bring Out Another Thousand.
We're running out of thousands! M.
If I understand correctly all boats are project boats, I think that's just the way of it.
Oh definitely ... but some projects are worse than others! M
if you nead some one to help his chanel is real good
Good video, and yes to the repair/maintenance videos. Yachties seem to swear to butyl strip for windows/deck fittings. If you want inspiration you could always consult the Sail Life You Tube channel - Madz the author of the channel has covered most of these sort of tasks.👍 you could fast forward to about 6:55 in this video of his ua-cam.com/video/PYW8-0G9zzA/v-deo.html
Will take a look at it, thank you! And yeah we've gotten some butyl rubber for the windows; might try it on one of the mushroom caps as well, though the PU from Marineflex seems to also be very highly regarded and certainly seems to be holding well! Thanks' M.
Minimal List I was talking different stuff - this stuff comes in strips and is very soft. As you tighten up the fixture(gradually) it compresses, fills gaps, seals and sort of exudes out of the sides, which you trim with a sharp knife. The usp is that it seals well but when it comes to removal in x years hence is easy to remove (unlike silicone).
Yeah, that's the same stuff; it's like a chewing gum consistancy, came in a big roll with a waxy paper backing. Problem is I bought too little of it to do all the windows and all the mushroom caps. Well, at least I thought I did, had to cut so much off the first window after it was compressed that I could have used the excess to do two mushroom caps.
Minimal List 👍that's the stuff...😀👌
Good! Thanks!
The only good Goose is a Roast Goose!
Fly Screws Loose, fly!!!!! M.
finished maintenance lol its a boat :-)
Well, finished as in there's a todo list but you can see the end of it! M.
in nine years i am onto one name change from Edith to Belly Button three boat blacking completed, one full repaint and colour change. the boat only came with 12v electrics so fitted 240v and also fitted a gas locker and gas system by a plumber not me. one interior repaint and colour change. Removed the water Calorifier he had fitted because it was a house tank and was never connected properly the engine runs that cool it would never heat the water hot enough anyway so fitted a instant gas water heater and its been one of my better buys. Had second engine re work re build the joys of a 1956 drag line digger engine.fitted in a diesel 6.6 kva generator in the space the water tank lived. modified the deck with ramps to take my disabled buggy. the front rooms on its third version the original had a sink in it and a bench seat we never did work out what the previous owner was thinking on that one. we removed them rebuilt part of the unit in the corner to take a tumble dryer. Removed the last of the bench seat fitted a small settee that didn't work so put in two leather chairs and a table happy with that now. The bathrooms only had the toilet swapped from pump out to compost. One of the best parts of the boat was the bedroom and yep you guessed it that changed to. The biggest change was the kitchen it started out as a 6x6 space with only a log burrner in it so removed that. kitchen number one was a fridge with a wooden work top for the small grill and two gas hob plus sink. i then purchased a 12v/240v 80 litre freezer so it needed to go below the sink but couldn't because of the pipe work so i invented my own sink from a chiefs stainless steel 16" bowl and because i removed the taps i had to invent my own that took several attempts and modifications lol. i was also using a combi microwave and discovered if i wanted a pizza i had to cook it in several goes because the oven was to small. kitchen number three. In order for the new gas cooker to fit the fridge needed to move side ways but couldn't because of the freezer so that had to go bugger. i moved the freezer its a small chest type into the bedroom i didn't want a freezer at the end of my bed so had to build a cupboard around and above it the advantage i gained extra shelving the downside my girlfriend filled them with extra clothing very quickly. so kitchen finished. Along the way i fitted solar the first lot was for powering the fridge and because the kitchen was at the front and i had space for the batteries at the front it made sence the first two panels lived there i then fitted two more after fitting the freezer so i have got three batteries at the front. this setup runs both the fridge and freezer in summer and in winter the freezer can run 240v. I then discovered thanks to house wife's of every chuffing where and other really interesting soaps (girlfriends words not mine) the rear batteries was struggling and if i needed extra help with the fridge and freezer power wise in our beautiful summers an extra three panels was fitted. After all the solar the good bit is my winter electric bill for three months was £22 so they are paying for themselves. Don't get me wrong i love living on my boat and i will only move onto dry land in a pine box boats are always changing they always will need something doing to them and i hope my major works are done and finished now they evolve and change as to your needs. its now sunny and time to relax and as i type this i look around me and notice that the paint inside the boat is really looking very tired now. Bugger time to paint lol. Oh my next idea is changing all the solar panels for the semi flexible one because they have come down in price and the ones i have got now are butt ugly will i ever be happy lol. mick or as i am also known Arightpest
Hah! Well, that puts my itsy-bitsy bit of work into perspective. Did take an angle grinder to a bit of the boat yesterday. Starting to feel more like mine! Cheers for the nutty story! M.
Minimal List it's taken years and many jobs could have been ignored but the old saying the devil finds work for idle hands. I also think he also invented eBay because I have got loads of stuff I have ordered and still not fitted. I love the life and if it means the odd bit of tinkering occurs so be it. You will find you happy medium or just spend to much like me :-(
Hope that medium shows up sooner rather than later! ;-) M.
go here and look at his vides Јоhn Daniel
Will take a look, thanks! M.
all boats are project boat its part of the life unfortunately. you will always have jobs to do.
We're totally okay with it being *part* of the life, just not *all* of the life! M.