TRANQUILITY IS A SELF MANAGED SHARE BOAT

At 58 feet length, TQ (as we call her) is a steel hull narrow boat built by Colecraft and fitted out by Elton Moss Boatbuilders. Currently based at Aqueduct Marina in Cheshire we're able to cruise some of the most popular waterways in Britain. The Shropshire Union, The Trent and Mersey, The Llangollen Canal, The Four Counties Ring and Cheshire Ring and more.

Our friendly Syndicate decided to go down the Self Management route on 1st March 2012 and so far it has been very successful. Please visit the other pages in this blog to see the new Web Site and if shares are available for sale. (There'll not be many).


ABOUT COPYRIGHT.
I am having to place a watermark on the blog content as someone on Facebook is stealing photos and claiming them as their own. I wouldn't mind if they asked first and attributed it to my blog. If it continues I will name and shame them. I hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment.

All content is Copyright N. B. Tranquility © 2008 - 2019

Wednesday 13 May 2015

What a day. New batteries, and an engine start failure.

We filled the water tank and slipped our moorings a little later than yesterday at around 8:30pm, and said our goodbyes to Dave and Anne as we passed Kernow, even though there was no sign of life at the windows.

TQ at Hawkesbury Junction.
We cruised only a few hundred yards and stopped to relieve the propeller of its accumulated detritus consisting of an old curtain and a shredded poly vee belt. It took ages to unravel the tangle. My trusty prop cleaner helped enormously, but in the end I had to get my hands in there - yuk!

The intention today was to check the domestic batteries as reports have been coming in that there is little life left in them. This was confirmed today when after yesterday's seven hour cruise and turning everything off overnight, (no telly used as we went in the pub), the voltage was reading 12.5v but after one shower, the Webasto on for hot water and breakfast they were down to 10.0v.

So we cruised on up to Star Line Boats in Nuneaton to change the whole pack. Well, things didn't quite go as planned, the batteries were not too much of a problem, after drop testing to further confirm their demise it was out with the old, in with the new, but when it came to testing the charge circuit with the engine running it wouldn't start! YES, I thought, this couldn't happen at a better time or place. It took ages to diagnose the fault, at one point there were six of of us looking into the engine 'ole, all scratching our heads. We were looking in the wrong place thinking the fault must be on the positive side, but it turned out to be a poor earth connection. This was proved by attaching a jump lead to the negative on the battery and to a suitable point on the engine and attempting a start. BINGO! and a lively start it was too. So the negative earth connections were dismantled, cleaned and replaced, and lo and behold it worked. Not quite so lively as with the jump lead, but better than I've heard it start for a long time. So now I'll obtain an extra earth cable and attach it to a suitabla point on the engine and to a point on the hull as belt and braces.

I promised I'd get this plug in for them:-

STAR LINE BOATS in Nuneaton. Very helpful and friendly service, very highly recommended.

Thanks a million, guys.

This is a lovely spot, just outside Nuneaton,
Oh! and Lucy...

...Zedsville!

2 comments:

Brian and Diana on NB Harnser said...

Run the lead right back to the battery negative, you shouldn't have any current flowing through the steel hull. It is probably what goosed you old batteries that they were not charging properly due to a high resistance return. If in doubt get a good boat electrician to check it out.

ketro said...

Hi Brian and Diana,
I've had some excelent advice from John at Star Line Boats and his advice is exactly the same as yours, so that is what I will do.

Nice to hear from you again,
VBR,
Kevin