Remote Battery Monitor & Boat Tracker

During the lockdown I have, like most leisure cruisers, been unable to visit my boat. It is moored about 30 minutes drive way from the house. Although since fitting the solar panel in November 2018 I have not had to worry about  the batteries draining, it would have been reassuring to know that there were no problems.

In this months (June'20) Waterways World a reasonably priced Remote Battery Monitor was advertised. It also has the advantage that it sends location information along with the battery charge.








I've ordered one from the manufacturer ChargeMetrix (£42.50 + a monthly connection fee of £3.99) and will install it once the lockdown is ended and I am able to visit the boat again.

Although it's too late for the Coronavirus lockdown it will be convenient to keep an eye on the battery charge in the future and if ever the boat is stolen be able to track it.

STAINED GLASS PORTHOLES

In 2018 at Crick Boat Show we met Catherine from Cut Glass Gallery and asked her to design a stained glass for one of our porthole windows.

Catherine spent some time making sure we were entirely happy with her design and once she was sure we were happy she produced this stunning window of Irises.

We were so pleased with this that we commissioned Catherine to produce a second glass for another porthole on the boat.

This time we wanted a picture of an animal associated with the canals. After thinking about it we decided upon a duck, and Catherine sourced this design from 'Narrowboat Glass'.

This is the porthole Catherine has produced this time. Just as superb as the first one. 

The glass is currently still in Catherine's workshop whilst we wait for the lockdown to end.

We have now asked for a third porthole glass, this time a structure associated with the canal. Catherine suggested  a bridge with a boat emerging. She asked for some photos of our boat and 'Narrowboat Glass' has produced this design for Catherine to work her usual magic.

Below is a picture of our boat. 

We are sure that once the design is made into glass the third porthole will be just as dramatic as the first two.

End of Year Stats 2019

Miles, Hours, Locks L/Ms per hour etc for third year of Hamwih

Jan to Dec 2019

Beta Marine 43

                                    

                                                                                                                                               

Year	Total Days	Moored Days	Working on Boat Days	Upgrade 2018 Lockdown 2020 Days	Cruising Days	Trips	Engine Hours	Cruising Hours*	Distance Miles	Locks	Avg Lock/Miles Per Hour
2019	365	224	45		96	10	570.3	541.7	902.25	747	2.89
2018	365	123	48	129	65	12	420.2	372.7	600.25	548	2.73
2017	161	99	22		40	2	189.7	170.7	308.75	157	2.46

* Cruising Hours are the total engine hours less those used for topping up the batteries, moving the boat to top up with water and/or fuel + winding in preparation for next trip.

Bata Marine AC Panel

The engine hours recorded in the table below are the accumulation of the total hours the engine has been used since the previous fill up. Therefore the hours recorded at the first fill up for each year includes some hours from the previous year, whilst hours completed after the last fill up for the year are not counted until the following year. This explains the difference in hours recorded in the table above, where the engine hours are counted on a daily basis.

Year	Engine Hours	Litres	Litres per Hour	Cost	Cost per Litre	Overall Cost Per Hour	Central Heating Hours	Litres Used  @ 0.5 per Hr	Cost Per Hour	Engine Litres Less CH	Litres Per Hour	Cost per Hour
2019	583.3	916.66	1.58	£777.93	£0.86	£1.33	167	83.5	£0.43p	833.2	1.43	£1.23
2018	430.2	624.02	1.49	£504.76	£0.81	£0.78	97	48.5	£0.41P	575.5	1.34	£1.09
*2017	159.8	353.90	2.21	£303.87	£0.85	£1.90	50	25.0	£0.42p	328.9	2.05	£1.74

* 2017 engine was a 38HP Beta Marine. Since 2018 the engine is a 43HP Beta Marine

3 days on the Shroppie

With the change in the weather (April like in early February) a few days on the Shropshire Union Canal seemed like a nice idea.

Very quite on the canal, only saw one other boat on the move, but lovely clear blue sky. Spent the first night at Wheaton Aston and on the second day cruised to the winding hole at Church Eaton.

Stopped at the winding hole to have lunch at the Royal Oak, only a ten minute walk into the village. Unfortunately the pub is closed at lunch times, according to a couple I saw walking their dog it doesn't open until 4pm.

Decided instead to head back to Wheaton Aston and spend the evening in the Hartley Arms instead.

On the third day travelled back to our mooring at Wolverhampton Boat Club. Once again absolutely gorgeous weather.

Weed Hatch Fun

First excursion of the year to the weed hatch today. Twenty minutes after leaving the engine starts to judder. Quickly into neutral, where the engine sounds fine. Try forward again, still juddering, put into reverse and the juddering is worse. Nothing else for it, leave the boat drifting in the middle of the canal and open the weed hatch to find an orange bag wrapped around the prop.

Ten minutes later a builders '1 tonne' sack removed.

The water was freezing though, took twenty minutes to thaw out my hand & arm.

Summer Trips

Standedege Tunnel Marsden Portal

Begining to start planning our summer trips. First up is a trip to Stourbridge for a friends party, being held in the Bond Warehouse.

Next is a trip to Chester for a food show.

Chester Shops

Mooring at Chester

After that we are volunteering for the Crick Boat Show again.

In the summer we are currently planning a trip that will take in the two Pennine rings, including a passage through Standedge tunnel.

Standedge Tunnel, Diggle Portal

Birthday Present

My Birthday and a present from my Granddaughter Rachel.

Solar Panel Effective?

The solar panel has been installed for three months now, probably the 'worst' period of the year for generating electricity (November through to January).  Below is a table which slows how effective it is in keeping the batteries charged.

As a matter of routine I keep a record of the battery voltage and mostly record the figures each time I visit the boat. The table below shows the eleven visits prior to the solar panel being installed and the eleven afterwards. I've only shown the battery voltage at the start of each visit, before running the engine and only on the occasions when the boat had been moored, unattended, for at least 3 days.

At first glance there doesn't seem to be much difference, but for the eleven visits prior to the Solar Panel the batteries were lower than 12.7 volts on 8 occasions out of 11. After fitting the solar panel the batteries were higher than 12.7 volts on 9 occasions out of 11.

The average reading for the visits is also higher after fitting the panel, not by very much, but enough to show that despite there only being winter sun available the battery is kept topped up.

                                                                             

	Domestic Battery Voltage
	Before		After
	12.82		12.73
	12.64		12.85
	12.62		12.73
	12.67		12.80
	12.71		13.05
	12.57		12.53
	12.67		12.89
	12.74		12.70
	12.76		12.95
	12.20		12.85
	12.44		12.88
Average	12.62		12.81

First Trip of the Year - Brewood for Lunch

Maxine was visiting for a couple of days and we decided to have a short boat trip to Brewood for lunch.

Josie & Maxine walking the dogs on the way to Brewood.

Nice warm boat waiting for us as we left the pub (The Bridge, excellent pint of Sunbeam & very nice steak sandwich)

Boating house number

Got round to sorting out one of my Xmas presents today. Attached this house number plate next to the back gate.

Using this drill (another Xmas present)