We keep our P414 on Thames at Windsor, and I just had a safety cert done, first one she's ever had as she has been in brine since new. I was less then pleased at having to stick a 4" hole saw through the back of the drinks cabinet so the inspector could feel that the deck filler pipes were secure. Port side was not so bad as it's behind the sofa. It failed on flexible fuel pipes on the engines, which were old and hard (and not marked to spec), and the original Magic Chef oven had no pilot flame-out, so that must now be changed. Shame as it cooked a marvelous xmas dinner for 6! Still, if it stops me getting gassed while bailing out diesel from the bilge it will be worth it. New oven is a Smev, anyone heard of them?


We're brewing our own biodiesel at the moment, to keep costs down, and I must say it's going very well, do any of the members brew? Works out about 13p a litre, and completely stops smoke on startup.

Richard

I've never heard of smev, though Smeg is a premium brand I know of.

It is always important to have access to filler pipes and jubilee clips etc. so maybe an little inspection hatch at the back of your drinks cabinet isn't so bad.

I would be interested to know about your brewing techniques.


Mark

Smev are German I think, good quality but not as big as the Magic Chef oven.

Biodiesel is made by filtering chip oil through a sock into a big container, and heating to immersion heater temp (60 deg) to get rid of water. Mix a bit of caustic soda with methonal (20% of chip oil amount) in a smaller container, add to chip oil, and presto!, fats fall out as soap, methonal binds to whats left to make biodiesel. Wash and dry, and you have diesel for 13p per litre. Our first batch, 650 litres, ready next week.

Richard

Hi Folks
Sorry a bit of a newby ( in process of buying a MK1 33).
Interested in what you had to say about the BSS test has I will have to have one done as the boat is coming up to the Norfolk Broads. Though some of these inspectors can be sometime quite off the mark. I was in the marine trade for some 18yrs until a couple of years ago, so I have seen some very questionable items come out from some of these so called experts. You could do the course for £2k and until 12monthes ago you did not need any form of previous marine trade experiance toget on to the course.

The Oven you are talking about has a very well respect name for quality in the marine trade and in the Motorhome trade (though a little dear).

Hows the Biodeisel going, as I am concidering going down the same route soon

Rgards
Glenn