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Editor's Blog

alex

My name is Alex and I'm the editor of Boat Mart Magazine. I will be regularly posting thoughts and events that may or may not be related to boats (and may or may not be based in fact). I hope you enjoy reading them and, of course, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

New Box of Tricks

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Written by Alex Tuesday, 27 July 2010 07:30

As a man with a ferocious appetite for energy (I use two computers and lots of other associated gear whenever I am off on a cruise) I was very much in need of a reliable source of power. I only have a pair of 110Ah leisure batteries, so my ability to store energy generated by the alternator is fairly minimal. What I really needed was a generator that I could run for long periods without making a racket or swamping everyone with fumes and now it seems I have exactly that.

I have just taken delivery of a new Honda EU20i generator and I have to say I am extremely impressed. It is extraordinarily small (510 x 290 x 425mm) and genuinely light enough (at about 21kg) to carry over a distance with just one hand. It fits easily in the boot (it's about the size of a piece of hand luggage) and when you fire her up, the sound (though obviously audible) is far less intrusive than any generator I have used before. I have only just scratched the surface of what this box of tricks can do but, with inverter technology as part of the package, she ought to do a great job for my computer gear. She is quite expensive at £1255, but she is so clean, quiet, portable and practical (not to mention easy to start) that you quickly forget the price. I will keep you up to date as our blossoming friendship develops . . .

 

Coming up . . .

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Written by Alex Wednesday, 30 June 2010 07:07

Fresh from a vigorous on-water test of the little Zego boat down in Warsash, I have rinsed the salt from my eyes and settled back at the desk in readiness to attend to the August issue of Boat Mart magazine.

It should be a good one too. Peter Caplen has come up with an excellent article on how to retro-fit a holding tank to a small cruiser. It's much easier than you think too, since Jabsco came up with the perfect package for the job.

We also have a couple of pieces to pre-arm you over a couple of potential stumbling blocks - corrosion and osmosis. These are obviously two words no boat owner wants to hear but with a bit of knowledge, you can keep your boat safe from disaster.

We're staying hot on the trail of bargain boats too. David Webber is seeking out a complete new dinghy package for £800, Stuart Field is searching the classifieds with £5,000 to spend and all of us on the Boat Mart team are racking our brains to come up with ingenious DIY ideas to keep you on the water without having to spend a King's ransom.

If all goes to plan (and given this glorious spell of summer weather, it looks like it should) we will also bring you a pair of new boat tests, one on the affordable new fisher from the debut Mariner range and one on the delightfully solid Trusty 23.

We'll keep you up to speed on developments here at Boat Mart HQ. And if in the mean time there are any articles you particularly want  to see, don't hesitate to let us know.

Alex