If you want to feel cooler, look up the temp where I am - McAllen, Texas. Having lived most of my 69 years in the Bay Breezes of San Francisco, the subtropical summer heat here seems utterly insane. Without central A/C, one simply couldn’t survive!
I loved the vlog! You two were both so cool, despite the temperature. Annamarie, is everything ok? Tomatoes underneath just seems like a cry for help. It’s clearly tomatoes on top. You’re amongst friends, let it all out Anna. Unburden 😃 x
That thermometer tells you how hot the surface you've pointed it at is. The air temperature is more important for comfort, unless you're leaning on the bulkheads.
Anna, according to me, the cheese goes on first, then the tomato on top of that. Grill it all until the tomato starts browning, but I guess it is a subjective topic. Alternatively try both methods at the same time, it clearly will not affect the overall taste, but the tomato on top looks so much better. I have this morning tried both methods and they are equally tasty, but don't fight over it.
Hallo girls! Totally sympathise with you, with 32°C indoors!😯😐 Here in Berlin, we had a terrible storm on Saturday evening 😨 The girls (2 older Goldies ) and I were on the balcony when the wind picked up! Got them indoors, closed up my chair, shut the balcony door, and then 'it started'! The wind was ferocious, and Sally started barking , to protect us😁😂😅 It then started to bucket it down! Thank goodness, cos there have been a few terrible forest fires here! Don't know what I would have done on a narrowboat 😯😯 All love, and best wishes, Claire, and the girls, Berlin 😘 😘 😘 ✌ 👍 👍 👍
hi again i have 2 x 140 watt solar panels on my boat and 4x 110 amp leisure batterys that runs all my electric and a 12 volt fridge freezer with no problem hope your both well
Good Morning Kath Anna thank you for your Vlog i throughly enjoyed it. It was nice to see you moored up.Munchy and alice looked very comfy! It was sensible not cruising as it gets so hot on board.We always started off at 6am in the morning if we needed to travel but by lunch time far too hot to handle.Boat like a furness!! look forward to next vlog Take care xxxx
Yes the boat gets too hot to touch. We did some 7am travelling (next vlog) and were stopped by lunch under our tree. Surprised how many boats are moving in the heat.
It's been very hot in Northern England for me so far, ladies! Although, there has not been very much rainfall on some reservoirs supplying water for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and the canal itself has been closed between Locks 30 and 52, due to some stoppages. I hope it stays warm when I navigate the Llangollen Canal too! Well done and what a good video. I really enjoyed watching it!
You need to a larger alternator that put out more amp to charge up your batteries! Some time they can rework the existing alternator to the max out put!
Listening to your discussion on power usage/battery storage/charging options is nearly word for word what my brother says every time I'm talking to him. He lives in the Daintree Rainforest and is not on the mains power grid. The fridge is always the big issue. He gets very little sunlight so has a 3kw generator to charge his batteries. I must say you are coping very well and you are not at all obsessive about your usage and storage of electricity, if ever you want to live in a warmer climate you would fit immediately into discussions with the locals who live north of the Daintree River. Great video, very informative.
He tried a Kero fridge, left a massive sooty mark up the wall and ceiling. Having to live without mains power when we were kids was enough for me, I like my house to be connected to the grid. As for gas he uses a 9kg bottle every 2 weeks and it's an windy hours drive through wet rainforest and then a ferry to get refills.
BRNOZKK601 Then the answer would be to buy 4 bottles at a time :) I have never had sooty marks from the fridge/ freezer in my 1964 kombi camper but if they appear in a house what's wrong with a small chimney pipe venting to the outside? After all its what Boeing uses for the dream liners fireplace ( battery containment vessel vented to atmosphere in Boeing speak)
The fridge is definitely your biggest all-day (night) draw on your batteries, not to be ignored. I live aboard a very dark blue boat and the recent hot and sunny weather has been a challenge! I even bought a big silver tarp to cover the sides and deck here in the marina. That dropped the internal temperature from 33C to about 29C, but I had to retreat to the shade of the trees during mid afternoon. Keep these wonderful videos coming, cos I'm planning going CC soon, and all your experience is valuable. :-)
But a useful friend too ;-) I notice offshore sailors favour top-loading fridges, as they don't lose so much heat when opened up. However, a well-filled fridge will lose less heat too :-)
That was lovely. I love watching you pottering in the boat. 31 is roasting! I’m glad you’re managing to keep cool. I’m not saying who I agree with regarding the cheese on toast with tomato on top but Kath’s right 😀😀 xx
Tips from a QLDer -- pony tails are cooler than short hair as you can get hair off neck and swing for fan effect. Put a wet light towel/cloth over a window where a breeze comes in. Wear white cotton. Use freezer packs on your skin, Always have a sun umbrella - especially on black metal areas!! Then turn on the air-con and jump in the pool - LOL xx great video thanks ps always done cheese on toast then tomato -- but better as welsh rarebit when you chop onion and tomato into the cheese with egg/milk depending on your recipe, then sprinkle with a bit of smoky paprika and s/p. That way you're both right x
You can make a rather simple DIY air conditioner or "swamp cooler" out of an ordinary 5 gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store, a small fan and a small solar panel! We use it when we go out adventuring in our hot tent and it is amazing. You can probably get all the parts you need for under $30 (USD) and and mine runs off a solar panel that is about 12 x 12 inches. Basically it takes a bucket, and circulates some water you put in it through a small 12v fan's airflow and it sends out cool air. When we have the opportunity, we put a milk jug of water in it that we've frozen and it REALLY acts as an air conditioner then! We put a 30 ft lead on the solar panel so that when we're sitting in the shade, we can usually reach the sun with the panel. Search online for "bucket air conditioner" or "solar swamp cooler" or similar. :) - If it seems too much trouble to build the full thing, you can also just get the little fans and they run like huge turbines off of the panel. Make sure you get a 12v fan though. :) If you need any guidance, I'll be happy to help.
For an open toasted sandwich, the cheese is put on top of the tomato to ensure the cheese browns evenly. For a closed toasted sandwich, the tomato can be above the cheese since browning the cheese is not an issue and the tomato will moisten the bread of the top slice.
Welsh Rarebit is not cheese on toast. Cheese topping is made in a saucepan with other ingredients and poured over the toast. Can then be browned a bit under the grill if you like. I lightly brown the toast both sides, butter, then add the slices of tomato, salt and pepper. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and put the plate under the grill after adding a splash or two of Worcester sauce. Toast doesn't go soggy. The ends of the tomatoes can be placed beside the toast topped with extra cheese. Works for me. Batteries appear to be a bit tired but 12.8v is fully charged. Don't know how heavy duty your alternator is but when that is running and the batteries are down it should show 14.5 to 14.8v. 100 amp alternator?
We had a taste test of the different techniques today. And will probably just end up making to each others tastes going forward. I didn't enjoy the tomato underneath as the cheese fell off. But Anna still prefers it. We do need to try the worcester sauce on top though. I think the batteries are fine. They are less than 2 years old, we just used more because of the immersion heater accident. The rest of the time the issue is that the fridge uses more than the solar puts in. So we need a solar upgrade then we can spend our days enjoying the quiet without the engine!
The reason you two differ on cheese on toast is oone from Wales and the wrong one is from down under. Hows that for not blaming anybody by name. Keep the Vlogs coming you are a comical couple and always make me laugh
Well, it looks as if us Australians really do things differently then because I agree 100% with Anna. Having said that, what Kath put into the grill looked pretty good to me.
What is hot or cold is always a combination of personal preference and what you're used to. Nowadays, I don't like temperatures much over 18, but when I was a kid in Qld (in the 70s; air con was rare, and my parents didn't like or have air con throughout their lives) I would put a jumper on if it got below 25 - and I have a friend who doesn't like anything under 28 :) . Interestingly the highest official temperature I've experienced in Qld was 46 (an UNofficial measurement on a construction site was higher once), but here in Melbourne, 2,000 km closer to the pole, the highest official temperature I've experienced was 47 and a bit. When I was living on a yacht in the 90s, we didn't have trees nearby but I could - and did - rig a shade cover over the boom - and I always had a cover over the stern in port. (On a colder day, I had a friend staying over for a night, and asked her to look outside to see what the weather was like, and she said it was a fine day with a nice blue sky. When we gt out and saw it was grey and lose to raining, she realised she'd been looking - half a sleep - at the cover :) ) If I got particularly hot, I would lay on the floor - which is something Esther Kalkbrenner asked about - with a fan blowing cooler air from under the cockpit floor in the stern. It was comfortable, but I couldn't get anything done. Kate RH mentioned freezer blocks: if you have any, what we do on hot days is put them in our bed an hour or so before going to sleep to cool the mattress down: helps with getting to sleep. Wet cloths on the neck also helped.
We talked about making a big cover for the stern area or getting a big umbrella (because I refuse to get a pram cover). Annamarie wants to fit an awning to give us shade on the towpath and for the cats of course. Overall we are doing OK with the heat I think. Some good tips there from you that we may well have to try out.
You're welcome. One final suggestion - a saying from a friend in Qld: if you want to find the warmest place on a cold day, or the coolest place on a hot day, move the cat aside :)
Cheers from northern California sierra foothills, 41 degrees (105 f) but it is like this every year so, no biggie. I have kept a weather journal for 20 years, slight wobble but no big differences. Stay cool and hydrated ladies. Remember winter is just around the corner.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t do anything as it’s always good to see the banter and watch what life is like on hot days in a steel tube. If we were playing ‘Top Trumps’ it’s 39 at night here and +10 degrees during the day. When is the Q&A?
I scheduled the Q&A for a few weeks ago then realised it clashed with football. While I personally don't care for football I thought it wiser to do it on a day with no big sporting events. Maybe next weekend. We need a decent upload rate as well for the Q&A and have found it lacking along the Oxford canal so far.
Loving your battery obsession...I have 2 new solar panels on Hygge and they come with an app with loads of numbers that mean nothing to me but I look at them all the time. Stay cool and love from Dexter x
I used to do that. In the end I worked out our solar panels do nothing. Well, they do a little but not enough to counter balance the fridge. Hope Dexter is ok in the heat.
Dexter’s a little warm but doing OK... I’ve got 2 new Samsung 240v panels and in this weather I can power the fridge, a little immersion heater action and lights without really hurting the batteries... you might need new leisure batteries or new panels (or both). Anyway Ann Marie I’d like a watercolour of Dexter sitting next to Hygge close to a bridge or lock...can you do that for me?
I have been doing research on the electrical system for my camper van ...I have decided to go with the expensive lithium battery enstead of the AGM battery. You can used up to 80% of the lithium without losing voltage over time . With the AGM you can use 50% and voltage drops rapidly . You get 5000 recharges with lithium and only 1k with Agm battery. I also saw that the life of the agm battery is decreased or damaged when discharged below 50...it might be you need new batteries. If you have one battery you may need 2 or 3 hooked together to give more amp hours for full time living. I know it is frustrating to watch every amp you use. Fyi we have had 92° weather with 90% humidity this month so I feel for you guys in this heat...Normal in Georgia but not the UK.
I had cheese on toast yesterday with tomato and it went under the cheese. Maybe thats the American version, but it was good. I didnt think you guys in blighty made it into the 90's very often. Where I am we are hovering around 98 to 99 but 6 hours south of me it has topped over 110 or 43 as the celsius crow flies. In any event ladies, stay in the shade and keep drinking cold stuff. No melting please!
It's been hot but we've managed it OK. I think better than if we were in our old land jobs where you are trapped in a room all day with no air flow. Anna is happy for a vote on her side. She apparently only left that bit in because she thought everyone would agree with her.... haha
Ah the great cheese on toast debate! 🍞🧀🍅 it looked delicious. Don't blame you staying put in such weather. It is the same here in Essex. Just wondering if moving would have created an air flow through the boat? Maybe just too much hassle. 🥤🍦😎
We can't have the doors open when we move due to not wanting to lose any furry crew members! Mooring under a tree works for us because we can at least sit in the shade if the boat gets too hot. When you are moving there is no shade on the stern or at locks so we are at higher risk of negative sun effects. We much prefer (and recommend) travelling early and mooring up to avoid the full sun. Did you get any rain in Essex? We had a little yesterday and overnight that's taken the edge off. But we'll see how the rest of the day goes! Hope you are keeping cool.
Of course - can't afford to loose any crew 🐱🐱 and I forgot about the stern and locks being so exposed. Moving early, if at all, sounds a much better idea, and shade is a must. Rain ? None at all here since May. Apart from 5 minutes 2 days ago - enough to get me wet while getting washing in, but it hardly reached the ground. Thunderstorms forecast this afternoon and perhaps rain tonight. Currently my phone says 39C and 51% humidity !! Trying to keep cool 🥤👒🥤🥤🍉🍇🥤🛏📖🥤🍦🥤🥤😎
Love this factual video, going to check out the art course vlog for inspiration when i have some time. It's been too hot to do much art lately. Painting can be very noisy lol. Great video as always👍
As a rough guide to electrical usage. Anything that gets hot is using lots of electricity. Here are the main culprits in no particular order. Immersion heaters. Washing machines toasters Electric kettles Hair dryers Hair tongs Electric ovens Electric grills, (tomato on top of cheese uses let energy) Now for lights. Fluorescent lights. very low consumption, except to turn them on, so sometimes it is better leaving them on if you are going back there soon. Halogen. They get hot, so you guest it, they use lots. LED's. The best, cool running, and the use next to nothing.
The Narrowboat Experience I see that’s a shame there’s normally some crazy figure of a good few thousand people there,great vlog by the way it’s nice to see my local area on a great TH-cam celeb channel 👍🏻
May I add a little info. because that would be my question. I live in North Texas and I couldn't believe there were no air conditioners on your narrow boats. Then I did a little research. The average August high temp in England is 21 deg. C. The average August high where I live is 36 degrees C. 69 vs 97 F. It's very hot here in the summer and it's not there. So I shall not worry about you being cool enough. Also, in 2011 we had 42 consecutive days over 100 F ( 37 C). We do not have narrow boats. All of our boats are fat. Your new friend; a Texas curmudgeon.
Interesting to see that the difference between the shady side and the not so shady side of the boat is only about one degree. What about the floor? It should be quite comfortable cool in comparison to the walls? Tomato on top with a little bonnet of extra cheese. Maybe add a tiny tiny pinch of salt to your coffee/tea to top up your minerals. And yes, it makes good sense to drink warm beverages as they rise your body temp a bit and make the weather feel less uncomfortable warm. Thanks for the vlog
Tomato on top of the cheese, otherwise the tomato doesn't cook properly 😎 *edit* I hadn't realised so many people had already weighed in on the subject, glad I'm on the right side lol
Easiest way to keep cool...thin T-shirt...copious amounts of water...the evaporative effect works wonders. Please video and post next time! - I guarantee a boost in the numbers of subscribers ;) Take care you two :)
Two comments Cheese toast. Kath stand your ground. Welsh Rarebit. Tomato is merely a garnish. Handling the heat. I live in Florida, heat is a way of life. When out in my kayak or any other outdoor activity, I use a Miracool Evaporative Cooling Bandana. I wet one down per instructions and drape it around my neck. This works very well in lowering your body temperature. Eases the lethargic feeling brought on by heat exposure. Fairly cheap for the releif provided, reusable and can be found on Amazon.
Hot weather can be a drag, sorry you two are suffering. I don’t have an opinion re the cheese/tomato controversy although it is a surprise that the oven was fired up on a hot day!
Try this: lightly toast bread just to crisp the surface, apply marmite to your taste then apply cheese and toast some more. to make a full meal of it add beans over the lot when on the plate :-)
Or the Aussie Hero way. 1. Lightly toast bread; 2. Apply Vegemite thickly (until you cant see the bread); 3. Apply layer of pickled Gherkins; 4. Add layer of Cheese; 5. Add layer of Tomato; 6. Add good sprinkling of pepper; 7. Toast under grill until tomato is crispy and cheese has melted: 8. Eat and Enjoy.
Of course the tomato goes on top! Phu! it is a bit too hot. My roof was dark blue. Back at the marina at 8.00 this morning the top coat a light blush grey went on and should make things better. The undercoat certainly did. I don't understand some folk have black roofs. And, yes the fridge , out on the cut just not enough power like you and I hate running up the hours on the engine and was advised to buy a generator, one which us ladies can start! The cat's out in the local hedge to keep cool. he'll be back later for food. He does like cheese! Keep cool and comfortable.
Nice into -- Alice got a speaking part this time. Don't turn off the fan in the composting bin or you may have flies again, or just smells that wouldn't be pleasant during a heat wave. Those little fans use no more than a computer fan. I tried to put 32 C into a conversion calculator to fahrenheit and all it said was "ouch". Too hot for people or cats.
They aren't that old... less than 2 years. And they've spent most of their life on a charger thanks to shore power. They are sticking at the same point now so I imaging it was the immersion heater. Just need more watts of solar I think.
I hope they'll come back up to full strength for you. I'll hope for sunny days for you. Would a good charge of engine running for 5 hours be helpful, maybe?
Great video. I like the interior paintwork, has it been done long? I don’t recall seeing it in your earlier videos, I’ll have to go back and check. I’ve also had a battery monitor fitted and I’m constantly checking it! However, it seems to have gone wrong as it showed 100% while the batters only had 14.12V. My batteries have gone off to be checked as they are new and not really holding their charge. I hope I haven’t fried them already, if I have it will be a record 😫 Kath did the cheese and tomato on toast perfectly. I may have it for my tea 😋 Whoever heard of putting the tomato under the cheese? 😂
We did the painting in April but never got round to talking about it properly as its not quite finished. Anna is very upset about the cheese on toast debate. She needs some puppy pictures to cheer her up.
I have just been reading the comments and find it strange people saying tomatoes on the top! Don't they understand yet that Anna is never wrong, how dare they even think she could be. I dread to think how hot it is on the boat these last few days we have to put a wet towel on our dog to keep him cool. Look after yourselves.
Tomato should go on top so that it softens slightly under the grill. The tomato decorates the cheese on toast! On pizza, however, the tomato should go under the cheese as the whole thing is cooked in the oven. :)
Hi girls, bit of a random question but did you paint the interior white yourselves? What paint did you use to paint over the wood, and did you have to sand first? Looking to do the same to brighten things up :)
Hi there, we did some light sanding with an electric sander then painted over the wood using dulux kitchen paint. Or bathroom paint, can't 100% remember. It make it so much brighter, which we needed after such a long winter.
Kirk “When can I have full power back Scotty?”Scotty “The antimatter immersion was left on when we visited that planet that insisted all our shore party came in washed clothes and the dilithium crystals are down to 60% captain!” “It’ll take at least 48 hours to replenish them if were lucky” Kirk “Dam it Scotty I need it by noon I have to finish my painting.”Scotty “I’ll see what I can do captain but I’m not a miracle worker you know!”
Star Trek? Now I know for certain you're O.K. And I think you've written enough to prove that you really are a "Trekky". "Make it so ladies". O.K. Which version did "Make it so" come from?
Love you guys... don't burn her down ... not yet...need an engineers chart board we used in the Navy.... its got whats what going on as far as the Engine, utilities on or off... so as not to compromise the boasts energy, since there are two of you's....at least the cats can't reach the nobs..... Brilliant awareness if you don't have to be do what you want to do... sit and play with the cats.
Hi NB's wow! That's a lot to consider isn't I? You don't think about power. I bet it makes you more frugral with usage. Thanks for sharing. Love your videos.. was wondering g about the heat with being on your Narrow boat. Hey your temp monitor looks like baby Groot🌱😂.. 🤔🌡☀️☀️🐱🐈🐶🐾
You really need to look at upgrading your alternator (or possibly adding a second) if you are having to run the engine for so long to charge your batteries… :)
It’s my understanding thats just how battery charging works. After they hit 80% its a slow trickle charge. Which is why we are instead looking to upgrade our solar.
Yes thats true, but discharge (and charge) rates of most batteries are also none linear. The amount of diesel you are burning to get that last 20% is the wasteful (and polluting) aspect, you would be better off just using the 30% available (80% down to 50% limit, presuming you are using lead acid?) and then recharging from there. As you said though solar would be the way to go in the long term ;)
Bore da! Cheese always directly atop bread, then tomatoes atop that, should you wish. It is WELSH rarebit, after all. Now, Australian (NSW?) version would be upside-down, wouldn't it? Keep cool! :)
Just a thought. Instead of the engine turning a 12v alternator why can’t it drive a 240 volt generator? A battery charger would keep your batteries charged and the 240 could be used for all the kitchen appliances. Just a thought. Tomato’s on top lots of salt and black pepper.
On pizza we (and I mean Anna) puts tomato paste, a little bit of cheese for glue, all the toppings then more cheese. George is wrong!! The pepperoni will surely burn!
I used to be a cheese on top person, but then I got tired of the toppings sliding off the base. Putting the toppings on the cheese binds it to the base, and makes sliding less likely.
Never mind the position of tomatoes but holy smokes 32 degrees Celcius?? Luckily you are inside a boat floating on a canal, imagine those who live in the city with no surrounding water .. you can get a heat stroke with that temperature!
Tomato on top or under the cheese? That’s a good question. At first I thought you were making a pizza 🍕. Anyway, I true am enjoying your channel, I would think one would be quite lonely if they were on their own. Sorry I forget to push the like button on your videos, but I can’t wait to see the next video and don’t think about it. Wishing the two of you a very Merry Christmas🎄🎁🎊🎆
Your videos for some reason give me comfort, during the covid-19 pandemic and otherwise. Love you! Be well!
Great vids really fun. Keeping cool..try a few rolls of radiator backing on the roof shiny side up....and um...toms on top.
Love seeing you'll relaxing and just enjoying your time with each other. I might add your cats are beautiful❤❤
If you want to feel cooler, look up the temp where I am - McAllen, Texas.
Having lived most of my 69 years in the Bay Breezes of San Francisco, the subtropical summer heat here seems utterly insane.
Without central A/C, one simply couldn’t survive!
Its nice to see a real life on the narrow boat.
I don't know what hospitality business you worked in, but the tomato always goes on top.
It was Australian so everything was upsy downsy hence tomato on the bottom.
I loved the vlog! You two were both so cool, despite the temperature. Annamarie, is everything ok? Tomatoes underneath just seems like a cry for help. It’s clearly tomatoes on top. You’re amongst friends, let it all out Anna. Unburden 😃 x
LOL, thats gold.
That thermometer tells you how hot the surface you've pointed it at is. The air temperature is more important for comfort, unless you're leaning on the bulkheads.
Anna, according to me, the cheese goes on first, then the tomato on top of that. Grill it all until the tomato starts browning, but I guess it is a subjective topic. Alternatively try both methods at the same time, it clearly will not affect the overall taste, but the tomato on top looks so much better. I have this morning tried both methods and they are equally tasty, but don't fight over it.
Good afternoon Ladies nice to hear your so chilled. Cheers
well i was a chef at the regent in sydney , , and hackets ulladulla , i would put the tomato on top ,
That’s settled then!
Being where I am, that translates out to about 87 degrees. Beautiful pictures, and you chose about the most difficult medium, watercolors.
Hallo girls!
Totally sympathise with you, with 32°C indoors!😯😐
Here in Berlin, we had a terrible storm on Saturday evening 😨
The girls (2 older Goldies ) and I were on the balcony when the wind picked up!
Got them indoors, closed up my chair, shut the balcony door, and then 'it started'!
The wind was ferocious, and Sally started barking , to protect us😁😂😅
It then started to bucket it down!
Thank goodness, cos there have been a few terrible forest fires here!
Don't know what I would have done on a narrowboat 😯😯
All love, and best wishes, Claire, and the girls, Berlin 😘 😘 😘 ✌ 👍 👍 👍
Noisy painting? You need a hush brush.
To cool a boat, invert it for 5 minutes every half hour. It's good exercise too.
You two always makes me laugh, great tonic watching your videos x
hi again i have 2 x 140 watt solar panels on my boat and 4x 110 amp leisure batterys that runs all my electric and a 12 volt fridge freezer with no problem hope your both well
Good Morning Kath Anna thank you for your Vlog i throughly enjoyed it. It was nice to see you moored up.Munchy and alice looked very comfy! It was sensible not cruising as it gets so hot on board.We always started off at 6am in the morning if we needed to travel but by lunch time far too hot to handle.Boat like a furness!! look forward to next vlog Take care xxxx
Yes the boat gets too hot to touch. We did some 7am travelling (next vlog) and were stopped by lunch under our tree. Surprised how many boats are moving in the heat.
It's been very hot in Northern England for me so far, ladies! Although, there has not been very much rainfall on some reservoirs supplying water for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and the canal itself has been closed between Locks 30 and 52, due to some stoppages. I hope it stays warm when I navigate the Llangollen Canal too!
Well done and what a good video. I really enjoyed watching it!
I agree with Kath on the cheese toast with tomato on top! However, I believe we can have our cheese toast anyway we want it.
You need to a larger alternator that put out more amp to charge up your batteries! Some time they can rework the existing alternator to the max out put!
Never mind the tomato, what end do you open your boiled egg? Haha.
Hi guys, love your videos. I would really actually like to see all about the power setup you have! If thats okay?
I’ve always put the tomato on top so the bread doesn’t go soggy. Tastes better too x
Listening to your discussion on power usage/battery storage/charging options is nearly word for word what my brother says every time I'm talking to him. He lives in the Daintree Rainforest and is not on the mains power grid. The fridge is always the big issue. He gets very little sunlight so has a 3kw generator to charge his batteries.
I must say you are coping very well and you are not at all obsessive about your usage and storage of electricity, if ever you want to live in a warmer climate you would fit immediately into discussions with the locals who live north of the Daintree River. Great video, very informative.
Why not invest in a gas or paraffin fridge/freezer?
He tried a Kero fridge, left a massive sooty mark up the wall and ceiling. Having to live without mains power when we were kids was enough for me, I like my house to be connected to the grid. As for gas he uses a 9kg bottle every 2 weeks and it's an windy hours drive through wet rainforest and then a ferry to get refills.
BRNOZKK601 Then the answer would be to buy 4 bottles at a time :) I have never had sooty marks from the fridge/ freezer in my 1964 kombi camper but if they appear in a house what's wrong with a small chimney pipe venting to the outside? After all its what Boeing uses for the dream liners fireplace ( battery containment vessel vented to atmosphere in Boeing speak)
The fridge is definitely your biggest all-day (night) draw on your batteries, not to be ignored. I live aboard a very dark blue boat and the recent hot and sunny weather has been a challenge! I even bought a big silver tarp to cover the sides and deck here in the marina. That dropped the internal temperature from 33C to about 29C, but I had to retreat to the shade of the trees during mid afternoon. Keep these wonderful videos coming, cos I'm planning going CC soon, and all your experience is valuable. :-)
The fridge is my enemy
But a useful friend too ;-)
I notice offshore sailors favour top-loading fridges, as they don't lose so much heat when opened up. However, a well-filled fridge will lose less heat too :-)
PS - fill the fridge with wine :-)
That was lovely. I love watching you pottering in the boat. 31 is roasting! I’m glad you’re managing to keep cool. I’m not saying who I agree with regarding the cheese on toast with tomato on top but Kath’s right 😀😀 xx
My fav comment, thanks Mandy
Tips from a QLDer -- pony tails are cooler than short hair as you can get hair off neck and swing for fan effect. Put a wet light towel/cloth over a window where a breeze comes in. Wear white cotton. Use freezer packs on your skin, Always have a sun umbrella - especially on black metal areas!! Then turn on the air-con and jump in the pool - LOL xx great video thanks ps always done cheese on toast then tomato -- but better as welsh rarebit when you chop onion and tomato into the cheese with egg/milk depending on your recipe, then sprinkle with a bit of smoky paprika and s/p. That way you're both right x
Thanks for the tips. We will try the wet towel I think. Would love some air con for the afternoons!
You can make a rather simple DIY air conditioner or "swamp cooler" out of an ordinary 5 gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store, a small fan and a small solar panel! We use it when we go out adventuring in our hot tent and it is amazing. You can probably get all the parts you need for under $30 (USD) and and mine runs off a solar panel that is about 12 x 12 inches. Basically it takes a bucket, and circulates some water you put in it through a small 12v fan's airflow and it sends out cool air. When we have the opportunity, we put a milk jug of water in it that we've frozen and it REALLY acts as an air conditioner then! We put a 30 ft lead on the solar panel so that when we're sitting in the shade, we can usually reach the sun with the panel. Search online for "bucket air conditioner" or "solar swamp cooler" or similar. :) - If it seems too much trouble to build the full thing, you can also just get the little fans and they run like huge turbines off of the panel. Make sure you get a 12v fan though. :) If you need any guidance, I'll be happy to help.
Thanks
For an open toasted sandwich, the cheese is put on top of the tomato to ensure the cheese browns evenly.
For a closed toasted sandwich, the tomato can be above the cheese since browning the cheese is not an issue and the tomato will moisten the bread of the top slice.
Welsh Rarebit is not cheese on toast. Cheese topping is made in a saucepan with other ingredients and poured over the toast. Can then be browned a bit under the grill if you like.
I lightly brown the toast both sides, butter, then add the slices of tomato, salt and pepper. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and put the plate under the grill after adding a splash or two of Worcester sauce. Toast doesn't go soggy. The ends of the tomatoes can be placed beside the toast topped with extra cheese. Works for me.
Batteries appear to be a bit tired but 12.8v is fully charged. Don't know how heavy duty your alternator is but when that is running and the batteries are down it should show 14.5 to 14.8v. 100 amp alternator?
We had a taste test of the different techniques today. And will probably just end up making to each others tastes going forward. I didn't enjoy the tomato underneath as the cheese fell off. But Anna still prefers it. We do need to try the worcester sauce on top though.
I think the batteries are fine. They are less than 2 years old, we just used more because of the immersion heater accident. The rest of the time the issue is that the fridge uses more than the solar puts in. So we need a solar upgrade then we can spend our days enjoying the quiet without the engine!
The reason you two differ on cheese on toast is oone from Wales and the wrong one is from down under. Hows that for not blaming anybody by name. Keep the Vlogs coming you are a comical couple and always make me laugh
Oh the joys of battery power!! ;)
Have you considered getting a large solar panel or small wind generator to trickle charge your batteries?
Yes we have. Thanks for the suggestion.
The weather here has been trying to help with social distancing. It keeps snowing so I’m always shoveling out and to tired to go anywhere anyhow🥺
I am really enjoying watching your adventures.
Thanks
YoooHoooo! Shaun here 👋
I have to agree with Cath...... Tomato on top 😂
Well, it looks as if us Australians really do things differently then because I agree 100% with Anna. Having said that, what Kath put into the grill looked pretty good to me.
It tasted really nice. We are agreeing to disagree, which we both know means I'm right.
Hiya. Of course the tomato goes on top - it's Welsh Rarebit. But don't forget the Worcester Sauce! Mmmm. All the best to you.
So funny 'mum can you tell her'. Tomato on top always x 😂
What is hot or cold is always a combination of personal preference and what you're used to. Nowadays, I don't like temperatures much over 18, but when I was a kid in Qld (in the 70s; air con was rare, and my parents didn't like or have air con throughout their lives) I would put a jumper on if it got below 25 - and I have a friend who doesn't like anything under 28 :) . Interestingly the highest official temperature I've experienced in Qld was 46 (an UNofficial measurement on a construction site was higher once), but here in Melbourne, 2,000 km closer to the pole, the highest official temperature I've experienced was 47 and a bit.
When I was living on a yacht in the 90s, we didn't have trees nearby but I could - and did - rig a shade cover over the boom - and I always had a cover over the stern in port.
(On a colder day, I had a friend staying over for a night, and asked her to look outside to see what the weather was like, and she said it was a fine day with a nice blue sky. When we gt out and saw it was grey and lose to raining, she realised she'd been looking - half a sleep - at the cover :) )
If I got particularly hot, I would lay on the floor - which is something Esther Kalkbrenner asked about - with a fan blowing cooler air from under the cockpit floor in the stern. It was comfortable, but I couldn't get anything done.
Kate RH mentioned freezer blocks: if you have any, what we do on hot days is put them in our bed an hour or so before going to sleep to cool the mattress down: helps with getting to sleep.
Wet cloths on the neck also helped.
We talked about making a big cover for the stern area or getting a big umbrella (because I refuse to get a pram cover). Annamarie wants to fit an awning to give us shade on the towpath and for the cats of course.
Overall we are doing OK with the heat I think. Some good tips there from you that we may well have to try out.
You're welcome.
One final suggestion - a saying from a friend in Qld: if you want to find the warmest place on a cold day, or the coolest place on a hot day, move the cat aside :)
Cheers from northern California sierra foothills, 41 degrees (105 f) but it is like this every year so, no biggie. I have kept a weather journal for 20 years, slight wobble but no big differences. Stay cool and hydrated ladies. Remember winter is just around the corner.
We are making the most of the lovely weather. Lots of sitting outside and some walking. Not wishing the cold to be back at all. Winter only just left!
Great vlog as always. Just wondering what kind of refrigerator you have. Engel refs are very low electric draw. Expensive but good.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t do anything as it’s always good to see the banter and watch what life is like on hot days in a steel tube. If we were playing ‘Top Trumps’ it’s 39 at night here and +10 degrees during the day. When is the Q&A?
I scheduled the Q&A for a few weeks ago then realised it clashed with football. While I personally don't care for football I thought it wiser to do it on a day with no big sporting events. Maybe next weekend. We need a decent upload rate as well for the Q&A and have found it lacking along the Oxford canal so far.
Sweet summer vid. Thanks, all.
Loving your battery obsession...I have 2 new solar panels on Hygge and they come with an app with loads of numbers that mean nothing to me but I look at them all the time. Stay cool and love from Dexter x
I used to do that. In the end I worked out our solar panels do nothing. Well, they do a little but not enough to counter balance the fridge. Hope Dexter is ok in the heat.
Dexter’s a little warm but doing OK... I’ve got 2 new Samsung 240v panels and in this weather I can power the fridge, a little immersion heater action and lights without really hurting the batteries... you might need new leisure batteries or new panels (or both). Anyway Ann Marie I’d like a watercolour of Dexter sitting next to Hygge close to a bridge or lock...can you do that for me?
Annamarie can definitely do that. If you email the pictures over to sales@artbyannamarie.com she can make arrangements with you.
Thanks I’ll do that
I have been doing research on the electrical system for my camper van ...I have decided to go with the expensive lithium battery enstead of the AGM battery.
You can used up to 80% of the lithium without losing voltage over time . With the AGM you can use 50% and voltage drops rapidly . You get 5000 recharges with lithium and only 1k with Agm battery. I also saw that the life of the agm battery is decreased or damaged when discharged below 50...it might be you need new batteries. If you have one battery you may need 2 or 3 hooked together to give more amp hours for full time living. I know it is frustrating to watch every amp you use. Fyi we have had 92° weather with 90% humidity this month so I feel for you guys in this heat...Normal in Georgia but not the UK.
Thanks for the battery info. Very helpful. How is the van coming along?
Lithium are overpriced
You only get what you pay for?
Cheese on Toast!!! with tomato.....sorry Anna.....tomato better on the top as it will soften better : - )
I‘m dacore with Sarah 😀
yes, and put the tomato under the griller to crisp it up.. and dont forget the pepper.
I had cheese on toast yesterday with tomato and it went under the cheese. Maybe thats the American version, but it was good. I didnt think you guys in blighty made it into the 90's very often. Where I am we are hovering around 98 to 99 but 6 hours south of me it has topped over 110 or 43 as the celsius crow flies. In any event ladies, stay in the shade and keep drinking cold stuff. No melting please!
It's been hot but we've managed it OK. I think better than if we were in our old land jobs where you are trapped in a room all day with no air flow. Anna is happy for a vote on her side. She apparently only left that bit in because she thought everyone would agree with her.... haha
Munchy's just gotta keep cool!
Ah the great cheese on toast debate! 🍞🧀🍅 it looked delicious. Don't blame you staying put in such weather. It is the same here in Essex. Just wondering if moving would have created an air flow through the boat? Maybe just too much hassle. 🥤🍦😎
We can't have the doors open when we move due to not wanting to lose any furry crew members! Mooring under a tree works for us because we can at least sit in the shade if the boat gets too hot. When you are moving there is no shade on the stern or at locks so we are at higher risk of negative sun effects. We much prefer (and recommend) travelling early and mooring up to avoid the full sun.
Did you get any rain in Essex? We had a little yesterday and overnight that's taken the edge off. But we'll see how the rest of the day goes! Hope you are keeping cool.
Of course - can't afford to loose any crew 🐱🐱 and I forgot about the stern and locks being so exposed. Moving early, if at all, sounds a much better idea, and shade is a must.
Rain ? None at all here since May. Apart from 5 minutes 2 days ago - enough to get me wet while getting washing in, but it hardly reached the ground. Thunderstorms forecast this afternoon and perhaps rain tonight. Currently my phone says 39C and 51% humidity !! Trying to keep cool 🥤👒🥤🥤🍉🍇🥤🛏📖🥤🍦🥤🥤😎
Love this factual video, going to check out the art course vlog for inspiration when i have some time. It's been too hot to do much art lately. Painting can be very noisy lol. Great video as always👍
Anna, didn't anyone ever tell you that tea is also a diuretic, so all the water you take in gets expelled at some point down the road/canal.
As a rough guide to electrical usage. Anything that gets hot is using lots of electricity.
Here are the main culprits in no particular order.
Immersion heaters.
Washing machines
toasters
Electric kettles
Hair dryers
Hair tongs
Electric ovens
Electric grills, (tomato on top of cheese uses let energy)
Now for lights.
Fluorescent lights. very low consumption, except to turn them on, so sometimes it is better leaving them on if you are going back there soon.
Halogen. They get hot, so you guest it, they use lots.
LED's. The best, cool running, and the use next to nothing.
Never, ever, argue with the cook, she handles your food!
Do you intend on fitting permanent solar panels to help with the charge of the batteries. Another great vid....
We are saving our pennies for new solar panels. At our current rate of saving it will take a while.
The Narrowboat Experience lol I know the feeling.
Hi are u ladies going to fairport cropready festival there is already a couple of trade boats there with more to come
No we aren't going to be around then I don't think.
The Narrowboat Experience I see that’s a shame there’s normally some crazy figure of a good few thousand people there,great vlog by the way it’s nice to see my local area on a great TH-cam celeb channel 👍🏻
Toms on top 👍
May I add a little info. because that would be my question. I live in North Texas and I couldn't believe there were no air conditioners on your narrow boats. Then I did a little research. The average August high temp in England is 21 deg. C. The average August high where I live is 36 degrees C. 69 vs 97 F. It's very hot here in the summer and it's not there. So I shall not worry about you being cool enough. Also, in 2011 we had 42 consecutive days over 100 F ( 37 C). We do not have narrow boats. All of our boats are fat. Your new friend; a Texas curmudgeon.
Interesting to see that the difference between the shady side and the not so shady side of the boat is only about one degree. What about the floor? It should be quite comfortable cool in comparison to the walls? Tomato on top with a little bonnet of extra cheese. Maybe add a tiny tiny pinch of salt to your coffee/tea to top up your minerals. And yes, it makes good sense to drink warm beverages as they rise your body temp a bit and make the weather feel less uncomfortable warm. Thanks for the vlog
I think the floor was another degree lower. We had some rain last night which cooled things down a little bit. Wonder what today will bring!
I was just wondering ,how much does it cost to fuel the boat? Sorry if I’m being nosy.
Tomato on top of the cheese, otherwise the tomato doesn't cook properly 😎
*edit* I hadn't realised so many people had already weighed in on the subject, glad I'm on the right side lol
Easiest way to keep cool...thin T-shirt...copious amounts of water...the evaporative effect works wonders. Please video and post next time! - I guarantee a boost in the numbers of subscribers ;) Take care you two :)
Two comments
Cheese toast. Kath stand your ground. Welsh Rarebit. Tomato is merely a garnish.
Handling the heat. I live in Florida, heat is a way of life. When out in my kayak or any other outdoor activity, I use a Miracool Evaporative Cooling Bandana. I wet one down per instructions and drape it around my neck. This works very well in lowering your body temperature. Eases the lethargic feeling brought on by heat exposure. Fairly cheap for the releif provided, reusable and can be found on Amazon.
Thanks for the heat advice and the support on the cheese on toast. Much appreciated ;-)
Love how the cats seem so laid back. How is that mattress you bought earlier holding up? would you recommend one?
I wrote a more up to date review on the website recently - narrowboatexperience.com/2018/03/simba-mattress-review/
We are happy with our choice.
Thanks, that's a great help.
Hot weather can be a drag, sorry you two are suffering. I don’t have an opinion re the cheese/tomato controversy although it is a surprise that the oven was fired up on a hot day!
I bet the cats watch TV when your both asleep 😂
Late to the party , but def tomato on top of the cheese .... exactly same way as a pizza , where tomato or the toppings are on top ... Cmon Anna 🤭😂😂
Try this: lightly toast bread just to crisp the surface, apply marmite to your taste then apply cheese and toast some more. to make a full meal of it add beans over the lot when on the plate :-)
Or the Aussie Hero way.
1. Lightly toast bread; 2. Apply Vegemite thickly (until you cant see the bread); 3. Apply layer of pickled Gherkins; 4. Add layer of Cheese; 5. Add layer of Tomato; 6. Add good sprinkling of pepper; 7. Toast under grill until tomato is crispy and cheese has melted: 8. Eat and Enjoy.
Do you know about "swamp coolers?
As a fellow Aussie, I can say that Anna is right. Melt the cheese over the tomato.
Of course the tomato goes on top! Phu! it is a bit too hot. My roof was dark blue. Back at the marina at 8.00 this morning the top coat a light blush grey went on and should make things better. The undercoat certainly did. I don't understand some folk have black roofs. And, yes the fridge , out on the cut just not enough power like you and I hate running up the hours on the engine and was advised to buy a generator, one which us ladies can start! The cat's out in the local hedge to keep cool. he'll be back later for food. He does like cheese! Keep cool and comfortable.
We are saving for bigger solar panels. And debating a generator for winter. Brrr
Nice into -- Alice got a speaking part this time. Don't turn off the fan in the composting bin or you may have flies again, or just smells that wouldn't be pleasant during a heat wave. Those little fans use no more than a computer fan. I tried to put 32 C into a conversion calculator to fahrenheit and all it said was "ouch". Too hot for people or cats.
Alice loves a speaking part. The temp has dropped and it’s now very windy. Too windy for cats to be outside!
Tomato on top here in Wales... in England, too. Sorry Anna! Time for new leisure batteries, maybe? Do you know how old yours are?
They aren't that old... less than 2 years. And they've spent most of their life on a charger thanks to shore power. They are sticking at the same point now so I imaging it was the immersion heater. Just need more watts of solar I think.
I hope they'll come back up to full strength for you. I'll hope for sunny days for you. Would a good charge of engine running for 5 hours be helpful, maybe?
Yes your right cheese then tomatoe on top!!
A full power audit would be an interesting short episode.
A big thick slab of marble for the cats to cool out on would be refreshing for them.
Great video. I like the interior paintwork, has it been done long? I don’t recall seeing it in your earlier videos, I’ll have to go back and check. I’ve also had a battery monitor fitted and I’m constantly checking it! However, it seems to have gone wrong as it showed 100% while the batters only had 14.12V. My batteries have gone off to be checked as they are new and not really holding their charge. I hope I haven’t fried them already, if I have it will be a record 😫 Kath did the cheese and tomato on toast perfectly. I may have it for my tea 😋 Whoever heard of putting the tomato under the cheese? 😂
We did the painting in April but never got round to talking about it properly as its not quite finished. Anna is very upset about the cheese on toast debate. She needs some puppy pictures to cheer her up.
Here you are: duckduckgo.com/?q=puppy+photos&t=ffab&ia=images&iax=images
I’m not sure how to add photos but I’ll ask my son tomorrow and post some of my rabble 😀
The Narrowboat Experience just sent some of my favourite seaside puppy pics to Anna’s FB messenger 😁
It's tomato on top or cheese and bread will be soggy underneath 😜
but you must have the top of the cheese properly toasted, else it will just be lukewarm, so I put the tomatoes on the side of the plate, un-toasted.
Jo Allan what about toasting cheese then when brown slip tomatoes on to for a minute yaaaa both toasted lol
I have just been reading the comments and find it strange people saying tomatoes on the top! Don't they understand yet that Anna is never wrong, how dare they even think she could be. I dread to think how hot it is on the boat these last few days we have to put a wet towel on our dog to keep him cool. Look after yourselves.
This is Anna's favourite comment.
Ooh! An important question. Does anyone do Air Conditioning on Narrow Boats?
Tomato should go on top so that it softens slightly under the grill. The tomato decorates the cheese on toast! On pizza, however, the tomato should go under the cheese as the whole thing is cooked in the oven. :)
Hi girls, bit of a random question but did you paint the interior white yourselves? What paint did you use to paint over the wood, and did you have to sand first? Looking to do the same to brighten things up :)
Hi there, we did some light sanding with an electric sander then painted over the wood using dulux kitchen paint. Or bathroom paint, can't 100% remember. It make it so much brighter, which we needed after such a long winter.
Kirk “When can I have full power back Scotty?”Scotty “The antimatter immersion was left on when we visited that planet that insisted all our shore party came in washed clothes and the dilithium crystals are down to 60% captain!” “It’ll take at least 48 hours to replenish them if were lucky” Kirk “Dam it Scotty I need it by noon I have to finish my painting.”Scotty “I’ll see what I can do captain but I’m not a miracle worker you know!”
Star Trek? Now I know for certain you're O.K. And I think you've written enough to prove that you really are a "Trekky". "Make it so ladies". O.K. Which version did "Make it so" come from?
The nest one:-)
Love you guys... don't burn her down ... not yet...need an engineers chart board we used in the Navy.... its got whats what going on as far as the Engine, utilities on or off... so as not to compromise the boasts energy, since there are two of you's....at least the cats can't reach the nobs..... Brilliant awareness if you don't have to be do what you want to do... sit and play with the cats.
Welsh Rabbit (cheese on toast) Nation dish of wales - Kath must be an expert👍
Hi NB's wow! That's a lot to consider isn't I? You don't think about power. I bet it makes you more frugral with usage. Thanks for sharing. Love your videos.. was wondering g about the heat with being on your Narrow boat. Hey your temp monitor looks like baby Groot🌱😂.. 🤔🌡☀️☀️🐱🐈🐶🐾
We are a lot more frugal. No light left on if no one is in the room, etc. It’s a change.
Stay cool ladies. The easiest why to settle the great tomato controversy, is to make one on top, the other don't.
Tomato on top every time :-)
What is the art channel called? :D
Art By Annamarie. Https://th-cam.com/users/artbyannamarie should work.
You really need to look at upgrading your alternator (or possibly adding a second) if you are having to run the engine for so long to charge your batteries… :)
It’s my understanding thats just how battery charging works. After they hit 80% its a slow trickle charge. Which is why we are instead looking to upgrade our solar.
Yes thats true, but discharge (and charge) rates of most batteries are also none linear. The amount of diesel you are burning to get that last 20% is the wasteful (and polluting) aspect, you would be better off just using the 30% available (80% down to 50% limit, presuming you are using lead acid?) and then recharging from there. As you said though solar would be the way to go in the long term ;)
can you swim in canal waters
I wouldn't want to. I think you'd get sick.
Bore da! Cheese always directly atop bread, then tomatoes atop that, should you wish. It is WELSH rarebit, after all. Now, Australian (NSW?) version would be upside-down, wouldn't it? Keep cool! :)
Why don't you use rechargeables? 😊
nice 1 m8s, stay kool an safe eh!
Just a thought. Instead of the engine turning a 12v alternator why can’t it drive a 240 volt generator? A battery charger would keep your batteries charged and the 240 could be used for all the kitchen appliances. Just a thought. Tomato’s on top lots of salt and black pepper.
We have this argument when we make lunchbox pizzas! George insists pepperoni on top of cheese but I disagree!
On pizza we (and I mean Anna) puts tomato paste, a little bit of cheese for glue, all the toppings then more cheese. George is wrong!! The pepperoni will surely burn!
I dont understand this, i was watching a video about anime at 9 now its 5am and im deep in a houseboat rabbit hole
Welcome aboard
Two slices tomato on top of cheese, two slices tomato under cheese:)
Good compromise!
I used to be a cheese on top person, but then I got tired of the toppings sliding off the base. Putting the toppings on the cheese binds it to the base, and makes sliding less likely.
First time I tried it and don't tell Kath but I might think her way is better. shhhhh
Never mind the position of tomatoes but holy smokes 32 degrees Celcius?? Luckily you are inside a boat floating on a canal, imagine those who live in the city with no surrounding water .. you can get a heat stroke with that temperature!
tomato on top :-D
Tomato on top or under the cheese? That’s a good question. At first I thought you were making a pizza 🍕. Anyway, I true
am enjoying your channel, I would think one would be quite lonely if they were on their own. Sorry I forget to push the like button on your videos, but I can’t wait to see the next video and don’t think about it. Wishing the two of you a very Merry Christmas🎄🎁🎊🎆
No worries. Nice Christmas to you also.