Gas free boat

I MUST disagree with your correspondent, at least with regard to electric cooking, writes Pete Earley.

'Joanie M' is a gas free boat, we cook electric via a built-in diesel generator with remote start in the kitchen. And have done for 12 years now.

Shoreline hookup

 Whilst our generator is 6 kva we take advantage of shoreline hookup where it is available, either using CaRT electricity pillars where they are provided or in a marina or boat club if we need to leave the boat unattended for any length of time. I can only recall two of these where the supply was less than 16 amps, Strawberry Island Boat Club and the London Canal Museum. One marina, Priory at Bedford, actually has 32 amps supply to every berth.

We have single, fan assisted oven and a two ring induction hob, both of which plug into a standard 13 amps socket plus dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer and are we aware of the limitations of the power supply whether on generator or shoreline and drop automatically into which ever mode is necessary, even though we might be considered in our dotage.

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

As I write this my wife is cooking roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with several vegetables whilst moored in King's Marina in Newark.

Then there is the added advantage of having piping hot water in the morning via the immersion heater and time switch.

I look forward to the time that electricity hookups appear beside the canal in all our major cities. (Though we need a nationwide system of paying for canalside power but that's for another time.)