The Cruising Association (CA) and the Inland Waterways Association (IWA) have jointly released new guidance to assist boaters in evaluating lithium-ion phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) service batteries.
Drafted by the CA’s Regulatory & Technical Services Group (RATS) and the IWA’s Sustainable Boat Group, the advice addresses the shift from traditional lead-acid units to LiFePO4 chemistry. The guidance stresses that switching to LiFePO4 and safe integration requires precise system design, comprehensive planning, and potential upgrades to onboard electrical infrastructure as well as a detailed understanding of the technology. Continue reading “Guidance published on installing lithium-ion batteries to assist boaters”
Marine surveyors and boat owners are regularly heard to say there is a minimum 4.0mm of hull thickness required at time of survey of a steel narrowboat. Some brokers even publish videos of such information, with some surveyors enforcing it (Whilton Marina, 2012 and 2016). Boaters are subject to it and repair often follows. In a recent article, Geoff Waddington (2021) explains there is confusion in the industry about wastage limits, and consequently acceptable residual hull plate thicknesses, and opinions among surveyors ‘vary wildly’, with some quoting 3mm acceptable minimum plate thickness, others using percentage loss. This short paper explores what a standardised acceptable limit for diminution, and therefore residual steel plate thickness for narrowboats, could be. It describes a variety of methods of calculating the design plate thicknesses (scantlings) and the minimum acceptable residual plate thickness. In doing so, this paper aims to serve as a guide for inland waterways marine surveyors, boat owners, repairers, and insurers alike. 
