Windfola

Fanks folks. I think I will probably go for something big around the £6K mark to be going on with, and then if it gets to be a nuisance I'll dispose of it next year.

Because of various (non-work) commitments I am likely to need to travel more than an hour's drive every couple of weeks, often with dogs in tow (overnights etc), so I don't think public transport would be much good. I've not really thought about hiring, but am guessing the costs would rise with that kind of frequency of need. A bicycle - now that would be interesting. The last time I rode one was about a thousand years ago. I have toyed with idea of a folding moped or scooter that I could keep on board.

I need to change my car. I now have two large dogs and a Mini Cooper convertible, while delectable, is not cutting it, space wise. But if I am going to continuously cruise from next spring, I need to think about practicalities. Aside from the recent discussion about the difficulties of getting car insurance without bricks and mortar, how do people manage running a car, when moving their boats on a regular basis? I will be on my own, and so not in a position where I can effectively to car shuttles. I have met a lady living aboard who moves her boat a couple of miles each time and then walks her dog back down the towpath to collect her vehicle. Do other people do this? I am not working for the foreseeable so commuting is not an issue. I'm not sure I could go without a car entirely, as I have various regular commitments which will be difficult by public transport (also I a born petrol head and not sure I could cope carless, without feeling empty and bereft). Experiences/suggestions please

They won't morph into nasties - they'll just stay like that and multiply. They don't get to more than a couple of inches. My old barn of a house is full of them and when they get too many and the cobwebs grow cobwebs, I just hoover them all up.

BSP, if only my old Scot was alive, I'd have sent him round to help you out. He used to love spiders and try to befriend them by biting their legs off one by one.

Who the hell is Paul Rodgers? Queen wouldn't be Queen without Freddie. It would have been a different band entirely. Everything they stood for was down to Freddie.

So I've been told

I don't use my real name because I want to maintain my privacy, for the time being anyway. I am a female on my own and I'd rather people didn't know where to find me. When I move on to my boat (October, fingers crossed), I may decide to post my boat name. No subterfuge. Just being careful.

I recently bought some of these after reading this thread. So far they seem to be a very good buy. Time will tell.

Thanks David. Do marinas not have this sorted out for you?

A question from an ignoramus: If a boat has been hooked up long term in a marina without much cruising time, does that then mean that it is more at risk of corrosion?

I've booked a Kate boat for late September

I have a friend who caught Weils, and he had a really bad time with it. No long term effects, thankfully.