leolady too

We had intermittent problems with ours for a while and then it stopped altogether. I phoned saniflo and spoke to an engineer. He said that they draw a huge current on startup and if the connection is old and maybe oxidised so that the large current doesn't appear, they just stop working. I cut out the old connection at the toilet end of the cable run and remade it and it's been fine ever since. Famous last words!

Does anyone know what the fees are at the new marina?

I suspect the new marina may take quite a bit of business from Pyrford even if it's charging the same.

We'll go and look. I can't find a webiste so perhaps it's only just getting up and running.

Anyone have any news?

We went past the site of the new marina at Send on the Wey over the weekend. It looks as though work is well under way. I believe it will be called Cart Bridge Marina. Does anyone know how it is going, when it might open or who to contact about it?

We made our own frame and cover and, if I say so myself, it turned out very well indeed. I did the woodwork, in oak, and it wasn't especially challenging. My wife did the cover. We bought the materials from here http://www.kayospruce.com/ They have everything you need. The cover was difficult but with care and time it is possible to do a really fine job. If you want to know more pm.

We had this problem and found that massaging the flexible outlet tube at the back to clear it worked. Try that (it involved unscrewing the bowl from the floor and was a palaver). You could also try one of those rubber cup plunger things in the bowl. It seems there's some sort of cutout so that the blades don't turn if there's too much resistance. After this had happened a few times we used descaler. The first time we could hear the stuff fizzing and left it for ages. After that we've used descaler regularly and since have had no problem. Apart from the limescale coming from hard water I think there's some sort of crystalline deposit from the urea in pee so if you don't descale all the pipes get narrower and eventually it's too much for the blades. Of course, this probably has nothing to do with your problem but that was our experience.

That was him. The problem was that the power was out to the area so the bridge wouldn't work. When the power came back on the bridge still wouldn't work until the CRT chap turned up an reset something. By that time there were 4 boats at least waiting and two hire boats in the pound between the lock and the bridge. We were first through and the others in the queue let the coal boat (Oz I think) come through with us. I had to go through the bridge first because I was in the way so I moored in the pound while the coal boat went past and into the lock first (I didn't fancy acting as a fender for him given his boat was well loaded and there's a vicious cross current from the weir). I think that everyone else had charged past the fisherman because of the weir and I was the first person to moor while he'd been there. However, he was fishing in the pound right next to the sign saying he shouldn't. I'm not bothered particularly that he fishes where he shouldn't but I am annoyed at getting foul language for mooring where I should. I also think camping on the steps so that everyone has to go up and down the slope is selfish and dangerous. Before anyone says "why is it dangerous" I'd just say that my wife has permanent pain having fallen backwards onto her bum and damaged her coccyx on just such a slope.

Last week on the K&A I was the recipient of verbal abuse from a fisherman because I moored on the landing between a swing bridge and a lock. A fisherman was there, with his gear all over the steps leading down to the landing and he was right next to the "No Fishing" sign. His keep net was squashed in the process (although not damaged). It didn't seem to occur to him that I had the right to tie up there and that he didn't have the right to fish there. I ignored him but it was irritating and upsetting.

We know some folk with a sea otter. It needs repainting (it was red and is now dull pink). They told us that most boat painters won't touch aluminium boats. I don't know how true that is but that's what they said.

There is to be a new marina. I didn't know but googled "marina at send" and there it is. It may be good to introduce competition for Tingdene which owns Pyrford marina and which I agree is eye wateringly expensive but I'm not sure the Wey would benefit from a lot more boats, if this is what happens. Then again, I'm probably showing my NIMBY credentials.

The Basingstoke is very beautiful in places. In many places the water is crystal clear and we saw many huge carp casually swimming up and down. There are places where you turn a corner and seem to have entered a lake. It is very wooded and there isn't much traffic and it's well worth a visit. Many of the locks are in poor repair. We had trouble getting in to quite a few, some gates wouldn't open properly and some had rubbish and obstructions which had to be cleared before we could enter. The rangers are really very helpful. If the weather is kind you'll have a good time. I expect you'll find yourself once or twice in the weed hatch clearing rubbish though.

We did the Basingstoke in early September and it is lovely and well worth a visit. Be prepared for lots of visits down the weed hatch to remove rubbish and logs etc and for lots of shallow places. The ranger had great trouble getting us into a couple of locks because of silt behind the gates and lack of water over the cill. Once above the locks it is fairly easy going.