GRPCruiserman

I would think that they would pick a wide section of a towpath in a town, put up a few black and white 'residential mooring' signs, put in electric points and water points (relatively cheap in a town area), then provide an unpowered boat with the basics aboard. A sanitary block with shower would be essential, but looking at the costs (bare in mind the look of the boat would be irrelevant, no roses and castles or swims or even a nice shape), a square shaped, possibley even GRP for no maintainance and mass production, would probably be much less than that of a 'council house' (or housing association or whatever they are called these days). If it is the government that are funding this then planning, mooring permissions, everything would be pretty irrelevant, and they have 2000 miles of linear space to put these things in. As has been mentioned, they would probably end up like your average council estate so no walking along that stretch of towpath at night or your shoes would probably be stolen, but I can see it happening. May be the government see the big grant in aid as a 'way in' as they are already spending the money. On the flip side of this, perhaps if it is coming anyway, we could use it as an excuse to demand more funding from the government for canals. It may even create a new 'residential licence' class at a lower rate if you do not (or are not able to) move, ie non-powered residential licence. I can picture the scene, and it definately needs monitoring, but perhaps if it is using the 'ropey' areas of canals where we do not moor anyway but just cruise past (most towns have such an area), and the provided accomodation is unpowered, then we could turn this to all our advantage, and you never know, it may encourage newcomers to come to love the canals as we do, and it may even allow me to afford to come back to the canals in force like I used to be!!

I used to be a single guy on my boat and never had any more trouble than you would expect. We had a number of older single ladies in our boat club and they never had any trouble either. I would think that almost everything mentioned here could be applied to a house apart from the fact that you do chat more with your neighbour moorees on the boat dont you? Like has been said, it just depends where you moor, and you can always move if you decide you dont like the company/locals/etc.

There are the abandoned ones at Tewitfield, but also if you tuirn left (going North) just before Galgate, there are six locks down to Glasson Dock (plus the sea lock) which is a lovely stretch of canal in itself and takes you to the wonderful village of Glasson, worth a couple of days stay on its own, mooring in Glasson Basin with all the sea going boats. You can access Morecambe Bay from here too if your boat is up to it (and you!!) Cracking few days excursion, the locks are pretty hard ones though as they are not used that much. There are also seven (or some say eight) locks on The Ribble Link section of The Lancaster giving access to The Ribble and the rest of the main canal system and Preston Dock (and the sea past Lytham). The main line, however, is 46 miles with only one working swing bridge to interupt your travel, and if you pass there at weekends there are always kids there who will work you through it for a pound. Cracking canal.

Norman 20 or Yeoman 16, 20hp engine, just pick a straight bit and accelerate to 4mph, overtake when you catch them up and give it extra power as you pass the front of the 'swim' to stop getting sucked back. No problem. One idiot accelerated severely near Dover Lock when I was already just passing his 'swim', if I'd not had the power to accelerate away he'd have had me in to his stern. He then slowed back to about 1.5mph as my friend in his 40 foot narrow boat with a VERY large engine came up behind him. He tried the same thing when he overtook him but didn't reckon on the power my friend had and the perpertrator ended up getting blasted on to the side of the canal instead of sucking my friend into his boat. We reported him to BW at the lift bridge and they had a quiet 'word'.

Can you not still buy it at Ashton Basin and Moons Bridge? Tarleton Boatyard used to be very cheap in the 'red' days but don't know whether they still do it. I was always a petrol boater so it wasn't really an issue as there are quite a number of petrol stations on the Lancy. Actually you could get road diesel from them thinking about it. Locations: Brock (between Bilsborrow and Garstang); Carnforth (right by the canal); just South of the Lune Aqueduct (bit of a treck with your cans); Hest Bank (more of a treck!!) down to the main road and turn right then walk about 3/4 mile; Forton: moor at Bridge 75 and head East along the road then fork right and it's over the brow and across the road (about 3/4 mile). Bridge House Marina (Garstang) once sold it but not sure now, also ask at Garstang Marina next door?? Anyone know?? Preston Dock definately sell it as well, but tell BW if you planning the slight excursion as you'll have to spread your link crossing over two days. There is a garage just as you go on to The Ribble Link as well, but getting off and on the boat there is almost impossible, and it's a bit of a treck from above the half-tide lock if you are walking.

I'll stick with my £50 per year boat storage and £100 a year club membership thanks.

I got priced off the BW canals a few years ago, it just left my budget. I still boat regularly, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives here in The North West, and I've since come across other people who have done the same. For people on London wages the licence isn't much, but up here, on minimum wage for an average job, it's a very high percentage so most boaters are now business owners, directors, etc, and much higher earners. Pay me £25000 a year and I'd run BW, and I'd know what boaters need, it'd be twice what I earn now, and better hours!! There are plenty of boating alternatives, just look outside the Canal box. The trouble is, people dont, so the canals just get populated by the well off, and when they get too old there will suddenly no longer be canal users as no-one young could ever afford to run a boat now let alone when the costs go up. Anyone who says they can must be on a very good wage.

I'd not heard of that one!! Before getting married, I was always single handed and having worked in insurance I always read my policies thoroughly and it was never excluded. I often go sailing single handed, especially in my smaller dinghy as it's not really big enough for more than me!! I've always had seagoing type policies, though, due to my location and proximity and use of even the canally type boats I had (Norman 20 etc).

There used to be a girl lived on a 25 foot Dawncraft up Lytham Creek once, and having had one, for a single person there'd be plenty of room. A single guy used to live on a 20 footer all through the winter where I used to live and he had no solid fuel heat either!! You have to remember that GRP cruisers are designed like caravans with every inch used for practical purposes, storage under seats, small size cookers etc, we always had loads of empty lockers in the Dawncraft even when away for a few weeks with all the clothes etc.# I personally have lived in a caravan on two seperate occasions both of which had much less room that a 26 foot cruiser. All the Narrow Boats I've been on with perhaps a couple of exceptions seem to waste so much space that could be utilised usefully. Look at how large families used to live in Boatmans' Cabins only 10/12 foot long. Now people have loose furniture, walls without lockers, all wasted space. I know a guy who used to live on a 57 foot sorking boat with a cabin only half the length of the boat, the front being clothed, and it had a trad type engine in the middle taking up about 10 foot of space and he rarely used the Boatmans' Cabin. He probably only had about 26 foot of living space. I appreciate most people have much bigger boats, but at that price you could have it for leisure use, fully serviced. I do agree with the other poster, though, it is probably the full length that is designated residential.

These seem like telephone numbers to me, I thought the canal had got dear when my farm mooring with parking and water and 'on site' farmer on the offside in a beautiful spot on the Lancaster reached £100 a year for the mooring and £300 odd for the BW permit. Secure, safe, facilities, and cheap. There is another yard I know with full electric (metered), water, you name it, for only £40 a month, and thats if you pay monthly!! The sailing club that I currently sail from has tidal jetty moorings for any size boat up to over 45 foot odd for £200 a year plus £90 a year for club membership. Yes, there is no electric on the jetty, but water is handy, and there are showers, toilets, bar, big slipway with lift to get your boat out, full facility yard in other words. Either there are people who just have infinate amounts of money, of they get a much higher salary that the average wage round here!! I love Audlem, having spent my 40th birthday there on the visitor moorings, really nice pretty village and moorings by the way.

I really like The Bridgewater, there's loads to look at interest wise, I wouldn't consider it boring at all.

Actually, you've hit on a big suggestion there: BIG batteries !!

A dry bilge is always good.

We once went up in the Norman 20 in two and a half hours; booked an 'assisted' passage with BW (remember them?) and was supplied with two BW operatives for the whole flight. My wife went on to the next lock and set it ready with one bottom gate open whilst the two lockies opened all four paddles (gate and ground) from the start whilst I held the Norman at the bottom of the lock on the engine (I had plenty of power), and did each lock in under 12 mins all in. Boat bounced around everywhere but revelled in it, great fun. Set off at 8am, at the top for 10.30, no-one else going up!! Stopped at Red Rock for lunch and Johnson's Hillock for the next night. Been up and down a few times but the worst was in November one year on my own with very little water in the pounds and temperatures just above freezing. Got to Appley Bridge just after dark (about 5pm I think) after setting off from Red Rock at 7am. Nightmare that one. Those old lock ladders beat any step aerobics any day.

I asked my wife and she suggested a cooker. I cannot argue with her choice!! (adds Vacuum Cleaner to her Christmas Present list.). (Only joking before all you ladies out there jump down my throat!!!!)