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Not only do hirers not know about slowing a boat down this way (strapping), no hire base would tell them to because if you don't know what you're doing it's easy to get it wrong -- there's a lot of stored energy in a moving 15 ton boat, and injury is always a possibility when stopping it with a rope. It's the same as walking along the roof, or stepping across one open tail gate instead of walking round the lock -- many experienced boaters do it, but it's not something any hire base would suggest to a newbie.

We let our house out unfurnished. Some of your smaller furniture and items you could perhaps store in your loft. It's down to what agreement you strike up with your tenants, either directly or through a letting agent. When we used a letting agent (I don't use one now) they told me that you're only obliged to give your tenant enough room in the loft for a few suitcases and some Xmas decorations. I also have an agreement with my tenant that I have the whole of the loft of the garage which takes care of smaller items and I have a garage door key. With larger furniture because we planned the move to life afloat well in advance we hadn't been replacing things like the 3 piece suite, dining table, beds and large appliances when we would normally have done, so when it came to moving out they weren't worth much anyway so they went to the local tip, charity organisations, or were sold on Ebay. It means if every we move back into a house we'd have to buy all that kind of stuff, but we've had no storage costs for the 11 years we've lived aboard. Having somebody living in our house (that we had lived in for 35 years) didn't bother us, but I can understand why some don't like the thought. I suppose the key to it all is being able to get good tenants and then looking after them if they are worthy of it, but there is the risk of getting bad ones of course, and we've all heard the horror stories when this happens. Everybody's circumstances are different but thankfully ours has worked out, and us buying a 2nd hand oldish boat rather than brand new or newer shiny one, and having decent tenants in the house enabled us to retire a little earlier than we would have done and enabled us to have enjoyed 11+ years so far, cruising all over the country the same as we would have done in a boat 4 times the purchase price we paid for ours.

Falsely making out that someone said something they didn't say, is a sure sign of an argument lost.

There’s was a thread not long ago that went into this, but I can’t find it

No, there are no springs or traps! The drawing on the post before will help you understand how it works. The input shaft has a taper bush attached which locks by the taper into one side. The output shaft is similar locked into the other side. The tyre fits in grooves in both sides and transmits the drive. So a loose tyre or either taper bush loose on the requisite shaft or loose in the tyre will stop it driving. They are normally very dependable but don't like getting oily. Fenner still make these I believe.

does it? really? ....and at last we find some common ground. 😊

Surely the steerer, or boatowner on the bank, must always be in charge. I think this is what insurers will expect.

Glad we were not moored on the town Quay moorings this morning. The wind had picked up in the night and we could hear the waves crashing onto the bar when we woke up this morning. Harbour looked quite choppy when we drove past and the Ouse, Nene and Welland looked less than pleasant when we drove over them! Timed it terribly with the tides this weekend and had to wait both ways for ships at Sutton Bridge.

well that sounds pretty defensive to me, .. but I’m not particularly interested either

There are several former wharves on the Shroppie where an apparent winding hole is adjacent with the former wharf building now sold off for private residence. The indentation was originally, I suspect, more about wharf operation than for unrelated boats to change direction. The attitude of current owners varies considerably, as is their right to do (doesn't make them popular sometimes!)

Falls apart sounds dramatic 😔. Any danger/risk to me removing all the bolts and checking the bushes? Thanks Tracy.

Haven't heard of that before and I'll bet hirers won't know about that method. When we were hiring we would enter the lock slowly which almost eliminates using reverse. Difficultly when there's a bywash on the entrance where you might need some extra power to get past and then need to slow down.

In the case of volunteers, it is perhaps a good thing to train them todo this, not such much as to gain actual consent from the steerer (what happens if crew give the OK?) but causes the lockie to take two seconds to check the lock and boat before blindly drawing a paddle in an inappropriate moment. Also gives the steerer the opportunity to indicate if they have particular requirements regarding speed and amount of paddle opening - it is the steerer's right after all. Particularly in broad locks, esp if a single narrow boat, then decisions about which paddle to open are much more significant. Recently comin up out of Chester reminded us how much variation in behaviour there is even amongst locks in close succession!

Its a Fenner split tyre coupling. The tyre looks OK from your photo. The coupling has 2 tapered locking bushes inside which are on the 2 parts of the shaft. These may have become unlocked allowing the shaft to turn but not drive the tyre. To dismantle you remove all the bolts and it falls apart.

Passed it the other day, still a bit of confusion as “Navigation closed” signs still on the ground and CaRT stoppage notice online said closed at certain times through the day. Spoke to the contractors and they said it was open and they never knew anything about the restriction times.🤔 I found more hire boats moving than private boats, maybe that’s the norm now?

So let's get this right -- if you're helping someone else through a lock then you're right and they're wrong, but the reverse applies if a volockie is helping you through a lock? That's the kind of divisive "us and them" arrogance I would expect from Tory ministers, not experienced boaters... 😉

@Tony Brooks

I found this link with what seems to be the coupling part and diagrams. https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p20185517/Major-Branded-F60F/F60F-Inner-Facing-Taper-Bores-Type-Tyre-Drive-Coupling-Assembly-with-Natural-Rubber-Tyre/product_info.html