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Quite. Got to prioritise Harold Shipman lookalikes poncing about in their narrow boats over yachties poncing about with rags and sticks!

He was a very special bloke. He was sent to Brooklands during WW2 and ended up working for Barnes Wallis on the mechanism that rotated the bouncing bombs before they were dropped. He was a very fine racer, winning two Grand Prix's as a private runner. He also finished 4th in a 250cc TT behind 3 works bikes, Minter and Redman on the Hondas and Duff on the Yamaha. He was riding a far older, obsolete Moto Guzzi single cylinder.

In our case we had been following a boat at about 300 yards distance for some way, approaching the bottom of the Buckby flight. We assumed we would share the locks with them. I saw them land crew and start to ready the bottom lock. But before we reached them the aforementioned single hander pushed out from the moored boats on the towpath in front of us and joined them in the lock. By the time they had cleared the lock and we had emptied it again the hire boat with the two Swedish couples had pulled up behind us. They were unsure whether they should wait and let us lock through alone - I suspect they were a bit overawed by an unconverted Large Woolwich - but we invited them in with us and they were good company up the flight.

We are currently at the top of the Erewash. I was seriously contemplating turning left at the bottom, on to Keadby and then across one of the Pennine routes and (originally) a choice of either the Bridgewater or the Macclesfield and down the Middlewich branch to get back to our mooring. Instead, we will be turning right at the bottom and relying on the good folk of Wolverhampton to get us home via the T&M, S&W and Shropshire Union (so long as the infrastructure doesn't break). Not even going to chance the T&M through Stoke on Trent for a side trip up the Caldon. On a practical level, that means we won't have our summer holiday on the boat this year and instead we will probably go to Sicily. Alec

Nothing major... I did recently notice a floating pontoon mooring on the river, West of the Mirfield Valley and Hebble Navigation, just before the Cooper Bridge cut, but I couldn't see any signage indicating that it was CRT, or private, or whatever. Also, just beyond Cooper Bridge, before the flood lock, and the branch off to the Huddersfield canal, There are some visitor moorings, enough for maybe three 45' boats. I think they are 48hrs, but I'll double check tomorrow on my run.

Yeah I know 😃

Glenn, there is a difference between slightly overhanging a winding hole and mooring slap bang in the centre of it!

😂 😂 I was once given that treatment, although they didn’t actually make contact but revved and swore a lot, top of Foxton Locks, parked up with my arse just hanging in to the hole, two short boats made a fuss out of principle, I think I replied with some sarcasm about turning a 50’ boat in a 70’ winding hole does take some practice. Yes, hands up, I was in the wrong (just a bit), but still reckon 70’ boat would have managed to turn 😃

out of curiosity Arthur, where would you have liked to have gone this year for that possible last major run? and same question to anyone else who’s plans have been scuppered I would like to have gone to Peterborough, I try and get to somewhere new each year,

I'm sure you're right. .

I'm sure it said that comes in with the post construction assessment. I will check. I will also check about the wallpaper bit. Don't remember seeing that lol. Thank you 😊 No not to worry. I think that was mentioned on another post aswell Thank you. That's very interesting about the type of engine. 👍

This may help you located and inspect the suspect area. the probe is marked as 11, and it is a convectional thermocouple. https://www.thetford.com/app/uploads/2024/07/SPL-Oven-MK3-SOV70XXX.pdf More info, it seems they may have changed from thermocouple to flame conductivity depending on when built, so you may need to find the model and serial numbers.

Exactly! While I'm here I'll give an opinion on this boat. It is the sort of boat that might actually sell for close to it's asking price as it's not that outrageous. Although it isn't to a lot of traditional boaters taste, the fitout seems to be of a very high standard, albeit to the design of a trendy inner city apartment. So I can see the right person falling for it. I find it a bit unusual a boat this age has got a Lister Petter engine.....nothing wrong with them and you find them in quite a few boats up to the early 2000's but they definitely seemed to fall out of favour by 2018 (when this boat was built). If you look at boats built in 2018 I imagine nearly all of them have either a Beta/Barrus Shire/Canal line or Vetus engine. Not a deal breaker though.

I always make a point of coming into contact with boats moored in winding holes when winding even when there is plenty of room, only gently mind you. It often results in the owner coming out, all guns blazing, who then back down and claim they didn't realise it was a winding hole when confronted with the evidence. Perhaps CRT should insist on a recent eye test as well and insurance and a BSS certificate before issuing a licence.

The concerns may be, rightly or wrongly, that the above dangers can be almost eliminated by certain actions by the boats owner/crew, whereas there are reports of modern electric vehicles spontaneously combusting whilst sitting on the driveway, not even on charge, and in no way avoidable by the owner.

# The buyer states ................. I will add the boat has a recent post construction assessment completed by a surveyor in order to get a declaration of conformity in order to sell. So, it is fully RCD compliant - that is worth a lot of money in itself.

I think he was commenting on the fact you missed off a zero - nobody’s likely to accept £5,500.

The difference being (possibly) that all of those are checked on the BSS examination - if - the examiner does his job properly.

A matter of opinion, if you were buying would you want to risk more?

I've project managed a few government contracts on behalf of private contractors. Always poorly specified (great for the contractor, who combs the specification for "extra's" before quoting ans, as you say, plenty of last minute changes throughout, all of which as to the costs and timescale. Why the government doesn't pay for a company to produce professional specifications and employ a professional to oversee the work is beyond me, it would save billions over the years.

You drive a hard bargain!

Beware, no RCD on this boat? You will have great problems selling it on. It could cost you £5,000 to £10,000 to get this sorted. Self fit out, drops price considerably. Mention of wallpaper is worrying. Its too dear already, offer £55,00 at most.

Other genders are available. I suspect these are more small sailing boats/ dingys. I believe it’s a complex scenario that’s been rehearsed before. How would you feel if the Aylesbury or Lichfield boat clubs were just told the purpose round here is road and rail transport and told to shut down? It’s likely that the reservoir maintenance had been neglected for years. It’s quite possible that the sailing club did some useful maintenance though not the main bit that caused the problem. In other words the yacht club is really not the main problem with Toddbrook.

Funny enough I had a very similar experience going up Caen hill a few years ago. Approaching the lower Foxhanger lock I noticed a hire boat being held on the centre line about a 1/4 mile before the lock so I stopped next to them and we agreed to share the locks going up. As we approached the lock, a moored boat decided they were going to get into the lock before the hire boat and literally went to action stations to untie.....ropes and gangplanks flying everywhere, and their crew running about and jumping to and from the boat. The hire boat crew were very unimpressed and were going to have it out with them at the lock landing, but I advised against it as we would be stuck in close proximity behind the miserable cretins for at least the next 6 hours. But I had a great chat with the hire boat crew and got to know them quite well by the time we got to the top! Turns out they were going to spend the night at the top and turn around and go straight back down the next morning for the experience.