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The southern GU was only open for a limited time each day as I recall, but we had keys to the padlocked gates as we were carrying limejuice Brentford to Boxmoor. The water levels were not too bad and we were still carrying full loads.

Since both batteries should have their negative connections grounded to the hull, they will necessarily share a common ground, whatever their chemistry.

I rather resent the unnecessary overhead of up to 20mA doing nothing useful. Yes of course 4-20mA is an industry standard interface, but it’s also a very old industry standard! As in 70 years or so old!

That's true -- but also 4-20mA sensors have a standard analogue interface without the problems you describe. At least, so long as you get ones with the correct range, 0.1bar suits most tanks (full-scale is around 3' liquid depth).

Today Another update on Bollard above Fradley Middle Lock T&M. It's taller than last time .... Compare 25Apr2013 3Nov2013 25Oct2014 14Apr2017 10Sep2017 28Sep2017 22Mar2019 4Oct2019 12Oct2019 29Aug2020 10Sep2020 5May2021 24Oct2021 20May2022 16Mar2023 17Sep2023 29Sep2023 3Oct2023 25May2024 30May2024 3Feb2025 16Apr2025 9Jun2025

12v is almost 'flat' 11.96 volts is only 40% charged so a light flashing and 'saying' low-voltage is quite understandable. A fully charged 12v battery should show 12.7-12.8v on zero load. Try running the engine at fairly high revs (to give you 14+ volts and see if you still have the same problem.

Pretty sure they’ve changed for all reasons, not just lack of water. In 70’s / 80’s if there was a fallen tree it was common to see a couple of BWB bods with chainsaws standing on the biw of any passing boat to clear it, for example. I also remember locks being operated with broken top hinges (sit a load of people on the balance beam) and similar. I don’t think protecting the ecology was on the radar at all then either. Nowadays it seems farmore likely to close navigation, and for longer than it used to.

Do we know how, if at all, the criteria for closing a canal for lack of water may have changed over that time?

This was the entrance to what was Amington Colliery loading basin which is now in the woods opposite the winding hole

I know, that was the beauty of it, I hadn't seen it before, Had you?

First shown in 1988!

Grafton Street.

I think there are pressure sensors and … pressure sensors. If you go for one that is just a bridge circuit with no amplification or signal processing, and only using a small proportion of its range, you get a very small and temperature-dependant voltage. Analogue electronics = too much hassle! Whereas if you get a sensor with integral signal processing and eg an I2C or SPI digital interface, then it’s a piece of piss once you have sorted out the interface drivers (for which there is probably an arduino library).

Tame Valley Canal over the M5. Dudley Port Aqueduct on the New Main Line rebuilt for larger road beneath. One on the GU in Milton Keynes ( whose name escapes me) The 1980ish Stanley Ferry Aqueduct.