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Yeah, as long as you don't mind lots of condensation

I think there's a fair few boaters of 55ft boats who by use of engine alone would struggle to keep the boat's movements within the 20ft or so available to them.

Well said! Calcutt Top Lock a season or two ago, we were going up, a fatarse, sorry widebeam coming down. I said, perhaps a tad too loudly, 'Good Gawd. Its a fatarse'. Cue Mrs Fatarse, sorry, widebeam to the downhill end of the lock as we were rising, saying "You're only jealous 'cos you've only a scruffy narrowboat (the cheek of the woman!) and can't afford a nice £250,000 boat like we can"

Possibly because fogstar supply them and if you dont know better then it would be reasonable to assume the manufacturer intended them to be used.

Exactly what I was thinking.

My concern would be the 'sad lookng' (thank you NB 'Orleanna') houses that have sprung up by the junction since we were last there.

yeahbut.... What beer was available?

The 500gb Scancom deal is back on, for how long remains a mystery 🤔

I did this with Idleness over Christmas 1993 at Stoke Bruene top lock as I had a steel banded child's play tent on the prop which needed bolt cutters and I couldn't do it through the weed hatch. It was interesting but I had a couple of real professionals to help me. 😉 Also once sat Idleness on the bottom of the top lock on the Aylesbury arm when I needed to take some measurements to order a new prop. Like was different then 🫣

Indeed, which is why, I imagine, the whole riding the gate thing started - because it's logical for a full length boat. But most boats these days aren't, I suspect most are about 55 foot and a fair few, like mine, are much shorter, when, I think, it makes little sense and carries a greater risk than tying the boat up. Other opinions are available and equally valid (except, of course, that I'm right and everyone else is wrong...). Like everything else with boats, it's up to the individual who knows the boat and what they're comfortable with. What's dangerous is to imagine there's a universal best way, or, even worse, a "right" way to do stuff.

I still don't understand why anybody would use those posts when there is a perfectly good M8 bolt that fits M8 lugs perfectly.

Thanks … I was just looking at the map for that info …. You saved me the trouble.

I should have said Hesford Marine are on the Great Haywood side of the breach.

Thanks … I will check them out.

Much better then. We used to chose where we would winter, if it was Braunston we would be at the Plough every weekend for skittles. Not allowed now. Boaters were more friendly. We would help each other moor up and invite the other boaters on the boat for a drink and chinwag. That way we would catch up on the whereabouts of friends. We even got christmas cards delivered.

Hesford Marine on the Bridgewater are 2-3 miles from the breach and have a crane. Not sure about any marinas the other side with their own lifting facilities. http://hesfordmarine.com/

If your on the Avon or coming onto ar Stratford upon Avon watch out for WIDE BEAM Mintara ,means star 2.5 million light years away ,wish the current boat was there ...tosser... loves to give hire boats verbal f n b grief at the locks and whilst moored opposite the theatre complete arseole ..... typical wide beam attitude..Three LLLs LARGE BOAT LARGE EGO LARGE MOUTH Simple to deal with .....middle finger...