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Yes. Scaffold boards hung over the side. Or another option is loads of half full 20 litre plastic containers roped around at the waterline. The ice breaking is I think one thing where attitudes have changed over the years. My first winter 94/95 was spent partly near Wolfhampcote. It froze over properly. Ernie Kendall used to take the restaurant Boat 'Bracken' out with people eating their lunch while crashing through the ice. It was brilliant. Everyone was enjoying it all including me in my little narrow Boat. These days people are moaning about it. The attitudes on the canal have changed enormously in the last 30 years and not for the better. If the Boat can't deal with ice then don't keep it on a canal in winter.

Yes, but I'm sure the old working boatmen pulled along the canal by horses would have said something similar about your engine.

Sorry, got the waffles tonight - insomnia is a bugger. I do hate it when people say you should do so many miles to qualify as a cc'er. In our first two years we charged around, proud of the miles we covered. Then we realised that it'd be nice to actually visit the areas we passed through, put on our walking boots and explore. The last years of our cruising we travelled very slowly, taking advantage of each 14 day rule. Not because we were taking the p1ss but because that gave us the opportunity, within the spirit and the letter of the rules, to make the most of that wonderful experience. Our boat was our home and our life and our journey was always onwards, just very slowly. It was beautiful. And having a car meant we could go shopping!

Hi everyone, Thank you again for all your help, and sorry for the radio silence! I have an update to share. Another boater here at the marina has taken a look and spotted that there was a cable loose that was preventing my batteries from charging. That's reconnected so I'm able to start charging my batteries again. They're not as experienced with the electrics, so I've got someone coming out in January to take a look at that side of things. Hopefully it'll get sorted soon, but I just wanted to come back on to say thank you. I hope you all have a lovely New Year!

Text based communication is inherently limited. All the audible and visual clues such as intonation and facial expression are missing, which means it is difficult to interpret intent with accuracy. With the above in mind I will respond to 'claims to be an engineer' with the following: My name is Alec Gordon Gunner. I have worked for TWI Ltd, a UK-based engineering consultancy, since 2002 (my experience before this is relevant, but less directly so as I was developing fuel cells and then thin film displays, including the world's first full colour polymer OLED display, which I made in 2000), initially as a consulting engineer, supplemented with managing a team of engineers since 2006. I was awarded an Engineering Doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2010. I continue to provide engineering consultancy in my fields of expertise, although my 'day job' these days is a business development role, in which I identify how the broad capabilities of the business align with current and future industry needs and then develop our proposals for major bids, both in response to invitations to tender and convening joint industry projects with a small team of expert professionals. All the above can be found/verified through online search, including my patents and peer-reviewed publications which provides fully independent verification of my claim to be an engineer. With regard to restoration. I undertook the restoration of the Big Ricky 'Hagley' with two co-owners, winning the Ken Keay award from HNB(O)C in 2001. I undertook the restoration of the BCN Ice Boat 'Samson', winning the Ken Keay award from HNB(O)C in 2008. I have practical experience in the repair of cast iron, and in wrought iron (starting from access to considerable expertise and the world's largest library on the subject of joining processes). I have practical experience in casting design, including replication of cast components, realised through the use of rapid prototyping to produce both investment and sand cast components. I have reasonable experience in getting recalcitrant vintage engines to work (but I still regard magnetos as the work of the devil). I hope the above provides sufficient indication of my areas of knowledge. There are large gaps in my knowledge. I am too young to have experienced the days of trade, and am therefore reliant largely on written or photographic records, although I did have conversations with a few people who are no longer alive which filled in some of the gaps. It is clear that you also have a considerable amount of knowledge, but without knowing who you are, and what that knowledge specifically relates to, it is difficult to place in context. Alec

Just watching the latest 'Taylors Aboard' VLOG on YouTube from yesterday. They are doing daily updates on the breach, which are worth watching for the latest up-to-date situation as they are sharing what Peel Holdings are telling them. Peel have advised them they are hoping to refloat the stranded boats in the next couple of weeks. They use the same contractors that CRT use and at the moment they are busy with another job. I suppose that makes sense as there can't be an unlimited supply of companies and contractors in the UK experienced and capable of doing this sort of work, and with it being winter works season on the canals they are probably all working on other projects. The boaters also said Peel have offered all affected boaters accomodation in a hotel until the boats are re-floated, free fuel, and are arranging for them to be pumped out. So whilst from the outside there doesn't seem to be much movement from Peel, it seems the people who matter the most at the moment are being looked after by them and kept updated by staff on the grond.

Does anyone else find this recent cluster of new threads on contentious topics a bit suspicious?

People on land who don't pay their rent, or wreck their rented houses, lose their homes all the time. Sometimes it's because their landlord raises the rent to a level they can't afford but others can. The landlord is in business purely to make the maximum legal profit. Ensuring an adequate supply of homes is not the landlord's business - rather the opposite. Here, CRT just want people to either obey their rules or pay their way. They are desperate for more money and I suspect they now believe those who are permanently on the system (or pretend to be) should probably pay more than those who don't, rather than less. It does seem a logical view. Personally I think it's a shame, as it's one more curtailment of the freedoms of lifestyles and movement available in this country, but that's what happens when so many take the piss.

Why are you getting rid of your pets? Most dogs adapt to canal boating and settle in well once they know the "rules". Like not jumping on or off till told to and not being aggressive to folk walking past. If you feel that your dogs can't be trained to do this, why did you buy them in the first place. ? Sorry to be critical but I hear far too many stories of dogs having to be got rid off because the owner decided they didn't suit any more . In my mind if you take on the responsibility for an animal it is for the animals life .

Actually, the ideal buyer for my boat would be a youngster who had the enthusiasm to learn about the boat and how to maintain it. I couldn’t care less if he or she wore a neckerchief. My generation of boaters is diminishing and needs to be replaced by young blood. When we bought our first historic boat nearly forty years ago, we were able to buy it very cheaply and then spend the next twenty years gradually restoring it. Most of the historic boats that come to market these days, have already been restored and are therefore no longer within the reach of youngsters who have terrible cost of living issues to contend with. It would be a shame, but perhaps inevitable, if most historic boats ended up in the hands of wealthy elderly boaters.

The canal company is currently arranging for a cofferdamn to be installed closer to the breach site as soon as the embankment finishes moving, which it's currently doing at the moment. Only this morning a further crack appeared down the middle of the towpath for 50ft or so. Once the damn is in place it'll enable the re-watering of the length from Agden Bridge to just north of the winding hole by the Swan with 2 Nicks, and on the northern side, from the current limit at Back Lane bridge upto the start of the aqueduct. This will mean the currently stranded boats can be refloated again. And once that's done then work can start on rebuilding the canal. This point was made perfectly clear by both the engineer and manager. Sorry to disappoint all you nay sayers and glass half full types!

Simple, someone in trouble and within about 30 miles of Reading, I would do it for any of you, especially when holidays tend to close down professional help.

According to my wife, Feathers was actually playing the piece -- well, pressing the right keys -- unlike many actors playing musicians on TV, which really annoys her especially if it's an instrument she plays... Brindley for sure. As usual they must have had an absolute hoot making this, it's chock full of references to other films and hidden jokes. Probably need to watch it several more times... 🙂

i guess i should wish you all a happy new year! whilst theatre work has kept me busy, opening Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End, we have managed to complete a few bits and bobs around it. we've taken delivery of our beautiful 3 gallon water can from Ruth Chamberlain who we commissioned to paint it in her style with a nod to Bill Hodgson. The cabin is 95 percent welded, we've made the slide for the back cabin, out of Sapele and Oak, which has had a rough first coat of gloss, ready for sanding next week, in anticipation of final top coats which will be masked up, and a couple of coats of varnish. we've also tweaked the guard positions on the counter and finally trimmed off the excess uxter plate..... Although, I'm not sure now where we put our coffees.,..

Can't we just agree that CRTs policies aren't going to cost all boaters dearly and wind this thread up. I've no doubt Kris will start another anti CRT rant to make up for it. I really miss Thunderboat.

I think it is actually very rude to compare the Post Office scandal to the CRT terms and conditions. In the Post Office scandal innocent people went to prison, lost their homes and even killed themselves. That was a horribly serious and totally unacceptable miscarriage of justice.

That can't possibly be true. Lady G's original forum name was Lady Gardener. I can't think of any reason, other than being an avid vintage engine fan that she would call herself that.