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Has this got anything to do with a boat mentioned in a previous thread which was locked? (Innocent face) Note to OP- based on my previous experience: By posting the position of this boat (and a photo) you have laid yourself open to accusations of poisonous spite by Chris Pink. This may eventually escalate to the mention of the police at your door.

I disagree! There is another way to get it done. While I know not everyone has the resources available to do so people could actually volunteer to clear overhanging vegetation for CRT themselves. Earlier this year a group us (all volunteers for The Chesterfield Canal Trust) offered to use The Trust's historic (Ex BW) Workboat Python to clear overhanging vegetation on The Chesterfield Canal for CRT. CRT lent us a pan to put the cuttings in, did a risk assessment, lent us all the equipment and H&S gear required to do the job and off we went. A small group of us got involved with the task over a couple of days. It was hard work but a huge amount of fun. We were not allowed to attempt to remove anything really big of course. We were working with loppers and bow saws only but if it is done regularly then you shuold never need anything larger than loppers and a bow saw! It was hard work and we all found a few muscles we didn't know we had got but we all had tremendous fun! While we were doing it we came across the local CRT guys repairing the bank further along the cut so us doing the non skilled stuff of trimming the vegetation freed them up to do the more serious stuff. Python and her volunteers will be continuing with the work when she returns to The Chesterfield Canal after the festival season and it is likely that weather permitting this is something we hope to start doing on a regular basis. If your local area would benefit from a bit of trimming offside and there is a canal society covering it perhaps they have access to a suitable vessel to do the same? Why not suggest it? Or perhaps you know someone with a boat that would be suitable? Something with a tug deck would be great. Form a group of willing volunteers and get on with it yourself. Or of course you could complain and moan to CRT about it. Anyone interested in reading about our bit of volunteer pruning can do so here: http://www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk/index.php/latest-news/press-releases/444-canal-a-river-trust-gets-help-from-python

Down the K and A.

Anyone giving stick to the RNLI is a prick. They do an outstanding job very often in circumstances that belay belief. They will have wanted to clear the barge before things got worse and would have considered causing superficial damage to a ponced up boat immaterial. Tim

It must be the coal, I fell in February (in the middle of the night) lifting a bag of coal. I have those steps at the back already mentioned and this allowed me to get out quickly. Without them I would have had to get heavy, waterlogged winter clothing off whilst in the water before I could pull myself out. I am fairly fit, a qualified lifesaver and experienced swimmer. I can see how people drown especially in winter - it can take only a few minutes for the cold to incapacitate. Everyone should try and plan a strategy for getting out, and perhaps even practise it on a nice summers day.

I find the 'stand up and walk' a dangerous piece of advice. I find that whenever I use the shaft, it sinks into several inches of silt, and it takes serious effort to pull the shaft out. Also, despite moans about lack of dredging and water, the average person will be lucky to have their head comfortably clear of the water. To make it sound like walking out of a paddling pool, is not clever. If you can't swim (with clothing on), wear a life jacket.

I wonder if we're in danger of confusing the OP here. I think it can be more simply described as "All power sources should be N-E bonded if used with an RCD on the boat". Shore lines in the UK will be N-E bonded anyway (even if it's only back at the sub-station). Generator should be N-E bonded. Inverter should be N-E bonded. Nothing else is a source, so nothing else should be bonded. Tony

Paul then let me know which ones please. I do try to keep this up to date on a daily basis when I hear from boaters. The page is suppose to be helpful and is for all of us boaters to reference our diesel. You could use the comment section on the blog.. Just a one liner will do or use the PM system here. We all need to try keep it updated.

A cigarette contains nicotine, and 400 other nasties, including tar. Some are known carcinogens. The nicotine is inhaled and absorbed, as is a percentage of the nasties. On exhalation, the 'second hand' smoke still contains many of these nasties. Hence no smoking indoors etc. E-cigs contain nicotine, and flavorouring. The exhalation consists of water vapour For those of us addicted to nicotine, e-cigs are a healthier option.For non smokers around us, e-cigs are a healthier option. Cigarettes are not a medicine, why should e-cigs be? Controlled, to ensure safety - no problem, but a medicine?

Looks interesting. If I'm honest, I think cats are pan-dimensional beings who skip off to parallel universes when they go out. How else do you explain the regular occurence of standing at the door calling you cat for ages and then they suddenly appear from nowhere at your feet, blinking at you?

As I understand it CaRt claim they intend to rigerously enforce the guidelines endorsed by the court in the "Bargee travellers" case. That means move move move with no option to take up residence in one area. The RMP is a pragmatic means to address the difficulties caused to those who have work and education links to a particular area built up over a period of residence whilst zero enforcement has taken place. The logic is that the total lack of enforcement and the habit of some bankside staff to make up their own "quiet life" interpretation instead of using that they were told to apply, has been largely to blame for this state of affairs arising. So if you have been in one area for a long time and have links there you can have a RMP and stay or move on as a CCer. If you decide to move to an area where RMPs are available you will be refused one and invited to continue your cruise. Once the first issue has been made there will be no others and RMPs will be non transferable. This is as I understand it, as a pragmatic and humane means to square the circle between intent to rigerously enforce and the reality on the ground after decades of non enforcement. If I've got that wrong then please someone correct me.

This thread is bizarre. Ron, as a fellow Aussie who actually lives on the canals of the UK with a cat, you are barking up the wrong tree mate. It's a different eco-system without the quantity of endangered marsupials and birds which we have in Australia. The reason why cats are a major threat to Australian wildlife is that our natives haven't evolved with a natural preditor; the British wildlife has. There has always been foxes, pine martens, weasels, stoats etc. You can't come in bombastically threatening people and pets on the basis of what happens in your backyard. There are virtually NO feral cats here in the UK compared to the population in Australia because the British people are intense animal lovers and there are socities and protection centres set up. Plus, referring to the woodlands and hedgerows of the towpath as 'the bush' has made me laugh out loud. Belling your cat and locking it in overnight help with wildlife in whatever country you are in as cats and their prey are usually nocturnal hunters. Welcome to the house of fun :-) The simple answer is that the territorial nature of cats works well for boats because the boat is their territory. They are unlikely to wander too far in the two week period you are allowed to spend anywhere because they aren't hugely familiar with that area. His reaction is fairly typical for an Australian. The eco-system in Aus is delicate because when Australia broke away from the mainland, it didn't take any preditory mammals with it. We are (or were) awash with tiny nocturnal marsupials which are fairly unique in the world; not to mention the birds. Cats turn feral very easily then rampage about slaughtering everything they can find. It's two very different situations and scenarios but Ron is just espousing views he thinks are popular among wildlife and nature lovers. So not a troll, just a passionate wildlife lover who hasn't understood the difference between his country and someone elses.