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A useful index of some common CanalWorld Boat Building and Equipment Topics by smileypete A compiled index of some of the topics commonly discussed on Canalworld - the usual technical ones! Hopefully it'll be a handy resource for those with questions, problems or issues in these areas. Or for those wanting to learn a bit more all about this sort of stuff. Also here's a link to a Google Search for CanalWorld Forum: Google Search CanalWorld Forum (Please do link back to this post where it may help in a reply to a question.) Sorted into the following categories: Batteries! - Batt Woes - Batt Monitoring - Charger, Inverter - Alt, Genny - Solar - Lighting - Other 12V - Mains Eleccy Stove, Backboiler - Diesel, Gas Heating - Gas - Pumps - Other Plumbing - Refrigeration Hull, Exterior - Fitout, Interior - Engine - Internet, Wifi, Phone - PC, Lappie, Tablets - Other, Non Boats Please scrooooll down for the relevant category... Batteries! 12 volt battery bank hookups a new set off batteries Adding batterys to a 24 volt bank Advice Re: Traction Batteries Please Assessing The Condition Of A Leisure Battery Bank (Part2!) Balancing the domestic bank. Battery bank wiring Battery cabling Battery replacement Elecsol 220 Battery replacement recommendation in the Rugby area battery replacement tips Bow Thruster Battery Bow thruster battery replacement Can you mix sealed and flooded batteries? How to test and assess a second-hand leisure battery? leisure batteries? Leisure Battery bank connection, SmartGauge and cables. Leoch batteries? Maximum amount a healthy battery can recover after rest? Modern battery technology Need to replace starter battery New T105s safety and care with leisure batteries? Sterling desulphation kit storing old lead acid batteries Trojan batteries Trojan/US Battery's, What next? US Battery XC2200 Victron/battery isolator which batteries? Batt Woes Are my batteries shot? Batteries not holding charge Batteries, what to do next? Battery Issue battery panic-bubbling Boiled Batteries! Can You Explain My Dead Batteries? Exploded battery Flat Battery flat terybat New T105s WTF???!!! Reccommend a battery mechanic Northampton Batt Monitoring Ammeter Batteries and SOC Battery Bank Shunt Wiring Battery monitoring Battery voltage readings. BMV-600 battery monitor help needed Can A Shunt Be Faulty? Confusing Readings Determining the correct ammeters & shunts to buy Digital LED ammeter Fitting Smartbank How to test and assess a second-hand leisure battery? Hydrometer; baffling Mastervolt BTM battery monitor Measuring Amps Measuring consumption? merlin smartgauge battery monitor, how good? NASA battery monitor. shunt needed for victron bmv 501 Smart gauge / smart bank Smart Gauge and Batteries again! Smart Gauge battery Monitor Smartgauge ponderings Smartguage vs Solar Startling electric usage. Sterling power management Tail Current the dark art of battery readings. VDO Ammeter Victron Energy Battery Monitor model 600s HELP!! Voltage Charts / Hydrometer What do battery management systems do and do you need them. When our our batteries full? 4% at what voltage? Will this harm the boat? Charger, Inverter 20amp or 30amp Charger? Alternator Regulator Advice Appreciated Batteries nightmare Batteries permanently connected to charger Battery charger question Battery Charger Recommendations, Please Battery Charging questions Battery Equalistion Battery/Charger Issues Cable size for 1000W inverter (And battery q) Charging 24v Bow Thruster Batteries Charging a whole bank in 8hrs Charging voltage? Cheap Inverters... Dead Mastervolt Charger Dodgy Inverter connections Electrical/ charging problems Faulty charger or Fridge? Fitting Smartbank Having a problem using the washing machine heater installing new batteries and smartguage, and charging Inverter / Charger / Generator Inverter chargers Inverter for fridge Inverter for laptop Inverter Reliability and Service life Inverter to run a washing machine Inverter tripping shore power Invertor Use Mains C/H pump & inverter. Numax charger/ float/ equalise difference and expected behaviour RF earth leakage from Mastervolt combi Shall I charge batteries at a higher voltage during winter? Sinergex inverter Sterling Alternator Controller Failed? Sterling charger question Sterling Combi Low Charger Output Too many volts? Victron charger question Victron Inverter Aborption Light Volt amps? what's next? When is a battery fully charged? Will this harm the boat? Alt, Genny A127 alternator Additional Alternator Alternator and Inverter weirdness Alternator Charging Voltage Alternator loose wire? alternator performing poorly Alternator temperature Alternator w/internal regulator & remote sense Aluminium generator locker lid Can somebody advise me which is the better, generator or engine? Charging batteries with generator Cocoon Generator Cooked wiring from Alternator Energy production logistics Fried Travel Power Generator Grounding Generator wattage for charger How many amps does an engine add to batts New Alternator Advice Needed Please Petrol Generator storage Portable Generator Sizing Power generation Split charge relay Twinning up alternators unhappy generator pulsing Vetus Generator Question. Got me puzzled Victron genny & water pump issue Solar 24v Dual solar panel connection A different approach to solar and batts etc A year of real world solar panel data Another clueless solar power post (sorry) Are these Solar Panels any good? Cable required for two solar panels Electrical voltage drop solar charging battery question! Final decision on my solar panels and controller High voltage readings with solar panels Immersion and Solar Interference from solar power My solar panels are installed....except..... Need help choosing solar gear New Solar Installation Quickie Solar Question Series or parallel for solar Solar controller MPPT or PWM Solar hot water solar hot water systems Solar MPPT Charge Controllers Solar Panel Charging Quirk Solar panel connected direct to battery bank Solar panel connections solar panel tax? Solar panels solar panels Solar Panels... where do I start? Solar performance solor controler wiring Three solar panels, connect in series or parallel? Tilting Solar Panels Tracer mppt wiring connectors Tracer-4215RN MPPT Controller What solar panel should I buy? Whats the difference between mppt and pwm Winter Solar Performance Wiring in solar panels with different voltages wiring solar panels Lighting Changing to LED constant 12 volt supply to lights ? (flickering) L.E.D.s are coming Led Lighting Led Wiring Radio Interference Other 12V 12 volt battery bank hookups 12v Advise needed 12v cabelling advice please 12v circuit problems 12v current limiter to slow 12v fan 12V DC to 14V DC Adapter 12v or 24v? 12v three pin plugs 4 way MAXI blade fuse holder Are bow thrusters worth the money ? Boat Monitoring System Cable size Confused about fuses converting a tv to 12v Fat cables! Ideally 70mm sq Fitting Smartbank Fuse HOW ?*!? much? Is there an alternative? Getting electricity through a bulkhead Glow plug relays High current fuses and circuit breakers High Volts or High Amps? Installing 12v system- advice for someone who can't understand electric Insulating A Bus Bar My Boat Elecrical Plan new water pump Oil filled radiators PWM DC Motor Controller Resettable blade fuse Sky HD+ Box on 12v? Soft Starting My Fridge Startling electric usage. Switching. Another newbie question Too many volts? Volt amps? what's next? Voltage Sensitive Relay Wiring diagram Mains Eleccy 240V Install Advice Needed 240v/12v electrics ideas sought Auto switching from 12v to 240v Best Laptop advice Change over relay Cheap galvanic isolator Consumer Unit Correct RCD Dongle Advice Electric heater for unattended use Electrical/galvanic Isolator Query foil bubble insulation / radiant barrier ?? Galvanic Isolator Galvanic Isolator GI Leak with inverter Having a problem using the washing machine heater in-line electricity meter Installing mains electric Is this electrical cable suitable for my boat? Masterboard for behind fire My Boat Elecrical Plan Quick question RCDs and isolation transformers Shoreline cables shoreline switch Wiring a 240V MCB box Stove, Backboiler 12v circulation pumps Back Boiler Back Boiler and pumped CH Back boiler heating? back boiler set up... Back boiler system design Back boiler/Hot Water problems Back Boiler/How Water Woes..... back boilers Backboiler problems Burning Foraged Wood Calorifier on gravity system Calorifier to stove backboiler Central heating plan central heating pump Circulation pump speed Fireboard packing? Fixing a pumped Back Boiler system Flue advice Gravity fed heating, good but not quite right! Gravity feed system pipe heating yet again Heatproof silicone and high temp stuff in tubes, what's good for stove reassembly? Is a backboiler a good idea? Is there a simpler way... Keeping boiler stove in over night Mains C/H pump & inverter. Morso squirrel back boiler safety help plumbing Quietest CH pump Radiator circuit install Radiator problem Redirecting hot water to rads via stop cock Sfs installation Size of Multifuel Burner Small radiators stove back boiler central heating install Thermocycling questions Thermostatic Calorifier valve Victas Fire Cement Which Fireboard? Why is my heating not working? Diesel, Gas Heating ALDE boiler test and repair job Alde Pump Clatters After Water Temperature Rises Confusion over gas water heaters Diesel Heater Eberspacher for quick heat Eberspacher problems Frost Stat mikuni heater sensor Mikuni issue in newly acquired boat Morco boiler installation Morco D61 or F11 Morco D61 wont fire up Morso gas heater won't light Paloma water pressure problem Paloma woes revisited Professional install of diesel central heating Propex heating unit Replacing Eberspacher fuel pipe coupling Running rads straight from the engine Webaso Thermo Top Z/C WEBASTO ECU WARRENTEE? Webasto Glow Plug webasto installation for heating only Webasto only getting water warm Webasto Thermo 90/s/st Webasto wont start Gas Connection of gas appliances Flexihose on gas cooker Gas bubble tester Gas engineer near Harlow/Roydon area? Gas Fittings gas ovens and hobs... Gas pipe alongside coal stove Gas Pipe Clips Gas piping sizes Gas regulator sizing Gas water heaters Locating a gas leak Propane gas regulators. Low pressure acceptable on boats? Pumps 12v circulation pumps Alternatives to Shurflo water pump? Another broken water pump question... Banging Pressure relief valve bilge pump float sensor bilge pumps Cabin Bilge Pump anyone? float switch bilge pump not working NOW working Flojet Shower drain Pump Fresh water pump. Hot Hot Flojet Water Pump Installing a bilge pump from scratch Jabsco water pump Shurflo Pump Shurflo water pump Victron genny & water pump issue Water pump issues Water pump pressure switch failure Water Pump Problem? Whale Gulper Pump problem Which hose is best for whale gulper 220 pump Other Plumbing 12v gate valve. 15mm required A question of PTFE tape BSP to hose fittings butler/belfast sink waste fitting Calorifier confusion Calorifier Help! Candy Washing Machine Problem Cold water plumbing question Composting Toilets Connecting plastic pipes to copper Expansion Vessel for potable hot water Fitting an immersion heater to calorifier Flexible Sanitry Hose Frost Stat Has anybody installed a urinal on a narrowboat? Help help finding immersion boss Immersion Heater, thermal cut out (not thermostat) LEAK! (plumbing) Morco boiler installation Poppy's Petulant Plumbing (again) Porta Potti 265 repairable? PRV for Calorifier Replacing a radiator valve Replacing Thermostatic Shower Majiggey Smaller Calorifier? Solvent Weld ABS Pipe for Narrowboat Pump out Fittings Storing Heat T port ball valve tecma silent plus toilet Thermostatic Calorifier valve Thermostatic mixer valves for showers on boats....single lever or bar mixer type Thermostatic Shower Mixer Thetford Cassette Twin Calorifiers Water pressure issue Refrigeration 12 v fridge fettling 12 volt Fridge 12 volt fridge problem 12v freezer Circulation for the Fridge? Cooling Fridge with air from bilge. Damn Fridge External Gas Fridge Vent Faulty charger or Fridge? Freezers Fridge Not Turning Off Fridge Power Consumption Fridge/freezer problem. Gas fridge freezer on a boat. LEC 12v fridge misbehaving mysteriously Possible fridge/freezer to suite a boat soft start for fridge/freezer? technical 230v fridge question Hull, Exterior Aberdeen, we have a problem. (What a mess!) Anchor size Best jigsaw blade for cutting through roof Blacking over Comastic with cheaper bitumin. Blanking off a skin fitting Boat Painting Cheap timber supplier? cladding cabin exterior on 70s cruiser Dealing with boatyard/contractors Do you really need windows? Eyebolt for anchor fixing Filling in dents on a fibreglass top Galvanic Corrosion harborough marine GRP roof How Many Ways Can A Boat Sink? New Windows Fitting. overpainting owatrol oil with toplac? Overplating needed 2.5yrs after good survey? Plank Prepping surfaces for painting RCD? Rear Deck Boards removing paint Repairing hatch Replacing the engine cover Romoving rust and sealing around mushroom vents Roof Colour In This Heat Wave.....dark Roofs Must Be Dying? rust bullet Rusting windows screws (stainless steel?) Self Tapping Screws Sikaflex 290DC Deck Caulking some more advice please Toplac paints on wood?? Two painting questions: silicone and rain. uPVC Wheelhouse Vactan vs Owatrol? Waterproofing marineply Welding Equipment What grit to add to deck paint which dehumidifier for CC'er with no electric hook-up?? Window One Way Mirror Film Window Refurbishment Wood on Rails around Cruiser Stern Wood to Metal Would you buy a springer thats been plated How Many Ways Can A Boat Sink?

Fit out, Interior Adhesives, wood blocks to steel Alternative to Aquapanel for shower construction Bathroom refit Best varnish for indoors and out Boat Monitoring System Composting Toilet Question Custom made spring mattresses. Damp issues Dehumidifier Dehumidifier crystals Dried wood and peeling varnish around windows inside Interior painting mdf v plywood Need advice about sink skin fitting Odor for pump out toilet system Painting Over Tongue-n-Groove Quadrant Shower Refitting costs Retrofitting Insulation Rockwool for welding? rustproofing engine bilges and inside of hull Self fit-out: should I? Shower pod Spray Foam and deck fittings? Spray foam or cavity injection. UFH Under mattress mesh Varnish for Oak Ply Varnishing or wood staining interior woodwork Ventilating Wardrobe Water in cabin bilge- update What Glue to stick wood battens to metal Hull Wooden floor split Measuring Roof Curve? Fire Extinguishers Smoke Alarm Tests When Clocks Go Back smoke alarms Engine Blown head gasket (again!) BMC 1.8 Wiring Diagram or Pre-made loom needed Damp (very) starter motor emergency gasket seals in nuneaton Engine bay repaint. Engine oil My overheating problems. Sensible place to plumb in oil coolers Un-seizing screws Internet, Wifi, Phone 02/. orange . 3 . virgin etc 3 Mobile internet 3G signal boosters 3G wireless routers with an external antenna port. Another .mobile broadband solution. Charging mobile phone external phone connector Getting the best internet connection inside the boat Giffgaff conned us all! Hifi iPhone 3G iOS and apps....... iPhone signal repeater Mobile internet Non Time Limited Broadband Sim? Phone Cable Problematical internet connection on narrowboat resolved Recommendation for internet on boats Sim for dongle T-Mobile &quotSMPT&quot code needed for web and walk Wifi WiFi Reception WiFi Signal booster PC, Lappie, Tablets 12v adapter for laptop and good speakers required. 12V laptop adapters Any Top Tips For HP Colour Inkjet Where A Colour No Longer Prints ... Best Laptop advice Best laptop for extended usage on 12v Card readers for on line banking.... Computer problem Computer virus? Dell PC eBay not working in Firefox HP Sleekbook laptop- does anyone have one? Kindle Fire HD £99 Laptop Charging Laptop Power Choices Low wattage pcs Ripping DVD's and playing them.... Tablet Ubuntu and WIN 8 USB Extension cable Which Tablet For &quotproductivity&quot? Windows 7 Laptop Power Choices Other, Non Boat Another new toy Any Top Tips For HP Colour Inkjet Where A Colour No Longer... Calor Gas Prices 6/1/14 Candy Washing Machine Problem Cheap drill alert! Cheap winter hat on Ebay. Close coupled toilet (domestic not boat) Grrrrrrrr.. Cordless drills DeWalt battery unit recovery Domestic (land lubber) shower cable Domestic Combi Boiler Problem Electric saws Festool battery How Do You Discourage Glis Glis If you thought an Eco fan was expensive.... Issues connecting to the site? Makita BHP453 drill repairs. Metal hulls and GRP hulls Mini Rig Scaffolding poles in a flood Stainless Steel Narrowboat for Sale Supermarket internet shopping deliveries The Thames Tool Box Size and Contents Washing machine making strange noises Weird bicycle freehub Wet Vacuum cleaners Worst insect bite or sting ever Boat Fire Regents Canal

For interest here's how Dave Harris launches his boats - including mine . He doesn't use a crane but slips the boat straight out of the shed stern first down the ramp. Almost to the end it's under total control and reversible then it gets exciting. This is a very abridged description of busy day. The shed doors are opened and floor planks over the water are removed: Note the height of the door. The boat is then jacked up by hand and rollers put under the base plate; A Strop and cable is attached and anchored to the fork lift and the boat is pushed back onto the ramp and carefully jacked to tilt it. After carefully pushing back whilst balancing the boat it goes onto the ramp where rollers have been placed and the cable and tirfor is now holding the boat. The boat is slowly lowered on the tirfor. Of course you have to provide plenty of sandwiches, cakes, goodies and beer for all those who come to see the fun. While all your guests (including but not limited to Jim Evans and Keith Ward) are making whoopee with that lot you have to labour on the jack and tirfor; At this stage the boat is more or less steady so the base plate is trimmed off whilst the boat is held by a cable from the fork lift to the T stud. The weed hatch has been checked about ten times at this stage. - yes, it has happened but not to Dave! Now it gets exciting as the boat is uncoupled and nudged by Dave on the forklift. As the bow clears the top central roller it rocks as can be seen by the water mark and away she goes. When you are on the end of the rope to the T stud it's very exciting wondering if you are about to take a swim following 20 tons of boat whilst your guests drink even more beer and offer advice. And here it is all back under control.

So do we all, of course, however I just can't see CRT saying "never mind, we'll write off the NAA fees from the old company and start again with a new NAA with a new company operated by the same people". More likely they will refuse an NAA, then there will be a long and acrimonious legal battle meanwhile the marina remains cut off. A better (ie swifter) outcome would be if the marina owners/operators had to sell up.

I have no experience with CRT whatsoever. I do find this thread, and this forum, interesting though. I certainly have nothing against CRT, and I don't think that I've shown any anti-CRT trend in my posts. I do abhor the scam of austerity budgets - it's nothing more than the rich wanting to get richer on the backs of common folks. I do think that everyone that profits/benefits from your waterways should pay for those waterways, not just the boaters. There is a whole lot of non-boating tourist activity associated with your waterways, which means that a whole lot of people are profiting from them. IMHO, they should all be made to help with the cost. As far as my motives for being on this forum, I have no more obligation to explain them than anyone else here.

Also ignoring lucid and correct explanations notably from Richard #712 and Paul H #698 here and BEngo #61 on the parallel thread of how this charge came about. In essence when pleasure boating started really taking off entrepreneurs developed marinas. Most of the original ones were old working docks, laybys etc and had Rights enshrined in original canal Enabling Acts. Others took to digging new holes in the ground and BWB seized on the idea of charging what was then known as a connection fee. These fees were generally arbitrary and British Marine Industries Federation and Association of Pleasurecraft Operators pressed for standardisation, ultimately reaching agreement with BWB on a set 9% of potential mooring income. Whatever the lawfulness of these charges the industry as a whole felt some charge was justified but simply argued the amount. Subsequently BWB agreed also to reduce the number of on-line moorings in the vicinity. So Pillings came onto the scene when all this was in effect, long after the industry’s associations had agreed the payment scheme; it was not imposed on them after they dug their hole. It is not a tax of any kind whatsoever - the NAA charge is a business overhead and perfectly valid analogies have been offered. It is not a 9% addition to mooring fees in his marina - if it is only half full then you would have to say it is an 18% levy on the boats actually there. I’m sure PaulPillings is very happy to have boat owners calling for NAA charges to be dropped - on past evidence it is extremely unlikely he would pass the savings on the the moorers in his basin. On the other hand C&RT would have an even larger hole in their finances which would inevitably mean even less maintenance being carried out.

Deary me! How many times does Adam have to simply explain this on the forum for everyone to get it? The only thing C&RT have done wrong in the whole Pillings episode is not shutting them down sooner. Lets have everything for free & let everyone do exactly what they want hey.......... lets see what that leads to. I cannot see any C&RT rules / regs & fees that are not simple to understand & follow. Its not as if its the offside rule in Football! If you do not like them go & get a caravan instead. C&RT are not perfect by any means but do we not all understand without RULES & REGS & COSTS it will just be anarchy? You know the rules of the game before you start or should do. Someone start a bog thread FFS!

Given the choice of mooring in a marina with access to the network, and mooring in another (fictional) marina that costs 9% less but has no access to the cut, I'd prefer to pay the 9% in perpetuity and have access in perpetuity to the 2000 miles of canal out there. MtB

It is not BW/CRT's fault that Pillings Lock business plan was so way off. Ventnor Farm had a business plan, it worked, they had a waiting list, so they did a plan for phase 2, and filled it. Perhaps Pillings started off well then plummeted, perhaps the business plan should have started with a smaller berthage in a large pool and extended berths once full. Perhaps if the young Pillie hadn't driven so many moorers away, it would have been full. Even so, at 70% of capacity, if CRT had been offered 70% of the fee, they may have come to an agreement, but the pitiful amount offered over 4 years in no way reflects number of boats they had at one point.......even though it has been dropping ever since.

Mr. Goose, I am sure that many people here wish for a happy ending to this troubled tale, with the marina remaining open. You suggest that some posters have been "insulting, rude and downright evil". May I draw your attention to your comments in bold type: "Why not butt out" and "Some of you are truly sick". Many people would consider these expressions to be insulting and rude also. You are of course welcome on this forum, but perhaps you would consider not trying to reform its other inhabitants after being here for ten minutes.

It was funny Shyster .... I do have a thought though for John Lillie. It must be awful for him and his wife to see the dream that they had regarding this marina end like this. Never mind the devastation to his family. Louise

I am not aware that walkers, cyclists, and riders use the locks or require there to be enough water to float a boat. Nor are anglers a major drain on the trust's resources. Having said that, I think that the canals are such a vital piece of our heritage and contribute so much to the landscape and to leisure facilities generally that the government should pay the lion's share of keeping them going.

Equal conditions are applied to all and sundry, in respect of any new agreements that have been entered into. There are, however, historic cases where there is a lower (or zero) charge. Let us say that you own a long established marina, that predates the standard 9% of maximum mooring income deal. When you father opened the marina in 1963, the deal that he did with BWB was that he would pay £5 per boat using his marina, with the amount rising with inflation each year. He now pays £76 per boat per year (and nothing on the unoccupied moorings). You could suggest that it isn't equitable that he should have such a good deal, compared to a marina up the road that pays £200 per berth (including unoccupied berths). However, that was the deal that BWB did with him back then, and no matter how "unfair" it might be to competitors, it would be far more unfair if CRT were to come along an unilaterally change the terms.

Not that I can see If you want to start a conspiracy you'll have to be more explicit Richard

Then the law should be changed. Many moons ago,I worked for a small family business that been going for nearly 100 years, employing maybe 30 staff. It was a supplier to the trade company,and I was a Rep. We had maybe100 small accs, 50 med accounts, and 3/4 major accounts. Our company had to grow employ and invest for the larger customers I remember the day when a large customer forced us to accept from 30days to 60 days, which over time increased to 90 days, They dictated terms!! Then a large cheque bounced, they told are accounts dept to get me to pop in and they issued another from a different bank that bounced! Next time we went Md deirctors and me as a rep, they told us the business had been liquidated, i remember arriving outside their premises looking at porches and a ferari ,their sales people a row of cotsworths,and now around a big boardroom table they were a different company! Sorry they said, they had taked advice, that's it good bye! omg. Over the next 2 months our company went bust, I had worked their just 12 years the MD and the whole factory employees the team were without a company or a job. Many who had worked their since they left school. After nearly 100 years trading ended by A handful of young people who played the system, it was a long term plan all along I imagine Found out a little wile later the customer in question who started again bought our liquidated stock,assets from the liquidators. Mental!, As mike said and I agree Our company directors accounts dept,all were naive there was no Internet then, fax had just come out! And the owners 2 brothers in their 70s, most staff in their 50s etc been with the company from when they left school we all naive. They were gentleman, our old fashioned family based company wasn't ready for the likes of the Paul lilies of this world. Col

You guys are making me blush. I just did what anyone else who could, would. The problem was one of the sections of pipe was about an inch too short. Presumably over some length of time and repeated pressurisation and depressurisation it had worked loose enough to leak. It seemed wiser to replace the pipe and fix the problem properly, than wait for it to inevitably happen again. The only thing was we ended up buying a 3m length of the pipe when only a 40cm length was required. Oh and a pair of plastic pipe shears. It was worth doing the locks for the soup and apple pie - very tasty. Rob

And above all according to a Dachshund-Mastiff cross which had a quiet word in my ear after I attempted to steel its bone in a moment of terrible hunger, I only wanted to make soup with it and I would have offered it some too. This dog was an embarrassed and angry kind of dog, caused I suppose by its strange and macabre looks. Its legs were all mixed up and of differing lengths. O/S/F one was a short Dachshunds hind leg, N/S/F a Mastiffs fore leg, O/S/R was a Mastiffs hind leg and on its N/S/R a Dachshunds fore leg. As you can imagine this dog walked along in a very wonky manner and was the laughing stock of all the local dogs. Anyway the handy bit of advice this dog whispered in my ear was to never ever smile at a strange dog or any dog unless you really know it. Its the teeth you see, showing your gnashers when smiling at a dog can be the signal for it to attack and bite you, why? cos it thinks your snarling at it and about to attack and intends to get in first in self defence. So if you happen to have been bestowed by nature with a permanent teethy grin, be careful. If you happen to have whopping great goofy teeth keep them covered up when out of doors by wearing a full face helmet, a muffler or keep your hand over your mouth as if your yawning all the time, just in case you come face to face with a strange hound spoiling for a fight.

You may not be dreaming, but I have never seen the evidence for the claim. Certainly, there was never any sort of legal change in the '80s relevant to the issue. It is more likely that BW simply claimed in certain cases [as they did systematically before the status transition] any unregistered land alongside the canals and rivers. Courts no doubt upheld such individual cases from time to time; they are always inclined to believe that the authority knows what it is talking about - and that its probity is unquestionable. [Whereas I only believe that it does know what it is talking about . . .]

Have a word with Debdale Marina on the Leicester section they have a new shed , for grit blast and two pack.

I've been reading this topic with some amusement and some horror. It strikes me that here is some reasoned arguing but an awful lot of gossip mongering and headless chicken syndrome. The dispute is between CaRT and QMP so why don't we just sit back and see what develops. As somebody who is just finishing fitting out a boat after being ripped off by a cowboy builder and have a thirty year lease at Pillings, shouldn't it be me that is worrying. In my past life I have seen too much grief and read too many suicide notes to realise that this may not be the end of the world.

I'm glad it was the mugger who drowned and not his victim. And also agree with a previous post about the guy who was found not guilty of excessive force for breaking his would be burglars legs. Should have been his neck.....

It may be a myth and cliche in your world but not in mine, my experience with rats stems from going rat hunting in bombed out houses in London when I was a kid and extended upto the point I was hauling milk around Boston and I still maintain there are plenty of rats around.Phil

Wow, do you all realise you're about to incur the wrath of the hardcore PC types who lurk on this forum just waiting to react to unsympathetic posts like these? While I can't feel satisfaction in anyone's death, it's also difficult for me to feel much sympathy for a mugger who comes off worse. Edit: they probably won't bite now I've said that...

Thank you Graham, what would we do without you? I have been told on more than one occasion that this is a discussion forum and discussions move off the original subject. Apparently this is negotiable.

An explanation may be in order. My courses are aimed either at those who would like to paint their own boat for the satisfaction of doing it and for those who couldn`t afford to pay a professional. This usually precludes those with huge amounts of money to throw at their latest craze - be it a boat or a vintage car. A good course may have 10 paying students and a couple of Boat Museum trainees/volunteers who don`t pay. So, all in all it cannot be alllowed to become too pricey or my target audience, particularly those with little money, may not come. . It is in fact among the very cheapest weekend courses run by an experienced tutor at , shall we say less than a three figure sum per person. Sometimes there may be only 6 paying customers! I pay room rent, travel costs , refreshment costs for the pupils and my own living expenses - being 300 miles from home ! So WITHOUT PAYING FOR MAGAZINE ADVERTS. how much do you think I make for two days driving, two days teaching and prep. time? I simply cannot afford mainstream advertising as things are. The answer is probably to put the price up - but I`m trying not to if I can blag a bit of free publicity wherever I can find it ! This may be wrong of me and less than proper business practice - so I shall, until there is a universally fair way forward, not compromise the integrity of this forum a third time! Incidentally - for those who don`t know - I count myself a BOAT painter. I`m NOT someone who paints roses and castles on anything other than boats when appropriate and on items used by the working boats. I felt the need to say that ! Dave Moore will understand !