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I know I will get shouted down for this, but, nothing is perfect and I happen to feel that every penny of my licence fee is well worth it. TBH if the grand or so a year one has to pay to use this, generally beautiful and unique facility is that much of an issue - then perhaps boating is not for you? Nothing comes for nothing. It is not a cheap living option, but a chosen one, and for many of us it is just a luxury. Cars also cost a small fortune, but we pay up, to keep and enjoy what we have, we boaters have to do the same.

We spent 20 years on the levels and have farmer friends on the levels. My parents owned The Langport Arms , my husband was the local butcher. and later we lived near Bridgwater, our daughters godparents , both sets are somerset level farmers , now marooned , can't even get out by tractor, one has just bought a small hover craft , yet to see how that pans out . Langport was originally called 'Longport' and the sailing ships used to sail up the Parrott from Bridgwater , they used to unload in Langport and the cargo went further up the Parrott to Long Load. Up until 10 years ago the drainage board was responsible for the welfare of the rivers and rynes (rynes are anything from 3ft to 20ft wide 4ft to 15ft deep, cut into the sedge peat and generally running straight)think of Holland , because it was the Dutch that improved these waterways. The boards were abolished ( I think under Baroness Young , could be wrong about which labour peer ) the only drainage board to survive is The Broads, and the dredging stopped immediately . Locals and farmers have been protesting since day one and have not ignored. This is a community that have handed farms down from generation to generation, worked the levels and managed the water. The houses and villages that are now being flooded are hundreds of years old , not new flood plane builds. People on the levels are used to flooding but not on this scale. Yes there would have been more flooding than usual, but no where near this scale, and they would have got on with it , these people don't bleat, they get on with it they are farmers that what they do ,help one another, just like I hope we boaters would . The R.S.P.B bought a big parcel of land on the levels ( about the same time as dredging stopped ) to in courage wading birds ( the first place visited by Mr Smith yesterday). The levels are peat based. Down on the moors if you jump up and down it moves with you , springy and spongy, as in soaks up water and (don't know who said it ) but it has been kept wet in the summer now , not allowed to dry out ( for the birds) . So would dredging help , too bloody right, talk to the people who have worked the levels for generations . Bunny.

With due respect, your opinion does not matter one jot. The situation IS what it IS and ain't gonna be changed in the near future. We could all find 'better' billing methods to suit ourselves (and not suit others) for all sorts of situations. If you don't like it, don't buy a boat! Blunt? yes, and sorry, I'm not having a pop at you - that's the way it is. ....

Sianimelyn, Thank you very much for posting this. I find Phil's comment about CRT needing to be satisfied that any new NAA holder will be able to meet it's obligations faintly worrying as I'm sure QMP showed BW they were perfectly able to meet their obligations too. I'm still worried that CRT are going to sleepwalk into exactly the same situation AGAIN. CRT need to be asking for something more solid like a substantial security deposit or a first charge over a property e.g. the marina, a house or some other sort of freehold property. The other interesting comment is his observation that QMP has not been liquidated yet but continues to exist, under control of the liquidator Mr D A Nelson, a point we all seem to have overlooked on here! Phil Spencers says Mr Nelson is in dialogue with CRT to help explain how QMP was unable to meet it's obligations, which is a polite and formal way, I think, of saying he is on CRT's side and will explain in full detail how they got so badly scammed and how to avoid it happening again next time around. Another aspect seems to be that while QMP still exists, CRT will not be entering NAA negotiations with No.750 Leicester Limited (or anyone else) so the closing off of the marina entrance still seems likely. All in all though, it looks as though CRT have similar concerns to many of those voiced here. They could almost have been reading this thread. MtB

Re your thread title... Surely you mean "Losing the wool to live"? MtB

Not really, but the real problem is that most of them want to live in the South. Preferably a nice, idilic river side location. There is plenty of room up North, or in Scotland, to double the current population.

I always thought it was 'caveat emptor'.

You mean this one? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUNNING-DECORATIVE-CANAL-BARGE-WARE-GYPSY-ART-HAND-PAINTED-BUCKET-/190813227556?pt=UK_Home_HomeDecor_Accessories&hash=item2c6d5aca24&nma=true&si=y07vvruHYL0b1CjyOsMo247aSkk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Having a bit of experience of liquidation, that's exactly the way I read it Does a liquidator have any clout over wrongful trading s/he encounters then? What would happen if Mr Nelson considers the whole affair arose from wrongful trading? Who would listen? Who would take action? The police? HMRC? Serious Fraud Office? http://www.sfo.gov.uk/ Would this count as serious fraud? Is there a Trivial Fraud Office too? MtB

IIRC the actual cost for the haulage was well under £1K, the rest of the fees were for cranes, tax and a charge the Marina charges to let the cranes & haulage use their launch area. Again ours is a WB, so I would expect a skinny boat to be much less; if for no other reason then the tonnage would be significantly less. I could be completely wrong, but understand the price is calculated on the length, width and tonnage of the vessel (some equation used) then x by the road miles of the journey

I'm sat here watching the old girl Abbey. She is an indomitable character. I suppose as dogs go she has been around for quite a long time. In that time she has obviously observed us at close quarters. She is aware of every slight inflection in our voices. So for instance, whispering about going to the vet is sure to alert her. Not only that she observes what we do and more to the point, she knows exactly when we are scheduled to do it. If we decide to have a trip to the shops when we should not be going to the shops she is instantly placed on high alert. Now, because the dog suffers from anxiety attacks when left alone we have to organise our outings whilst she is having one of her frequent siestas. As I write, 09:45 she is up and around early. Her day tends to start much closer to 11am than 10am. I have just laid out her food. She sidled up, gives it as close a visual inspection as her old eyes will allow. When she finally decides that we are not trying to poison her. She carefully extracts one tiny piece to conduct further taste tests upon. So, she makes a unilateral decision that today the fare on offer is not up to the expected standard. So now, she has to make a judgement call. Ignore, eat or bury. She decided to go for the latter option. With consummate ease the old girl decides that the carpet can be rearranged to cover the food. A quarter of an hour later and after much pushing and thrusting with her nose. The dish has made two laps round the coal scuttle. But the task is still unachieved. Its at this point she becomes a bit irritated. There are several short pauses while she re-evaluates the situation. A further short bust of nose shuffling round the bowl leaves her even more frustrated. A change of plan, is required so she decides to lay alongside the dish guarding the contents from our other dog Poppy. Poppy starts much earlier in the day and has long since had her breakfast. in fact her dish has been washed and dried ready for future use. The old girl decides that a short walk might help. She paces up and down the boat. Returning to look at the food bowl once more. Even more pacing is obviously called for. On her return, there is a low whimper of frustration before a further futile round of carpet nuzzling. She has a drink from her water bowl. before contemplating the situation once more. Conducted this time from a position in front of the stove. A new strategy is decided upon. She eats half the content of the bowl. Thereby reducing the amount of food to be buried. A further protracted round of nose shuffling of the carpet round the bowl. However, even with the amount of consumables reduced by half, the task remains unachieved. Its at this point I am brought into the equation for persuasion. She places herself in my line of sight. With occasional glances at the food bowl. However, I choose to remain ignorant of her commands. Now there is an added, whimper or two. With more frequent glances at the food bowl. I still have not made eye contact. Now, there is a small whimper which comes with a light and delicate touch of a paw on my shin. I still choose to ignore the request. The ultimate weapon is now deployed, when a hairy chin is placed gently upon my knee. I can see in the midst of the hair, two dark eyes, (one is slightly milky from the onset of a cataract) which are in close proximity to a small dark nose. There is a small pleading whimper, from the hairy and cute monster. I acknowledge and she immediately looks at the food bowl, before returning her gaze to me once more. "OK" I say, getting up I place the bowl out of reach. With a sidelong glance, she heads for her bed. She begins to turn round and round in circles. She makes several turns in the opposite direction before resuming back to circling the other way again. There is an unsatisfied plop of her rear end, before I am placed in her gaze one more. She returns to circling again, first this way and then that. Followed by another unceremonious flop to her haunches. I am once more the object of her gaze. So I move her bed a little closer to the stove. Then I gently lay her on her side after plumping up her bed. There is a contented sigh, as she lays back once more. The eyes close just as the blanket is tucked in at the edges. Arranging my day, is such a tiring task. I know my place and so does she.

no, I would rather stick hot pins in my eyes!

The most confusing is probably the "Moore mooring". Moore is a village on the Bridgewater, and has a small length of bank available for short stopping. There was a campaign a few years ago to expand this, named the "more Moore mooring" campaign - which found unlikely sponsorship from the British Stammering Association.

Well I did my first night time cruise on Wednesday Night. I went to bed as usual at about 10pm and when I woke up in the morning I was on the other side of the canal about 500 meters from where I was when I went to bed.

We shall have to agree to have a different concept of "appalling" then. CRT at not responsible for people who, very unfortunately (though occasionally, as a result of choices they made) are unable to comply with the rules. Nor do I want my licence money spent on helping them. I pay plenty of taxes to social services etc for that, and would rather my money to CRT was spent on the network, and yes that includes ensuring people abide by the rules. And I have to say, the inclusion in the thread title of "disabled" riles me. Disabled people have to abide by the rules same as everyone else, which of course the vast majority do. Being disabled is no get out of jail free card.

On the subject of engine size,am i right in thinking that a Lister JP2 is nearly 3 litres cubic capacity and a JP3 is nearly 4 litres? Both these engines are often used in narrow boats?

For sure widebeams are great for space but cruising the system in a wide beam would be a pain even in the little areas you can go. I would say it its what you want to do then dont limit yourself 58ft narrowboat with a well thought out fit out will provide plenty of space