Leaderboard

This is probably the time where I explain the more finer details of using a well know burger chains loo without having to give them a penny. First step, walk in, never make eye contact with the service staff, head for loo and do business - known as a 'Big crap' or McShit. If intercepted by staff member, or if door is locked until someone asks to open it, tell them you need the loo but will be buying lunch on the way out - use loo, then head straight for door on exit, skip down street having left what they surely deserve. - Known as a 'Big crap with lies' This can work equally well in most establishments however always be aware of your, er, exit. Peace Rob

Would this be the number two option?

Your right Bod I owe him a lot and others I have worked with and met along the way We should enjoy the journey not just the destination

Seen a few of these now in this shape which i really like, all different lengths, and all 3 said were built by 3 different manufacturers....

I reckon if I used quality colour printing and produce an A4 periodical called ...... "World of Narrow Practical owner Boat" I could charge £4 every month. It could have a pointless or random photo on the front of probably .... a boat .....or well known tourist area. "End of Season Prepare Your Boat" or "Beginning of Season Prepare Your Boat" Would make good front cover headlines along with ..... "Water Shortages", "Cruising Guides" "This Ring/That Ring" "The (fill the blank) Boat Show" for subsequent months every year probably. With pages and pages containing 267 adverts it would leave as many as some pages for Letters, Recipes and Identifying Wild Flowers. I could also pad it out with a two page advert by pretending it's a competition. A supplier donates two of their products as prizes i.e. phone-less cord or satellite dishwasher. We ask a question that the reader has to access the supplier's website to answer. Job Jobbed! I could also make sure it's packed with loose leaflets for Insurance Companies and Membership Charities, to ensure buyers have to get on their hands and knees to recover them when they're standing in the queue to pay. Yet the paper used would be useless to light your stove with, so now they'd need to recycle it. Anybody any other thoughts?

Whilst I agree with your principle of supporting the fuel boats (I do myself if I find one!) I'm not quite sure that I follow your 'criticism' of Turners in Wheaton Aston. As I travel around I tend to use a variety of supermarkets for my provisions, none of whom really do anything for the canals, should I be avoiding them? On the other hand one could argue that Turners is doing something for the canals, he is supplying cheap fuel for the boaters. To do so he has also invested in a pontoon to moor on and a long hose to reach the canal (unless some generous passing boater supplied him with these), is he supposed to work as a volunteer lockie as well? You are obviously quite entitled to spend your money where you wish but my take on it is that if someone is supplying cheap fuel they are probably doing so on the principle of high turnover of fuel. I'm willing to support them in that business model rather than let them go to the wall because I'll only buy more expensive fuel from elsewhere. Diesel is diesel everywhere (well, except the expensive stuff I bought on the Llangollen which was just a smoke generator ) so I'm willing to support those who charge least for it. The only reason that I didn't fill up at Turners was because I didn't know about it and had just filled up at Wheaton Aston! I will support the diesel and coal boats though.

In my experience, going from PC to Mac is very much like real divorce. Lose the rubbish, get a sexy new number in great clothes. There'll be some initial problems to iron out, but you'll always wonder how you ever put up with the old bitch.

And this weather, often on arrival!

I am sure you will we have friends at bluewater and is it now lock gate lane marina? so we do sail down for long weekends Peter

I'm really crap at boat DIY. Can I write a column about how crap I am at boat DIY?

You may be completely right and Laurence completely wrong, but it would be useful if you put up something to confirm what you are saying rather than just snotty remarks In what way(s) does it differ? Tam

Quite possibly, which is why the owner of such a boat must deploy ice boards. George ex nb Alton retired

do it in a plastic bag and then hang bag in hedgerow

They had heard that Nick Norman was on the lookout for a new Range Rover

Wow frozen canal in mid-winter. Who would have thought?

For me, being able to buy from the coal boats, which includes them just dropping it off for me if I am out and paying them by bank transfer later is more than worth a few pence more than if I bought in bulk, and/or collected and hefted it myself. I will always buy from the coal boats out of choice.

That's why towpath talk is the king of all, its free and burns well.

"Global warming" is just one aspect of what should properly be called "climate change". You need a lot of wood, though, if you're burning it from September to May.

Starter batteries are light (weight), used for high amps for a very short time, and recharge quickly. proper domestic batteries are heavier, and discharged over a longer gradual time. Forklift truck style batteries are very heavy, discharged to buxxery daily,, and last for years. I dont understand why forklift batteries or trojans aren't standard leisure batteries on boats.

We've owned our boat for over 10 years, and it was first built in 1993 by Colecraft. We don't drink the tank water unless it's been boiled. We have experienced no problem, and long may that continue. When we do experience a problem we will respond appropriately. Everything will be alright in the end.... and if it's not alright it's not the end. Boating's about going with the flow.... enjoy and save up Rog