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As the title says really, is it like a 'like' button? Thank you

Thought so , cheers

Ah that old chestnut. Have you been to the same school as Kriss 88?

Indeed, drivel, drivel, drivel. Mark my word FB and computers will gradually grind the whole world to standstill. We are completely and utterly doomed. Fewer and fewer folk want to get their hands dirty anymore, folk are becoming less and less practical. My nephews can't even bang a nail in. Almost all youngsters now want jobs in IT or some kind of computing, they have callous free baby hands. Evolution will cause great anatomical changes to the human race, like the development of the index finger which will become extra powerful, enormous and hideous with prodding at keyboards whilst the other fingers and thumbs just wither and drop off with lack of use. Both eyes will gradually merge into one huge square kind of unblinking, staring rectangular screen, eyelashes will disappear and the motto ''Microsoft or Apple'' will permanently become etched and illuminated at the top righthand corner of this enormous eye screen. Super, telephoto shortsightedness will set in and everything more than 2ft away will become a blurr. Almost all computer freaks already have to wear glasses for their watery, bloodshot eyes to see their screens. Legs will eventually wither away into bits of muscleless gristle with sitting and no excercise. Commodes to sit on, complete with toilet rolls will become commonplace for fear of missing something on FB. Food will arrive at the computer desk in tubes by conveyor. Any movement away from the computer 'before the legs wither away entirely' will be performed in an awkward, unsightly doubled up crawling fashion in a posture like an inverted letter 'L'. Pens, pencils and paper are already almost extinct now. The animal, Ape and Monkey world will have to be trained to carry out all the practical work that humans once did. For example;, Baboons will become pilots and fly the worlds aeroplanes. Chimpanzees, constructional and steeplejacking workers. Orangutangs, Supermarket home delivery drivers. Gorillas, policemen, Night club bouncers and all forms of enforcement. Monkey's with their dainty little hands will all be set to work at manufacturing computers, tablets and the Eye-pod things. The eventual outcome will be unbelievable, a different world, a world which animals will inherit because of mankinds total inability to perform anything practical anymore. That is until the animal world begins to learn computing that is and discovers Facebook.

OK Thrupp has had a club for over thirty years. Were the club not there it would be a hole. The moorings are managed by the club TCCC. Those of you that have been there will agree that it is a very pretty place. There are lots of flowers and the grass is cut regularly, all done by the club and its members. Twice a year there are club working parties when the club members carry outworks in the area, painting building, towpath repairs etc. If you have noticed the path that was renewed a couple of years ago that was organised and paid for by the club. They run a charity book stall which can be found next to the Elsan and several thousand pounds are donated to the clubs charity each year. The charity is selected at the AGM (Air Ambulance/Respite homes/Childrens Cancer etc. The Wendover Arm Trust is this years choice. The club organises days for local scouts and there are a couple of member nights as well. A lot of hard work goes into Thrupp and none of it is paid. You are allowed to stay for a total 14 days between Sparrow Gap Bridge (Jolly Boatman)and Shipton Bridge by the church in any calendar month. There are three mooring areas, In the space at the Jolly. 6/8 boats can moor for 48 hours from the bridge, to the end of the club moorings. There used to be 3 14 day moorings here but they were changed in August 2013 to 48 at the insistence of local hire boat companies. There is space for up to 20 boats up in the village. Those outside the cottages are 48 hours and then up to the lift bridge are 7 day moorings. The old club disabled mooring has now been reverted to a 7 day mooring after the disabled club member passed away a couple of years ago. So there isn't a disabled mooring at Thrupp any more. Opposite the water point there are 100 and some odd feet of moorings belong to David Dare, Oxfordshire Narrowboats and space for a CRT work boat. This corner under the lift bridge is also the turning hole. There is a section around by the church that is 14 days for 6/8 boats. There are also two moorings there directly opposite the church which are CRT long term moorings, nothing to do with the club. Registration Numbers are recorded in the early morning and late afternoon by Adam or his wife Flick who you will see riding up and down the towpath. The numbers are sent to CRT daily. CRT raise any charges that CRT think are necessary. In the case of the man with the bill there are many signs to explain the situation. This of course is not any use if you are dyslexic, which he claims to be. I am not party to the whole story but have overheard a few snippets, but will not go into that here. There are many CCers on the Oxford and they all manage to play by the rules. It is not hard. Given the general consensus is that the charges are illegal he could, if he choses, just not pay them. He could contact NBTA for advice. He says he will go to Thrupp this week and raise the issue. This is totally pointless as CRT issued the bill not the TCCC. The idea that rich people can stay as long as they like if they are prepared to pay is total rubbish. If you need to stay longer than the allowed 14 days you can rent a club mooring space if one is available, talk to Adam. If you need help, that Adam cant offer, talk to CRT. I think that just about covers everything. Please feel free to ask if I have missed something.

More than 2 would be better as would a down button.

Don't put a vintage engine in a 40' liveaboard. It's for you to live in, not some pampered engine Richard

Two, I've used one up today Richard

As I know one of the CRT people responsible for this I can tell you that you are correct Richard. Big Companies look to get people out volunteering for Corporate Responsibility and to tick the green box so why should CRT not make sure their costs are covered after all they have to have staff members to supervise and equipment and insurance etc.

I think you are right Richard and I also understand that the cost to CRT of having a number of volunteers on a particular day is not insignificant.

You are a patronising git at times.

Last time I checked the brakes on my bike, it took between 3 and 4 times the distance to stop using the back brake alone, compared with using both brakes, even with the back wheel locked under the braking load. Now, imagine you're on your bike, in a bit of a hurry, and you *know* it'll just about stop in the distance available. Now your front brake cable snaps, and your stopping distance has increased by 3 times....

Yes it works but does not appear to allow for losses when using an inverter. Simple way of doing it and allowing for losses, wattage of appliance/10 = amps (12v) halve that answer for 24v Example: 1000 watt (kettle) = 100 amps (load @ 12v) 1000 watt (kettle) = 50 amps (load @ 24v)

The fact that they charge for Llangollen doesn't make it legally watertight, however the £5 charge could reasonably be argued to be a sensible charge for the supply of a electric point. Similar to the charges made by campsites for hook-up. It's a question of reasonableness. £25 at Thrupp is not a charge by any reasonable definition, it's a fine. CRT do not (to my best understanding) have the authority to fine boaters in this way. The issue of long term moorings is different. If you take a long term towpath mooring, you sign a contract agreeing to pay for it. If you moor there without permission, CRT have two options: they can get you for overstaying (14 day rule) or they can get you for trespass and claim for the loss of income caused to them. Quite possibly they would do both.

Good and bad, good if you don't know what layout you want, living on it and you'll eventually come up with one (so I wouldn't put the stove in). Bad as you'll be constantly moving living stuff around just to do the simplest of jobs. If there's two of you I would say refit before moving in. Ofcourse if the boat has a natural bulkhead like a trad you can do the main area whilst living in the boatman's cabin area.

Maybe a combination of the two lol. To be fair, if your solar stops you fireing up the iron horse even just once a week for the sole purpose to charge your batteries, then it's a winner !. But with a Good, well fitted solar / Wind system balanced to your needs is invested in, then you should be almost self sufficient in as far as your power need go. I am !.

The Rufford improvements were done by contractors and it's quite a short stretch. It's interesting that the previous manager of Rufford Old Hall is now the C&Rt manager for the same area..ie, the North West. As volunteers we helped with some bank stabilisation on this stretch prior to the contractors. All the funds for materials, work boat use etc came from a separate water vole project grant. I understand that C&Rt got the money for the path improvement from a bid for funds aimed at path improvement. My opinion is that this large amount of money should have been spent on the parlous state of the tow path elsewhere on the branch. There are a number of places where the canal leaks badly over the path. It will however greatly assist the local group of ladies who walk it each day and who use it as a dog toilet and also conveniently forget to notice as they gossip away.

I don't think it matters whether it's a plastic or a narrowboat-if they've promised to do work,it should happen.Northern Boater,you sound v much on the side of the boatyard- any reason ?

Hi Gang, If memory serves, and as a very rough guide,I seam to remember my wind gen giving out something like 1 amp in 6 Knots of wind 2 amp in 10 knots of wind Frequently 5 amp in 16 Knots of wind Occasionally 7 or 8 amp in 20 knots of wind Rare, But always welcomed On a Average 24hr period I get anything up to around the 25 / 30 Amp Hrs from my Wind Generator, Tends to be more in the Winter months. I get again on Average anything up to around the 20 / 30 Amp Hrs from my Solar over the same time, But Tends to be Less over the Winter months. So say 40 / 60 Amp Hrs put back into my Battery over a 24 He period From my small 120w Solar, and Wind Generator combined. But again, these figures can vary hugely depending on Battery SOC, and power requirements at the time, just as much as the Weather conditions !, all I can say is,,,My system is what I consider balanced for me, works for my style of cruising and livaboard life. I got thease figures using my Wind speed instrument before it broke some time ago, that was mounted on my wheel house roof, so now I just let it do it's thing and have got a Grn led when it's putting amps out, a Yellow led when the Regular is beginning to cut in and a red led when it's off,, What RPM that is ,ain't got a clue sorry, but maybe with a spot of paint on the Blade, and the use of a Car Timing Strobe Gun you could get some RPM results !.

As a considerate towpath cyclist myself I find this very distressing. I slow to match their speed as I approach anyone walking, and only pass then when I know they have noticed my presence. Quite often I will dismount anyway if they look elderly, unsteady on their feet or nervous of me in any way. I hate being associated with badly behaved cyclists. MtB

To get back to the original subject, I'm surprised no one has flagged up that if she (the ramming speed) captain of the boat did not have a court approved alcohol test of some sort - blood, urine, calibrated breath test machine, - she cannot be prosecuted as being drunk in charge of anything. Also, 'she was going at 10 mph' from a member of the public, even multiple members of the public will carry no weight in a court. Criminal damage? I don't know what the definition of criminal is but the police weren't interested when my car got smashed when parked even though I had CCTV of the incident including the perpetrators reg number so why would they be that bothered about a boating bump where no one got hurt. What's the betting it ends up as an insurance argument and her getting nothing harder than a fixed penalty fine for being naughty in a public place. I'm not saying she wasn't guilty of all above, I'm saying what any court will say.

Ah, they've made it then. They told us ages ago that it was their intention to take A40 abroad. I did wonder whether A40 had gone because we haven't seen it here on the L&L for a while. Roger