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Great so now your promoting Assault as the right thing to do. I hope the cyclists presses charges for it as well. And people wonder why Boaters dont always have a good name, its the few tossers on boats that give all boaters a bad name and the few tossers on push bikes who give all cyclists a bad name too. - can you see a pattern? ( sorry I am having my say, I am fed up of been shot down on this forum ) I get what you say catweasel my dads got poor hearing too, I dont know what its like myself. The cyclists sounds like a toss pot for saying that to your wife. I guess tossers are everywhere no matter where, I bet you were fumin.

No! The canal is a navigation by Act of Parliament. Cyclists and Fisherpeople are the "Johnny Come-Latelys" and personally contribute almost "Bugger All" to the coffers, which seems to be our happy responsibility. However we live in enlightened times and must magnanimously embrace change in order to include the antisocial elements of their hobbies. It seems to me there is a simple and obvious solution. Both parties Have a need to be only seen at the last possible moment. Fisher'ers hide behind bushes and amongst reeds and bullrushes. Bicycler'ists have a need for speed ... "You don't see me, but here I am" Only by allowing for their strange desires can we expect them to accept ours, like ... * Wafting the smell of our cooking dinner wherever we go. * Chugging along at 4mph, waving and smiling indiscriminately. * Having 3rd party insurance to compensate others. * Insisting that we pay for being there. * Forcing double that amount into others coffers so we can moor. So in order that we stop our selfless activities with total disregard for other inland waterway users I return to my earlier comment ..... "It seems to me there is a simple and obvious solution." They both need to be seen, not only so we boaters don't hack them off, but so that they don't fall foul of each other either. The Solution - All cyclists and Maggot Drowners must tie a large Helium filled balloon to their hats. It needs to be very large in order to remain vertical in wind. Because we need every opportunity to spot them quickly the balloon should be in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head and fluorescent in colour (I like orange) To allow for Bike'lerists bursting it on the underneath of a bridge or an angler'ist puncturing his balloon during his 3 mile hike to his peg, it should be insisted they carry spare balloons and a tank of Helium. Just like we carry numerous fire extinguishers when we go out. All sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

So funny, so wrong. Ian.

Yep. One for each foot.

correct again bottle .. I meant Linslade , Leighton Buzzard ...

I am not the one who came on here and attempted to co-opt boaters into an enterprise that might land them on a lot of trouble, you are. That does not speak well of your robust approach to risk assessment does it. What it does indicate is that you jumped in with no significant preparation and did not ask for advice first. However as is the way of this forum you got the advice and leads as to what needs a lot more research on your part. When I did my research I concluded taking persons who would be paying for a course that involved being on a boat was too complicated and with too many regulations to make it worth while. Anyone trying to give you definitive advise could if things went wrong be considered as passing themselves off as an expert with all that entails and as prosecutions have been brought in the past (at least one for manslaughter I believe) only a complete idiot would give such advice without a very sound knowledge in the area, probably qualifications to show competence, and above all professional indemnity insurance. This is why I and others point to things you need to consider but at the same time make it clear it is not definitive advice. I wish you well in this project and hope it turns out well but in the light of your post so far fear you still do not fully comprehend what you are getting into.

We all have engines in progress looking for boats.......

Where can I get a coolie for a forged fiver.

No, they won't freeze and fracture due to freezing, unless we have another winter like 1962 / 62. The boat sits in water which never goes below 0 deg C apart from a couple of inches at the surface. oops - check out the Dail Mail now! They might leak for other reasons though - rust, bad welding, poor connections. Cassette toilets, by the way, also work when the canal is frozen and your boat can't move; which is why, if you live aboard you should have one.

I am all for self defence in any situation, but some bloke with a pole waiting for a repeat cyclist coming down towpath is not self defence its assault. As for time trials on the canal thats just plain stupid, their not a race track their a shared public place. If I was knocked over on the towpath by a cyclist and it was his/her fault i would not assault them but I would probrably rip a strip off them 'Verbally'. I have crashed into another cyclist before myself, who was in the wrong = both of us clashing under a blind bridge, we both smiled and laughed. Happy Days. Lifes to short I would rather smile and get on with the day.

If a speeding cyclist coincides with you mooring your boat, heaving said boat into the side using the centreline can prove an effective traffic calmer too.

We have recently had a couple of visits to Oxford. The courtesy exhibited amongst the users of the tow path was an absolute delight, even after term started,The cyclists pinged a bell, slowed down and gave way to people on the tow path who in turn made room for the riders in a friendly manner. Many dogs were walking the towpath with their humans and even when they gathered in groups it was a calm and civilised situation with every body allowing for each other. We did notice Pedestrian Priority notices every so often along the path but there didn't seem to be to be any need for rancorous "assertion of my rights" Come along peeps is this an answer?

Walking along the towpath with a Calder & Hebble spike across your shoulders seems to focus cyclists attention. All those I encountered last week were quite courteous, almost apprehensive? I think it would work on any canal - carrying it not using it.

Lots of bad things have been said about the Rochdale on here recently. I was there in the summer and a lot of the towpath is as cycle way. Every cyclist I saw was courteous and used the bell, you could hear them all ringing as they approached the bridge holes ,........ so there are some good ones out there!

Sorry, I assumed you did know, I was just wittering on

How useful solar is will all boil down to what you need from it. for a CCer using minimal power & moving every day (or couple of days) they will give a minimal benefit during the summer (due to the batteries being charged anyway through engine use) and be next to useless in the winter. for a liveaboard on a permanent mooring they will be extremely useful during the summer (possibly removing the need to run the engine completely) and may help a little during the winter. for a leisure boater like myself (currently) they are extremely useful whatever the season simply because it (almost) removes the need for a regular battery charging regime while the boat is not in use and negates the need for a mains hookup while idle in the marina.

But if the sign has not got the CRT header on it its not official so as said bin it.

Best to ignore negative comments like this, I suggest...

If the sign does not have CRT logo on or does not give a legit reason of reservation, e.g. some commercial activity canal repair work etc, throw it in the nearest bin.

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