Leaderboard

I only came close to having a problem once, in my first six months or so on the boat. I was tied to an area with showers, as my boat didn't have one on it when I got it, which meant I got into a routine of going to the showers at about 10pm each night. One night, someone cornered me in the shower block (I had just walked in and was dressed etc.) He was clearly waiting there and I am sure-ish upon reflection that he had been following my regular movements, and knew when I would appear in the shower block. I am a big girl with a loud voice who is not short on confidence and worked for many years in the private security sector, and so our man changed his mind pretty sharpish and tried to make out it was an accident/mistake... And no, I was not overreacting or misreading things. So from that I have learned to not stick to a trackable routine and to be more aware of who is observing your comings and goings, but I don't let it take over my life by any means, because if I did, there would be no point on keeping going with it. Many boaters are very friendly and chatty which is nice, and means that you can usually get help if you need it, practical or otherwise. However, I remain speculative when random blokes I have only just met ask where I moor, where I am going, if I am single handing etc right away. The 99% are just nosy or interested and don't really think that whilst this might be a normal question like talking about the weather when addressed to a couple or a lone bloke, it's not really a good opener with a lone woman. So to me, it is always a good idea to think about your safety when giving answers. I am also not afraid to tell someone firmly but politely that I don't want to share that info-most immediately see the point whilst some are a bit taken aback, but only one or two have got shirty-I don't care, that's on them, not me. On that note, if you're on the pull, the canals are very much the place to find 30-60 something lone male divorcees who are starved of female company... And who will sometimes try to pull you in the oddest places, like when you're emptying your bog-and in the oddest ways-the same bloke in fact, who opened with "so I shot two pheasants and I'm going to cook them tonight..." Errr sounds lovely, I'll just empty my bog and then I'll pop round to Shotgun Central for dinner, a look at your doll collection, and then maybe a little light murder if it all goes well... Seriously though, like a lot of people, he had good intentions, just approaching someone can be hard! (I didn't go, anyway.) This is something that you get used to after a while, and can happen at locks and when mooring in a row where others are, in canalside pubs etc. (within a month you will be able to spot other boaters a mile off and them you, and none of you will have any idea how), and most invites/offers are purely platonic or with no expectations, and none of it has never in my experience been threatening or problematic. But seriously, coal and diesel scented girls in scruffy combats with greasy hair lugging a toilet cassette are majorly hot stuff in some areas. Also, as I learned quickly when I first joined the forum, CWDF is not like most online forums in that a large portion of the membership know each other in real life or through friends of friends, and there's not the level of anonymity here that you generally associate with forums. This took me aback at first, when people started offering to meet me/help me out IRL when I first got my boat, as we all of course have it drummed into us that People From The Internet Are Dodgy. Whilst obviously this is true for some, don't be taken aback by it if you start getting offers and messages from members (probably largely male just because that's what most of the members are) offering help or to meet up. I took up an offer to help me collect my boat in the end when it became evident to me that things are different here, so don't be surprised or rule it out-but of course, check out who you are meeting, their reputation here and if they have met anyone else before, etc. Finally, I do know a lot of other female boaters, and I do personally know of two who have had problems with male boaters that befriended them. There are weirdo's everywhere, no more so on the canals than elsewhere (well, at least not dangerous ones) but do use your head about things. Ultimately, it is important to not be frightened or nervous as standard for all sorts of reasons, not least because if you are, you will be in a constant state of over vigilance that cannot be meaningfully maintained for any length of time, and that may ultimately cause you to miss real cues, warnings and indications of something being wrong or not adding up that you would otherwise be able to spot and process if you were calm. I think that's all I can think of for now.

The you need to let them off in order or you aren't IMO being a responsible dog owner. If you can't keep an eye on them and clear up after them then perhaps you have too many.

If you let your dog off the lead on a confined, public space like a towpath, it's irresponsible to let it crap everywhere.

By watching the dog while it is off the lead/boat?

And as a former gardener/landscaper/grounds maintainer - what about the people who have to cut back the bushes and strim under them. Dog poo and strimmers is a very bad combination. PICK IT UP!

So you're saying; "Our dog, for reasons best known to himself, always shoves his arse way into the bushes, looking round guiltily, as indeed I would." Which would conclude that you know where your dog is crapping. So you also know the size of your dog. Which means it's pile of canine cack, isn't to far away from it's head (which was looking around guilty) when you observed it. Sounds like another irresponsible dog owner to me !

These days 'windlass' seems to be mostly pronounced "lock key"...

How do you know this? I reiterate An Irresponsible dog owner !!!

Very well put,Starry.

PB has long joked about men putting diesel behind their ears to drive the girls wild, so it's only fair I suppose.

Well yes, we have inherited the meaning of wind as in clock, but with the pronunciation of wind as in weather, giving us a distinctive term which it would be a shame to lose.

Seriously, it's the next big thing. Canal Grunge. You heard it here first. They're using it in the new marketing campaign for Canal No.5: The scent of the boater.

Wow! Who needs Helen Mirren/Jenny Agutter/etc etc!

In most cases we weren't on our own, but yes, most were friendly and helpful, as usual. There was one exception (at Bray) who either deliberately or recklessly emptied the lock as we were already struggling to get on the pontoon below, then made patronising and sexist comments once we came in. Strangely enough, last time we did the Thames, eight years ago, we had a bad experience at Bray - I don't think it was the same man. Anywhere, here is Chertsey, guess where! (The one lock that we did on self service, which allowed for plenty of photo opportunities)

It sounds to me that you don't care where he shits.

NC is a different prospect on the canals and we just won't do it. Why trash a set of aluminium props and potentially damage the sterndrive for the sake of it? On top of that the slow speed (well as slow as it gets at 3mph!) handling is nothing like what we will have with a Broads boat designed to go slow. We have of course taken NC onto the Nottingham canal already to access Sawley and the Soar up to Loughborough. We managed.

FPS is not dependent on bank working hours. CHAPS is NOT a batch system, it is a real-time service, however what happens is many banks "batch" up the process so the delay or 1pm limit is due to your bank rather than the CHAPS system. Basically, some accounts are marketed with the CHAPS facility (like most business accounts) and some aren't (like most personal accounts), so if its not then its still offered as an occasional-use thing. CHAPS is very reliable, takes 30-40 secs and despite being >20 years old, does the job so doesn't need updating etc. I think the issues you see are due to your own bank.

When you see the buyer you can discuss how they want payment. It sounds like you don't know at present. I strongly advise not taking cash with you.

I personally know someone who has lost her sight in one eye due to Toxocariasis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxocariasis How did she get this infection???...............She was retrieving her little girl's ball from a bramble bush !! And what has that comment got to do with the price of bread?

How very restrained - greeno. But of course that's why men like women with small hands.

Whilst the flow on a navigable river would undoubtedly not be sufficient,you could sit in the saloon with this device on your lap spinning the blades by hand. Alternatively, mount it facing the stove top ecofan and drive it by air blast. Alternatively, put it in the stove and get the maximum available energy out of it as heat.

Please note that I refrained from one of the most obvious jokes.

Hence the usefulness of SG vs a Voltmeter.

As said above, belts will shed if the engine hole is too hot. Have you measured the air temperature in the vicinity of the alternators?

You could just shoot them and feed them to the small children, make sure to remove any small bones and teeth first though.

Not if they keep their dog on a short lead until it has done it's business.

Really?? What about the Blackberry & Sloe pickers ?

DNA testing is now quite cheap. I believe all dogs should have their DNA registered on a national database and then offending owners could be fined. This already happens in some USA apartments. (if you want to keep a dog you have to agree to paying and registering the dog's DNA with the building's management company). Some dog owners will only bag poop if someone is watching; as soon as they are out of sight the bag is dropped or hung from a tree. These people should be named and shamed!

Went to a user group meeting a few years ago when the subject of dog poo came up. A number of dog owners were complaining that there were no bins provided whilst other users were complaining about the dog owners. When it was pointed out that to provide bins also meant that someone was needed to empty them, sanitize them, remove the waste to an approved place and generally stop them stinking, and this would cost in the region of £35k pa. As dog walkers, cyclists, fishermen & the council were unwilling to fund it, the only way would be for the boat users (captive audience) pay via their fees. Needless to say it did not go ahead. As the dog owners are the problem (not the dogs) they need to take responsibility for their mobile crap generators.