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Having done all the research to ensure Python was deemed worth throwing money at (as per National Historic Ships Guidelines) and realising there was never going to be any money in the pot to convert Python back to what she might have looked like in 1929 it really did make me look at her in a totally new light. I came to be involved with Python by accident and knew nothing about old boats before that fateful day. I still don't know very much but I am fortunate enough to have many reliable people I can consult about the stuff I need to know. In my early days of volunteering with Python I, like all the volunteers before me, regularly got sneered at for suggesting that the boat we were crewing had any historical relevance. It has no brass, no roses and castles, it's missing 20' out the middle and has an ugly bug of a 1980's BW cabin in place of the pleasing lines of the original. The thing is that these boats were converted for a reason. If a vessel is to survive it has to have a purpose. Whether an old fishing boat, a lifeboat or a container ship, the day a boat loses it's usefulness is the day that it stops being maintained and it goes into decline. Python had limited use as a full length maintenance craft of the southern canals and the best apart of 40 years ago nobody had even thought that these boats might have a heritage appeal one day so by converting her they created a vessel that could wind above or below most of the locks on the Regents Canal meaning she was far more practical for their staff to use on a daily basis. As I write this we are 18 day's into a 21 day schedule of vegetation cutting which started on 20th September. The statistics of what we have managed to achieve with volunteers on board Python in those 18 days are adding up to be something pretty incredible. Yesterday, with Storm Brian bearing down upon us we decided we would continue with the schedule with an eye on the conditions and an option to stop cutting if things were getting a bit too challenging for the team. Our helm yesterday was Richard Allsopp who we have been fortunate enough to have on the tiller for a large number of the days. He has been boating since 1960 and has steered a huge variety of craft in his lifetime. As a historian and one of the team that built the wooden Dawn Rose Chesterfield Boat he would be the very last person to approve of chopping up any old boat whatever the reason but, he told me that the more time he spent working with Python the more he had gained an understanding of exactly why BW chose to convert her to the format she is now. She is big enough to hold what you need to hold but small enough to be manouverable. In fact yesterday he almost floored me when he said that in all his years of boating Python handles better that ANY other boat he has ever steered! (Thanks for the work to restore the rudder Paul Barber!) Yes I am biased but, ugly bug or not, Python has her own unique heritage. She doesn't have any brass to polish up and will never have any fancy rope work or pretty scenes painted on her cabin doors but her value does not come from being pleasing to the eye, her value comes from the fact that she is a very practical boat that can continue to work and that is exactly what she has been doing.

Don't read Blogs. No one is that interesting ecxept in their own minds

what a load of nit-picking. .................. as my dad used to say - when a dog is about to bite you, don't worry about the colour of the dog's eyes. if that was my boat I would consider the damage to be horrendous. let's face it - that plastic tub bears the scars of endless collisions or at least abrasions resulting from careless driving or careless mooring. I feel great sympathy for anyone who encounters said bath-tub and is not able to avoid close proximity with him. I am amazed that the boat name is so easily read. I hope CRT checks out his licence, BSC and insurance details. Let's face it, this guy should be excluded from all CRT and EA waters. If he was driving on the road he would have been disqualified years ago.

Obviously calibration is important, but can they work well when they are that much out of focus?

so in short nothing is for free in terms of money, time and effort, making batteries last requires a hefty investment on a personal level. Phil

Sorry but that’s nowhere near enough. No.... a 1 hr charge will put bugger all back into the batteries. But that power MUST be replaced the following day. Batteries don’t make power, they simply store what YOU make. As others have pointed out, you are chronically under-charging and will kill your new batts in very little time.

Well, I'm back. After a trip of 18 months 1296 miles and 978 locks I can now say I am a Bona Fide boater. Having ticked off all the Tunnels lock flights ( except Caen Hill and Tardebigge) and aquaducts. Including the Thames,Avon,Severn and some of the Trent. I can also say I've been there done that. I have also amassed some extra skills and learned some lessons on dos and don'ts. Like don't paint your boat if you're planning lots of single locks. Or don't tie up with centre line only too close to the lock you are going up. ( that was a Very Lucky escape) I've visited most of the major towns and cities on the west and central England including Nth Wales. But sadly I've also missed out on some places I have on my bucket list but proved to be impractical at the time. The river Wey was in flood. The K and A closed while a body was removed and investigated. The Ribble link because of High winds etc. Apart from that I have had an incredible journey. With highlights including the very underrated Chirk and Marple Aquaduct. The top of the Rochdale. Low lights including the bottom of the Rochdale with lock 66 and the scum that frequent the place intent on causing trouble. I have also learned that the weather in the south is far nicer than the north. But most of all I have learned that hire boaters are not the baine of other canal users, that accolade belongs to the weekend warriors, the Brasso brigade. Overall, it's been an amazing year and a half. But I'm now going to chill out and plan my next adventure in a year or so. Trying to get some of the East side covered including the Wash crossing and a trip to Ripon and York. Not forgetting the Middle Levels. Thanks for all the help and guidance I recieved. You know who you are.

Without going into your need for anger management, I don't think he is a Frenchman.

You forgot to mention Abingdon Lots of mooring there and good for the shops.

good to hear - can I also caution you in accepting any former "recent" survey despite the pressure you might be under unless the surveyor will legally transfer it and its assurances to you - this should properly be at your cost.

Well if you do take up that mooring at W, Stockwith the club is only 4-5 hours chug away from you and with decent real ale at just £2 a pint it would be a shame not to come and visit. It is worth remembering that is you can only take your boat out a couple of days a week the tides may be restrictive for you, we will usually try and get to Stocky the day before we leave the canal and then find ourselves waiting around for a tide at 11am or something. It is only a short hop to Torksey or Keadby but, if you lock in at either of them then you are beholden to a tide to lock out again the next day. Of course there is always the pontoon at Gainsborough or Dunham Rack which are fine too but the options are fairly limited. Most of our lot, if they just have a day or two, go to Drakeholes, W. Stockwith, Retford, the lovely rural moorings below Gringley, on The Smeath or the visitor mooring at Charlies Lock. 4 days gets you to Shireoaks and back or 6 days to the head of navigation (assuming you don't want to stop and explore too much along the way)

Was I the only one who thought it was a typo for pot, as in yoghurt?

Yes, I think we're agreeing on your first point. The NABO email that was circulated suggested this. That's what's got my ire on this consultation in the first place. Given that CRT are a Trust, that they are entrusted with nurturing the inland waterways for public enjoyment, emphasise public benefit and public interest in their 'charter' and so on, I DO believe that they MUST allow the survey results to 'form and shape its policies'. For example, if it has already been made clear (by CRT to NABO, NAG, etc.) that developing different fees for CCers and Leisure Boaters has been rejected by (or there was no consensus in) the first two stages of the consultation, then it does seem to suggest a predetermined agenda is being aimed at by introducing it in Stage 3 in the manner it has. I don't know if the consultation is 'above board'. For me that's still an open question. I sure as heck hope it is.

As running a microwave for around 5 mins will only use around 10ah I wouldn’t say it was a lot of power and not worth just switching your genny/engine on for.

Now we know you just did.

In my innocence I just assumed the mention of materials was to underline/explain the differences in construction and the way different boats move under different conditions. Obviously I was wrong and it is some obscure form of vendetta.

Hello everyone. Although I have been a member for 18 months or so. I thought I would reintroduce my self. I had been a hirer as a child with my family and have introduced my own family on to narrowboats. After taking the in laws on a lovely trip in and around Birmingham, with thanks to the good advice here. And another up north. They enjoyed their time so much they have brought a narrow boat. And me and my family will also enjoy use of the family boat. We are moored in the delightful caen hill marina. And yes a couple of people may of noticed our rather windswept first attempt at mooring in a marina environment during the rather breezy storm Brian on Saturday. Thanks to the great boater who actually did it for me. I am really looking to meeting some of you out there and I must thank you all for the advice I have picked up on here already and looking forward to hearing more as no doubt I will need. Now I'm of to find threads on getting onto a pontoon in the wind. Or is that into as you neither get on or in it. Adrian.

It was a close thing even though there were only two bidders, including me. I had been watching this Can for several days and there were no bids at all until I placed an 'exploratory bid' on the last day just to see if anybody else was watching. There was nothing else until the last minute but fortunately I had pre-loaded my maximum at £75.00 and the other bidder ran out of time with a couple of frantic bids. I am very happy with both the Can and the price. What does surprise me is that how accessible reasonably priced Cans can be, and all of those I have bought in the past year or so have been effectively new and unused items that are galvanised, watertight and well painted - dating from the 1980's and 1990's. I appreciate the high value market is towards the period items painted by Nurser and the like, but I have little interest in these. I think I am just about done with buying Cans now (maybe another 3 gallon Can) as I am getting over run with the things, as well as having two more on order. I am facing some huge expense next year so frittering away money on bits and pieces just because they are for sale has got to stop - but please don't remind me of these words when I buy something else that I don't need

The train operating companies wouldn't have excuses for delayed trains in Autumn then.

That's your job

Boats have moored there for years so it must be OK, but - The Trent can be ’wicked’ in the Winter, and you can get a flow of 4 or5 knots, the water level can rise by 6 feet +. Have you seen the weir at Nether Lock ? This can regularly be ‘level’ and even the wall (by the Barge Pub) can be breached. (normally at least 4 feet above the water) I would not leave my boat on the River (it is in the Marina at Newark), but if you decide to go just ensure that you are on a floating pontoon (I think they have recently put in those new ones) and that they can cope with the rise. Make sure you can moor up correctly and ensure either you or someone inspects your boat everyday. If you do moor on the outside you will have the risk of tree trunks hitting you.

Well Google Maps suggests Brigg is 45 minutes from Clayworth so it ticks that box. When we moved there (almost 4 years ago now) our previous mooring was considered very good value in the midlands and we worked out that if we paid the joining fee for the club and our first year mooring it would break even then, if we decided we liked it and stayed we would be quids in each following year. Now I can't imagine ever moving as I love it so much there. There has to be some commitment with a boat club or else nothing would ever get done but so long as folks give a bit of their time using whatever their skills are to do something for the club and show a willingness to attend some of the social functions they are happy. They have 3 maintenance days a year (we have never managed to get to all three yet!) and all members are asked to cover one Saturday night bar duty a year. Personally I quite enjoy doing bar duty and will step in to cover any that can't be covered by other members for any reason. Personally I don't see being involved with doing stuff for the club is a hardship but rather something I enjoy doing. I know not all feel the same but there is a cost benefit to work out whether it might be worth it for you. Perhaps come along to the club and take a look? There is an informal games night this Saturday (darts, table tennis, pool etc) and if you wanted to come along and get a feel for the place I would be happy to sign you in - PM me if you want more info

Yes, in the 80s BW did produce some optimistic figures / forecasts for future marina requirements based on the economy and the increasing disposable income. It is interesting that at around the same time the English Golf Association produced very similar forecasts for the need for additional golf courses, resulting in hundreds being built /opened during the late 80s /early 90s. We were looking to buy a marina and did all of the necessary due-diligence and, being the trusting sort of chap that I am,(I was managing a multinational, £55 million business) I discounted BW forecasts and commissioned my own Market analysis. I determined that the bubble was about to burst and the forecasts were far too optimistic, I am sorry, but, anyone who relies on forecasts from an organisation that has such a ‘big dog in the fight’ is foolish. I suppose that those with no experience of business and looking for an ’easy lifestyle’(sit back& let the money roll in) could easily be hoodwinked.

I'm with Athy here. I did eventually work out what it was, but only when Mike gave an alternative version. Not being capitalised threw me. Now that the thread has been totally derailed, can I object to Athy's use of 'fora' as the plural of 'forum' ?

Seems an odd question! Calibration means adjusting something, typically a measuring device, so that its reading matches a known good reference, or at least producing a table that shows the error and how to calculate it out. in the case of the SG it is a matter of adjusting the internal analogue to digital conversion so that the measured voltage matches the actual voltage. Just an aside, a digital voltmeter works by using an analogue to digital converter with a specified number of output bits, maybe 10 or 12. 12 bits is of course 2048 so if the measurement range is say 20.48v, the smallest change in the measured value is 0.01v. This is far too coarse for the Smartgauge, which is looking for very slight changes in voltage and dV/dt to work out the battery’s discharge profile and hence SoC. So the SG uses a capacitor charging method. The capacitor is charged via a circuit whose current is proportional to the voltage to be measured. When the capacitor’s voltage reaches a reference, it is discharged and the charging begins again. Whilst the charge is taking place a timer runs (16 bit (ie 65536 max count), I suspect), and stops counting when the capacitor reaches its reference. Thus there is a lot more resolution to the measurement which allows small changes to be detected. But this type of measurement is not particularly accurate (note, big difference between accuracy and resolution) especially as manufacturing tolerances for capacitors tend to be fairly large. Thus some calibration is required at assembly, working out a mathematical compensation so that the counter’s number accurately reflects the voltage being measured. The calibration value is stored in the device’s memory and applied to each measurement cycle (I think it’s around 10 per second, can’t remember exactly)

Another vote for the Chesterfield. Fabulous scenery. A bit shallow so don't plan at doing much more than 2.5 mph We found moorings were fine, though you do need to plan ahead a bit. It's not the sort of canal where you can just say "I want to stop NOW", you need to start looking an hour or so beforehand. Here we are overlapping a lock landing by about 9 inches at Gringley-on-the-Hill. https://nbsg.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/summer-trip-2015-1-fossdyke-trent-and-chesterfield/

I once had a fire extinguisher (stolen from another boat) let off down my chimney as I was lighting the stove while moored in West Stockwith basin. Took me a couple of weeks to clear up the residue. It was kids being stupid, and the fact that everyone was so amazed showed how unheard of such a thing was. I would happily take a mooring at West Stockwith.

Need to choose words carefully here. Wot you mean is different types of batteries rather than different brands. And as you know from first hand experience, the brand is often nothing more than the the label that the middleman sticks on a batch of generic batteries moments before he sells them. My own experience is that Trojans are in a very different league to cheapo leisures of any brand. The only exception to this was the Elecsols which were not particularly cheap and in a league of their own for crapness. I expect other brands of "Trojan" like Crown and US would be just as good, but not quite sure about Powerline as in general you get what you pay for. ...........Dave

Strange sign writing. ' Here' 'Here' 'Here' Together Forever. 'Here'.

A lesson we might all draw from this and that isn't often picked apart is the way different brands of lead acid batteries are more or less tolerant/susceptible to less than perfect charging. NN periodically comments on how pleased he is with the performance of his Trojans having previously used el cheapo batteries. Superficially both Trojans and el cheapos are the same type of battery (i.e. open cell lead acid) so why do they behave so differently? I've also read people comment on here periodically about how pleased they are with their AGM batteries and how much better than LA they are, and I've yet to read any discussion of the reasons for these empirical reports. I find myself wondering if the OP's charging regime is actually less than optimum but his old AGMs, (and perhaps all AGMs) are tolerant and survived 8 years. But the new sealed LA batteries need looking after fr more carefully and the identical same charging regime has led to their rapid demise.

O.K., I have a question: what does narrow boat restoration cost in monetary terms, and I am thinking ball park as opposed to specific costs as I appreciate different builders will do things in slightly different ways as well as having differing overheads. I think there are four major phases: 1 - re-bottom / re-footing 2 - cabin fit out (conventional back cabin) 3 - running gear and cloths (side and top cloths) 4 - paintwork (back cabin / engine room exterior and running gear - assuming it is all done professionally) The figures I have in my head date back to about 1990 when we were sorting out BADSEY (we did not start renovations on BARNES prior to selling the pair) and obviously these will have risen considerably, and I do realise that there are a whole list of other jobs that can push up restoration costs significantly. Some figures may help to put the OP's mind at rest regarding how much their body needs to be worth should MALVERN come up for disposal

It is perfectly safe there. You do not have to worry about security. Although I have only moored there as a visitor I have done so regularly and there is a nice community among the folks there who welcome visitors. The boat club has regular stuff going on and is good for inexpensive drinks, The White Hart down the road has a micro brewery which produces some great ales and they do very good food too. There is a touring caravan park behind The Navigation and there are always plenty of expensive looking campers etc there too. You would need to go to Misterton for your nearest shops (great butchers and a well stocked Co-op) and Gainsborough for a larger town with supermarkets.

Well, it's open to the world i.e. no gates or anything but it felt quite safe when we spent a couple of nights there last year.

Nope the Canal was built by the Romans who used the East German Vandals, much as 'we' used the Irish Navvies. (The Goths, Gepids, Vandals, and Burgundians were East Germanic groups who appear in Roman records in Late Antiquity. At times these groups warred against or allied with the Roman Empire, the Huns, and various Germanic tribes. The Vandals were a “barbarian” Germanic people who sacked Rome, battled the Huns and the Goths, and founded a kingdom in North Africa that flourished for about a century until it succumbed to an invasion force from the Byzantine Empire in A.D. 534).

It's a sort of paradox that many folk say they are drawn to the canals to get away from the rat race, peace and quiet, more relaxed pace of life etc etc., but this year we have been plagued by the noise of engines and generators in the evenings as people try to recreate the conveniences associated with land based living. Once upon a time people who took to the waterways accepted the limitations of a boat but the march of technology means now if you can afford it you can have it. I met a guy earlier in the year who not only had a 6kw generator on board but also a £1800 fork lift battery - just to power his massive sound system you would love to be moored next to him on a summers evening eh? I have a very quiet engine but it is still not silent and we never run it when moored because I know how even a low level of noise can be intrusive, and people forget that an exhaust note can resonate several boat lengths away when it appears to be silent if you are stood close by. I doubt this is a popular point of view..

Kinell..............Ive always said this boating lark is soooooooooooooo cheap

Yes, there is often the assumption from private owners that all hirers haven't a clue what they are doing and look down their noses at them. However, in my experience I see more bad practice from private boaters than hirers. Personally I like to welcome any responsible people to the cut, especially if they are learning.