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I've always accommodated for anglers when I've been approached by someone from a club setting out pegs, but only if they're polite and prepared to negotiate. I think I'd be looking to leave a gap like that between me and the next boat anyway (if practicable and available). I'm happy to talk and don't find a clash of interests at all confrontational. I once came around a corner in Stoke on Trent years ago to find a chain across the cut sporting a homemade sign saying "Canal Closed to Boats". About two dozen maggot drowners were sitting the other side and got quite agitated when I tied up, started my generator and used my angle grinder to liberate the canal and obtain myself a nice piece of chain. Lots of muttering when I passed them 10 minutes later, but nobody wanted their chain back. The funniest one was just North of Blisworth Tunnel one morning when I discovered one of the blighters and all his gear sitting on the front of my boat. I wished him a good morning and enquired concerning his actions. It seems he always fished there every Sunday and had done so for years .... I was in his spot! I offered him a cup of tea while we had our breakfast, that really baffled him and clearly led him to assume I was a wuss. Then when he popped behind a tree to have a pee, it coincided with our finishing our brekkers, so I untied and we started our day's boating. He jumped up and down, waving his arms and demanded I come back with his expensive gear. I jumped up and down, waving my arms and told him I was next stopping at Whilton Locks where he could collect what was left of the stuff he'd left dumped on the front of my boat. 22 miles and 7 hours later I arrived at Whilton bottom lock but he wasn't there, so I left it tidily on the towpath. I can be relied on to keep my promises.

You are correct, and have found that innocence [aka ignorance] is no excuse on this forum. Best to never ask a Q to which you don't know the answer, and then when you challenge the answer, expect a big hit from fan debris. If you survive your first two weeks, you then become one of the CW discussion forum, and in less than two years, they will forget you are a newby.

I think you will find that the zero bladed one is just as effective as any bladed one and quieter to boot.

Otherwise known as "science".

Ones designed for Southern Hemisphere use are wired in reverse and will add cold air to the stove top if used in England.

There are three factors involved;- - the composition of the steel - the protective coatings applied to the steel - the environment While I can't categorically rule out any of them the first observation is that there is a massively higher degree of control around the first of those factors than there is around the others. The latter is often an unknown in scientific terms (and this is absolutely a scientific issue). There is 40 times less oxygen in water than air and the rate of pure corrosion by rusting of mild steel plate in air is slow enough that a 10mm plate would massively outlast the intended lifespan of a narrowboat even without protection. Normal rust on a baseplate shouldn't be of concern. All new steel will rust if it is in contact with water and oxygen. The surface of steel is chemically unstable and the process of rusting is simply stabilisation of that surface. Following initial rusting the rate of corrosion then slows as the rust itself forms a protective barrier. I doubt the builder to which you refer is using materials that are different from any other builder. I don't know what surface preparation boat builders go through but there is more scope for variation there than in the material itself. Pitting is caused by specific chemicals within solution hence on narrowboats it occurs predominantly underwater. It is highly specific to combinations of surface condition of the metal and chemicals within the solution. It's a bit of circle since the chemicals in the water influence the pH of the water which in turn influences the surface condition of the metal. When I say condition I am talking about the chemistry of the outer later rather than it's quality. Ironically pitting is more likely to affect 'higher' grade steels such as alloy steels and stainless steel. That's a function of the specific surface conditions of such steels. As for your Norton Canes boat example the surface conditions of the newer and older steel will be different. The older steel had 22 years of chemical change to its surface layer that the new steel didn't have. It's also likely that it wasn't in the same location as the pitting occurred. What is certain is that something has attacked the steel. It could just be that in time the older steel would have suffered the same but has more natural resistance to such but that isn't a result of steel 'quality'. As for the water in Yorkshire it is possibly alkaline and that could be a factor irrespective of how clean it appears to be. It's a complex area and I am not an expert - although I do have daily access to folk who are - but I know enough to conclude that the steel itself is the least likely factor and that even if it is about the steel it is more far more complex than simple issues of 'quality' (which to me means adherence to specification for chemical composition and geometrical tolerance). We will never know for sure without scientific study of the specific conditions of boats in canals. And to put into context I moor my boat in an area of historic brine pumping, And the best advice is to protect as much steelwork as you can and on that I think we are agreed. JP

I think the OP’s questions are genuine, perfectly reasonable and not setting out to test the boundaries. yes of course you can sleep in the boat on your home mooring, the only question is for how long. Some marinas/moorings have strict rules, other marinas have no rules, and most are somewhere between the two. Find out the policy (by talking rather than in writing, I’d suggest) before committing to a particular mooring. when you have a home mooring, CRT are less fussed about your cruising pattern, and what you propose sounds fine. Although by law you can stay in one place for more than 14 days if you have a home mooring, CRT don’t like it and will hound you and thus it is best avoided unless you like a fight. if you are a leisure boater, it’s pretty inevitable that your boat will be found either on its mooring, or quite close to the mooring. This is normal usage. But what upsets people including CRT is when you have a home mooring that you never or rarely use, and use that as justification to spend long periods moored in prime locations. the only other thing to bear in mind is that if you are not on a residential mooring you really need a home address, but that can of course be friends or relatives if they agree.

I have created a large Google Earth file mapping all the canal & river navigations that i have so far been able to find, I can make the base GE file available but it can be viewed on-line here: http://www.railmaponline.com/Canals.php if anyone spots any omissions or errors please let me know. Not all the navigations have all the locks and bridges marked yet I'm gradually working my way through doing these, the Oxford canal is currently being done. Chris

Sorry I can't discuss it, the memory is too painful.

I think the termination of the vast majority of Camping Boats is a bit of a tragedy, both for those who could enjoy a reasonably priced holiday and those who were employed as steerers and were the 'last bastion of enthusiasts' who could earn their living from working a pair of boats - even if they were effectively empties (alternatives being the Threefellows Carrying gravel boats or hotel boats, many of which were 'historics' back then). Fuel Boats have become popular in more recent years but these are mostly single motors, and buttys in carrying condition have almost disappeared. I am glad I did my professional boating when I did (1979 - 1985) when there was still plenty of boaters to teach me my trade and set standards that have seen me well throughout my subsequent career 'on the bank' edit - when I was working there were numerous camping boats operating across the midlands - Birmingham and Midland = 2 pairs, Union Canal Carriers = 4 pairs and 4 single motors (self steer), Warwickshire Fly Boat = 2 pairs and 1 single motor, Threefellows = 1 pair, Educational Cruisers = 2 pairs, Foxton Boat Services = 1 pair and 1 single motor plus several community boats that were little more than posh camping boats with a cabin (including the pair I operated - and a couple listed above are open to interpretation).

You didn't did you, I would never expected you to do something like that. PS I've got two.

I Did the Econ Fan test about 10 years ago with 4 Digital Thermometers and Incense Sticks in a 57 Foot Cabin, it did Sweet Frances Adams. He had an Aversion to the Letter after C, so he changed his name Legally by -ee- Poll?

Well that was the problem. If you put the fan on the stove it may have worked better than in it?

These days, the entire world probably would, because of the high chance someone nearby would have a phone handy to video it. Longer ago, all you'd have is some bloke down the pub swearing blind that he saw a plane fly under the bridge, and his mates rolling their eyes and saying pull the other one. Meanwhile, in a flying club bar somewhere, the truth of the tale is told in whispered tones, known to all the local hooligans but never mentioned in earshot of the CFI, passed down quietly through the years... I know a good few such tales, and I ain't tellin'.

You don't have The GI connected to anything to test it. This video shows the principles of using the diode testing function of a multimeter to test a GI.

In many marinas there is no 'or', - an orgy is 'doing a boaty thing', its that sort of 'community spirit and get togethers' that those CCing miss out on

You tell that to SWMBO who might have to walk miles across a marina with heavy wet washing and then have to pay real money for the privelige. I of course woul be too busy to help as I will be doing boaty things. (or having an orgy)

I don't believe some of the posters on here actually have Ecofans, otherwise we'd be seeing far more sensible responses. For example, no one has yet suggested what I do with mine in the summer which is to place it on top of the fridge to run off the (free) waste coldness and keep the boat cool. No rewiring nonsense required, and it doesn't go backwards because, rather like a thermos flask which 'just knows' to keep warm things warm and cool things cool, the Ecofan also 'just knows'.

With orgies?

Rediculous, needless crap! For FS, make rules that encourage people to become a cohesive community, OK, pick up your dog crap, no barbeques on pontoons, no orgies unless you invite the owners...

Heed this well!! It is the single most informative and correct posting ever on this forum!!

I had to look that one up, but yes, it means a gawper. Badauder is to stroll around idly

The earth coming out of the GI should go to boat earth so yes, you could measure here. You will need to somehow gain access to the earth wire going into the GI and obviously this carries all the usual warnings about messing about with the mains so take great care and get help as required. Once you've done the test then cover up the earth wire because even though its unlikely it could become live one day under certain fault conditions. It sounds like the "problem" relates to the battery charger rather than a true "earth potential under heavy load". Modern electronics often have various filter components right across the mains input, and also chop up the incoming mains at a high frequency, and its possible that this or something similar is causing enough current to make the LED glow. LEDs can give a little glow with very low currents. GIs often include capacitors to try to handle this "modern electronics" issue. My guess is that nothing is wrong but I am just a jack of all trades electronic (ish) engineer rather than a specialist here. Looking at the voltage across the GI with a 'scope might be interesting but I have heard that some boats don't actually carry a 'scope. ..............Dave

I have had an interest in Fulbourne for over 20 years. The boat is named after the village outside Cambridge which is best known for its large mental hospital.

Sorry but you're way off line with your comments about cushy hours. OK, class hours may be 9 - 3.30 M-F 39 weeks of the year but that's just the tip of the iceburg. Even 20 years ago my late wife worked the better part of half her official holidays. Several of my younger relatives teach and they do more hours out of th classroom than in. Long evening and weekend work is normal. Another point never mentioned is how much they spend on materials, pens, paper, computer consumables etc,etc

This is what I use, self adhesive flat fire rope. It allows for expansion so you won't need to change the glass anywhere near as much.

The Fan's momentum can be Safely arrested by the Skin from a Small Rice Pudding, so I am led to believe ....

Do you have a "Correct Polarity" light on your power panel? Sometimes these consist of a neon connected between Live & Earth which will light when the polarity is correct. Obviously this would cause a small live/earth leakage and may be enough to cause your GI LED to light up. I've had this with a metered galvanic isolator showing a small earth leakage so I simply disconnected the neon indicator and no more leakage.

After my recent experience I think it might be better if there was No fishing allowed at all on visitor moorings. However, this 5m thing is, I believe, a standard request on winter moorings, and if boats are going to occupy a visitor mooring for three or four solid months then it is reasonable. I do wonder if CaRT allow for this space when they sell off the visitor moorings as winter moorings. A concern that I have is that winter moorings already consume a lot of VM space which makes it difficult for "continuing continuous cruisers" to find a place to stop, and so leaving 5m gaps for the entire winter is not good. Additionally, most boats are 57 foot so those of us with 70 footers do find it harder to fit in to vacated spaces. 5m gaps does make it a lot easier but does then result in me breaking the guidelines. ...............Dave

Why stop at four blades?

You can remember your first 5 words, I suppose one of mine must have been mamma but I have no idea what the others are

Not being funny David, but if you're not wanting to live on a boat for fun, I'd urge you to think again about what other options you might have. I'm guessing you can't afford to buy a house but can afford to buy a boat, but have you properly weighed the month-to-month costs of living aboard against those of renting a flat or even a room? It might not be much cheaper if at all, especially if you pay for a mooring, and if the lifestyle doesn't appeal you there's risk that living aboard will just feel like one chore after another - move the boat, empty the loo, fill up with water, fill up with diesel, change the gas bottle, top up the batteries... I'm planning to move aboard myself soon and although I hope and expect it to be cheaper to CC than to live in a family house mortgage and all, I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't really want to live on the water.

Our Webasto is as old as our boat so 14 years old. We have always run it flat out from when we bought the boat at 5 years old. This time last year it decided to give us it's first problems. We came back to the boat to find smoke pummeling from the exhaust. The fan unit had failed. Whilst we had the unit off to replace the fan we also gave it a decoke, new gaskets, new burner cartridge, new glow plug and replaced all of the ducting and lagged it all. Cost all in was £225 as we did the work ourselves. It now works better then it ever has done since we have owned the boat and if anything gets the boat too hot, we end up sat with the heating on and windows and doors open We have a spare set of gaskets now so will give it a decoke again after this winter as it is such a simple job.

In what way is it ambiguous? I think it was clear from my questions that the regulations are not clear, at least not to me. If they were, there would be no point in asking the questions.

This is why we ended up buying a share in a boat rather than hiring like we used to. There is no wriggle room with the fines any more, and its not the school who enforces them, its the local authority. We took our daughter out for a week in what was her last year at Junior school, and after the SATs had been sat (once out of the way they were doing nothing but play games, so much for education). Forms were filled in and sent back from school, absence agreed but unauthorised. And a few months later lo and behold through came the fines, £60 per parent, per child, if promptly paid. We paid the same day, because £120 is nothing compared to what the same holiday would have cost two weeks later (triple the total cost in fact). Or the alternative is to lie. Our local school policy for vomiting or diarrhoea is to not allow the child back to school unless 48hrs have passed since the last episode, as long as you keep the school informed this could see you through the week easily. We've stupidly always been honest, and the last time it cost us.

A marrow boat?

Take the kids out of school holidays. I always did as do my daughters even today with the nonsense spouted by schools. People are too busy to have their lives ruled by people with a job as cushy hours wise as schools. You may get a slapped wrist by boss teacher but as my daughter explained very sensibly to her that as her two kids at that school were the top of the class in EVERY subject then could teacher explain the problem with the failings in their education. No further action.

Could it be that when the fan is on the top of the stove there is no room for the kettle, take the fan off, replace it with the kettle and the water boils ?

Fuel costs are one of the cheapest parts of boating. Don t worry about it.

Well parented children know when to act up and when to sit quietly. Not many of them around these days, unfortunately! Mind you, dogs and children have major similarities - they are both indulgences of their owners.

Go and see Crossness Pumping Station. They have a 25,000,000 gallon reservoir for poo that they emptied twice daily. They considered cassettes but decided against it.

That'll mean that the hold will now have 30 tonnes of composting Loo contents in place of the coal...