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These used to be fitted on to all of the early Tom pudding compartment boats. It was called a knocker, although the barge men referred to it as an ankle breaker. It was a way to quickly secure chains between the pans, using only gravity. It eventually fell out of favour, as, it worked well enough when the Tom pudding pans were behaving themselves on a nice calm day. However, when it was blowing a gale and the pans were halfway up the bank, the knocker part could flick up and, anyone unlucky enough to be passing at the time, risked getting their ankle broken. Hope this is of interest.

This thread title would make an ideal name for a boat

OK, it's gone to the judging panel. It's going to be close, Sea Dog having to go defensive in the face of a prolonged response from 70liveaboard. And the result is in - the winner of the thread is.......

I see your mistake. Try turning the shower on instead !

Do you not think he would find something else to ask F of I requests or complain about? I can off the top of my head think of three people who seem to spend their time looking at something which they believe to be wrong with the canals and/or their management and I think they must have very boring uninteresting lives if that is what gives them "kicks". OK all is not perfect but what in life is? and to my mind we should work more with than against organisations to improve things. Haggis

Not boated for as long as you. But the ten years we have done have been great. I hear the complaints and I know it’s not perfect on the canals but it’s still pretty good. Some just look for the problems I believe so they can moan.

As usual CRT shoot themselves in the foot. No doubt the repeated FOI claims are vexatious but clouding the issue by complaining about some pictures of staff is just silly - presuming these photos were taken in a public place, not eg by peering in through their bedroom windows. There is no legal basis for their complaint, it is not an invasion of privacy to post a named photo of someone in a public place. A fundamental element of harassment is that the “thing” must be repeated. So one article naming people in photos and complaining about them cannot be harassment. On the other hand, false accusations about something CRT have done could be libellous. But they choose the wrong things to be exercised about and thus look like silly amateur bar-room lawyers.

I just go boating. Its fab out there. Nowts changed in my near on thirty years, still fab and still getting awesome service.

If using a scrabbler, take out all your filament light bulbs else they won't work afterwards. Don't moor need me!

In an idle moment I popped over to NB world and what a depressing read it was. The main moaner seems to be out for a few weeks and I don't think he has said anything positive at all yet It is all moan, moan and have a go at CRT What about all this beautiful weather and all the new greenery on the trees and the new wildlife on the canal?? It makes me wonder why he has a boat and goes boating if it is all so terrible Sadly, there are those who will read his rubbish and think that's is what the canals are like Haggis

It's a strainer you want rather than a filter. Yes it's semantics, but if you search for a "water filter" you might not find what you're looking for.

What are you trying to say...

Andy - I wish I had the answer for the bad times you have, and are, experiencing but from what you wrote here you are obviously a good and brave person and has done a great deal for the boating community in general and lovers of old boats particularly. Try not to give in to the blackness and do trust that it could get better.

No-one. Can't win an unwinnable, unimportant topic like this.... ? How others write or perceive info.. We're the worst sometimes.. New to us this social media stuff, don't forget.

Spawn of the devil. All of them!

It makes me wonder why he has a boat and goes boating if it is all so terrible Sadly, there are those who will read his rubbish and think that's is what the canals are like IMHO I wouldn't bother to visit "The Floater" either.

In the old photos I received when I bought Vulpes was the photo below with the words "Ahead of Malat. Barton Tank. August '76" written on the back. Both boats were built by Canal Transport Services in the late 60s/early 70s. These days they are both kept in Worcestershire and yesterday morning I got the chance to photograph them together again 42 years on from the earlier photo. I am assuming it is one and the same Malat.

The issue as to whether you can apply to licence it and as of when, all relies on where it is now. If it's on the bank or non C&RT waters then you can apply for 1st June and then bring it onto C&RT waters as of then, and not before. If however it is already on C&RT waters and you are the owner then you are required (so far as they are concerned) to licence it immediately. That will be from 1st May, and obviously you'll not be eligible for prompt payment as it's already 20th today. As to whether you, I or anybody thinks it's fair or not …… thems is the rules. It didn't use to be, but we are where we are.

Yup ,Ride on Bro.

I look at those big houses and dream "If I had worked harder and had wealthy parents and/or no principals I could have owned one of those houses", I could sit in those big rooms and watch the boats going past, but hold on, I am the boat that's going past, its my boat and I live on it. You can live next to the water, or you can live on the water. (ok if I had one of those houses I would rent it out and buy more boats) ..............Dave

A bit like talking to a woman then?

or maybe "...are you you sure that hole you are drilling in the bottom of the boat will let the water out...."

If there is no filter then the vales in one or more pumping chambers may be jammed open by now so fit a filter.

oh it can go on way past that. We've been stuck at this bridge for over 5 years :-)

They did have a forum for a while, but it quickly got taken down when people started expressing views disagreeing with theirs.

It probably has some validity if they are using a PWM controller but I can't see it now MPPT are so available. Either the site has not been updated or it could be a company to avoid because their expertise must be in question. When adding to a existing array its probably better to try to match the panels maximum voltage to those you already have so mixing nominal 12V panels with domestic ones is probably not a recipe for maximising output.

Did that. Then I checked with you in case I was reading it wrong. Now I've checked again and it still reads the same to me. I suspected I was missing your point though, which is why I asked.

Well reading this just made me visit NBW and I see he got stuck entering a lock, so he had to back out and lift the fenders

And for a numptylike me, RCR membership.

.... and could the skin tank want bleeding?

Tatty Lucy all painted, serviced, and loaded with cider ready to go (and get all the fresh paint scratched?) Just heard last night our friend Steve might be able to join us again this year after initially saying he couldn't, so that was a nice surprise. Still planning an easy lightly locked route. Giving ourselves a year off and just cruising the bits we enjoy the most as requested by crew, who have stated they are definitely not being to be competitive this year! Shame it can't be sent by email, I might get a chance to read it then whilst it's still relevant for future events instead of waiting til I next get a chance to pick up our post from Somerset! Tom

We have boaters on this forum that read " The Guardian " it seems then that plenty of boaters like doom and gloom stories?

If I told you I would have to kill you. .....??

Tidal starts at Teddington lock, maybe 60 miles or more downstream of Oxford so not tidal, just river with some flow . How much depends upon how much rain we have had. Of there was a lot of flow I would use Dukes cut because a backwater flows right across the pool below Issi lock where you have to turn a near right angle but with typical flows its simple. Get to Kings lock or Osney lock early on the Thames day and buy a 24 hour license d. It will run out 24 hours after midnight on the day you buy it so you in effect get two days on the Thames. Moor at Goring below the lock (Free if spaces available). Wallingford Town moorings just above the bridge (fee), Child Beale Trust (free as far as I know) at Pangboune/Whitchurch meadow (if space). I would shop in Pangbourne so you do not have to stop in Reading and get mixed up with the car parking cowboys who now control the mooring there but I understand the if you buy a meal at the Bell and Dragon they are happy for you to stay overnight on their pontoons. There is nothing to worry about on the Thames as long as you do not ignore the red boards and act responsibly if they start showing yellow "stream rising" boards. For most of the summer there is more flow on the Llangollen or Shroppie than the Thames in my view.

That may be so but it doesn't mean that an amateur can't build a good quality great sounding instrument. Both guitars that I have built have been played by very accomplished musicians and all have agreed that they sound just as good as a professionally made one. The do of course sound different but that is due more to the choice of pick ups fitted. And in the case of the hollow bodied it sounded beefier due to the resonance chamber. Fender stratocasters are a well built guitar but it is surprising how many get modified even if it is just a simple mod like a pick up change. Most amatuer built guitars are probably built from better tone wood than a factory produced one, if you are building a one off you can afford to choose better quality materials to start with.