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A small town in Italy twinned with a similar town in Greece. The Mayor of the Greek town visited the Italian town. When he saw the palatial mansion belonging to the Italian mayor he wondered how he could afford such a house. The Italian said; "You see that bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a two-lane bridge, but by building a single lane bridge with traffic lights at either end this house could be built". Soon after, the Italian visited the Greek town. He was simply amazed at the Greek Mayor's house, gold taps, marble floors, it was marvellous. When he asked how this could be afforded the Greek said; "You see that bridge over there?" The Italian replied; "No."

How did you find the 5 litre beast? One great thing about Admirals. No matter how hard you stove in the bow against obstructions you cannot ruin the lines.

Indeed, let's get real. We, the citizens of this country, did not choose to be part of this organisation. We chose to be part of its predecessor, which did not have law making powers. We also voted to leave this organisation, but we now appear to be denied the outcome we chose.

Laws are blunt instruments. They are catch-all and cannot be nuanced, except by precedent. The law about used rebated fuel oil (red diesel) for propulsion has been discussed for at least 10 years. Whether you have a yacht or a narrow-boat, or more significantly for some, a private plane (even if you are using the plane to transport staff) it has been illegal to use red diesel for some time. The UK secured, what could be described as an implementation period, which ran out in 2008. Since then the UK has tried to argue the case, and has now failed. If you propel your boat with petrol you already pay the full amount of fuel tax. The issue is that the use of red-diesel has been one of the factors which has artificially kept down the costs of owning a boat - which in all except the cases of live-aboards, is considered a luxury. A luxury which is used for leisure purposes. For a few thousand folk the boat is home. Take out those who legitimately reside on a residential mooring and the hardship will be felt most by those who live on their boats but claim the entitlement not to have a home mooring and actually cruise hundreds of miles every year. Not those who claim the entitlement and do not cruise. We should get real - this is a law - made by an organisation we chose to be part of. Laws made by the EU are proposed by the European Commission, and they can only even be proposed if all 28 member States agree to the proposal. Then they have to be decided, and the decision is taken after full discussion in the European Parliament. This is nothing to do with something being imposed on us by others - its something we signed up for. As is so often the case with us UK citizens we agree to something before we really understand the implications - I'm thinking Iraq war and Brexit as two recent examples.

Many things weren't taxed in the old days which are taxed now. Things change. I really hope you didn't think voting brexit would involve any sort of return to the old days, or you're going to be very very dissappointed.

So very true but you only needed to say it once lol. Degrees now come in lucky bags ( remember those? ) 3 of our 5 kids have degrees and the only reason the other 2 havnt is simply because they didnt want one. A degree used to mean something but in many cases now it simply means donking it off at uni for 3 years rather than getting a job.

Luckily those that voted in ignorance two years ago were in the minority and those of us who fully understood what was at stake, the majority, voted out.

Surely not a realistic option.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I was just trying to help people that might like a nice simple way of getting someone to their boat, I for one quite like it. If you can't remember three words that's fine. Stick with google, it was just an option. My thinking was I could just print the words with the job sheet, so the lads can just type it in off the paper work. That's what I meant. Easier than typing in an internet address like you'd get with google maps. Anyway the choice is there if anyone wants to use it and we are quite happy to find people using it, or google or still with basic directions.. But the more choices the better for all involved.

Its a bureaucratic rule brought in by people with no real knowledge of how diesel is used and no respect for a country which has at least tried to "officialise" the process by self declaration and HMRC retailer checks. The EU don't accept that small vessels MAY have a separate tank for domestic(boiler, stove, cooker, heating etc) usage, they don't accept that a percentage split may be used from a single tank for heating/electric generation, they don't accept that the UK/HMRC are trying to play fair against a very ill thought out ruling. No, lets stick the boot in, lets fine them and add to the Brexit fee....... Out means out, Tusk, Merkel and others will suffer more when we've gone.

I prefer to go through tunnels at night, when its dark. This means there are very few boats coming the other way with stupidly bright lights, as boaters with stupidly bright lights tend not to cruise at night.

No it doesn't.

apparently they are also free 'They are free to use and on people’s doorstep.' wonderful, i can cancel my direct debit

Why don't folks on here realise that the bulk of income to run the canals comes from Government. If CaRT can make a good job of persuading Authority that the canals are for the public benefit (not just boaters) - then these extra funds will dry up??

I've just been through braunston tunnel, the boat I had facing me had nearly stopped, but it's light was blinding, he had it on his right side, but looking straight ahead, I tried putting my hand up to drflect it's glare , but I just could not see, I glanced off his bow, no problem tho, and he nodded as I went past, I said, you need to adjust your light it's blinding, but he quickly loudly replied he doesn't, it's pointing upwards. but it wasn't, not enough anyway, and as the tunnel is a bit kinky " their angle to you , can be different to your angle to them. My light points upwards, it lights the tunnel sides enough, but gives a small extra circle of light just ahead of my bow on the ceiling of the tunnel., if I keep that circle in the centre of the tunnel roof, I am therefore always in the middle, it doesn't distract other boaters, and gives me ample light to negotiate passing other boats.(unless there shining their light in your face) The man today disagreed with me, but he wasn't facing it, no harm done, but he will probably get hit a lot in tunnels.

I am maybe over simplifying things but do you really need anything more than the internet, providing you know where you are. Using grab a grid reference I have just typed in Great Haywood pulled the "pin" to the end of one of the pontoons in the satellite pic and been supplied with the ref SJ99622354 https://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/grabagridref/html/ EDIT: I am not into Lat & Long but it also supplies that as: Lat:52.8094409 Lng:-2.0070138

The point I was making, or more correctly trying to make was, that it was not a personal insult as you didn't write it. I am afraid that you have to expect that unless boaters are mentioned at least twice by anything CRT puts out there will be many who get stroppy. It doesn't seem to have sunk in yet to a lot of boaters that for the canals to survive CRT has to get lots of people who aren't boaters committed to their survival. Boaters are already committed and so they probably feel they can put out press releases which don't mention them. A good reason for them doing this is that if boaters take a prominent place in most releases many who aren't boaters would justifiably take the attitude "Huh those boaters are going to get the most value out of the canals let them pay for it".

Which was precisely Tony Blair's intent when he introduced the policy. George

Gave up on the self pump-out I guess:-) N

Whilst some people may have voted for the reasons you stated I dont see it as being many. Its true that along with age comes experience. That comes in all things. For instance a 25 year old simply cannot be an experienced driver on our roads but a fifty year old may well be. When I was younger as with many I thought I knew more than my parents etc, it comes with the territory. As I have grown older and lived life and gained experience which again comes with the territory then I came to realise the older generation have more knowledge than younger. I still love talking to my mum who is lucid and 98 years young next month, she has far more insight and knows far more than a youngster of 63 like myself as she is 35 years older than me.

Mine wasn't about immigration either. Rather, it was to hopefully remove a layer of government from one that is already massively over bloated, even without the EU, in my opinion.

How true! No point in putting too much bling on a big GU, silk purses and sows ears........know what I mean?? George

I’ve just been down the GU and seen a few poo boats. Some people call them widebeam narrowboats I’ve heard.

You must be busting by now.

There may have been ignorance to the processes of leaving the EU, the complexities but ultimately, these things don't matter. People do not want a United States of Europe, and voted accordingly.

You might have thought the fact that a referendum was held in 1975 regarding a trading bloc might have set a precedent. We might be told that referenda are bad by the elite but they love precedents, much of our law is based on them. I hope you'd agree that continued membership (or not) of a trading bloc is a trivial matter indeed, when compared to handing over law making powers and superior justice to an overseas force. One that we are part of, but do not have control over. On this basis and any other basis including common sense, there should have been a referendum before Britain joined the EU. However many bad, dark nasty words the elite might want to band about in the attempt to manipulate people's minds into supporting the establishment's dislike of referenda, John Major should not have signed up for EU membership without referring to the people.

I try my best!!...she was very well behaved this Summer during my 500 odd mile trip and Hi from me... Hello, good to meet you on the Thames this year. All the best.

I accept that, but it makes no practical difference to anything. That's unless you're suggesting that because we're subjects, we shouldn't expect democracy and should accept tyrannical ruling?

Are we ? The consensus appears to be that we are 'subjects' as we have no legally binding constitution and rights.

Sorry, no. That vote was to remain or leave the common market which latter was known as the EEC, European Economic Community. This was a trading bloc, it did not have law making powers. John Major took Britain into the EU as we know it, without troubling the people of Britain for their consent.

The northern 'Admirals' represent the final incarnation of commercial narrow boat design, along with the 'River Class' buttys of the south east. Their harsh design may not be to everybody's taste but they are quite clever and particularly suited to working in shallow water, just like nowadays. Their comparatively lightweight construction made them much more commercially viable than the alternative 'Joshers', meaning they could carry more tonnage for a similar draft - and they are fast (which matters quite a lot to me). 'Admirals' are built from welded steel and with steel cabins, so period type repairs are easy and moderately inexpensive compared to a riveted hull with a wooden cabin - and they were built narrow compared to more traditional narrow boats making them well suited to crumbling narrow locks. The motors were fitted with air cooled engines when new and these are fairly easy to find and are not too expensive, but a Lister H Series is a good substitute. Many working boats spend most of their time tied up now and the large rectangular cabin is more spacious compared to other narrow boats, and personal space and comfort is important to me. My preference is the earlier 'Admirals' built by Isaac Pimblott, Northwich and although I attempted to buy MOUNTBATTEN last year I think I would not have kept it for long, especially now EFFINGHAM is available again. I am very happy with my current boat although I have spent only four days on board since buying it earlier this year. My absolute preference is always going to be a large Grand Union Canal Carrying Company Ltd. motor, but there really is not much in it

Government reports say we only produce approximately half of the diesel consumed in the UK. • The UK was a net importer of petroleum products in 2017 by more than 10 million tonnes, although this was a decrease of 3.0 per cent on the year before as a result of a larger fall in exports compared to imports. Product imports were down 4.4 per cent whereas exports were down 4.9 per cent on 2016. (Table 3.2, Chart 3.2). • Refinery production does not meet demand for every product. Around half of the UK’s demand for diesel is produced in the UK and around 40 per cent of jet fuel, whereas refineries continue to produce more than sufficient petrol (Table 3.2). 3.14 As with crude oil, imports are critically important for the UK’s domestic demand. In common with many other countries, domestic supply and demand is not matched on a product-by-product basis. The UK’s refineries were developed to produce petrol for domestic cars and fuel oil for electricity generation. With the increasing dieselisation of the UK’s car fleet, and the switch from fuel oil to other fuels for electricity generation, UK production of key petroleum products is no longer aligned with market demand. To balance demand the UK trades widely and is one of the largest importers of jet fuel and road diesel in the OECD and one of the largest exporters of petrol. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729403/Ch3.pdf

You are right Stan, it aint gonna go back down again anytime soon, or ever in fact. However the mere fact that MY UK government that is supposedly as pro remainers keep telling us is a free independant country lol can be taken to court as it were by the eu is disgusting and just more proof that we are not anything like independant and the eu has primacy over our laws. Disgusting.

Well said. The whole Jaffa cake/biscuit debate is a consequence of UK law, nothing to do with the EU. It seems blaming to EU for everything is an easy cop-out for some. I wager right now, that if we are all to pay for white diesel for our boats, being in or out of the EU won't make a shred of difference. We'll still have to pay.

What price my electric boat now? I have been using full bio diesel for ages but the next fill up will be kero for the whispergen and the bubble stove its cheaper and cleaner than diesel

Just tried it with mrs rusty. The three words were. Move /it /loser I'm still lost. Help!!

Ain’t no ‘perhaps’ about it

Will you come back again on Monday??