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I know I should not because it could be osntrued as political rather than fair comment but would that be the same pot the Tories use when they need to bribe the Northan Irish so they can stay in power?

Jerra said that evidence of literacy was rising but I beg to differ. As an employer of young men in a mainly manual job we had great difficulty finding any who could read a tape measure or fill in a time sheet which after 11 years of schooling shouldn’t have been beyond them. in the late 50’s and 60’s I was a deck officer mn and out of all the crews I only came across 1 man who couldn’t read and write but he knew every star in the sky and how to travel by train around the uk. lots of the old boatmen around Braunston had had no formal education but they where a dam site smarter than lots of the youths coming out of Daventry comprehensive schools.

Perhaps by using money which may be being wasted on pointless ‘initiatives’ (e.g re-branding, licence reviews) and empire building. If C&RT were more open about their true objectives and avoided withholding/spinning information, they would probably receive more in donations from the public as we would have more confidence and respect for them. They do get some things right. After all there is a certain degree of maintenance, just not enough when it comes to maintaining the navigation for boaters. I wonder whether the problem is that boaters are only seen for their financial contribution. I mean, the income from the tax payer as a whole and way leave charges, far exceed what boaters financially contribute. (yes, most boaters are also tax payers). So how much do boaters contribute in non-financial ways? I’ll start - By maintaining our heriatage of historic boats. By providing entertainment to the general public (especially in locks!). By contributing to public events with craft and food sale boats. By providing charitable help (trip boats for less abled and educational purposes). By maintaining the Timothy and Pru dream to be able to cruise the whole system. (back to use it or lose it again) By maintaining a lifestyle which is a microcosm of the world we would all like to live in. (I’m seeing more selfishness creep in more recently though ? ) To maintain the dream for those clinging onto life in the hope that one day they can escape ‘the system’ (I did say ‘dream’ lol but sometimes it’s all we have) Feel free to add to the list.

I said at the time of the review that reducing the prompt payment discount made sense given current interest rates. 10% is too much of a discount these days, and costs CRT about £1.5 million a year. Changing it to 5% is an instant win of £750,000 and they didn't uprate the fees with inflation. Do I like paying more? No, but I would have expected a 3% inflation uplift, so it is only an extra 2% out of my pocket, and some of my skint friends will finally be able to claim some discount on their licences.

Bly me.

Which shows how little I have managed to read so far

Oh I see you are telling me it was your generation which had poor education (hence the daft reply ). If you are referring to the fact young people use a style of colloquialism you don't understand (and don't like) it was ever thus. I remember well my parents objecting to how I and my friends spoke in the 50s and 60s. Incidentally their colloquialisms have no effect or bearing on their ability to read.

Best place for such monstrosities, in the sea! Or better, under it.

Takes one to know one!!

I'm afraid that trip hazards don't just apply to the person who was responsible for placing the object there and who may be conscious of its location, but also to anyone else who might be using that surface. In some situations for example, another boater might be using your gunwale and be completely unaware of a cleat or bollard fitted there, so it's most definitely a trip hazard. We talk about things like gas safety, the hazards of petrol and carbon monoxide a lot on this forum, but simple trips and falls cause the greatest number of injuries on the inland waterways, so it's a bit worrying when some experienced members don't seem to understand basic concepts of boating safety and think a trip hazard of fine just because they know where it is! Cleats or bollards fitted on the edge of the open deck forward or astern of the cabin are fine providing they aren't too close to areas where people get on or off the boat. Also, personally I wouldn't be relying on anything that's just held on with a tapped thread. I'd want it bolted through with a washer and nut on the other side.

Same reason as CCers think leisure boaters hate them. And yoghurt pots think tin cans despise them. I don't know about canoeists. They probably think fishermen hate them. it's all crap. No-one objects to CCers, fat boat owners, people who sit in marinas all year, plastic tubs, pedalos, Carabos. I quote you the god Thoth-Hermes, from the Sheckley Bible: "...naturally, you and all the other pearly white onions think that carrots are just bad news, merely some kind of misshapen orangey onion, whereas the carrots look at you and rap about freaky round white carrots, wow! I mean, in actuality everything's got a place in The Stew! And that means that everybody who exists is necessary, and you must have long hateful orange carrots if you're also going to have nice pleasant decent white onions, or vice versa, because without all the ingredients, it isn't a Stew, which is to say, life..."

Well no Tax is a mechanism for pay-as-you-go services. And there are other similarities too, there are people who are exempt, just as there are properties that are exempt. But the fact remains, that unless lawful (as opposed to under the counter) exemptions apply, boats used as a main residence, occupying a specific berth for more than 28 consecutive days in a calendar year ought to have planning permission and thence to become liable for Council Tax. Well this is probably because CRT is not a Housing Association, so could not offer him a residential mooring, and the Marina Operator was refusing to turn a blind eye, so he was homeless. Living on a boat 'per se' does not count as being homeless, but not being able to give a permanent address does.

You can manage an entire sentence before he irritates you too much? Respect is due!

I can get lost running from here to the road end - I could run a distance equivalent to round the world but in small and confused circles.

I have two! I ended up with a spare due to a warranty failure after nearly 3 years Excellent piece of kit way better than the Huawei with the two antenna ports that I also have. No problems with signal inside the boat better than the Huawei in the same place. prices were between £60 and £70 originally so this is a goOd deal. If I didnt have two I would get one as a spare at this price. ETA No external antenna ports but it doesn't need them, it will also do 5g wifi instead of 2.4g, and finally it has a high power wifi mode so coverage in the boat and outside is excellent. ETA2 Out of stock only place I can find stock is Cambridge and Witney.

Started reading "Narrow Dog to Carcasson" about 8 years ago. I can only read one sentence at a time before I get annoyed with Terry Darlington's writing style and give up.

I just wonder where the people doing the maths to work out our position in the tables are from

What us non boaty people call a deck head apparently. ?

Ah! But where's the telly? George

Sera, sera.

..........claws desperately back towards the golden 1%....... Dunchurch Pools now has 12 wide beams, Calcutt 3, North Kilworth 5.......the march goes on.... Cruised from Marsworth to Weedon last Winter and counted 83 wide craft on the cut, up from 67 the year before.

Must be one of the increasing band of 'rules don't apply to me' brigade, or else a product of the failed education system, who has left school being unable to read the signs saying 'no navigation beyond this point'.

BWML have devised one mechanism. In fact anyone can register to pay Council Tax, so it's not impossible. The issue is that Marina Operators tend not to want residential boaters as they would then have security of tenure, it is better for such businesses to turn a blind eye but retain the right to evict a boater, if for instance they were unable to pay their rent. Also unsocial behaviour can be dealt with as, despite the collusion, they can always say a boater has breached their terms and conditions.

Probably,if you don't need an aerial connection. What we need is some reviews from someone who actually has one.

I had the same discussion with a boater who changed his oil one every three years as the service schedule said annually or at XXX running hour, so he chose the running hours.

We had ours a year ago, and also got a pdf from the surveyor on e-mail.

Sent you a message to see if it helps your search.

Why do you ask? You may as well ask if I buy carrots. Tax is not levied on ISAs or carrots. Tax is levied on a person's main residence if that residence stays in the same space for more than 28 consecutive days in any calendar year, the fact that there is collusion between some Marina Operators and some residential boaters doesn't alter that fact. And it is no argument to point out (accurately) that there is a whole lot more fraud in the corporate world.

When we applied for a winter mooring at BWML Kings Marina they asked for a copy of the BSS Certificate. I did have a written copy but no way of scanning it so simply gave them the certificate number and expiry date with the note that all BSS Certificates were now online. They haven't queried it or asked to see the paper copy now we are in the marina.

Been on CRT site, we couldn't download the certificate, so we printed the page saying when the next one is due. Thanks for the tip. TBH I suggested that, and it caused a bit of a domestic, cos I said it should be there and 'he' said it's not! Oh well ....

No. That is not what BWML say. They say that if you are residential, then you are either required to have an individual assessment, which gives you the benefit of the exclusive undisturbed use of a particular berth, or you will pay a reduced amount through a composite assessment, for the inconvenience caused by having to move twice a year. The bottom line is that you pay something. If the boat is your main or only residence, then it will be liable for Council Tax if it remains in one place for more than 28 days. The definition below suggests that it ought be liable anyway, but that would be impossible to enact. If you find ways round not paying a tax for which you are liable then you are evading a tax. Tax avoidance is to not make yourself liable. So I avoid not being liable for Council Tax on my boat by not using it as my main or only residence. I pay Council Tax on my house instead. I am not required by law to pay twice, but I am expected to pay once. There are clearly a number of folk on here who do not want to think they are 'doing anything wrong' and believe they are simply 'playing by the rules'. However, if everyone 'played by the rules', then the 'pot' of money available to pay for services from which we all directly or indirectly benefit would shrink considerably. In the end we all wrestle with our own consciences. 'Non permanent (or ‘temporary’) dwellings are included if they are the occupant’s main residence and council tax is payable on them as a main residence. These include caravans, mobile homes, converted railway carriages and houseboats. Permanent traveller pitches should also be counted if they are, or likely to become, the occupants’ main residence. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/definitions-of-general-housing-terms#dwelling

Common motor on the small fishing boats they use on the Clwywedog Reservoir, powered by a 12v battery. Wouldn't think they were suitable for long term cruising purposes.

http://www.tb-training.co.uk I think that on balance someone completely new to boat owning should have a survey despite the get out clauses and sometimes lack of knowledge of the surveyor. They should be competent in using instruments to test the hull soundness and that alone would tend to give peace of mind or cause you to walk away. After several years of ownership it is likely a person with a reasonably technical way of thinking would be able to assess the state of the boat by simply inspecting it thoroughly. If you do not want a survey then try to find a knowledgeable friend/acquaintance to look at the boat with you but how reliable their opinion will be is open to question but they should be able to see through a quick repaint of the interior in a light colour type of "refit". What I would advise is to ignore any boat that has an engine that uses a timing belt rather than the more usual chain or gears. This boils down to mainly, but not exclusively, Lombardini and Ford XLD. I think there are a few Puegot and VW units around as well. The clue is a plastic or flimsy metal cover over the front of the engine, behind the belts held in place by clips of a very few screws. The reason is that the belts are lifed so need changing regularly and access in a narrowboat is often difficult. Also over winter the belt may rust onto the sprockets causing it to snatch when the engine is started. This, contamination by oily water, and exceeding the belt life can cause it to snap and that will cost you a great deal of money for the repairs or the new engine. Never rely on a survey provided by the vendor or their broker OR use a surveyor recommended by either party - give and area and ask on here.

I wouldn't fancy shaving with that.

Why would it be fraudulent? Provided that they spend at least 30 days away from their mooring they are doing nothing wrong. They have provided an address and they are abiding by the terms and conditions of their mooring agreement. This happens at moorings all over the country. Look at any CRT long term moorings and they are the same. If you look more closely at your own marina you will find someone living onboard. It isn't unusual in the slightest.

An inch is quite a bit. (so i tell my mrs anyway)

I bought a recon for from an eBayer in Poland for £400 5 years ago and it's run perfectly ever since. Sometimes it's just not worth f'ing about with really old ones.

Did you give the surveyors Guide Dog a biscuit?