Leaderboard

Fair play, at least it's a logical theory not just an idea. Slag is lighter than iron or steel so when iron is produced in the blast furnace, or steel in the converter, the slag floats on top and the metal is tapped from underneath. To mix slag in with the metal would take a lot of effort. It would also produce a material that would be blatantly unfit for purpose long before it ever got as far as corroding some years down the line. Slag doesn't rust anyway. Steel is possibly the most researched and developed material in history and while other folks are developing the technologies for taller buildings, longer bridges, bigger ships and faster railways the narrowboat world is pondering whether a lump of the stuff is fit to float in a ditch while using less than 1% of it's mechanical strength. One of the reasons the engineering wonders of the modern world can be built is the continual development and improvement of steel technology. Pitting is a symptom of something other than pure ambient corrosion e.g. something chemically or electrically induced. JP

The NBTA have issued an alert to an imminent s.8 seizure on safety grounds, of a boat with Licence, BSSC and insurance (no mention of any other non-compliance with T&C's). It seems apparent that some ignorance surrounds the issue of boat safety vis-à-vis s.8 powers. A vessel may be pronounced unsafe and subject to s.8 even with a BSSC in place, under the unrepealed powers of s.7 of the 1983 Act. More people should be aware of this – and also aware of the defences provided under the same section. Anybody faced with a similar scenario would need to take such steps as provided for in subsection 7 of s.7, instead of resting in a false sense of security in the possession of an up-to-date BSSC.

The comedian Rob Rouse has a show on Radio Sheffield each Sunday morning. They wanted to come and record today's show on The Chesterfield Canal and I was asked to go along for them to have a chat with. Erm... well while it is fair to say I am fairly expert at chatting I am not really comfortable with the thought of being interviewed for the radio but I realised that if I didn't go and tell them about Python nobody else would so reluctantly I went along. I have no idea why I was so worried! It turned out that Rob and his producer just jumped on one of the trip boats with a right old assortment of us supporters and proceeded to be a comedian making us all laugh! So we all relaxed and started having a banter with him forgetting there was a smart phone recording it all! Dave had come along for moral support and suddenly found himself chatting to Rob about his boating experiences and of course as I had already been recorded he mentioned we were husband and wife so Rob asked how we had met and was really interested to hear all about this boaty internet forum - so we will see if that bit hits the floor in the edit or not. The experience was a lot of fun - whether I will think that when I hear my voice over the radio this morning or not remains to be seen but with a bit of luck they will edit out the bit where I tell him off for referring to the boats as "Longboats" (well someone had to! I was cringing!) Those not in the area will still be able to listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p073hrng

I'm off to the dentist next week to have a Wisdom tooth put in.

Received wisdom seems to be he is on here looking for support and approval, rather information and advice. I think received wisdom is correct!

What have these people got to do with boat safety? https://www.nbta.org.uk/ Have I missed something important, I only dozed off for a minute?

Yes this power to board a boat and inspect it for 'safety' always worried me as an area open to massive abuse by CRT should they so choose, so I always kept quiet about it on here in case it gave CRT ideas. But now the cat is out the bag. A hairline crack in the fire cement around the stove flue connection? SEIZE THE BOAT, SAVE THE BOATER'S LIFE. Who could argue with that? A gas system pressure drop of 0.3Mb over the five minute long test? 90% of boats would fail this formal and stringent test defined in the RCD. SIEZE THE BOAT, SAVE LIVES. Who could argue with that? Some slight dampness from diesel on the leak-off manifold? FIRE RISK, SEIZE THE BOAT, SAVE LIVES. Who could argue with that? And so on. I reckon absolutely any boat could be condemned as dangerous if inspected closely enough if the boater pishes off CRT sufficiently, with no right to refuse entry for their 'inspectors'.

I have now!

Well, I wonder why restrict yourself to a country with too much rain and too many man eating midges move to Largs, I can sell you a flat! jo, from Largs [a midge free town] Seriously, I would find it too restrictive for boating. I think you can hire a narrowboat near Falkirk, and they sometimes sell ex hire boats.

Brentford Marine Services have issued HMRC approved tonnage certificates (for VAT purposes only) for qualifying vessels since the Everett/London Tideway Harbour Co decision. Accompanying such certificates we always provide a set format ‘Undertaking’ to be signed by the owner, attesting that the boat will not be used for recreation or pleasure. John Everett gave us plenty of work referrals for this over the years. Both the Certificate of Tonnage (for VAT purposes only) and the Undertaking of Use would have to be sent to suppliers. Absent one of our certificates, an MSA ship tonnage certificate can be tried on, even though the calculation is different (but if sufficiently large, the assessed tonnage should qualify it). Rules HAVE been changing, as HMRC have tried to push the boundaries in their favour. Also, revisions have been made to guidance since later decisions such as the 2008 HMRC v Stone High Court judgment ( https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2008/1249.html ) Even earlier than that decision an entirely different calculation was brought in specifically for narrowboats (quite how legally valid that was being questionable), that effectively made it impossible for even a full length narrowboat to qualify! Then too, the depth measurement is essentially from hold floor to gunwales, i.e. it relates to the volume of the ‘hold’ (so cabins do not enter into it, though any raised holds – ‘breaks’ - can be). However both of those details from the guidance (which does not have the force of law) were canvassed in the 2007 Tribunal decision in Fee v HMRC on Appeal, and – at least for the Swiftcraft design of narrowboats – the old standard factor was applied, and the height calculated to cabin top. http://financeandtax.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk//Aspx/view.aspx?id=3637 Although the calculation results in a tonnage figure, it is based on volume; the weight comes from determining how many tea chests would fit into that space, and it is the weight of that many boxes of tea that results in the tonnage assessed. The old VAT guidance booklet (sadly I have long since lost it) explained that basis of the calculation, and what was and was not qualifying for zero-rating regarding fitments: at its simplest, if it is designed to become part of the ship and its appurtenances, it qualifies, otherwise not. The quaint example given was the mounting of a machine gun on deck – the gun would qualify for zero-rating, because it was ‘permanently’ mounted to the deck, becoming part of the ship; the ammunition for it however, was designed expressly to leave the ship (via the gun), so would not qualify. If it helps, this is the Undertaking of Use form we use :-

All very true. I remember our first liveaboard, before the era of inverters etc. It had a hand start engine only and one 12 volt battery charged from a small lucas alternater via the small lister engine. The black and white 12 volt telly picture used to get smaller as the battery capacity dropped until it went of as the battery was flat. We thought that was the norm so watched telly till it went off and charged the battery, or not!! the next day ish.

That's true, but if you're fitting out the boat yourself and not intending to sell it for 5 years then you can make all installations to BSS standards rather than RCD. That's what I did on my boat 14 years ago and I assume the rules haven't changed? However, an intention not to sell may be different from what actually transpires. Circumstances change and skimming through this thread it doesn't sound like the OP is convinced that they'll keep the boat for 5 years. Peter was talking about selling earlier. If this is a sailaway that's being fitted out by the owner then the other thing that occurs to me is that if you buy a sailaway and then pay people to install systems and fit it out for you, it will probably end up being more expensive than buying a fully fitted boat from the builder (assuming the same spec of fit-out). The whole point of a sailaway/self-fit out is that you fit it out yourself. I appreciate that not everyone is adequately capable or competent to install lpg or electrical systems, but the less you can do yourself the less sense a sailaway makes.

Tsk You are very obviously not familiar with The Chessie - in order to get ANYWHERE else on the canal network by boat the noodles have to leave The Chesterfield Canal at West Stockwith and take a trip on the tidal Trent. The noodles are heading gradually eastwards towars West Stockwith. This was taken on the next day and the noodles are safely tucked away in that cabin out of the reach of Jamie, our youngest crew member who was doing a grand job of wielding a 6' litter picker and making tea and generally being a star volunteer. The noodles have now switched to a new boat but I don't have photographic evidence for that yet, they were last seen heading towards said boat using an alternative method of transport. This photo was taken at Clayworth where Python is currently getting some springtime TLC : But never fear because they were heading around 2/3rds of a mile west, upstream again to join the other boat so a bit of a backtrack rather than cheating by travelling by bike. The chap who owns the boat is camera shy so he may get his lovely lady friend to pose for the photo of the noodles with his boat when they move off the mooring. He was busy at the time the photo of his classic bike was taken though - we have taken the floor out of the hold on Python, and the ballast, to get some more protection on that new base plate: He will moan at me because he had not brushed his hair in that photo!

Well done Auntie W. Which way is it traveling. I fear you are moving further away from us each Day.....more in Rusty's direction.....but then you're not going to hear from him as this thread is not in the virtual pub, so the posts count and he is about to reach 100,000.

Just popped in to say hello and remind myself how little I understand what's going on here. I have to say there's been some serious levelling up recently, I recon there's at least a few level 25 lawful good sorcerers, possibly moomin has reached level 30 paladin. I am in awe

You mean, "Thank you Mrs Thatcher"!

To be sure, to be sure...

Close, but not quite. The ketchup bottle is to protect the GPS dongle from the rain. Output below (that photo taken at point E). The main function of the mast was to hold the go-pro camera for the timelapse video. The masthead light was used the next day, when we cast off at 0430 to catch the tide. I wonder if you can guess what is hanging off the quarter in this photo ... Yes a nice saying, Howard. I think the sugar transfer was rather later on, approaching Wisbech.

The thing that I'm brassed off about is the fact that "the update" hasn't just suddenly come about due to new information... SOMEONE knew there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell they'd have been able to meet their original plans but didn't have the balls to own up as soon as they suspected it.... had they have done so, we'd have been able to contact the booked guests to try and work around it... for the 2nd time. THE first 3 cruises of THIS year - are ALREADY carried over from last year because of this problem!!! - which we exacerbated by the drought as it meant we couldn't get to where we had paid passengers booked even if we'd abandoned Marple then. This is only the 2nd year of doing this as a business - and yes ... refunding folk IS the difference between breaking even and a loss... now ok - I've got savings and have taken the philosophical view as much as possible about this... after all we're doing it this way to experience semi-retirement early on ... for the most part it's working out quite well and in fact this year, we've got lots booked.... BUT even they will still be vulnerable to another drought/floods etc. "Heritage" is all well and good but what is the point in having something that doesn't work for 2 years but is made from the original stone ffs. Engineering HAS moved on - the only thing that doesn't seem to be able to move these days are boats! I'm not blaming crt per-say, but the contractors and english heritage need to pull their fingers out and use some "on the ground" common sense. Oh - and btw ... being a ginger middle aged backwards dancer means it's practically impossible to offend me. *inferred twinkle*....