Leaderboard

Say what you like about CRT, but name one other large, national organisation you could expect to phone up and have a customer service experience like the one I had yesterday: "Hello, Canal & River Trust, how can I help?" "Is there any chance you could get hold of somebody at your Etruria yard? I think I might have left a set of keys in the shower at the service block before we left this morning." "Hmm... hold on and I'll see if I can get hold of the Area Supervisor, Alan Whitehouse, for you" [Brr brr… brr brr…] "Hello, Alan Whitehouse speaking." "Oh hi, I was just explaining that [bla bla bla]…" "I'm just at Etruria now actually... Hang on... I'm just walking round... in the shower? Yes I've got them. Where are you now?" "Barlaston, but we've only stopped for lunch really, we were hoping to head towards Stone." "That's okay, we can bridge hop. Just give me your number and I'll phone and check where you are when somebody's able to set off." Half an hour later Alan quite cheerfully hands the keys to me by my boat at Barlaston after all, explaining that he was planning to do a job down that way on Friday anyway and decided he might as well just do it then instead. Top marks I'd say. And they were already in my good books for offering to dispose of all my contaminated bilge water from Monday for me (see my earlier post) if I just left the containers out by the skip.

You never own the boat... It owns you.

HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well: Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order, for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore is extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God." THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A

Nooo, it was about his female deer called Eric, see below. ?

And not all irresponsible people are dog owners - fact.

I'm not sure what the aim is for these idiots, I suspect they're probably anti dog poop crusaders, but their tactic would definitely claim the life of my well behaved, gentle, super-friendly, Labrador who is always cleaned up after... and it still won't make a blind bit of difference to the numbers of inconsiderate or uncaring dog owners.

I had exactly the same experience on the BCN about seven years ago. Rang CaRT ( or more likely its predecessor) late in the afternoon, and within 15 mins a handcuff key was delivered. Wonderful service and no money accepted although offered. We have experienced nothing but superb assistance and service over the years from so many waterways personnel. We may have been lucky, but I prefer to think that it is the norm.

Oh I'm fed up of you always reading things properly! Crikey though, even when you'd pointed that out and I knew where to look it took some finding! Anyway, it's all bullocks - the laptop has a battery, so charge it when cruising or whilst the inverter is on for other things and quiescent current is immaterial.

I get the feeling he already lives abroad, as he is flying to get here.

I agree! I think Lady G is again showing us that everyone is out of step but her ? haggis

Gambling addiction by the masses must be a Scottish thing. May explain why no one can buy your flat.

The bit I have put in bold made me laugh! You don't really believe that what is said on here by what is a very small proportion of all boaters represents the view of the majority of boaters, do you? You really need to get out more ? haggis

I also do not and never have charged a fellow boater for any work i have done on their boats just as many on here dont, and over the 12 years i have been on the site i am sure the advice and knowledge i have shared has helped many folk just as i hope this thead will! Rick

Hi Rach Yes but plans have changed, not to bad though . As you may know i was expected an operation later in the year but it has been brought forward and will in May now so that has put plans to launch in May to June as i will struggle with one arm to get it done for May. So plan is in the next few weeks i am going to get done the BSS work and get it in when i am off in May. There is little to do and i got the worst or biggest job done now. That was the locker seat tops. If you remember it was made from the same ply as the deck was originally used and crap ply from Wicks, which should of been hardwood WBP but it just delaminated a the rear deck did.. I made them from 7-8mm thick GRP sheet that i made. Alll sorted now Now other things were to slide flex pipe over the gas pipe thats goes under the rear deck as the batteries are below that and if forgot to do that when i done the gas work. Thats done anyway. Then a few vents around where the charger is. Made a gas cylinder bracket/steady. Just to seal where pipe work and cables goes through the lower bulkhead. So where am i now. Before Op ( 30th April ) BSS work to be done, then when i am off sick i will do what i can with the one arm i have use of, sanding the top deck if i can etc hull work is still to be done. biggest job.. I will be making the canopy after a few weeks resting and had the cast off. Then in hope the canopy is done then first three weeks in June will be sanding and painting the boat. I have bought the fenders, ropes,, new bilge pump to fit when launched as i dont know the low point in the bilge. Oh how can i forget i have got a good price for the cushions which i really want to be done as when launched i want it to be cosy for the first few days cruising. I an going to book the crane in for the 24th June for my birthday well day after. We have the week off to cruise around for a bit. So it all go from now on with this and work.

The Flight is now open for navigation

Brilliant news. Well done

Crane ( 24th June ) and BSS ( 23rd May ? booked in :):):):) Just need to make a few grommet plates for the lower bulkhed which i am off to do now, and fit vent for the charger locker and its ready for the BSS :).........i think.

I'm glad you enjoyed you day today - were you out boating with friends who own a boat or was it a day/holiday hire? Because having some friends who have a boat and spending time on or by the canals is a really good place to start finding out about whether this is really something you want to pursue. There are also loads of narrowboaters on youtube. I like David at Cruising the Cut but there is quite a variety. Rugby Boats have a youtube channel that they run along side their website and I highly recommend watching that even watching the videos for the boats that have sold because it's still very educational. This the link to a book shop that specialises in books about the canals. https://www.canalbookshop.co.uk/index.html But the best place to look is here - the search function in the top right hand side of the site header will be you new best friend.

The hard bit is catching a mo. Elusive creatures. Shearing them isn't easy either. Jen

Yes, lull yourself into a false sense of security by spelling everything correctly - and that's exactly when auto correct strikes!

I no wot u meen.

I believe LG was asking about heat shrink sleeving, not ferrules (although she may have been as her question wasn’t clear). Heat shrink is used as CT explained in post 20, wherever the need arises. Heat shrink with included adhesive is good in the engine bay as it also offers a bit of corrosion resistance at the cable ends.

tea break is over - back on your heads.

Only £295,000...I'm not greedy

Eh? I was about to suggest the opposite! I find the north Oxford a bit dull and uninteresting from an aesthetic point of view. Down-at-heel suburbia in the built up bits and scruffy countryside when not in suburbia. For 'lovely', I'd suggest hiring on the western end of the K&A or (not that I've been there yet) the Rochdale or the northern canals. Or given where the OP is planning to hire from, a trip on the River Nene. Another point is with only seven nights' hire, sightseeing away from the boat will impinge heavily on the actual boating. Planning to keep leaving the boat to see local attractions is going to seriously eat into the already limited boating time. Might be worth considering Air BnB and walking the towpath rather than hiring a boat if exploring an area is the plan, as opposed to boating being the main focus of the holiday.

careful not to spill too much diesel......it will kill the grass growing in the bilge.

Not mistreated by me Alan, obviously, I "sold" him and had to buy him back.

So don't get one then!

Well, that's really nice of you Tumsh. If you really want to treat me, please send down a bottle of that Scotlandish whiskey. Mmmm widows, Scotland... I'm sure there is a pun there somewhere. Yes, an update would be good.I started on our windows, but decided to wait for it to warm up a bit more before removing them completely. Have drilled and tapped loads of holes though in anticipation.

Is that cos he is the son of Cronus?