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Just a follow up to say a big thank you to Mad Harold (Terry) who roped in his neighbour David to get me through 23 locks in 8 1/2 hours today in rather damp conditions - well beyond the call of duty! Also thanks to 8 Hairy Feet (Steph) who offered her help. Now back in Sowerby Bridge.

We found Sunflower adrift in the middle of the T and M north of bridge 179. We have tied it up again. The state of your mooring pin may explain why your stern rope came adrift. The front mooring pin of Nb Papillon moored just in front had ripped out of the ground. It has been hammered back into a firmer bit of ground.

Camels also have much longer legs enabling them to climb out of the canal more easily than deer. This is no doubt why we do not see dead ones floating in the cut.

Sent PM but don't know if it has gone. When do you want to go? Am moored 4 boats up from you and live locally.

Absolutely right BWM.Depth and vegetation are problems for historic craft throughout the system. With the exception of a short section just outside Leeds,the Leeds & Liverpool is pretty good on the Yorkshire side, thanks to a major dredging programme a few years ago, but on the Lancashire side, from Foulridge to Wigan, it is between not very good and shocking.We spent half a day two years ago, getting off a mudbank in the middle of the canal under a wide bridge, just outside CRT's own yard at Burnley. The absence of permanent lock keepers means that paddle gear stays broken for years, and silt behind lock gates goes similarly unattended, until we get stuck.( Modern "wide beams" don't need the gates to go right back, because their beam is not 14ft 3ins ). As regards getting disgruntled when the canal is unusable, it should be borne in mind that we have a somewhat restricted cruising range, made more restricted by lack of foresight on the part of British Waterways. The Lancaster canal is inaccessible, despite the fact that it is a broad canal, because some fool at BW thought, when they built the Ribble link, that a 12 ft access lock would be good enough, and we can't access the other northern barge canal, the Rochdale, because when an office block was built across the top of the locks in Manchester, nobody thought to ensure that the pillars that support the building were sufficiently widely- spaced to allow passage of a barge-sized boat. It could be argued that we could just put the boat on a lorry and take it to some other waterway, but that would rather defeat the purpose of having it. We don't see boating as an opportunity to "show off" our historic boat, but we do try to let people see what their canal was for when they don't already know, and if they do already know, the joy on their faces at seeing a "proper boat"again, wipes away the annoyances of CRT and idiots who think they are subsidising our boating. On the subject of the Kennet, I really don't think it would be too much to expect for CRT to crane her out and move her round the stoppage. The Kennet is the L&L Canal Society's boat. The volunteers work extremely hard keeping her in tip-top preserved condition, travelling to a programme across the canal, enhancing various canal festivals and providing a much looked-forward-to resource.I would stop short of suggesting that the rest of us should receive the same treatment, but seriously believe that Kennet should be the exception.

FWIW the sun is always shining!

You use the other button which opens a chat window. Then they sweet talk you into doing a bank transfer of your hard won savings. If you open a chat chat window and use the name YouScamming#%*$# then they close the chat window quite quickly.

How about a combination ? The elephant asked the camel: "Why do you have your breasts on your back?" The camel clearly irritated by the outrage of modesty replies: "What a silly question from someone who has a dick on his face." Or, if you simply want the Camel jokes : An Army Captain is assigned to a remote desert post in Iraq. During inspection, he notices a camel tied up outside the barracks. He asks the soldier, "why is that camel there?" The soldier says: "There are 250 men here and no women. Sometimes men get urges." A month later the Captain has urges himself. He puts the ladder behind the camel, drops his trousers and has sex with the camel. He asks the soldier: "Is that how the men do it?" "No sir, they usually ride it to the brothel in town!"

I guess you’d file this under ‘Because I can’...

The Beatles lyrics only said that they lived on a yellow submarine, but implied nothing about other people's colour schemes. Also, this wouldn't be them because they were beneath the waves of a "sea of green", not the Grand Union.

Cor blimey, why oh why?? As a long term full time liveaboard so obviously leccy savvy as we know we have to often produce it whilst not on hook up, I went all mains years ago. Present boat everything is mains. Modern mains stuff uses much the same as 12 volt. In fact my latest mains fridge uses less than the 12 volt did. They are better made and dont come on and off so often. I run 24/7 365 an undercounter fridge and undercounter freezer, neither are ever switched off. Just been way off hook up for 3 nights and my battery bank of 4 by 110 amp hours managed with ease with just one charging up per day and doesnt drop below 12.3 volt. If we fully charge to 8pm and watch telly during evening and with fridge and freezer on the batts are at 12.5/6 next morning. Everything costs literaly HUNDREDS of pounds less per item Fridges, freezers, tvs etc etc etc. A top notch inverter can be got with the difference alone on the cost of one set of white goods. On top of this having mains 24/7 365 makes everything easier and so many more places to buy stuff with ease. Bin the daft 12 volt fridge. No huge cabling to buy either on long runs.

WATER ARABIS - (shortened FMC motor ARABIA) is still short but with traditional cabin. WATER FERN - (iron FMC horse boat stern) is hulked and on the bank. WATER HYACYNTH (LMSR fore end DART) is still short and fairly original looking. WATER IRIS - (small Woolwich fore end AURORA) has been subject to a recent hull restoration in its guise as a hire cruiser conversion, but is still an open hull with no fittings. WATER IVY (LMSR stern end DART) lengthened 10' and recently subject to major works. WATER LILAC - (small Woolwich fore end ANTONY) is for sale as ANTONY pretty much as converted but with tiller steering and an engine change. WATER VIOLET - (small Woolwich stern end AURORA) is still short but recabinned in steel. WATER VOLE - (large Northwich fore end KELSO) is still short but recabinned in steel. I am not sure about WATER DAFFODIL and WATER ERICA (fore end & stern end of an iron FMC horse boat), but all others have been rebuilt into boats that have obliterated their 'British Waterways' hire boat conversions - and is all based upon the last time I saw each boat or updated my records, and of course will always be subject to change as owners are fickle. You mention WATER LUPIN (GORSE) - sold by British Waterways Board in 1979 (tender closing date 28 February 1979) and went to owners on the Bridgewater Canal - rebuilt as 70' house boat utilising the hire boat cabin in 1990 by the same owners - 07/1992 sold to owner at Nantwich - 07/2012 sold for rebuild but works not completed - 2013 fore end sold and rebuilt into 57' carrying boat with original style counter stern and cabin/engineroom (I have all of the owners names but have withheld them to protect their privacy) edit - before somebody mentions the small Woolwich butty stern converted into the 39' flat sterned pleasure boat MISS B-HAVIN / SAFEST HAVEN I am sure that this is not a 'British Waterways' hire boat conversion, although it does have some similarities. I am also pretty sure I know what this boat was built out of but I am keeping my opinion to myself without further evidence. I have seen this boat being discussed as the stern of AURORA but it is not.

According to Ian Darby: So a temporary fix to get water into the cut at Bradley, and a backup if that fails Thanks to Ian and his team Richard

I think there's a common misconception here. If you stick Celotex or kingspan boards to the steel using a flexible PU adhesive sealant like Marineflex or Stixall (or even sticking them up with cans of sprayfoam), then any small air gaps left behind will contain such a small volume of air that any moisture contained in that air will contain negligible (and finite) amounts of moisture. Remember that even if there was enough moisture to start to cause a tiny bit of rust (which is highly unlikely), a finite amount of moisture can only create a finite amount of corrosion. It's the unlimited and continuous amounts of moisture that get through insulation systems such as loose expanded polystyrene sheets or unlined rockwool, without any vapour barrier that will eventually cause the insides of steel boats to corrode badly. However, Celotex or Kingspan PU boards will act as a vapour barrier to prevent moisture getting behind the insulation and you can just seal any gaps between the boards with handheld sprayfoam or aluminium tape so that the whole thing is vapour proof. If it's sealed properly then a tiny and finite amount of moisture held in the air gaps behind insulation boards isn't going to do any damage. In fact, the instructions on some brands of sprayfoam actually recommend using a plant sprayer to give the surface a fine coating of water before applying the sprayfoam to help it cure. There's going to be far less moisture in any small air gaps left behind your Kingspan or Celotex than that applied with a plant sprayer so I really wouldn't worry about it.

Yeah. Just ran a few beads of foam far enough apart that they would squash together and join up. I'm satisfied that there is ample protection against moisture but my steel work is primed anyway. I pressed the slabs into place and supported them with a plank until the foam had cured.

That number is on the side of the injector pump and is cast into the pump housing so that is not going to help much in identifying the engine. I thing it is a BMC 3.x series engine. Initial feeling BMC 3.4 But I think they made a slightly larger one. It is not an "official" marinistaion because it has a fabricated steel exhaust manifold. You need to get down and dirty with a mirror and torch to look for numbers cast into the side of the block. Also take the air cleaner off and inspect the top and sides of the cylinder head. You may find a ground flat surface with number either stamped into the metal of on an aluminium strip riveted on. I think the 3.4 official marinisation was known as the Commodore and a Google hit suggested ASAP supplies might stock certain parts.

Yes

Oy

Thanks again. I’ll just decant it as is then, leaving behind as much sludge as I can and use that to spread around next-door’s huge tree... (did I just say that out loud?)

I’ve opened a ticket with the legal department of the hosting company, ticket number #BJE-510-89105. I’ll keep this thread updated with any news.

David and I enjoyed our day out immensely.As we are both solo boaters,it was really nice to have someone to have a natter with.We both fell in love with your little boat and it's sweet little engine and for my next boat,I will look for an Owl class. Hope your op goes well. The eight and a half hour trip did include a stop for a pint at The Collier's pub.

I was the owner of Themis that removed said cabin. I was intending to live in the cabin but the need for a total re skin or rebuild of the cabin was needed. As Pete Harrison has mentioned the age of the cabin on certain boats and the ingress of water over many years made the keeping of it not financially viable. Also the hull sides and the front to the boat behind the cabin was suffering in a bad way being constantly damp. Between the cabin and the engine room the steel had almost completely rusted away. The boat had spread and I had to chain it in in a lock on the Trent and Mersey and the windows nearly popped out as the seals had long gone! First night it rained one of my suitcases filled with water from one of the many drips in the ceiling! A loss yes but something had to be done with it. It is sad to see a long term conversion be removed but in this case it was either reconvert (which the following owner did) or de convert.

People I have spoke to are saying once you've contacted them they won't leave you alone I'm just trying to make people aware. Thanks

"they give you a very generous discount on your licencefee. Other non historic boaters are subsidising your passion to show off your boat." There clearly is never going to be a meeting of minds here, as revealed by these remarks. The historic boat discount is not particularly generous; and it is an odd bit of logic to claim that it represents a subsidy paid for by other boat owners. There are approximately 19 thousand boats on the system, and around two hundred historic boats receiving discount.If Flyboy thinks his licence fee would be lower should all those two hundred disappear, he is living in a parallel universe. Fortunately, we won't be sharing a lock any time soon.

I don't think you'll have a problem with that size engine and length, but if you do have reservations about the boat there is a chap who provides tows across with a lovely sea-going wooden boat and can be contacted through Mayor's Boatyard at Tarleton.

The originality of these old boats (and I imagine steam locomotives) is very much life expired and much of what you mention is maintenance in order to keep them in some sort of existence. My boat is typical of a large Northwich motor in so much that 'British Waterways' rebottomed and refooted it along with replacing the steel cabin with a wooden cabin - and most also had their National 2DM's replaced with a Petter PD2 (my boat being an exception). Throughout their working lives most will have had their wooden gunwales and running gear replaced, as well as their cloths as these all rotted for a pastime. Since coming out of full time trade 50 odd years ago most will have had this work done all over again, and a few more than once. There is little originality in most of these boats but what is important is that they are maintained in the spirit of their design in order to preserve something tangeable for the future. TADWORTH is being discussed in another thread and it is claimed to have originality, and because of this originality it is absolutely knackered. Once works are completed I am confident that if TADWORTH is to return to carrying service it will be a very different boat, with much of its originality in a skip. Fortunately there are a few individuals that spend time researching narrow boats, not from the internet but via original documentation in both archives and private collections. This work has positively identified a number of boats in recent years as well as answering questions around PRESIDENT and EMPEROR / EMPRESS - so there are people who know for sure, but they are massively outnumbered by 'enthusiasts' with an opinion that they are unable to back up

For your information, the NB BEARLY AFLOAT has been sold. At the price of 2 900 euros, to which must be added 11% of taxes. It is a priori a French who acquired it. I hope it's to restore it. https://dreamonnarrowboat.blogspot.com/2019/05/le-nb-bearly-afloat-est-vendu.html

Lots of guessing going on from various people, but without facts I suggest guesses is just what they are. Another possibility it simply that it was going uphill, and drifted forward, and something at the front got caught on some part of the gate structure, such that the bow was held down as the lock filled before becoming inundated. I'm not suggesting that's what did happen, but it is as likely as some of the other guesses, particular as it involves everyday operation of a lock, not someone trying to do something unusual.

You need to do it more often then - get it listed on a regular basis for more publicity - monthly sticking barges - Get Slimmers World to sponsor you... - perhaps Damien will stick it on his boaters updates.

From what I can see the Swift has got a very square front, as have Chelsea Tractors, which tends to stop them going over the top and usually breaking/cracking the windscreen. There seems to be a fashion these days for SUV lookalike vehicles and with these the deer probably wouldn't go over the top either. That is where the difference between hitting a deer and a badger lies, the deer will often go over the top of the vehicle, a badger never does. It is also a reason I'm a bit suspicious of all of the dead badgers seen lying at the roadside, consider it a conspiracy theory if you like, but I'm not convinced that a lot of them have actually been hit by vehicles.

Wolves are smart enough to not leave any living witnesses when they attack humans. Dolphins are even smarter. They fit up some poor thicko shark to take the blame.

Drilling a hole through a rotten footing under the waterline ‘to make the hole fit the bolt’ whilst breasted up in a lock, solo and being moaned at for the delay by a shiny boat in the rain was memorable. ’ Stop asking stupid questions and either help or .... off,’ as I recall.

I would respectfully disagree. It may seem like splitting hairs, but the situation is not that the vessel is now unsuitable for the waterway, but that the waterway has now unlawfully been made unsuitable for a vessel of a size that had been suitable for the waterway as maintained prior to reclassification.

I've only ever eaten venison twice, but it was rather tasty. If there are too many deer in the wild, and of course my personal observation is that Croydon is not overrun by them, maybe there should be some scheme for hunting some of them and converting excess Bambis into food? Before they fall into a canal, suffer what I suppose would be an unpleasant death, and then the corpse rots and becomes a nuisance. The only dead animals I can remember seeing in canals are fish (often), a badger in the GU in west London, and a dog in the Coventry.

A battery 18% higher capacity but still the same size, suggests to me it's the same battery but a different way of measuring its capacity has been devised.

Thanks for all the comments.... I'm the owner of the boat in question. To clear up a few points: - The boat in question is exactly 13'6 beam - She has been through the lock in question (In both directions) several times throughout the years without incident. - The lock chamber itself is 13'10-13'11 - The engineers on site said that if we were 13'6 we should get through (We are) - We got stuck on the newly built brickwork on the lower exit which now measures a maximum of 13'5 - Whilst the published dimensions are NOW 13'1, this is a recent change (That we weren't aware of - nobody told us that they had narrowed the canal). It used to be 13'6. Basically, they changed the rules of the game mid-play.

Rosie, don't worry about TWC's miserable and negative attitude. Lots of people here are not obsessed with fault and blame, but those who are tend to be very vocal in claiming everyone is.

Of course they do, don't think even I am stupid enough not to know that. I have moved other peoples boats on occasion myself, but for people I know, and more to the point, for people who know me, my capabilities, experience etc. This was a first post from a new poster to a forum. I have been a member of this forum for many years and I wouldn't dream of suggesting a similar service or accepting it from another member. In reality we know very little about the greatest majority of our fellow members, and even less about new contributors. Some people can express views on every subject under the sun, and at the drop of a hat, and in my view most of it is waffle with the ocasional useful bit of information hidden among the chaff. Just because we share a common interest does't mean we are all the same and although our variety of personality and experience is good we should exercise some caution at times, and entrusting your boat to a stranger is, in my view one of them. Although we all think we are experts in boating and boating expertise, i think the reality is slightly different. Howard

I wonder sometimes what the reaction would be if someone phoned out of the blue and said "I see your car seems to stand on the drive without moving all week. Let me take it for a run because I love driving and I won't charge anything." With all due respect to RosieP I would need lots of references from people I can rely on, and agreement from my insurance company, before trusting my boat to a total stranger. Howard