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Wow, thanks for the positive feedback. I was one of the lockies on today and we started with a queue waiting for us when we unlocked a little before 10am. Three boats arrived between 3 and 3.20 and we got all through by 4 and were pleased to help even after being out in the rain all day. ETA: 25 boats through in total today

Fantastic work by the lockies at watford today 10 boats in front of us and pouring with rain. went up locks like clockwork, with 2 single handers in front. Cheerful and pleasant shame in those in queue wanting to ring crt about them ‘ wasting water by not bringing boats down at the same time’ these locks have always caused delays and the lockies were fabulous.

THIS is the bit.... that worries me.....!

We have our own special technique. I come in slowly at an angle and swing the stern in, give a burst of reverse, and the missus jumps off at the stern holding the centre line. Then the boat starts drifting out either at the bow or at the stern, or sometimes both. My wife tugs ineffectually on the rope for ten or twenty seconds before asking me if there's anything I can do from my position on the back deck a few feet out into the cut. Then I go forwards a bit, back a bit, forwards a bit, back a bit, while she walks up and down alongside, until the stern comes in again. Then I step off, take the centre line, and pull the boat in from wherever it's ended up this time. Never fails.

Such grace and eloquence.

Solid steel covers welded on, saves electricity, noise, broken props, reblacking and daft boating practices. You can then make better use of the batteries. Shame though that they will no longer capture plastic bags.

Can i suggest not getting into too many projects too quickly. Try to enjoy the boat as it functions now and see what needs to be done after living with it. Enjoy.

Yes we know that, but do you have a BOAT TOO?????!!!!

Hi I am a local photographer and I'm trying to organise a 2020 calendar to sell in aid of the Oxford Homeless Project. I'm trying to get photos of different types of homes in Oxfordshire (I'm thinking homes for the homeless as a theme) and would love to get some photos of a canal boat home. If you'd be willing to let me come and see you sometime (would need to be a weekend or in the school holidays) then please can you let me know? If you're happy to be in shot that would be great, but if not just your boat would be fine. I'm not looking to make any money myself, just sell some calendars to help the project that provides dinner every fortnight at Oxford's Asian Cultural Centre. And I just think I should have permission from home owners before using pictures of their homes. Thanks, Sam Watson (www.inanyeventphotography.co.uk)

Apparently Didn't you notice that each vertical rail is woven between the two low level rails and the top rail as a single self intersecting thread? What were you doing, just concentrating on steering your boat? I would have thought that it was obviously to acknowledge Oldknow's Mellor cotton mill! You wouldn't have got that if they had just copied the railway viaduct ones. Can't find how much it eventually cost, but it is worth every penny of our very reasonable license fee. Jen ?

I found both Watford and Foxton a real pleasure. They were short of water, i presume because of Crick, but both sets of lockies were both helpful and unobtrusive. All in all, every one of them I ran into has been great, everyone asking me when I wanted anything done, checking whether I wanted their help in the first place. One (not at Watford or Foxton) had apparently just sustained a barrage of abuse from one hire boater because she refused to operate the lock for them while their six year old was running up and down the side of the boat in flip flops with no life jacket. She'd told them she was perfectly happy for them to run the lock themselves, but she wasn't going to do it till the child was in the boat. I don't think that counts as her being a plonker with an attitude...

If you marine ply the loo wont it make it very difficult to flush?

? I've got an proper electrician coming in two/three weeks, by then, I will have it clean, maybe a marine ply floor in the loo!

I noticed a lot of people forget to wind on some extra power to make the turn, although we're only a short 45 footer we surprised a cruiser owner on the thames at abingdon with how quickly we span the boat round. we had just trickled past him on tickover, given a wriggle to get a bit of momentum turning and then wound the power on to spin quickly and face the flow before dropping power and sliding sideways perfectly in a mooring spot that was about 18 inches longer then the boat. he commented that he had no idea narrowboats could turn like that and that we had turned in less space than he would need. from my point of view it was one of those times when knowing your boat and a little bit of gut instinct worked out perfectly.

Unless the flat floats and has been craned in.

Yer-but Its raining (hard) and very windy.

OK. there are too many mad 240v / mains on board. Includes a 3Kw inverter installed at pointy end using former bow thruster cabling! I would like to start by removing the central mains lighting system is it OK to find and disconnect the wire [if only only one wire, I would like to remove the wire]. If wires down the cabin sides are connected to the centre, deckhead wiring, then another re-think. There is mains lighting to LED, to Inflorescent lights, and to numerous twin sockets as well as single sockets. There are numerous double electrical sockets, probably one on mains, one on Inverter_ A [also located at pointy end]. I will be selling the 3Kw inverter and maybe keep the 800w inverter, if it proves to be wired safely. It might be moved to the engine room and the bow batteries removed. Everyone here does their own electrics, the local guru has had a look, he has identified a few strange effects. Essentially the original mains system has been "supplemented" over the years A good boat electrician is required. DN14

M for mystery. She knows you all like a bit of cat and mouse.

Well done Lady G on the new boat. You know me. I'm with Smelly. Don't get rid of too many 240v systems. You're not camping are you? I'd sooner have a 3kw inverter than a 800w one.

That was quick Richard, thought you just did engines not complete wrecks.

It's when the stone or concrete cill cracks and the water blows the masonry into the lock. You end up with a strong jet of water shooting into the lock, and can not operate the lock due to all the water coming under the head gates. Here is one on Blackburn flight on the L&L just before it blew a couple of years ago - the photo was one I took to report it as an imminent failure.