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Exactly, what Neil2 says - people will say that the police will do nothing if you call about this kind of incident - well, if you don't call them, its guaranteed they will not attend, nor will there be a log of the problem for future evaluation. The more calls they get about a recurring problem, the more likely they are to do something about it.

Having spent the last seven years of our lives closely involved with restoring and operating Chesterfield Canal Trust's historic boat Python we know just how much commitment (and deep pockets) it takes to own a historic boat and although we regularly get friends in "the know" tell us when a historic boat that would "suit us" is due to come on the market we have always stuck our fingers firmly in our ears and hummed a tune loudly because WE DON'T WANT A HISTORIC BOAT! We did want to replace our leisure boat with something a weeny bit more suitable for spending extended cruising time on now Dave has retired though,and we had a very sensible checklist of things that were non-negotiable in our next boat with those that we could compromise upon when the found "the right boat" The problem was the more boats we looked at the less likely we were to find the right boat and those that appeared to tick our boxes on paper left us cold when we viewed them, nothing particualrly wrong with them they just weren't for us. Keeping our boat was becoming a distinct possibility and finding ourselves back at home for a couple of days I was idly browsing the forum as one does and came across this post: There followed some discussion regarding the boat and so off I toddled to have a look at the advert so I could get a better idea of the viewpoint of those involved in the discussion and .. well Oh wow - what a beautiful boat! ? Of course it was well above the budget we had set ourselves but I turned the laptop around and asked Dave if he had seen it - Oh wow! what a beautiful boat! No he hadn't seen it because it was well above the budget we had set ourselves. ... But .. but well - wow. ?? Oh hang on - let's just get real a moment, Dave is 6'3" tall and there is no way that boat will have headroom for him. Forget it. ? So reluctantly we tried to put the boat out of our minds but I did just drop the vendor a line to check the headroom and 48 hours later after going to measure it he came back to me - 6'3" ? So a few days later we went to look at Delhi and we were determined to leave our rose tinted specs off and find all the warts but that didn't happen. Instead we found ourselves tearing up the checklist of things we wanted in our next boat and thinking of ways we can compromise on our lifestyle to make this boat fit us. ? We went home and I advertised our boat on a Friday evening, took a deposit on it on the Sunday afternoon and all sorts of other things happened to make the planets align to assist us in making Delhi ours. I can't tell you how thrilled we are to be able to announce what is probably the worst kept secret on the internet (especially as we were simply busting with excitement at Braunston last weeekend and bent the ear of anyone who was foolish enough to listen) We are the very excited, proud and yes, nervous new owners of Delhi (or Dehli - we have to do some research about whether there is a good reason for the cabin to carry the pre-colonial spelling of the place or if we will just be steering a boat with a typo created by a dyslexic signwriter) It is with very deep gratitude to Chris Bennett for holding our hands through the puchase process. The boat is a huge credit to the former owner and we feel honoured that he felt we were worthy custodians to become the next owners of his pride and joy, a vessel that he really didn't want to sell and it has a lot more than just his money invested in. I just hope we can continue to do what is right for the boat and live up to his exacting standards Analysing our boat purchase journey I realise where we went wrong. We were looking for a boat, we already had a perfectly good one of them. What we should have been looking for was a retirement adventure. We are looking forward to having that in Delhi, we can attend festivals in her and potentially get a roving traders licence so Auntie Wainwright will have a shop front out there on the tug deck - BE AFRAID! We will pick her up on Saturday (from near Lymm) and we are hoping to spend a little time exploring that area of the canal system with her before she is docked in August to deal with some microbial induced corrosion on her hull. We are then hoping our boat club can find an extra 10' of mooring so we can take her "home" to our beloved Chesterfield Canal Cheers everyone The Forum strikes again - first of all it led to Dave and I meeting each other, then it led to us finding Delhi - and yes, Alan Fincher is to blame for this. - Thank you Alan

Wasn't us, he's lying. Currently on the Nene

Every time I see the title of this thread I have a vision of a group of boaters sitting round smoking weed in Pershore.

Whilst I can appreciate what you are trying to say I also know that what anyone takes from your original post could well be something very different to what you mean. After many, many years delivering technical courses of varying types to a wide range of ages plus the questions I get directly or via the magazine I know that to be blunt many people seem to have not technical ability, both theoretical and practical, and little if any common sense. This is why I side with those who criticised your original post. It was in my view not detailed enough and did not wan of the potential consequences of not fully understanding it. To anyone else considering the advice. Check the individuals post count and reputation points. Then look a a few of topics they have posted in so you can get some idea of their competence to advise.

Surly its not just a hose down thats required but a damping all day long

Don't listen to the young kids on Facebook, who have bought similar aged boats, have had them surveyed then overplated and now think they have a real bargain and are experienced boaters. Find someone who has had boats for a few years and if you can are experienced with buying and selling them, take them to look at it, not someone who has the same aged boat that has had I'd for a few months. I have seen young girls like yourself get ripped off by buying these old boats that are falling to bits just because they have listened to similar aged people who are clueless and inexperienced in the real world of boating, especially around that area. If anyone mentions it needs a little over plating and it will be sound, walk away and look elsewhere. Remember you are buying a 1970's boat and no matter how many £1000's you spend on it it's still a 1970's boat. Think how much money you will need to spend doing it up as it will put virtually no value on the boat as boats of that age have a ceiling as MTB has mentioned. Would you be better off putting the money you'll spend on renovation towards a newer boat?

Well we live in Suffolk right the north east edge of it and the boat is at Park Farm near Anderton. On a good day its a four and a half hour drive. But I would rather boat the T&M, SU Weaver and Bridgewater than the Norfolk Suffolk broads

His is certainly capable but he is likely to make it all arty farty with complicated swirling curves and a candle holder fixed to the top ...............Dave

Don't own one but have moved several of each I find the tiller suits the canals best, quicker response, more easy to manoeuvre, better at slower speeds, just make sure your throttle control is within reach, downside more physical to steer, takes away space on deck due to tiller arcs and sometimes hard to reach throttle. Wheel more suited to river work where there are less locks.

Too late though, you would trap loads of widebeams north of Berko ?

The legal dimensions should be maintained at all times and when breached should be restored as soon as practicable. I believe it was intended this should have been achieved after last winter’s work at Hurleston but was unsuccessful. Practicable in this case meaning that the canal was reopened in spring for further work next winter rather than being kept closed through a period of high demand. On the Llangollen is not the case that there has never been a legal requirement to achieve an absolute width suitable for most heritage craft even though most were previously able to transit? I don’t suggest that CRT shouldn’t endeavour to clear Hurleston for historic craft but I do think it correct that they prioritise in accordance with their legal obligations. In any case the works at Stockton and Hurleston are not mutually exclusive. Given it has taken two weeks to mobilise at Stockton the works are likely to be straightforward and funded by the maintenance budget whereas Hurleston is a rather bigger piece of capital work. JP

So what about the “narrow” locks that have moved so most heritage craft and a few modern ones no longer fit...shouldn’t this be dealt with ASAP?? This seems a lot of effort and expense for a couple of boats.

My understanding is that Peter X doesn’t take direct payment for boat moving. He generally assists boat owners in moving their own boat in return for travel expenses, sustenance and the ability to go boating. That’s a reciprocal arrangement that suits both parties specifically because it avoids the costs of a professional boat moving service. In this instance I took it that the other person was a friend of the owner and Peter is assisting him; however I could be wrong. So let’s not get this confused with a fully paid up independent professional boat moving service. At no point has Peter ever pretended that’s what he offers on this forum and I’d be surprised if he is engaged as such here. JP

We have been boating in France for the last 18 years and have had some seriously hot summers. In the summer on 2004 when people died in Paris we invested in a mobile aircon unit and put the exhaust out through a window. There are a lot of moorings with electricity often free so no problem running it. If we started it when temp about 25 it would blow out nice cold air and lower the room by 2 or 3 degrees but once it rose above 30 absolutely useless as the exhaust hose was adding to the heat! I had some white pvc covers made which we hung over the outside of the windows on the sunny side and keep the windows open and this helped a lot with a fan running. When traveling we kept all curtains closed. Last summer was very hot and we often had 38 degrees inside during the day but we had a nice covered outside stern deck which gave shade and any breeze. Tried hosing down the roof but it evaporated straight away. About 10pm there would be a loud crack as the steelwork contracted.The dog sat on the side deck on the shady side and would go round the other side when we went round a big bend after a bit he would get fed up with that and go downstairs into the kitchen which had a Lino floor and was cool to lay on. The side decks got very hot even though they were light grey.

I bet you would, this looks like a very thinly disguised trade advert. Whilst on a new build pre-fitout oat PROPERLY applied spray foam is usually considered the best I am far from sure that will be the case for a refurbishment that is likely to be done in stages with the boat never stripped right out. I think the OP is probably best with board type insulation cut to fit lightly into the space between the frames and any gaps filled with DIY spray foam. There have been cases where professional spray foaming has been of very poor quality and thickness

I have worked on installin generators all of my working life. A frame generator is a specific type of generator, mounted on an open frame, which may or may not include wheels. Like the attached image. When installing one in a confined space, as well as noise breakout considerations you need to consider how you will manage aspiration air, cooling air and exhaust gases to meet the manufacturers recommendations. Failure to do so will end in tesrs.

Be careful with deposits, especially if this boat is being sold through a broker. It's common in the narrowboat world to view a deposit as a "down payment", don't fall into this trap. Typically brokers will not refund any deposit if you back out of the sale post survey unless the boat really is a basket case. If it's a private sale the best way to proceed is by offering a non-refundable nominal sum which compensates the seller should you back out of the sale and they have to re-advertise. FWIW I disagree with MTB's valuation. A 1970's Springer will almost certainly have been overplated, and probably a while ago. That makes it a real risk and I wouldn't pay anywhere near £20k even if a surveyor gave it the thumbs up. If it's an all original Springer in good condition that is a rare beast indeed and hard to put a price on these days but most of the really good Springers are one owner boats and never come on the market. Please be careful, the bottom end of the (steel) narrowboat market is dangerous for the inexperienced and don't be persuaded that engaging a surveyor is a guarantee something won't go horribly wrong. But if you want a recommendation then Steve Hand 01332 919 008 or 07908 885 034 is one of the best in my opinion and a very approachable guy as well.

When I was at school the science master whose sailing boat we use to maintain in the winter had us cleaning paint brushes with Carbon tetrachloride, I dont think it had many lasting effects on me, but you all may be better judges.

Lights stopped working? ???

How long will my new batteries last? Why is there water in my bilge?

I am thinking of starting a CWDF unanswerable questions thread. How little can I get away with continuous not cruising? How big/type of anchor? How much/thickness chain? Length/diameter/type of rope for said anchor? Which is better, pump out, or cassette? As has been said before, the experience base for deploying an anchor from a narrowboat in anger is tiny. The combination of possible river depths, flow speed, river bed type, anchors, chains, warps and so on is so huge and no experiments have been done that I am aware of. Basically, nobody knows. All opinions are based on gut feel, or carried over from lumpy water sailing, where anchors are commonly used, but under different circumstances and with different sorts of boats. In Summary: The heaviest anchor you can still lift. The longest heaviest chain you can afford and have space for. The longest thickest bit of rope you can afford and have space for. Attach the rope to something really strong. A T stud may break off with the shock load. I tie mine through a well deck scupper and around the hull sides as a back up to the T stud. These give you the highest probability of being able to hold the boat in an emergency. Failed engine in a fast flowing river, heading towards a weir. My personal opinion, based on caving and climbing experience is to use a stretchy rope in the system, rather than a non-stretch rope, or all chain system. This reduces the peak force on the whole anchor/chain/rope/attachment entity as it halts the boat and reduces the risk of the anchor ripping out, or something breaking. Jen

Precisely. It was not CRT's decision to move Dawnrazor's boat in a storm. It's the skipper's responsibility to check weather conditions and the forecast and decide whether it's safe to move. It was his choice and when things go wrong one can't shift the blame to the waterway authority.

FECK MOI, are you FOR REAL???????????? Do they come with 100 pairs of ear protectors for all the neighbours within one mile? Jeezzz......

I beg his pardon!

tell you what - if OP buys 3 tonnes of Lead Acid batteries he can sit them on the uxter plate and kill 2 birds with one stone. God alone knows how he will keep them charged up though.

All you gurls seem to LURVE Reg...!!!!

Aww - I think Reg is unique and lovey too.

I have one brilliant design a bit ugly, and long after your steel boat has rotted through and sunk it will still be swimming, Also in comparison to a Narrowboat it has real usable space, it has a proper shaped hull so it goes well, faults? no weedhatch, and lack of insulation Pros it can have a sliding roof so you can see all over the place, have the sun on your head and if it rains close the roof and stay dry! All in all its probably way better than a narrowboat, Trouble is some of you boaters really do have blinkers on and because you seem to live your life on narrow canals you have developed narrow minds as well. All you are doing is endlessly complaining about widebeams on canals that have been altered to fit widebeams but you dont like it! I am glad I am Northern canals that are the right size for proper boats and not toy ones! Rant over

I think that you have a major problem with your anticipated electrical system unless you are permanently connected to a shoreline. As others have said running an electric - anything that creates heat - from the batteries with or without an inverter is a recipe for battery renewal on a monthly basis, especially as you only have three. I will be blunt - you MUST think again about this. If you absolutely must have an electric oven the start costing on-board built in diesel generators but my advice is sell the oven and get a gas one. Very few boats blow up and those that do are usually petrol boats operated by pillocks. Boat fires are usually caused by a stove or poor electrics. Solar is not an answer for winter cruising but for high summer use you may get enough solar on a wide beam to power the oven but you will need more than three batteries

Yes they do exist on trad boats, along with self-filling up ones on cruisers and semi-trads ?

What PD1964 says is pretty sensible. You should be able to put your trust in a surveyor but as with all things they vary. You need to emphasise that you need to be sure of the hull condition. Overplating is a contentious issue. The fact is that the older the boat the more likely it is to need or to have had some overplating and the newer the boat the more expensive its likely to be. If I were you I would engage in conversation with as many boat owners as you can to find out about the real cost of owning a boat and everything about boats, rust, welding etc, At least half of what you are told will be wrong! If it is only you living on the boat you only need a little boat which brings the cost down, the little 'Wilderness' boats will serve well but they are awfully scarce. Microplastics in Rivers? Did you go to the Greenpeace plastics in rivers thing last week in the Houses of Parliament? it was good. Good luck with boats anyway!

Wow, they have caused the RIB to jump right out of the water and washed a cyclist off the towpath! ?

She may be 23 feet fat but she does have graceful lines :