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Recently I impulse bought a grit blaster tool from Lidl 'cos it was only a fiver, then I won an ebay bid for a cabinet to go with it but there's no room for it in my w'shop or shed ?

No-one is really speaking up for the working-age leisure boater either... The working-age leisure boater needs two things IME. First, unoccupied short-stay visitor moorings at "destination" locations, so that they have somewhere to go in their rare leisure time. For example, we now have the realistic option of a day-trip from our Worcester mooring to Upton: for years that wasn't really possible because of boats overstaying on the visitor moorings. When we moored in Burton, the changes to introduce more short-stay moorings at Alrewas were really valuable - and predictably, they were loudly opposed by retired people who wanted to be able to sit for 14 days on their preferred village centre mooring. Second, reasonable 7/14-day moorings near stations for "weekending" (i.e. moving from place to place over successive weekends). These don't need to be particularly plush - just somewhere, ideally piled, where you can leave the boat for a week or two in the reasonable expectation it will still be there when you get back. The sweeping bend just south of the hire-base at Alvechurch is one such. This sort of spot has, inevitably, become harder to find in recent years because they're also prized by continuous cruisers.

So you make a hobbit of using their laundry facilities then. ??

You could set up a new Association: Working Age Non Continous Cruisers. The only problem is it would abbreviate to WANCC.

My Post #7 I've waited a few days for those rushing to quaff umbrage by the bucket load to have their fill. I have reread the thread in its totality several times. I am saddened that the OP (and others) are so offended by my response. However I am neither hurt nor offended by responses I attracted. I spent nearly half an hour before posting it. This was to ensure I was confident with the point I was making and that none of my post contained w*o*r*d*s* that needed to be disguised to hide obscenities, were libellous nor thinly disguised personal insults. Yes my opening comment was abrupt and reflected how I felt about OP's duplicitous/misguided comment (albeit my interpretation). Should you post your opinions and views in a public forum you'll quickly learn it draws others'. This business of being offended is a strange and modern affliction. It has nothing to do with the despatcher only the receiver. Being offended is a choice. ... Having hurt feelings or being offended is a choice. Allowing another person to hurt your feelings or allowing someone to offend you is nothing short of self-imposed mental cruelty (Chicago Tribune 7 May 2018) I have read OP has expressed an opinion of being harassed or being the recipient of some sort of witch hunt. That must be a terrible place to be. I find it difficult to believe that is the case, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy urges to understand fully what they themselves do/say prior to an action that leads them to feel so. In other words ask yourself "What am I bringing to the party that contributes to the outcome?", and "How regularly this happens in my life?". That's not good. For my part I rarely look at the contributor I'm more interested in the content. I don't know the Forum ID of this person other than "Guest" Nor am I aware if I have ever joined in any other communication with them. Coming to the conclusion that you're the victim of such activity I suggest is more the result of one's misdirected self opinion than anything. Unless your name is Boris or you're the latest air head reality celebrity none us is the centre of everybody else's universe to that degree. However if after objective scrutiny there is evidence that is the case then yes, something is horribly wrong. Try this entertaining video, I like this guy and his view is often as simplistic as anything needs to be to hit the nail ...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceS_jkKjIgo

Yes he does, a variety of routes..... You could even take in the Malvern arm... .....and plenty of space on both sides of the pontoon Upton

And I'm not a bit surprised. First time round it was a bit of a novelty. 8 years on, the average boater hasn't seen any evidence of a point to these positions. Perhaps there is one, but that's the perception. I predict that in 4 years times the turnout will be lower again, unless the reps properly engage with the boaters they're meant to represent. Sadly, at the moment, the necessary channels for that engagement don't exist so I'll be neither voting nor standing in 4 years time. IMO its a farce.

We did that journey about the same time going back to Langley Mill for some planned (and unplanned)works to be carried out.

Thanks for this, I was just about to add something (out of date!) about Memory Lane moorings. Like most river navigations you need to plan ahead a bit for moorings, but there are lots of nice places to stop (not least as quite a bit of the waterways is canal rather than river eg the long section through Loughborough. I was under time pressure so did Leicester to Kegworth in a day. You could easily take two or three (including a bit of a walk along the Melton Mowbray navigation). There's a nice mooring at Kegworth here, where I learnt that the flights into East Midlands airport (you are under the flightpath ...) start at 0330. So I had a very early start the following day. I should have stopped a bit further south, at the Devil's Elbow. Some photos here if that helps you with spotting some nice moorings... I did find Loughborough basin a bit concrety.

Photos of the pup please!

There's plenty of these things out there, although they're a bit bigger than you tend to see on canal boats. I thought I'd go through a rebuild, more for entertainment than information. In fact, it's more likely to put anyone off a DIY job than help! Back end first. Two screws. Behind the cover is a spring loaded ball and a top hat.

Well I bought the cord that LG mentioned brilliant buy very grateful to her post

If you can get on them! 1 out of 3 so far.

It was actually quite a feat to select candidates from such a large list of mostly unknown people and basing that decision on a short statement. Despite this, I persevered on principal.

I'm sure you have read the 'boat moving disasters' involving Shipley. No insurance, didn't turn up after paying etc etc etc. Use a 'proper' boat mover who has experience. insurance and is recommended by someone who has had their boat moved. Paying (say) £1000 instead of £1400 can be false economy when your £15000 boat falls off the truck.

When the Blisworth Tunnel suffered a roof fall in 1980, the repairs took 4 years. During that time there was no alternative north/south route available except on the back of a truck. Excellent article documenting the repairs on the Fulbourne site. http://www.fulbourne.org.uk/index.php/miscellaneous/blisworth-tunel-reconstruction-1980-s

Ah, OK your original post said ENGINES. "Its been very well looked after but my concerns are that it still has its original engines" Many built in the 70's were equipped with twin engines (normally Perkins 4108's), but some were singles, it could be worth checking the advert. Broom 30 Boat Specification Length: 30ft (9.15m) Beam: 10ft 4in (3.15m) Draught: 2ft 6in (0.76m) Airdraught: 8ft (2.44m) Berths: 6 Drive Type: Conventional Shaft Drive Fuel: Diesel

Not always easy, in my case I had an intermittent fault whereby the ecu shut down, turbo stopped and car went to milkfloat mode i.e.15mph flat out. The magician with his magic computer said vacuum sensor, so duly replaced off, I go to fall into milkfloat mode on a hill, on a motorway when I was doing 69 in the outside lane, suddenly no power and urgent limp to the slow lane to be pushed by the artic's. Went back again, after 4 goes they called in a specialist, I was impressed, but he couldn't fix it either. One day on about the 10th visit an old boy in the garage was watching and decided to wiggle the tubes, suddenly engine went into milkfloat mode, turned out to be a hairline crack in a T piece, when load got high engine tipped slightly and activated the milkfloat mode. So software and computers were useless, but a 60 year old guy who has played with engines for 40+ of them was able to fix it, but he had to get his hands dirty.

Make sure it is the Marine version not the automotive version. If you have sufficient knowledge to be able to tell if everything is OK, or, what is not OK then don't bother with a survey. If you do not have the knowledge then get a survey. There was a time when it was possible to offer 30% 'off' and get the boat, but it is all very different now as many 100's of folks are looking at cheap boats as to getting 'onto the housing ladder' and something that allows them to live in the city for very low costs. Good boats will sell within days if priced correctly, tatty boats if overpriced boats can take years to sell and slowly depreciate as they 'crumble and rot. Without knowing the boat and the condition it is in I'd start at say 10% below asking price (any more and you may offend the seller and lose it) but be prepared to pay the asking price if you have decided it is the 'one for you'. A survey will cost approaching £1000 by the time you have paid for lift outs and lift ins + surveyors cost, so not only do you want to get the price down to cover the necessary repair costs (£1400) but recover the surveyors costs as well - are you likely to get £2500 knocked off the price of a £15000 boat - it depends. Good luck.

The problem about Aldi & Lidl is that you go for one thing and come out with a trolley load. I went down to Aldi yesterday for one of those folding trucks mentioned in another post. Got it but also came away with three tins of paint and a belt/disc sander / linisher which was red labelled down from £65 to £40 and is the same as a Scheppach one from Toolstation.

Having read previous posts, I’d like to add a bit of background. Ratcliffe’s, the major scumble manufacturer, originally made only oil based scumbles intended for use on similar undercoats. They were taken over by Tor coatings, still producing oil based stuff with the Ratcliffe badge, until a clash with the Volatile Organic Compound regs, some time in the late 90s I think, led to the production of a water based product, still available today. Some painters swore by it, others at it. Personally, I’ve never tried it, but as others have said, it should sit well on water based undercoats. These days I buy clear scumble glaze from Polyvine and tint it myself with light oak stain, though they also produce a ready mixed light oak. All oil based and suiting this particular dinosaur. As said previously, a decent varnish is essential. My preference is for Craftmaster, though some yards have successfully used yacht varnishes by International or Johnson’s to varnish my work. Blackfriars is fine too. I heartily endorse earlier advice about the cautious use of a knotting rubber. It’s easy to get excited by the effect produced and I understand the temptation to use it randomly. The late Chris Lloyd, writing in Waterways World years ago, described the over use as “ Like rifle targets holding hands”, a most apt description to me. Would any decent joiner use timber riddled with knots? I doubt it.....

I suppose with your intended marina, using your boats facilities might be wise if you can't get off your boat to use the flooded facilities....

Firstly, as Alastair has noted, living on a boat will be a total culture change and involve minimalism in a lot of aspects of life. Even in the best of weather, some of it will seem like camping and roughing it, toilet emptying being just one. Be sure, then double sure about this. I imagine embarking on a PhD but dreading returning to a damp boat at night could have a detrimental effect on someone's ability to study. A mooring with 240v electric hookup is a bit of a game-changer in your post. You mention 12v only but then say the mooring has electricity and residential. An off grid vessel for travel becomes a floating outbuilding if it's on a hookup, and lots of us keep a freezer in the garage. What type of heating does it have? Is hot water created by running the engine, is it a separate diesel unit, gas heater, hot air or combination? Things like a freezer can be run off an electric hookup, just like having a big extension lead to dry land, when moored up but when the boat's not on the mooring, the power for those appliances will need to come from the batteries. Some people have incredible battery banks, do a lot of miles (charging batteries) and have a lot of solar panels and even they have to be frugal with their energy use if they are constantly cruising or have no hookup on their mooring. I remember a young guy living on a 20' yacht you couldn't stand up in but he had hookup to it and the marina had a launderette and showers. He was quite capable of holding down a decent IT job. You will come across boats that have been used residentially in marinas where the engine hasn't been run for ages because all power is drawn from the bollard and not the battery bank. Do make sure that whatever you are looking at has a decent engine. Big GRP river boats can be near worthless if old and tired and the engine needs replacing. You may not plan to use the engine much but starting with a good one and keeping it in good condition will protect your investment when it comes to resale value. Need not be anything wrong with well maintained, older engines.

Anti-clockwise is best as the pounds between Foxton and Leicester are often low so you arealways taking a lock full of water with you. Why not time your trip to coincide with the Leicseter Riverside festival which this year is the 6th and 7th June. Its a great event plenty of live music, food to suit all tastes and an opportunity to see mukticultural Leicester at its best. We will be there. Leicester is a safe place to moor. https://www.visitleicester.info/whats-on/riverside-festival-p704771 Loughborough is another good stopping point - good pubs, market Thursday and Saturday, good choice of supermarkets and plenty of good safe moorings. A word of warning there are no services between Kilby Bridge and Barrow on Soar unless you use boatyards. Sileby Mill has a good turn over of diesel so a good place to top up your tank - its service point is just below the lock. Watch out for Barrow bridge if heading downstream and there is any fresh in the river - it has a low sprung arch which can catch you out. Currently the Soar is in flood and between Leicester and Loughborough is up to a mile wide!! The flood plain is doing what its meant to do.

Done the ring several times and prefer anti clockwise. Leicester is a good place to stop. Secure moorings and easy walk into the centre. Most boaters go from Kilby Bridge to Leicester in one go to avoid any trouble. We don’t much like the pub at Kilby but there are a fair few good moorings there, both sides of the bridge itself. On way north of Leicester you can stop at Birstall. Other favourite moorings on the Soar are around Zouch (pronounced Zotch), near the pub but also a few bends downriver for more rural location. Flights into East Midlands go above your head, which we quite like. From there we usually go straight to Shardlow, which is good for pubs but can be busy. Then you’re into some heavy locks until the doubles turn into singles near Burton as I recall. Willington is ok for shops and pubs. We like stopping in Alrewas. Keep off the weir on the bit of River Trent before you get into Alrewas. Then we’d probably head for Hopwas or Atherstone (we moor below the locks usually as we like rural stuff). Then a night at Hawkesbury and a visit to the Greyhound, followed by Braunston. Loads of lovely moorings on the Leicester Line summit. Not much in the way of shops or pubs after Crick, which is a good mooring. Welford arm is nice but we don’t rate the pub. Others love it. Worth a detour to Market Harborough. Moor as close to the basin as you can. You can actually moor in the basin if you pay a few quid to the marina people. Then on to Kilby Bridge, which is where my version of this tour began. Rugby has good moorings and is close to Tesco. Places to avoid would probably be Nuneaton and I suppose Tamworth. That’s about it. Have a good time!

I'd agree that it's better anticlockwise, the locks from Foxton Junction to Trent Junction are far easier going downhill.