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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/01/21 in all areas

  1. Absolutely. I think she's being remarkably calm in the circumstances. She accepts that they made a couple of rookie mistakes that have come back to bite them, and is advising others not to do the same. They seem to be staying as positive as one can in this situation, and are prepared to pay the cost of getting the boat refloated, as well as the additional costs of the greater refit now required. We were all beginners once, and we have all made mistakes along they way. Just that most of us have got away with making those mistakes without the consequences this couple are facing. I wish them well!
    8 points
  2. So you just want somewhere cheap to live, never mind blighting the canals with a very unsuitable and ugly boat, and you want to bend or break the law. You are not interested in boating. I hereby warn you that you are about to receive a lot of hate.
    8 points
  3. How much detail do you need. I did a report for BW in 2000 to look at the overall length of the canal system from 1700, with the possible length post 2000 as proposed restorations came on-line. The overview graph is below, together with an outline of the length at 10 year intervals.
    6 points
  4. I have come across a couple of these ex oil rig lifeboats.One,moored at Sowerby bridge,and another moves around the Calder and Hebble/Aire and Calder. I helped the latter one when he ran aground at Salterhebble.Very roomy looking but,really ugly.It initially looked to me like a dead whale or like a large boat that had been turned over. When I helped to move it I cheekily asked if he needed a hand to turn it the right way up,but he wasn't amused.
    5 points
  5. No, you go and troll somewhere else. This forum is for people interested in canals and canal boating, not entitled law breaking freeloaders looking for cheap accommodation.
    5 points
  6. This morning I saw a kingfisher, perched on top of a new blue CaRT "No Fishing" sign. The bird defecated over the sign, then flew off. Shows what it thought of the idea of not being allowed to fish. Never realised even kingfishers are grumpy. ? Jen
    4 points
  7. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  8. Lots of new people are taking to living on boats and I suspect they get their knowledge from TV programs who say its great, or from YouTube videos which are sometimes a source of entertainment rather than education. The old method of doing research and learning from more experienced boaters is becoming less common. I have seen a few posts recently (on Facebook) from people new to boating planning to CC on the Thames over winter. My belief is that the Thames is not a good place to spend the winter unless you really know what you are doing. The Bristol Avon and to a lesser extend the River Kennet have also become popular CCing rivers. I think we should mostly be sympathetic to this woman who has lost her boat, though I thought stuff like understanding 3rd party and fully comprehensive insurance was pretty basic knowledge. I suspect the thing that us older ones find a bit wrong is the current desire to film and publicise every aspect of ones life. Blaming the lockkeeper is likely wrong. One of the attractions of boating life for me is the degree of freedom and self sufficiency that it offers, and this does mean taking responsibility for your own life (and boat) ................Dave
    4 points
  9. ... plus the two 5-minute follow-ups. But I thought she is being reasonably pragmatic about the whole thing. Advising others on how to avoid a similar situation. Accepting they had made a mistake over insurance. They had been planning to moor above the lock, but it shut. No appeals for money. It would be nice to think that anyone, and particularly waterway users/staff, who saw the situation developing would have done something about it before it sank.
    4 points
  10. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  11. They would need to be at least 2m apart, and should only be wired outdoors. Sorry, am I mixing up isolation and social distancing....
    3 points
  12. to add a bit of balance to this, here’s a comment from the latest video, DinoGirl being the young lady who posted the vids
    3 points
  13. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  14. Of course it's judgemental, and so is your opinion of it, and mine that they should have got a proper mooring for the boat and not presumably pretended to be continuously cruising when they weren't. Any opinion is a personal judgement, and we stick it on here so that those who disagree with us can point it out and possibly even convince us - by argument, not abuse - to change those opiniions. Sometimes, some of do. Just to chuck it in, it is my long held belief that only those who actually live on their boats have any right to be called continuous cruisers, and all the towpath dumpers and those who claim they move their boats every second weekend on their unbelievably long drawn out journey round the system are very much against the spirit, if not the letter, of the law. That's my opinion, and no-one yet has managed to change it in thirty years.
    3 points
  15. Apart from the OP implying that it might be moored on a pound where the locks are not wide enough to take it, in what sense are you saying that it is an 'unsuitable boat'? Would you make that remark - in the same way - about a shiny new wide beam on the North Oxford? (OK, so we might be perhaps in a different way) Using that expression does tend to suggest that you feel there should be a subjective visual test (a bit like Planning Permission in a protected area) before a boat is allowed on the water. I can think of plenty of boats that I have included in my blog as 'Unusual' (and even sometimes 'ugly) - and I feel entitled to make that judgement as a personal view - but it is an altogether different step towards an authoritarian society to say that just because I don't like it it must be banned. As yet, no-one seems to have stopped to give David chapter and verse about what he can and cannot do, so here's a few for starters: 1. Any boat must have a safety certificate (BSC) and be re-tested every few years with the exception that - just like a car - a new build has to conform to the RCD regs and then be tested after 4 years. The requirements for BSC are largely about the safety of others but, IIRC, the RCD does include the safety of its users, such as stability testing. The regs are fairly extensive and, as always with these things, do require a measure of interpretation which means that when it comes to something a bit out of the ordinary, one examiner may take a different view from another. Again, as always, best to consult an expert beforehand (like getting a service just before an MOT). The smoothest passage through a BSC exam is to understand what they are about and to go with the flow rather than against the grain. If the examiner (or expert) says that you cannot do what you are planning, in some particular, best to ask them, this is what I want to achieve, how is it best to do so in a compliant - and safe - way? 2. Both insurance and a licence are needed (or a permit if only on certain rivers) - there are exceptions for boats that stay permanently in a few marinas. Each will have their own requirements - some insurance companies, for example, have rules for extra examinations for older boats. 3. The general rule, written into law, is that you do not have a general right to moor permanently in one place on the canals. That is interpreted as either requiring you to have a paid-for mooring, canal-side or in a marina, and to declare that on your licence application. If you do not want to have such a mooring and are generally living on the boat permanently, then you will have to move every few days. (there is a specific limit but it is best not to push it to the limit every time and risk a misunderstanding with the enforcement folk) The problem is that the definition of 'moving' is 'making a bona fide journey' but there is a lot of muddy water between, on the one hand, someone going around the network and staying a couple of weeks in each place before moving on for a day or so's cruise and stopping again and, on the other hand, someone who stays always in the same place except for the occasional quick shuffle up to a water point/elsan station. 4. If you are thinking of renting out space on your boat, then forget it - the list of additional regulations makes it pretty much impossible to do, make money and be legal - other than for holiday hire companies. There is also quite a bit to do if you want to work from your boat. Just sitting at a desk and using the internet (same as in a house) is probably OK but trading - such as selling rag dolls to the public, or cups of instant coffee, is also controlled and you need to speak to CaRT ahead of making any plans. Carrying people is also complicated. In all these cases, talk with your insurer up front. Above all else, get on the right side of local boaters - even the grumpy ones have experience and advice to offer. But just be aware that for every five boaters you ask you will get at least ten different answers - sometimes with none of them right! If you are planning a live aboard lifestyle and know how to keep within the restrictions, do your homework about where the basic facilities are located. You will need water, fuel, rubbish disposal, sewage disposal, shops for food and so on. As with a house, decide whether you want isolation or to avoid regular long walks - may be OK in summer but can get very difficult in winter, especially on towpaths not yet adapted to intensive cycling. And also note that your chosen location, may be for work or schools, may have very few legitimate places to moor - eg Bath and central London. And all that is for starters!
    3 points
  16. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  17. There is a ton of problems to overcome. Small engine, really just to provide steerage way not built/cooled for prolonged heavy running, but it will have had regular services and testing so low hours. The things are full of built in seats which take a tremendous amount of effort to remove. There is no insulation and no heating and no lighting. No toilet but once you have removed some seats you could get as pota pottie inside. you will have a 'cheap' fibreglass shell not really designed for bashing into lock walls etc, they are built to be light and have lots of seats and not much more, they are also not expected to be afloat for long periods. The steering is poor, it is adequate at sea but vision is restricted and the rudder on the small side. They can with a lot of effort and expense be converted ito a liveable boat but it will have to live on broad canals and you will need to change the steering position so it will fit under most bridges. I have seen several abandoned/ part finished conversions and a few completed some nice some not but they do work. For not much more money there are better hulls available i.e. ex river hire cruisers, which will cost a lot less to fit out for living well, costing less in total, as they have a lot of the work already done.
    3 points
  18. Sad really but to be fair nowt to do with the lockie. Leave a boat tied up anywhere and it's your responsibility and leaving one in winter during prolonged heavy rain on a river is quite simply asking for trouble. Hope she gets a good result but I very much doubt it.
    3 points
  19. Interestingly she did say that it had a few leaks before it sank, which can't have helped. Also didn't say whether it was on a proper mooring or just another dumped on the towpath - if a proper river mooring surely it should have been in risers?
    3 points
  20. She should not be expecting others to take responsiblity for her or her boyfriend's action, or failures.
    3 points
  21. I cannot understand why anyone who allegedly owns 3 properties (presumably of some capital value and/or providing substantial income) would want to blight our waterways (or even just a short length of one canal) with an unsuitable boat, clearly with no interest in cruising. I suggest you make a moveable shed from some wheelie bins fixed to a pallet on castors and park it in a residents' car park or a pleasant country road. See how long it is before the plod or the locals remove the offending object and very possibly you as well.
    3 points
  22. No point in repeating that to him, he obviously thinks that if you point out the problems you must be a troll. From his last post (has three houses) one would expect him to be in a position to afford a boat that would allow him to keep within the rules. As Nick implied, it seem he is acting like a troll.
    3 points
  23. Not that far-fetched. The Cambridge Colleges would not let the horses walk on the banks. You can still feel the stone paving stones along this stretch. An 1814 print.
    3 points
  24. To lighten the mood a little, but keep on topic ............................ Some years ago SWMBO used to 'drive' (horse and carriage) competitively (even made the National Championships) and we were discussing the possibility of using the horse to pull the NB. Daughter In Law (a real 'towny' from Stoke) asked how we would be able to get it out of the canal each evening, and I explained that there are small ramps that are used. She then asked "wouldn't its feet get all soft and wrinkly from being in the water all day" How we laughed.
    3 points
  25. Unsuitable vessel for canals. You cannot be a CCer if you never leave one canal, sailing up and down is not in accord with the licence. Go buy a caravan or a shed to live in and forget the canals please.
    3 points
  26. An unnecessarily antagonistic reply, it is entirely correct to both pass comment and condemn actions taken by those that are now part of history. Just because something occurred in antiquity does not render it free of judgement, in fact, i don't think the original post could have been more thoughtfully worded and didn't deserve such a vacuous remark.
    3 points
  27. Silverlit in Regents Canal dock in August 1986 with some friends on board ?
    3 points
  28. Hi all i am about to embark on restoring an old London tusher tug which i have bought off a guy that basically left it to die . I have got the engine back to good and running and have sailed her to where the work will be happening so basically i am looking for people ie welders joiners electricians etc who have experience and are wanting to give me prices for the work that i want doing I have a design of how i want her so if you would like to drop me a line or email me at Andycook63[at]gmail[dot]com i will be willing to answer any questions She is lying in Cuxton Kent Please note this is not an overnight project there is a good bit of work to do Thanks in advance
    2 points
  29. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  30. It looks that way doesn't it! That's what the article said. Way to go Pete!
    2 points
  31. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  32. It might make you quite unpopular on urban moorings though ...
    2 points
  33. Well, one could also help ones self there by not posting it, along with the rest of ones life, on YouTube as the subject here chose to do. When you chose to do that, I think it pretty much guaranteed to solicit both positive and negative responses.
    2 points
  34. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  35. The most recent video gives more useful info. They point out a couple of boats above the lock and say they wanted to get there. Those moorings don't have risers on them either, so still could flood, especially with a poorly tied boat. I don't think this girl has really grasped what it means to leave a boat unattended in winter on a river. I just wouldn't do that ever. Even in summer I would avoid leaving my boat unattended over night on a river. I've only ever done that in summer, during a dry spell, checking my river levels app regularly, and I was on a floating pontoon. Maybe I'm too cautious, but then my boat hasn't sunk yet. The impression I get is that they a those typical sort of people who jump into things without doing any research and then moan when things go wrong. My sympathy ended when she started bad mouthing the lockie. Yes, it's nice when other people come to the rescuse, but you can't live your life expecting that will always happen. Take your own responsibility.
    2 points
  36. I don't think she should attach any blame to the lockeeper. It is not emptying the lock that caused the problem. This was below Culham Lock. This part of the river is often subject to flooding. The weirs would have adjusted themselves for the flow. The river goes into flood and they tie up to steel bollards only meant for temporary mooring. Surely if they had asked advice they would have been told to go back to Clifton Lock where there are risers and it is relatively safe in the lock cut. Once the water is above the bank there is little anyone can do without taking risks. I doubt is was due to any leaks in the boat just being tied onto a short line. Maybe it is time that you need some compulsory training before owning a boat as in most other countries.
    2 points
  37. I think they were proceeding right to left when the horse they were towing at the short stay decided he'd had enough and turned for home.
    2 points
  38. I was just distracted by all the 'stuff' behind her......
    2 points
  39. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  40. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  41. a very valuable video. let us hope that all those uninformed potential boat dwellers watch it and realise that owning a boat is not like keeping a car on the driveway.
    2 points
  42. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  43. Well then I suggest you go and live in one, rather than trying to freeload on the canals with an unsuitable ugly effectively immovable thing that you have found and like solely because it is cheap.
    2 points
  44. Ignoring the bit where you admit that you seem not to have even looked at the Canal & River Trust's words on the subject so make your intention to break their rules and your contract with them very clear for CaRT to see.. I doubt such things have any of the comforts needed for an even half civilised life. Space heating? Fresh water system? Hot water system? Cooking facilities? Washing/showering facilities? Toilet? An adequate electrical supply for 21st century life? Then there is how readily the thing will comply with the Boat Safety Scheme once fitted out. None are insurmountable but I bet they will end up costing as much or more than the advertised price and the time needed to install them will be a minimum of three times longer than you think. Please think very carefully about this and do some better research from basic documents than just asking on forums and social media.
    2 points
  45. I think the treatment of horses was atrocious. Surely they should have used children crawling on all fours like they did in the mines. I suspect the horses were actually treated better than the humans. Stabled and rested by most boatmen. They were a valuable resource, not to be squandered.
    2 points
  46. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  47. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  48. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  49. Hello Steve! Re. our rusty old water tank: I knew the prep wouldn't be perfect without it being sandblasted, but I spent the best part of a week with a mix of power and hand tools. The pitted areas is where I struggled to get a really good result – the white mineral deposits were very difficult to remove completely. So in the end I decided to go just with Vactan (two coats), until I could assess how successful the prep had been. That was nearly nine months ago, and bar a few white streaks coming from the heavily mineralised areas, it's still looking pretty damn good. My intention is to drain again next time the boat is out for blacking and prep and touch up those areas which have failed. The only other gem of wisdom I can offer is that Vactan takes a very long time to cure below the waterline. I certainly wouldn't attempt a refurb outside of spring/summer if the boat's in the water. I used a heater to speed things up and that was early May. Hope that helps! Vickie PS. The casualties of this project were: 1 x headscarf 1 x tee shirt 1 x bra 1 x pair of trainers 1 x set of overalls The washing machine and a friend's bath It took over a week for the greasy rust coating to completely leave my skin. I looked like Donald Trump for quite a while. My advice would be to purchase a hazmat suit! PPS. 'Before' pics attached, I'll upload 'after' pics, in another reply. Here are the 'after' pics.
    2 points
  50. No posting Gardner pictures before the 9pm watershed.
    2 points
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