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I first met Malcolm as a teen in the mid 60s when he brought the Joshers Cactus and Penguin to Harris’s yard at Netherton. I was quickly enlisted to help in the refurbishment of Cactus, work I embraced eagerly. Real boats!! He went on to establish a yard at Yates Brothers, Norton Canes. In those days the norm was to acquire an ex working boat and add a conversion, many fine looking craft emerging from the yard . Malcolm then went on to build steel hulls, the Lionheart range of memory serves. He ran the business until 1986 when foreman Graham Edgson took over, Malcolm concentrating on survey work. We remained in occasional touch until a couple of years ago, I was pleased to be able to supply some proper Ratcliffes oil based scumble for his other boat. Truly the end of an era, his vast knowledge and experience now lost. It was watching his signwriter, Ted Chetwynd, that inspired me to take up the craft, I’ve lettered many of his boats over the years. RIP.

I'm not sure what time you're going on Friday, but if you need a boater to go with you and your brother I'm free on Friday afternoon and I'm only 25 mins away from Whilton. I've sent you a PM. This is a free service! ☺️

I'm with you on this one Brian. I feel it is not helpful to tell new boaters what they must do without also saying on what experience the advice is based - having bought one narrow boat and sold none is hardly a wide experience of the subject. New people coming on here are looking for advice and they don't know who is experienced and who is not and I feel if we offer advice or instructions it is only fair to the new comers that we say what our own experience is. It is good to be helpful where we can but I think we must be careful that we are not giving a "bum steer". Haggis

I am not bothered about that, just the fact that you were telling an inexperienced boater that she should insist on what bill of sale a broker uses, with in all honesty is a joke. What you do is up to you, I'm not bothered, but if you mislead others I will speak up.

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but I've just had a guy out to my boat (Lister SR2 with the usual diesel leak) who, for once and almost uniquely in my experience, has fixed the problem, spotted two others and fixed them without either complaining or adding to the agreed fee even though the whole job took three hours longer than he had quoted for. So I thought he deserved a plug - he's Karl Illand (Mainland Marine) from Burnley, travels all over the country. He's on Facebook or anyone can PM me for contact details.

Don't confuse her with facts, if she sticks to facts she'll have nothing to post about.

On this day in 2008, Oxford canal. Our last family holiday with teenaged son and daughter. Boat hired from Black Prince. The snowman's scarf had been unwound from the prop the previous evening! He kept our beer cold until he finally melted around Banbury.

I guess it all depends what you mean by "gadgets"... If you mean the kind of thing that don't do a lot that much simpler technology can't do, then this is pointless technology for the sake of it -- just like all the use-it-one-then-put-it-in-the-cupboard kitchen gadgets. If you mean things that provide a lifestyle more like onshore such as decent 230V electrical systems and all the useful stuff you can run from them, this is a choice -- people who want to stick with the more traditional boat setup are perfectly free to do so, but them disparaging people for wanting a washer or a dishwasher or lots of solar makes no more sense than them being disparaged for not having one and living in the dark ages. If you mean things like LiFePO4 batteries (plus the systems that go with them), these are modern technology which genuinely does offer big advantages so long as you're willing to pay for them -- which many people can't (or don't want to), but this doesn't make them any less valuable. If you mean things like series hybrid/electric boats instead of diesels, there are genuine environmental reasons for going this way as well as the peace and quiet ones, but again this is an expensive option. Both choices are perfectly valid -- at one end there are the "traditional boaters" who want to keep a diesel engine (possibly one that goes bonk-bonk...), a solid-fuel stove, and very little electrical gear, all at low cost, and at the other end "modern boaters" who want a more luxurious centrally-heated electric-heavy lifestyle -- possibly including propulsion -- and are willing/able to pay for it, because doing it properly (and making it reliable) is expensive, nothing is worse than trying to build something complex on the cheap. I can't help thinking that some of the reason behind the resentment is to do with money, people who live more simply disliking the rich incomers with all their shiny stuff, and them in turn looking down on the poor benighted scruffs lugging coal to the boat and excrement to the Elsan... Slagging off somebody else because they choose a different lifestyle to yours is divisive and can be counterproductive, because different people have different wants and needs. What should matter is that however you choose you to live, you value the canals and the people on them, and are a "good canal citizen" -- meaning, don't do things that might be good/convenient for you but are unpleasant for others. Many examples spring to mind -- out-of-hours engines/generators, towpath trash, inconsiderate mooring (or boating), semi-permanent hogging of visitor/short-term moorings, dog poo on the towpath or in poo-bags on trees, the infamous recent toilet thread...

Do you expect me to start reading the posts properly now, I just look at the pretty pictures, that's why I never learnt to spell.

Today in 2006 the engine change was going well. The new mountings were made and in the afternoon the new engine dropped into the engine room. The tanker barge behind was brought in by a tug with a failed engine and as is the case commercials get preference. They had a rebuilt V8 GM in the workshop and tomorrow they cut a hole in the side of the barge and got the old engine out. It took 3 days to complete the changeover.

As I understand it, the Decimal Currency Board handed the problem of the 50pence design to the only engineer who was a member, Hugh (HG) Conway, who was a director of Hawker Siddeley and Rolls Royce, then working on the development of Concord. He passed the problem to his brilliant team to resolve and it ended up with a Concord development number. It is said that the French ended up paying half the cost.

Does it mention canals? Yes, but only as 'concepts' It's all about socio economic evaluation, and while it is important that we are all happy people with levels of wellness increasing day by day through water, this year it has not worked, the hospitals are full of people who have mental illness, ditto police cells. I just find the whole 'concept evaluation' to be what we used to call 'left wing looney' Imho the Road Map to wellness is what it has always been, a healthy economy, good housing, medical services, and education for all. Recreation and exercise is good for mental health, but it's not going to help the disadvantaged. Oops, I am turning 'political'. I'll be banned. The UK government has not been able to sell off BW for the simple reason, it's not a good business model. "What can't be cured must be endured". Anon 16th Century. Let's hope they don't do a comparison with Scottish Canals, everyone penned in marinas, lots of closures, very restricted movement, but it's probably easier to generate more income per boater, so all round, a better business model.

Why do you bother commenting on things that you are 'not sure about' ? Wouldn't it be better to simply comment on things that you do know about - it would vastly reduce the number of posts you make but it would help everyone.

Marvellous. Every time I go out on the boat now, I wonder if I'll get home again. The four counties ring is going to be busy as none of the hire boats can go anywhere else.

I’ll take that as a lesson learnt. At least now I’m feeling the disappointment it’s woken me up to how quick one needs to be. Lesson learnt!

I checked this in my technical bulletins. They list all the mods for all the models. Its what Lister R&D department used to issue to us service engineers among others.

We find that choice of biscuits is very important ...

Hi I ask the insurance and they all said a hull only would be fine. And one did not need a survey at all as long as I have it done Yes I guess so as a old boat but the metal thinkness was good all over

Ah, well spotted. We moved from there in 1988.

Yes, there is a separate image for each month and BST/GMT are highlighted in different colours. I actually centred it on Birmingham but that is near enough for all the English and Welsh canals.

Table X is what you normally buy from a merchant, partly annealed during the final draws, bendable with a spring or bender up to 28mm sizes. Thin wall hard drawn is not annealed as often during drawing, not bendable without splitting. Cheaper, used on big economy jobs only. Soft drawn like gas and fridge piping is annealed, easily bendable by hand.

This one appears frequently, random hacked account listing hundreds of high-end or desirable items at half-price or better.

I think the building is pretty naff looking but look at that courtyard. Just think how many boat projects you could fit in there.

I think I may put in a bid for this contract. I'm putting a team of auditors together I'm going to ask Victor from NBW, Alan Richards from the Floater and Tony Dunkley to look at CaRT's performance in the legal aspects and welfare. Anyone wishing to join us should be equally impartial and preferably not a cyclist.

If it's still there at the end of the month there is something wrong with it

Summary : C&RT have been receiving a grant from the Government of around £50 million per annum. To keep the grant C&RT have to achieve several targets each year. C&RT self monitor their achievements. 2021 was set as the year when DEFRA would review C&RTs claims. If C&RT have not, in reality, achieved the targets, and have been 'fiddling the figures' the Grant will not continue. If C&RT are as good as they say then further grant aid may be considered. You will note from the KPI's that keeping the navigation open is not a requirement, but tow-path improvements is - says a lot ? KPI's to be measured and must show a year on year improvement : Network stewardship score (public benefit) No of accidents / incidents Percentage of assets in class D & E (poor to unusable) No of towpath visitors No of towpath closures Percentage of towpaths in class A to C (exellent to good) Flood management SSSI maintenance No of volunter days One of the interesting 'numbers' that C&RT report (which is not a KPI) is 'No of days the navigation is closed' The numbers were actually far worse but C&RT have changed the reporting method and criteria to exclude things that are not within their control. Number of days of unplanned navigation closures within our control (individual instances over 48hrs) 2017/18 = 490 2018/19 = 649 2018/19 plan = 450 The towpaths may be improving but the condition of the waterways is getting far worse (as we all know) Another set of interesting figures is 'Boater satisfaction' with the waterways : Boating customer satisfaction 2017/18 = 70% 2018/19 = 61% 2018/19 target = 72%

Or, don't insulate it and it can contribute to your heating I thought the main reason for not using solid copper on boats was work hardening through vibration. I think as long as the pipe is in the wall and there is space for it to snake, I'll just let it be. There is already quite a lot of plastic pipe in place from the old system. I notice that there is quite a bit of fine rust powder on the inside of this pipe though. So I'm wondering whether I should replace it or if I should just try to flush it out thoroughly.

I spoke to Craig Allen today he agreed to to do the survey.

Maybe you are watching a video that simulates YouTube freezing, but everything is actually fine.