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After almost three years of serving as a permanent home while Jane endured her cancer treatment. ‘Alnwick’ slipped her mooring at Cropredy Wharf and started the journey to Glascote Basin where we hope to get dry-docked and blacked. Progress, so far has been satisfactory but we did need to pay some attention to the starter batteries that had almost boiled dry due to my lack of attention - six litres of distilled water being required! The cabin batteries are in the ‘no maintenance’ category and seem to be OK. Sadly battery maintenance was not a high priority while we were attached to a mains supply and I will be very impressed if the starter batteries recover sufficiently to start our two and a half tons of Kelvin K3! Fortunately, we took the precaution of having our Honda generator serviced before setting out and, so far, this has been sufficient to provide enough power through our 24v charger to start the engine. On the first day we reached Fenny Compton and were pleased with the obvious improvements that have been made at Claydon Locks. The summit level was comfortably blessed with adequate water and we managed to avoid going aground. On Wednesday night we moored at Braunston where we purchased supplies (especially of distilled water) and last night, Thursday, we tied up near Easenhall Lane Bridge - No. 34. Please give us a wave if you see us on the way . . .

Of course, they were really pushed in by an asshole who also goes fishing. Assholes are also to be found engaging in other pastimes, sadly including boating.

It was cold, very very cold with sleety rain and gusty wind. Engines started 1st turn of the key - last started 20th October 2020. Port engine battery a bit sluggish, but did the job. Nice to be back. We managed 14 weeks aboard last Summer in between C19 lockdowns and will hopefully achieve more this year.

37 Boats to be put back in today It was a bit tight with boats being swung over the top of us, but the 140 tonne crane coped well.

I' m not too sure where I read it but I saw an article about this recently. To cut to the chase the temporary scaffolding bridge/steps were bl@@dy stupid and how they met safety requirements defies logic. Cyclists were expected to go up/down steps whilst pushing their bikes up what looked like a scaffolding boards at an angle of about 45 degrees. I'm amazed that I'm springing to the defence of cyclists but please track down a photograph before making a judgement.

No. Efficiency is achieved by division of labour. Gate people do gates. Ladder people do ladders. Balace beam people do balance beams. Board members do bonuses. See?

While looking for photos of stop valve and fire hydrant plates I came across this image from 1955 in Banbury.

Probably because you are the only customer for red and only buy a pot every 20 years

Did you know that if the box is on your own property, you can paint it any colour you want? There is, or used to be, a dark blue box in the garden of a house in Emsworth.

Back to the original topic. We pay £45 an hour for someone to work on the boat and last time I looked a typical solicitor would charge £150 - £250 an hour. In my experience work on the boat is satisfactory something like 95% of the time whereas solicitors have been successful (in combative cases) about 20% of the time. Add to this the prospect of costs from the other side and I'm led to the conclusion that it's best to put the money into the boat rather than lawyers.

Do you think a dog licence will work any better than a cycling licence? I think it was abolished all those years ago because it was only responsible dog owners who had one and the administration costs were far more than the income. I can't think of an economic method of either dog or cycling licences.

If they payed for a licence then have a go but no we pay bloody bikes

And boaters complain about CaRT encouraging cyclists to use the tow path. The Bridgewater were encouraging pilots to use it over 40 years ago. Slow Down. Share The Space!

Again, read the actual BSS documentation, not go by what someone tells you, including a BSS examiner. The rubber mat is not a BSS requirement. It just stops the paint on the gas locker floor getting scratched, which ultimately, years later, might lead to rust problems and a hole in the floor that would fail. A good idea, not a requirement. A rubber mat might just trap water underneath it, leading to rust anyway, so a couple of plastic strips as @Tony Brooks suggests could be better. A longer chain can go round/through three gas cylinders, so no need to get rid of the third if you don't want to.

I never had a poor pint of 6X there….and I’ve had plenty in other pubs!

You wouldn't believe some of the comments we get about canalplan when we have problems, so I fully empathise with him. I get it day in and day out at work from people who should know better. Hope you find someone... and no I'm not volunteering ?

The background to my search is in this thread. As to post boxes, an early lockdown activity last year was to photograph all the ones within dog-walking distance of home. Haven't got round to putting them online yet though.☹️ Here's one, now in the front wall of a private house.

Thanks @frangar. At least someone is trying to look after our interests.

I’m well aware of black humour working with the medical profession some of my time but a public forum isn’t the place for it.

Update from meeting Well that was "interesting"...much talk of every user group apart from boaters...including the "street art" through nottingham,& Leicester and how towpaths are being "improved"...as well as the work going on at Stoke Bruene Museum....Im sure I heard the new lady in charge of visitor attractions in the East Midlands say that admission was going to be free...which the website confirms! Myself and a couple of NABO members did try to redress the balance in the Q & A session pointing out that boaters used the canal too and towpath improvements arent always beneficial for the boater in many ways and that we help the local economy by spending money in the area...I also raised the the fact that the publicity for the meeting failed to reach many boaters despite us being one of the few directly paying customer groups...That was met by being told we are in effect subsided!!....I may have muttered outwardly then.... We are hopefully having a meeting with CRT area managers to talk about what boaters might want from moorings & facilities....with luck that might be productive and as ever I will report back to the forum edited to add There were approx 60 attendees...CRT were probably 10 of those. I was told that invites had gone out to 650 people....Im not sure who these were mind you! They said they will look how these meetings are publicised in future.

I'm moored nearby and I know the CRT data collector. He's always been very nice to me. This is a terrible thing to happen and I just want to send my love to the guy's family and friends at this time. That picture is deceptive. It's not on the lock landing. I know because I've been walking past that stupid boat every day.

hi yes I agree with you Franger I will delete the post

Very true, which is why you should never believe anything on the net without double checking. Mind you, that goes for the papers too, except the Mail, Telegraph and the Sun, which you should just never believe.