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There is also the Canal de la Sauldre, though it was more used as a water supply for agriculture than transport. Several water supply channels in France were navigable for 'narrow' boats such as the Rigole de Torcy. Belgium also had at least a couple of 'narrow' canals, with the Charleroi Canal using deep narrow boats, capable of carrying 70 tons, into the 20th century. The other was the Meuse-Moselle link, which was never completed, though there are some remains, including the summit level tunnel. Other European narrow waterways can be found in Austria and Bavaria, while at least nine were built in America. Almost all of those mentioned above were for boats about 9 feet in width. After the Napoleonic Wars, France had a waterways development plan which included over 100km of such narrow canals.

Just had a brief forray down onto the Witham drains, shorter than hoped only due to time constraints with plans to be elsewhere delayed by the earlier bad weather. Really is the best time and conditions right now for anyone thinking of going this way. The cold spring has kept weed growth right down. Not a weed in sight! Only went down Frith bank drain and Medlam drain to its junction with West Fen drain. Frith bank is especially pretty, nice views and bendy like a canal. Plenty of depth too. Anton's gowt lock is heavy and slow but not too problematic.

The few arguments I have had when boating have been with unpleasant private boaters. Hire boaters tend to be quite nice.

Your prejudices are showing, Alan -- I've come across many competent hire boaters, and also some truly incompetent and obnoxious private boaters, who see themselves as superior when they're nothing of the sort...

As someone who has managed a hire fleet there are many points there that need addressing. The main problem is that the vast majority of hireres having paid a substantial amount of money simply want to go asap and dont listen. Half a days tuition for instance on a weekends hire is simply impossible and unworkable. Location of hire base is also a major point. I worked the Thames and from lower heyford bases. At lower heyford every hirer ( not day boats ) were shown through a lock as there was one either north or south not far from the base but many hire fleets are too far away so have to use models and explanation. All hirers are sent a book and indeed used to be sent a dvd showing many boating safety tips but having asked people if they had watched them I oft got the reply sorry I didnt think it was worth watching. Then of course they turn up usualy sober but within an hour some are well cranking the alcohol especialy younger parties. These people are on holiday so just that fact alone makes getting any salient points through and nearly always have a table booked in some pub they need to get to in time etc etc. It also has to be said that any private buyer can just pay their money and move off regardless so that maybe should also be addressed?

One of my favourite places on the river, picture below from a different angle. One hell of a workout too, never seen so many bends, will think twice before approaching Ringstead (heading upstream) after dark, through thick patches of mist too!

Not withstanding the fact that they change/reduce those dimensions when it suits/cant be bothered dredging or fixing lock entrances to the proper widths.

How frustrating! Possibly should have said you were a cyclist who’s got his tyres wet….they might have done something then!

When we were looking at boats, we came down from Scotland and stayed 2 nights in a Travelodge at Trentham Gardens. It gave us the opportunity and the time to look at a variety of boats before we found the one that was for us.

I've got one (or one very similar) still in it's box somewhere in the house. I think it's been powered up twice. The sound is total rubbish and the picture not much better. I could connect it to a sound bar but that defeats the purpose of a 12v set. I run my house TV through a soundbar and it can be connected one of three ways. Optical cable when TV needs an optical output, Bluetooth which results in a loss of sync between sound and picture and a direct connection between TV and bar using the headphone output (which cuts out the TV speakers). Assuming that your TV has a headphone socket (seemingly TVs went through a period when this was omitted) that would be the easiest route to follow. Obviously the bar itself needs powering.

The power of using your own money. If you are using someone elses money they can tell you what you are allowed to do with it, what rules apply and what security they expect, if you use your own then you get to choose how you spend it. (A bit like something that happened at 11:00pm 31st December 2020)

Oy, stop calling me intelligent and reasonable be fair I also said its a personal take on risk!! The house I am just purchasing was built in 1890 and I have had no survey whatsoever rather than have some bloke point out the obvious faults there will be with an old house if you look hard enough.

My lawn seems to be enjoying the regular rainfall after the April drought. Otherwise it's not been a great month so far in terms of weather. Lets hope for more settled weather later in the month.

I really don’t get this “insurance doesn’t cover towing” thing. I’ve towed plenty of boats over the years….it’s really not tricky and it’s just the right thing to do if someone is in a pickle. Im sorry im not closer or I’d be happy to oblige. Are you serious!?? I wouldn’t let those cowboys anywhere near a boat if you want it to be safe!!

My choice would be to Llangollen and back. Easy narrow locks, some lift bridges, some tunnels and best of all a couple of aqueduct. I would forget about the bike as I don't think most of the towpath is suitable or safe for the kids. As IanD said, have a look at the canalplan site to give yourself an idea of timings.

Sorry to have had to rush away, but we're having a great time on the Chesterfield, after a somewhat traumatic experience at West Stockwith. Lovely and quiet. MP.

Hadn’t realised that the list was referring to an accident. My flippant comment may have been unjustified. I don’t need stimulation.

Ah, any old bugger can steer that thing....?

We'll no doubt see you there at sometime, we're the boat right outside the office, so you'll have to walk past us to pay your bills and buy your ice creams ? .

We followed for a short time a Clifton Cruisers hire boat. Two couples onboard. Not very efficient at the steering game and zig zagging along the canal. They had aready let one boat past and then after about half an hour pulled over to the left hand side (tow path side) as if mooring up. When was passed them they weren’t holding lines or anything, so I asked them if they were mooring up or letting us pass. They were letting us pass. The steerer shouted across I can’t get the hang of this, I asked are you enjoying yourself because that’s all that matters. They were having a great time. Good, I said. And they were! Says an ex-boater!!! of a so called sewer tube.

We have now arrived at our mooring at Droitwich Spa Marina, what a friendly place this seems to be, a lot of facilities. Our handover from Black Prince was nice and simple see https://floydtilla.co.uk/2021/05/01/picking-up-floydtilla/ Thanks David

There'll probably still be no water in the L&L by the time I get there?

It has indeed! Most of the Calder and Hebble is on red.?

Oh we had rain on Saturday as well. In fact we have had rain every day this month I think. Perhaps it is making up for the very dry April we had?

I have left the mower on a high setting as my lawn was new turf earlier in the year . By comparison with my neighbours (who had cut their lawns short) the high mower setting helped the lawn cope with the April drought .

The Canal de Berry agin, the nearest thing to narrow boating in France:at Montlucon, the southernmost point of its southern arm; and at Marseilles-les-Aubigny, where it joined the Lateral Canal to the upper Loire. When I first went through M-les-A half a century ago, the Canal de Berry had been closed for several years, and filled in at this point, though several of its vessels remained moored in the basin there.

For a proper clean of injector pumps and injectors. The almost neat fix. Work fast. Remove the engines fuel filter, tip out half of the fuel and top up with injector cleaner, bung the filter back on, you might have to bleed a bit. start up on a highish throttle opening. Run engine for a good while. You will notice how clean the exhaust is for a while, and then much cleaner than it was. I've got many diesel vehicles through the MOT like this, and its cleaned up injector nozzles on boat marine engines and got them working again with the engine hitting on all cylinders again. All by this method.

It's good to see some freight movement on the canal again....

The trouble with that sort of wiring (and LadyG's) is that to just finding out what is what can take many hours of apparently not doing much at all and when the bill is submitted its almost guaranteed to get complaints about the work done and the cost. In fact in your case rewiring it may have turned out t be the cheaper option.