Leaderboard

Hi Tony, I appreciate everything you’ve said and will work towards making it a more streamlined business. Whether it’s a non residential address, or a PO Box. At the end of the day, no one books my services by post or by visiting my home address. 99% contact myself via Telephone, Email or by viewing my social media channels and making an enquiry. People are absolutely entitled to do their own research, and if the address issue puts them off, it puts them off. That’s entirely their right and choice. However as a Sole Trader (Which is still a company btw) who focuses on delivering boats and giving tuition/advice my focus is on delivering a service that doesn’t involve my own postal address, and rather that of visiting the client. This year I’ve got a team working with me, which consists of myself, a fellow Boatmover, a professional merchant seaman and also a Web designer. Everything is 100% legitimate, it’s not a scam or a legal loophole. It’s simply following my career delivering boats which is my passion and skill. That’s all 😊

The forum is moving in new directions so maybe the ops could create a new section, it could be called "Arguments". This could probably be divided into sub sections, a bit like with the vintage engines. We could have a "stroppy boaters arguments" section, a "never owned a boat" section" and a "not owned a canal boat for ages but still like to argue" section. 😀

Welcome to the forum. If your business is working fine with the address as it is, I wouldn't change it because of a few fools on here. I've seen the comments left on FB by people whose boats you've moved and I've never yet seen a bad one. There are a few on here whose only role is to stir up an argument - usually they are corralled in the politics ghetto but they seem to have got bored with insulting each other there and have come to the general section for a bit of fun. Ignore them, we do, usually. A lot of them don't actually have boats, or much to fill their dull lives in other ways, which explains a lot, really. It's always worse in winter, too.

Thanks all for your advice and wisdom 😊 As I live onboard my own Narrowboat with my young family and Mrs, using the Post Office was the best way to collect my mail as I don’t have any family (or many friends 👀) in that area. I take the information I’ve received and will work something out, I gather the address seems an issue for a lot of you. I will look to get that address changed, but as I’m sure you’ll appreciate when applying for Trade Plates it was deemed acceptable by the CRT. Thanks all 😊 It’s not a scam, I was just checking to see if this is the place for it to join in with the community and from what I’ve seen, perhaps not! 😂 I accept the fact I made a mistake by posting an Ad in the first place… not again. Take care folk 👋🏻

I quite agree. It is looking as if the childish behaviour may be shifting from the politics section to here. The mods seemed to avoid getting involved with regulating the politics section but at least we have had a comment from a mod on this thread. However, are more general boating threads on here going to go the same way? I think it may be time for a general revision of the forum rules before things go too far downhill. It's a great shame to see such a useful site starting to degenerate into petty, childish pointless exchanges which are often of no interest to the vast majority of forum members. Howard

I have met Connor on a couple of occasions when he was moving boats. All I can say is that he seems a genuinely hard-working and conscientious chap.

Wow. Roll on when the days are longer and the canals more opener. Have exchanged pleasantries with the OP between Dunchurch & Braunston last year, i’ll confirm he does indeed move boats and good luck to him

Anyway Connor, despite the Spanish Inquisition you are now a signed up member of CWF and should anyone require your services they can contact you and satisfy themselves of your suitability. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have met you and do not doubt it.

Why do some folk here think that a Facebook page counts for nothing, but a website demonstrates bona fides? Either can be set up by anybody, quickly and at little or no cost, and neither is vetted by any authority. Same with a small ad in a newspaper, magazine or online advertising site, or for that matter a postcard in the corner shop window. Anyone thinking of using the OP's services would of course be advised to do some checking before parting with any money (or their boat's keys), but that is no different to doing business with any other small trader you haven't used before. The OP has offered a service that may be of use to folk here, and he has asked for Admin approval to do so. I can't quite see why so many posters have taken against him.

good that both have said they have listened but really it shouldn't take a message from a mod to make adults see how childish they are being.

My advice to you CW boatmover is to stick to Facebook. The likely hood of finding any dinosaurs on this forum that requires their boat moving is slim. Most on here don't own a boat. Those that do probably don't require your services. If you want an argument though or technical advice, you've come to the right place.

Along with photographic records of a large number of boats he's moved, and a lot of thank-yous from satisfied customers. Of course this could all be made up, but that seems extremely unlikely given that most of the boats are clearly identifiable by name... 😉 But then some posters on here are so convinced that Facebook is the work of the devil that they'll refuse to go and look... 😞

FWIW. CW boatmover has been on the canal World Facebook page for some time, and seems to have a good following. Give the guy a break. He's trying to make a living.

I understand. Check with a lawyer, but I think that if you refer to yourself as a company then it could constitute "passing off" which is a legal phrase with specific meaning. I doubt it would matter until/unless someone decided to start trouble for you. If I was in your shoes, I would avoid the use of "company" in any publications of any sort. Use "business" on your Facebook page and the passing off thing goes away. What I have been trying to convey to you is that the Facebook link and a little bit of digging threw up concerns. Such concerns have the potential to cause potential customers to look elsewhere. Eventually it was clear you are a legitimate business, but would a new boater dig that deep. If you think yes then fine, but if you think they may not then surely it is just good business practice to alter things so that risk is avoided. Remember that I was not the one who originally raised questions about the legitimacy of your business. I wish you every success in your business and I knew after that silly spat between two members you are legit.

Hi 👋🏻 I totally understand you, but apparently it’s being made an issue by keyboard warriors. That’s life eh, try something out. Get shot down. And move on. 😊

You'll be amazed when you hear what the neurological effects of lead are. MP.

The co-op thing must be suspicious. What sort of people who spend a lot of time on boats could possibly need an accomodation address? /Sarcasm

Perhaps she is a bit crochety?

Here, Here! I am amazed that you are allowed to get away with it time after time, its really boring for others and pathetic. I woke up for this? Sorry for going off topic. I am one of the dinosaurs that will not use Farceache so I have not seen it before. Seems to be a genuine effort for publicity. He did have the manners to ask.

If he gets over his infatuation with agricultural machinery, would he become an ex-tractor fan? 🤣

They must have. Where do you think the term 'Spanish windlass' came from.

We do not leave the boat’s unattended. During jobs I’m on the clients boat. Between jobs I life on my own one, as I would a house.

Definitions can be purpose-specific, as is the HMRC definition of a boat/ship which qualified for VAT at a zero-rate. It was determined at Colin Stone's VAT Tribunal Hearing that the prime determinant is the vessel's size >15 tonnes as calculated by a formula set by them. Additionally is its use as a primary residence, but a secondary use for pleasure did not prevent a vessel from being a qualifying ship. So an ex-commercial vessel converted in accordance with that definition can be a qualifying ship. A houseboat comes under a totaly separate clause, and without looking it up it is something like a floating object which has no engine and for which an engine cannot be readily installed. Tam

And a lot are by the people whose boat he moved, who I'm sure would be the first to mention it if he'd sunk their boat. Are you suggesting that someone running a business shouldn't try to boost it a bit? Speaking as someone who not only blows his own trumpet (well, cornet, really) but has spent years using FB to promote my business, I can't see much other use for it (FB that is). It's basically there to advertise stuff. It makes its money by selling advertising space; anyone who can uses it for free for the same purpose.

I think he came here quite openly to promote his company unfortunately not checking the forum rules first

My mother's Co-op membership number is so deeply ingrained in my mind (I was often sent along to get items) that I have used it as a PIN on many sites. Being a small Co-op it was only 4 digits. What I do remember was that one year the divi was 2/6 (two shillings and sixpence for younger readers) in the pound. That's 12 and a half percent! Well worth having.

There are probably also those that move onto boats because they perceive them only as cheap accommodation and later grow to love the lifestyle. Not me, I hasten to add. I've hated it from the very start.

But it went on for far too long! You could both have carried on the exchanges by PM

Take this “landlord, buy to rent, Socialist/Marxist/Communist/conservative/Liberal/Lab” conversation to the Pub/political section.

I bet he had a field day.

Is that like giving Rats 'nice' food in the bait boxes, and when they get used to coming, and have told all their mates, you swap it over to poison ?

Remember Liptons? They had a catchy tune in their adverts. ‘Liptons makes the money go round’ etc etc.. I wrote to them at the time but heard nothing back. ’Liptons makes your money go round, For a square meal’. I personally thought it a goodun!

@shaun15124 Expanding roof.. I'm thinking,Landrover Safari roof type. Top layer freely expanding, lower layer, with 2-4 inch air gap fixed and weather tight. Shall have to think more about the sides... Bod

Oh no, not another one. I fit the general demographic myself - in my 20s, fairly recent CC liveaboard - but: * Financial motivation not the main thing; I've wanted to live on a boat ever since I said "mummy I want to live on one of those" aged single figures and jumped at the chance when working practices changed due to Covid. The costs of a 30ft boat aren't less than renting a similarly-sized room somewhere, and I could afford more than that if I wanted to live on land. * Remote working and not tied to a specific location, so I can actually cruise and not just shuffle around a 20-mile radius of some fixed point. * I have some woodworking and electrical skills, and am willing to wield a spanner given a manual, so I can at least try to look after it myself. These articles always seem to understate the costs and the enforced differences in lifestyle, and encourage people with no knowledge or particular interest in boats to jump into it. I've met some people who've been seduced that way who clearly have no idea what they're getting into.