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Hi everyone. I have just dropped on this thread having not been on the forum since December. Thanks to you all for your well wishes, even you with strange politics, I am sure you are ok really 🤪 It was a combination of events. I did take my bat and ball home and not acknowledge a warning and a couple of days later at 0230 got the call for an immediate kidney transplant as some poor sod had died and I was recipient. The brilliant NHS sent taxi and whizzed me off to Cardiff. Anyway that was ten days in hospital. I don't count the tablets anymore I weigh them by the kilo 🤣 Started slow recovery then Bang, kidney rejection, back I hospital massive steroids IV got another week and out again. I was out a week and became in agony. Blue lighted all the way back to Cardiff, CT and blood tests and diagnosed immediately with a perforated bowel, a previous problem unrelated to the kidney. This was the closest yet to the grim reaper getting the better of me lol. So another ten days in hospital. I am on the mend but weak as a kitten now at home and getting out and about. Things to note, you don't bounce back as easily when you are knocking on a bit!! Thanks again to well wishes 👍

CAT IS HOME tx to all concerned. He had made his way back to the place where the idiot let him out of his basket, I don't know where has been all day. Hungry, so not indoors.

That was her! Let me be absolutely clear that I will stop participating in this thread if it's going to be hijacked into yet another RCR discussion.

I never got that far! For quite a while, three of us handled moddy duties - self, Magpie Patrick and the former Buccaneer. The arrival of two new ones, Jen and Ade, was succour indeed [as in, only a succour would do this job]/ Midway through last year I was, as Nicj Noeman says, beset by a truly exciting cocktail of eye conditions which made long spells of reading irksome. These are mow controlled by medicayion, and my eyes are not deteria...er, daterior...er, getting worse. I'm still taking part in moddy duties, but more in behind the scenes discussions than dront of house. Thanks!

Hello. I'm a lurker. I'm not very old (relatively speaking; I'm not particularly young either), and I don't own a boat. I'd very much like to, one day, but in the meantime I'm busy quietly absorbing information about canal (and boat) history, and reading threads on people performing miracles rebuilding or replicating historic boats, learning different techniques for safely navigating different locks with ground paddles vs those with gates paddles, figuring out how the licensing works, how to find out whether a canal is actually likely to be navigable this week or not, where I'm most likely to get stuck on a trolley in the Rochdale, all that good stuff. A lot of this hopefully one day useful knowledge has been provided by the core group of regular posters on here, who may or may not number approximately 30, I've not counted because I don't in any way care. Precisely none of it has come from one motormouth with about the same level of canal experience as me but about 600 more posts. Just sayin'... Do carry on 😁

This thread has been locked while the moderators sort through the wreckage looking for survivors.

Corrected that for you! 😁

Ange - all Got into a care home, just 400 yards from my real home so very much in my community, after two weeks back in hospital with a lung infection! 😱 Herein lies the biggest risk, for 24 hours it was a bit touch and go, but then the antibiotics started to do their stuff, now back at care home. Have spent most of this week asleep. Further and hopefully final assessment in QEH Birmingham at the beginning of March. So still hangin in there! Thanks all

I'm still here!:And stilll modding ... This is a long haul - I have pulmonary fibrosis and the only viable treatment is a lung transplant. Whilst we work towards thst various efforts are made to keeo me alive and comfortable - those concerns led tonmy admission by ambulance. The doctor visiting home felt rhe latest wobble was beyond home management. It has also been decided, with significant input freim me, that I cannot return home, so a care or hospice place is being sorted. This will give me the care I need to focus on being fit for a transplant. Until sucu a place is found I'm in hospital... I will endeavour to keep you all postted!

Hi! I happened to be driving the boat when the gates fell off. From the other end of the boat nothing looked amiss, the collars were left in place. I don't think the gates hit the boat at all when they fell off, they were pretty damn close though. one of them might have knocked, but I didn't feel or hear anything. We were initially told we could wait on the boat while the CRT assessed the situation, so we got to spend the night in the lock! It was pretty miserable down there, we were told we had to leave the boat around 10am the next day. We had a dog on board, but luckily she wasn't too hard to get out. Pretty miserable situation, but at least no one was hurt.

I am thrilled to say that as of today I am the very proud owner (next custodian really) of Tycho! A boat that I have very fond memories of from the late 80s and 90s. The first boatman's cabin i ever stayed in aged 10 and then lucky enough to do bits of towing wirh her as a teenager. More to come... but so as to allay any fears or rumours, the ram stays, as do the blue tops, certainly for now. And of course the reinstatement of the back cabin. Bear with me, I've not had a boat with rivets for 16 years! Thank you @Derek R. for your recent help in filling in the gaps of the last 20 years.

It is sad that a thread about one of our elder statesmen' members health is being derailed in such an insensitive way. For common decency the culprit should delete his posts . Those of us who have " known ™ Tim for many years are saddened by the news that he is not well and we have our collective fingers crossed for his recovery.

I am here reading and I'm mortified to be honest, I didn't realise I was doing anything wrong so I am fixing the issues. Sorry to everyone. 😳

Apologies to everyone for the delay in responding: I haven't had access to the internet for the past couple of days. Thanks also to everyone for the support and showing that newbie boaters are welcome: it is much appreciated.

An app that allows simple reporting of issues makes sense - exact location provided, probably a pick list of standard options (broken paddle, jammed gate, whatever) and hopefully more people reporting problems rather than just moaning. If that's being made available, it might as well also provide up to date stoppages and restrictions. If more people can and do report issues then CRT get a better idea of which problems are having the biggest effect on boaters. Don't forget that it's obvious to us boaters but not necessarily to whoever collects the reports.

To close the important part of this topic. I have been conversing with LadyG by PM over the last few days and I think that we have a solution. It seems that she and far too many others I have come across, did not differentiate between charging voltage, rested voltage and surface charge voltage, so seeing 13V plus on the meter when charging was taking place, in their minds, meant a well charged battery. I think that she has got it now and after two longish engines charging she has found the ammeter at +2 A which I don't think she has ever seen before and 14.1V on the stern batteries, with a bit less on the bow batteries. She seems to accept that the bow batteries will always be compromised charge wise, but is happy that they are servable. I also think that she will send more time engine charging than has been her habit and understand just how long it takes to charge LA batteries. It seems like a result.

Yes I read it - non-story the Daily Mail of the canal world. I'm also fed up with the CRT baiters in this forum. We're soon going to have a fight for the survival of the canal system and all some people want to do is pick holes whilst the whole edifice (the canals,not those running them) collapses. There you go, battle line drawn.

Great, the more exposure boating and the canals get on mainstream TV, and the more people it brings to the canals, the better. Those of us not over 60 would really like the canals and associated lifestyle to still be around in 20 years, so the more people getting interested in canals, buying boats, and keeping waterways businesses going, to replace the old miserable sods, the better.

Because I enjoy canal boating and own a narrowboat! Seriously though, I think this deserves a slightly more detailed answer, and maybe that will help you see this forum in a slightly different way. From my perspective, I see canal boating as a completely different activity to sailing, in the same way as hillwalking (which I also love) is a completely different activity. Sure, there's the odd common element (for example sailing and hillwalking both require precise navigation at times), but many of the things I get out of canal boating are completely different to the things I used to get out of sailing. Very few of the skills I take from sailing are any use at all in a narrowboat, especially on a canal, and it's fun to learn new stuff in a pretty benign environment. I don't go to the boat because I need a challenge or to prove something; I go (in part) because there are fewer challenges than elsewhere in my life and nothing to prove. If I want excitement and challenge, I'm lucky enough to have other pastimes that will oblige. From the way you worded your post (and other posts) I wonder whether you regard canal boating as a "lesser" activity than sailing, and maybe even that your sailing experience should accord you a level of respect from others. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone on this forum is skilled at something that isn't canal boating; that might be their job, a different hobby, a sport, doing something for their community, cooking amazing food, being a great parent, or whatever. None of those skills is worth more than any other. We are here as equals with a common interest in inland boating. Our roles should be to contribute what we can and to enjoy each other's (virtual) company, not to compete against each other in some imaginary pecking order. If there is a pecking order, it's more likely based on whether you can wind a loaded pair at the Braunston turn than anything you or I bring to the party. Our sailing skills are worth nothing here, and that's as it should be; like many sports and hobbies it's ultimately a pointless activity that we do for our own benefit. If we want to earn respect we do it by being nice to each other and helping make this forum a pleasant place for people to spend time.

As an retired employee of both BW and CRT with 40 years plus service, I can now say how I feel about the moaners and boaters. I for one found Richard Parry one of the best CEO that the company has ever had, he was open and honest and had the time to talk and listen to everyone. He has bought the Waterways to front in every thing that they do. I only hope that his replacement is as good as he was.

I now own a boat 🙃 Big thank you to everyone that gave me advice, thoughts, assurance (and occasionally instilled fear 😂) during this journey. It wasn't as plain sailing as I'd hoped for, and though some lingering things remain (to join the never-ending list) it'll be nice to get on board and be able to finally enjoy the boat. …and I cannot wait to give the inside a deep clean, change the curtains, remove some of the previous (hah, weird saying that) owners decor additions, and make the boat look and feel less like a brochure pic I've stared at since October and more like a boat I own.

I've just been down to check and I have picked them up to stop them being nicked/thrown in the cut, I will PM you

I'm not sure if somebody has linked this on here before, but I've come across this nice little BBC feature from 1970

A few unstructured comments - unfortunately I've ended up knowing quite a lot about theses issues than I ever would have wished: There's a large cohort of young people who were impacted quite profoundly by Covid. The lockdowns took them away from their friends and support groups and isolated them for what seemed like a significant proportion of their lives. Not only did they not have the perspective and coping skills that we all take for granted, they also lost a significant proportion of the period during which most people develop those skills. Being a teenager is hard for many, and Covid made it immeasurably harder. Mental health support for young people was creaking at the seams before Covid, and is now dramatically under-resourced. Multi-year waits for neurodiversity assessments are widespread. There are lots of great people working in these services, but they're struggling to cope. Widespread use of agency staff to fill gaps causes further issues. Support for young people with neurodiversity is even worse; a lot of mental health support is unhelpful for people with neurodiversity, but alternative provision is scarce. Many schools are not set up to provide young people with additional support that they need. I have direct experience of a vulnerable young person being excluded for terms at a time, just because the school didn't want anything bad to happen on their watch. Amidst this, there are a lot of young people trying very hard to figure things out; at times it all gets too much, and they end up in a crisis situation which might be triggered by something we'd regard as trivial. Without the perspective and coping skills most of us take for granted, they don't know what to do, think there's nothing they can do, and panic. I can't speak for every person or situation, but a lot of people who end up in dangerous situations don't feel that way most of the time. There are a lot of young people out there who are terrified that they might do something harmful next time they're in a crisis, because that's not something they want when they're feeling well. In most cases they're just as bright and ambitious as anyone else, they just need a bit of extra help getting through a difficult time. If you see someone in a dangerous situation, or someone you think may be considering putting themselves in a dangerous situation, dial 999, the Police are very responsive to these situations and would rather follow up a false alarm than risk missing an opportunity to help someone. If you're in a position to influence Government spending, whether at the ballot box or elsewhere, mental health support for young people is woefully underprovisioned, and support for neurodiverse young people with mental health issues is almost non-existent.

A chance to lighten the mood and report on any good moving the boat experience 😃 where you been and what you done? I just had a lovely ramble from the Black Country Museum to Hawne Basin and then into Brum, the last hour or so in the dark, old line to Brades locks, through Netherton and a slog to the basin, is it because that bit of canal’s been out of use over the winter? then back through the tunnels and onto mainline and then Town, 8.30amish start and 10pmish finish, 3hrs at Hawne Basin, the washing machine takes awhile, Canadian Geese are nesting in their usual places on the toll islands and the coots (or moor hens, always get them mixed up) have built their floating nest from twigs and litter, noticed the new towpath mainline has nice little lights to stop the cyclists from riding into the cut, great to enter the town in the dark, quite a different world and experience in the dark BCN’s ace! Top day boating 👍

Our boat has been at Glascote Basin since last November where it is being repainted to a very high standard by the team at Norton Canes Boatbuilders with experienced supervision provided by Sarah Edgson. There is more information on our website here. We did start repainting 'Alnwick' in 2005 but for many reasons, progress slowed when we had completed the outside of the back cabin. By 2016, we decided that the paint we had purchased more than ten years earlier was by then too old to use!

Hi. Just as a footnote to this thread, I’d like to give honourable mentions to a few fabulous organisations who have helped restore my faith in the good people of the planet, ie the majority. The extraordinary Stacey and Penny at Barby Moorings who are not just fabulous people who go the extra mile, but Penny is also a truly excellent engineer. Noble Insurance, who I only swapped to after years of GJW. They’ve been caring and astoundingly fast with very low levels of bureaucracy and high levels of actually being bothered about the customer. I recommend them totally. The CRT, Patrick McGinty and his team have been helpful, supportive and interested, which is an attitude that goes a long way. Finally, Warwickshire Police. I didn’t think they’d be remotely bothered but they’ve been terrific and diligent, from forensics through to their crime support team. Being robbed feels hideous but these lovely folk have gone a long way to making things a little better. Merry Christmas to all who were kind enough to offer support on this forum too. Thankyou.

Well that's the end of an era, 15 yrs living on and the boat has finally been sold and i'm officially living in a stone built Welsh cottage. Not enough actual boating unfortunately but I loved what I did and enjoyed the rest. I will still be hanging around because I am very fond of the place and have met many lovely people through here.

so after the dust has settled a bit. it's a bit of a blur to be honest but here you go. the culmination of 8 1/2 years work by me, Vikki, @tom_c and some amazing friends.. chuffed is an understatement!!

I want this posting to be a positive one so please no comments about how useless the Canal and River Trust are, wasting your money etc. Any posts like this then I may ask a mod to delete it and that would not be Paul Weller. Thank you. Apologies for this being a little long. I have been a continuous cruiser on my narrowboat for three years and during that time I have said things like look at all that rubbish along the towpath, I wish CRT would grease that lock paddle mechanism, look at the poor painting on that water tap post, I wish they would fix that leaking tap, why doesn't somebody trim/cut down that small bush on the wash wall and many more. So I decided to do something about it. I contacted CRT to see how I can help with these kind of things as I cruise along. Their response was that they would love to have me as a volunteer but their current processes do not allow for 'roaming volunteers' - only volunteers who work in a fixed area and thus report into a person in charge for it. Short storey even shorter, I am now part of the CRT National Volunteer Team looking (along with another CC'er) looking at how roaming volunteers can assist CRT in tasks. It is early days but I am on a fact finding mission with you guys 'n gals to get ideas of what can be done, skills that we have out there (plumbing, painting, tree surgeons etc.), whether you would be willing to help with the work and anything else you can think of. I'm not asking for people to sign up as volunteers yet as this point in time is way off. Initially, things like litter picking and small vegetation clearance you may be able to do yourselves without have to become a volunteer (I know some people do this anyway off their own back) but other things CRT would need to be made aware of (so they do not send somebody else out to do the same thing) meaning you would have to be a volunteer and have access to a website/app in order to record what you have done - this would probably be for things like greasing mechanisms, leaking tap fix/replacement, painting. Depending on the task, you may need to complete a quick online risk assessment before you start the work. CRT would have a duty of care and there are guides and videos being produced to aid you with this and you may need to sign these off as having read/viewed before you commence any work for the first time. Again, this is all in discussion. Health & Safety does come into it but that really just means using common sense. So, to cut to the chase. Can you think of any small tasks that could be completed as people cruise along? Is this something that you may be interested in volunteering for? What sort of canals/areas do you normally cruise around? What skills do you have? Would you prefer CRT to supply parts and equipment or would you rather you purchased and claimed back? This would require you to sign up as a volunteer and would be done online and require receipts. Any other suggestions? I thank you for reading this far and look forward to your responses. Thank you Joe

The above is a good reason why reporting it is the correct course of action. The boat is on a canal where passage of wide beam craft is only allowed for transit to or from marinas and online mooring is not permitted. All movements are subject to advice notices from CRT so it’s pretty easy to surmise that something is amiss, be it a wanton or unintended action. It’s also not really the point that the poster was able to pass. What about another wide beam making a legitimate booked passage or the loaded coal boat? Passing on the Oxford can be problematic if you are pushed toward the offside of the deep channel.

It's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do, the late winter / early spring sunny warm days are good for the mind and soul, and help to get out of the winter doldrums.... with this in mind we thought we'd have a break from welding for a bit and very much in earnest slap a bit of paint on. Psychologically this has massively helped, it very much spurs us on to push towards the October launch date........

First of all my apologies for the delay in responding: I don't always have access to the internet. When I was young I had a memory that was fantastic and I could remember word for word every conversation I had, even years old conversations, and every poem that I read, articles I read, etc.. I was intolerant of others that didn't have the same fantastic memory as me. Then I was involved in a road traffic accident and took a bang on the head. My fantastic memory disappeared. When Gybe Ho was mentioning facts I didn't for one minute assume stalking, I just assumed that they had a memory like the one that I used to have. I appreciate the help that everyone gives but I do think that there are better ways of communicating than going into slanging matches. Perhaps a more appropriate and less antagonistic way of responding would be along the lines of 'I see this issue different to 'insert name' and feel that this is the correct way that 'it' should be done'. The forum would then be a much more peaceful and welcoming place where people wouldn't be afraid of asking a question in case the said question started a full scale argument. Thanks everyone for your help.

I hope any replacement will turn up to boat gatherings and events just as Richard did….cant fault him for actually going places and chatting to people. I personally found him quite approachable and willing to listen….not always the case with CEO’s.

Yes. Scaffold boards hung over the side. Or another option is loads of half full 20 litre plastic containers roped around at the waterline. The ice breaking is I think one thing where attitudes have changed over the years. My first winter 94/95 was spent partly near Wolfhampcote. It froze over properly. Ernie Kendall used to take the restaurant Boat 'Bracken' out with people eating their lunch while crashing through the ice. It was brilliant. Everyone was enjoying it all including me in my little narrow Boat. These days people are moaning about it. The attitudes on the canal have changed enormously in the last 30 years and not for the better. If the Boat can't deal with ice then don't keep it on a canal in winter.

It's a breath of fresh air being somewhere online with no advertising. Long may it continue.

No they don't need banning, they need idiots to be prosecuted. You obviously don't like them and thats your issue not mine. a mini drone isn't harming anyone, they have no power or weight to cut skin, I've caught my hand in the props before and whilst you'll probably say a swear word thats as far as it goes Yep! Despite what some of you may think they have done a cracking job to get these boats saved, It's a PR dream after an absolute disaster Yeah not completely wrong, the videos I did lasted less than 24 hours and then they were irrelevant. people only think of the next thing that needs to be done and don't think what was achieved to get to that point, it's a massive failure in society if you ask me. There is no patience now Thanks for sharing I'm trying to get some of the shots out today, I'm just about to upload the ground stuff as well. It may be overkill but I think it's important to see this for the future, we need to remember what happened and in my eyes we need to bring the plight of our canals to a larger audience, if it takes a disaster for Joe Bloggs to rally behind our network then I'll use that as much as I can

Been good to know you, in the way we do on here. I don't frequent the politics bit so no idea of where yours lie, but it's always sad when a boater leaves the waterways and the forum. There are plenty of excanallers on here and the loss of your experience would be a shame.

Certainly history if not heritage - it's easy enough to look up what the restrictions were in 1976 if you have an old set of Waterways World or similar, and also to debate how the whole set up was different then compared to now, but I though I'd offer some memories of our family holiday at Whit 76 and perhaps encourage others to do the same. I was ten that summer, so I'd be nine at Whit and @1st ade was thirteen. Mum and dad had booked a week from Fenny Compton in a 30 foot 4 berth called Curlew (remember when four berth hire boats were 30 foot long?). IIRC correctly dad's original plan had been to head south but as restrictions tightened he changed the plan to head for Snarestone and Coventry. Napton locks were open 12noon til 3pm, meaning be clear of the flight by 3pm. We got as far as Napton on the first (Saturday) night and joined the queue. I recall a boat going past us at about 10am the next day and various people pointing out that this was the queue - I think they were genuinely surprised. Anyway, our turn came and we shared with a GRP boat, the picture in my memory says it was a Dawncraft - they were ahead of us but the lock keeper put us in first as is best practice, and we made our way down the locks. We then got to Hillmorton that day, and waited for the rather more generous opening hours to go down on the Monday - after that, Hawkesbury didn't have restrictions, and we didn't need to share it! It also became the first lock I worked without assistance... Then proceeded a lock-free couple of days as we went to Snarestone, where we'd been when hiring from Alan Tingay at Shackerstone, and Coventry, where we'd never been. I don't remember much about these previous cruises, I was too young. Memories of this one are the Ashby being so quiet that one day we didn't tie up for lunch, we just drifted, and we must have been at the start of the decline of the village shop as mum couldn't get milk. Then the plan was up Hillmorton Thursday afternoon to be ready to go up Napton Friday lunchtime - but (And this is where the memories come in rather than just the historical record) we got to Hillmorton to find them already closed for the day, the hours had been reduced. Nowadays internet and mobile phones would have told us this. Dad arranged for use to get to the head of the queue, finding a Natwest boat we could fit in with, and we did our best to do Hillmorton and Napton in one day, but it was too much - we got to Napton just about 3 from memory. and were due back at Fenny Compton the next morning. Dad recalled how the hire company had complained, as we picked Curlew up, about another hirer getting stuck at Nell Bridge and the boat being late back - I think he was imagining the scene as we would arrive late... What happened next is what sticks in the mind and won't otherwise be documented. Dad spoke to the lock keeper, who said something like he didn't know the hours had changed at Hillmorton, and "they shouldn't do that, they're supposed to give notice" (or words to that effect) - however he couldn't just let us through. With a colleague he went to the lock house next to the bottom lock, reached through the window for a phone and made a big show of ringing "head office" - sometime later they rang back, he took the padlocks off and we had our own chaperoned ascent. That really does stick in my mind, on a holiday where locks had been hustle and bustle, boats sharing and following through, Dad and Adrian steered whilst me, mum and the lock keeper worked the deserted lock flight in the early evening sun - such peace.... We were, of course, back at the yard bang on time thanks to this. I've told this tale because, 9 years old then, I've just celebrated my 59th birthday - 49 years on, the grown ups involved, probably including the BW staff and the other adult boaters, are probably all dead, and you won't find tales like this in the history books. Comments and other stories from 1976 restrictions most welcome!

When stationary! Doesn’t mean you can’t be boating….however much some think it does.

I’m a new boater and joined in the last year. I don’t post much but this forum is a goldmine of information so I spend most of my time reading, not posting. I personally don’t let forum politics and bickering get in the way of what is essentially a comprehensive and free online resource.

It’s a fascinating job to do as well, you can learn so much about the way they are put together by taking them apart! I have owned Bingley since early 1977, when I was still in my teens (just), first as a camping boat, eventually as a houseboat with a full conversion. Now I have retired the plan now is to deconvert and restore, starting at the fore end. I am intending to do a blog about it, I’ll keep you posted

After seven years off the cut since leaving Halsall and moving on to pastures new, I've finally got a new (to me) old boat. Thanks to Sarah Edgson at Norton Canes (Glascote) for an easy purchase of Ballinger, a 1890's mk.1 Bantock boat, cut in half in the 60's by Max Sinclair and others, and a steel cabin added. It's got a lovely fit out, which the sales particulars suggest was by Ken Brenchley at Brinklow, but it has also been suggested to me that Brinklow Boat Services might not have been about then, so who knows. Propulsion is by a Dorman 2LB which was originally in a back-up generator at Stansted Airport. I picked the boat up Saturday morning, and after much faffing about finally got going at lunchtime. Everything worked fine first time, despite the boat having sat at the brokers for some time. I filled the water tank from the water point at the top of Glascote Locks, and was caught out by the water pressure. The hose popped straight out of the filler and then sprayed water around (and all over me) as the hose did it's angry snake impression. I finally managed to tame it, and learnt my first thing about the boat - always hold the hose in the filler! I descended those first 2 locks tentatively, having not done any locks for 7 years, and wanting to see how the boat behaves in a lock. Once on the move I was surprised to see so many boats moving, but the weather was great for boating, and maybe the last sunny and mild weekend of the year. Nevertheless the stove was going by my feet, offering warth. I've never had a boat that doesn't have a range by the back doors, so god knows how those of you without manage. First thought was that the boat was moving quite slowly. Then I realised it's leaf soup season, and having originally thought the draught would be about 2' 6", I got a glimpse at a previous survey which states it is actually 2' 9", so I'm going to have to get used to cruising sedately. I'd originally hoped to get to Rugeley Saturday evening, and Stone on Sunday evening, but the slow going and my late start put pay to this. I forgot to dip the tank before I left the yard, so when I did so in my first lock, I found it was nearly empty. With the next fuel opportunity all the way at Streethay, I was watching the clock, and worrying if I was going to start picking up any crud or water that might be in the bottom of the tank. Google told me the wharf shut at 5pm, but thankfully I rang to confirm, as it's actually 4.3ppm on a Saturday. When I told the guy on the phone I would wind it on a bit and do my best, he said he'd hang around and wait for me. I finally rocked up about 4.45pm, and took on fuel, as well as getting a pint of milk for the morning and a tin of emergency soup. Thanks to Steve at Streethay for staying open for me. I thought he looked familiar, and turns out he'd previously been on the Shroppie and a customer of mine on the fuel boat. I cracked on a bit further, and whilst it would have been nice to get to Fradley Junction, I had a memory of my one and only visit there around 10 years ago, when I'd arrived at dusk on Halsall and not been able to find any space before the swing bridge, and then 'no mooring' signs galore around the corner, forcing me up the locks in darkness. Looking at the clock, I could see history repeating itself, so when I spotted room for one boat on some piling in what my map suggested was Fradley Village, I took it just as day turned to night. Craving some proper food, I thought I'd check Google for a shop, and discovered there was a Co-op a few minutes walk away. Imagine my suprise when I found a chippy, cafe, subway etc... Having bought some fresh food from the co-op, I treated myself to a fish and chips supper. I could have stayed here longer, with such good facilities close-by. 5G inside the boat as well!!! I had my best nights sleep in several years. The boat is hydraulic drive, so the back cabin has extra head height, as well as the drop down bed being a third bigger than the norm, something that Mrs Junior will be very happy with as we used to sleep with our knees bent on Halsall 😂. The range went out overnight, so that'll take a bit of practice. An early start after a bacon roll and coffee, and the tree next to the boat had dumped all it's leaves on the roof. Perhaps why that one spot was free. I arrived at Fradley just as the volunteer lock keepers arrived for the day. I welcomed their assistance. I explained I'd only just got the boat and these were my first uphill locks. Did they mind taking it easy so I could see how the boat behaved, as I wanted the boat to come forward the ride up the gate. It did as I expected. What didn't look far on the map seemed to take a lot longer than expected, again because of leaves and depth. I rolled into Rugeley at lunchtime, and realised I wasn't going to make Stone, so reassessed. Less boats moving than yesterday, but of course having not seen anyone for hours, I met someone at Armatige, and had a good practice at going astern. Another glorious day, and so many people out enjoying the canal. I timed Colwich Lock right, as there was one coming out and another waiting to come down. So I slotted in as their respective crews kindly worked me through. The ground paddle here is broken, with a sign saying it is under repair. Not much evidence of any repairing going on. The downside to getting assistance at the locks is that I was hungry, thirsty and desperate for the toilet, as these are all tasks better carried out in a lock when single handed. Roll on winter when I can sit in a lock and make my lunch! As Mrs Junior was coming to pick me up by road, and the options for leaving the boat a couple of days quite minimal after Great Haywood, I decided to call it a day on the visitor moorings just before the junction mid-afternoon, and took the opportunity to sort a few bits out and start deciding what would live where on the boat. I nipped to the Spar and after a bit of daylight robbery on their part, got some provisions I could turn into a hot meal. I decided to clean out the well deck/catch area and set up the table, and Mrs Junior and mini Junior joined me for dinner at dusk, before we all set of back home in the car. Note the paper plates...£3.69 for 20! Must buy some proper ones today to take back to the boat. I'll be back to the boat in a couple of days to move a bit more. The aim is to get the boat back to Dutton where I hope CRT are going to let me have an End of Garden mooring as there's been one here previously, and it exists as a drop down on the mooring location section on the licensing page. I've took a few photos, which I'll try too add. Being single handed, they're mostly from the same perspective!

Speaking to a few people during a tour of Bradley Workshops at the festival earlier this year, I think the situation may not be so bleak as it at first appears. The main issue as it was told is that locks have an average lifespan of 25yrs and the total number of locks on the system exceeds 1/25th of their annual production capability. They are currently hitting the peak of the problem as the locks on the millenium restoration projects are now reaching end of life. The issue is that lock gate manufacturing is still highly manual. For example, the curve on the heel post is made by multiple passes through a planer on a rotating jig, turning a few degrees at a time which takes about 3hrs. The finish is then hand sanded to create the curve. With a finite space for manufacturing in there is not much that can be done to accelerate throughput with the existing method of manufacture. The solution they are proposing is to go to CNC manufacturing to replace a lot of the manual front end processes. The heel post for example could then be made in 10mins. These numbers aren't quite right, but if you look back through threads a few months ago at the time of the festival I posted more accurate numbers. It was something like current production enables 180 leaves a year, they need to manufacture 220 leaves per year to keep up with the renewal programme and the revised method of manufacture should enable 260 leaves per year. The plan for the remaining capacity is to address some current latent demand for gates outside of CRT, both in the UK and overseas (there is a canal in Canada which wants gates). Selling these additional gates should cover the depreciation cost of the investment in the CNC equipment. Another change is a redesign of gates to facilitate in-situ replacement of balance beams and heel post tops. This has already been implemented on some newer gates and as well as reducing stoppage times when gates fail before design life, it also allows re-use of beams which may only have been in service a year or two before the rest of the gate is renewed, reducing material use. There is also consideration being given to reverting to the original plank and frame gate design on some locks where a vertical beam design was adopted at a point when material was cheap and labour expensive (WW1 I think). This allows material savings, reducing overall cost without any loss of performance. The current situation is undeniably bad. It probably won't get better for a couple of years, but after that if the above goes ahead I am hopeful that a sustainable and cost-effective solution is possible. No, I do not work for CRT, but I was suitably impressed at the thought processes and dedication being put in by the team to modernise lock gate manufacturing and I wish them all the best with it - it is in all our interests for it to work. Alec

Yeah that was my boat Badger, 24hrs of complete stress. So I entered the lock yesterday (6th September) at 3 pm and was freed today around 3:30 pm. First of all I have to say a massive thanks to Nick, Dan and the rest of the lads in blue, by their accounts it was the worst hang up in that lock. They worked tirelessly to free Badger. The moment I realised I was stuck was the most terrifying moment of my boating life. I was on the back of the boat as my friend opened the paddles, looking behind me to how close to the gates I was I heard the dreaded grating noise of metal against brick. As I turned back and realised I was stuck in a pinch point at the rear of the boat. Looking towards the bow I could see the front rising into the air at speed. I just managed to shout to my friend to drop the paddles which he did at great speed just as water started to come over the footplate and poured into the engine room. I jumped on to the door with windless handle in hand, luckily I was able to climb out and open the bottom paddle. The boat settled with an engine room half full of water, which I managed to pump out immediately. My whole life flashed In front of eyes in those seconds.Not something I ever wish to repeat again. Anyways, that’s the story

Much like some of the posters in the original thread, which I have just read, I find this type of thread rather saddening. I have a longstanding interest in the history of canals, going back over 40yrs. I had Richard Dean's map of the BCN on the wall of my room at University, rather than the standard student posters, and still really enjoy poking around the backwaters of the BCN, have worked on restoration projects and I particularly like the quirky smaller boats - the tugs and the iceboats. I was therefore absolutely delighted when Oates came up for sale at a time and a price when we could take it on. Oates is a family boat. My wife, daughters and I all enjoy boating. We have a historic licence discount and as part of that I feel an obligation to take Oates to places where it helps form part of an attraction and allows other people to enjoy seeing it. We take it to Ellesmere Port, we went to the tug gathering and after the BCN Challenge we left it on the BCN for an extra couple of weeks so that we could take it to the Bradley festival, which had asked for historic boats which were available to attend (we were one of four). For reasons of travel logistics and mooring fees, going to Bradley actually cost more than the historic boat discount, but I don't mind that, it was good to take it to a worthwhile event. I don't deny enjoying being at these gatherings, but that isn't the only reason we go. We have set up an information board and usually spend quite a few hours standing by the boat, chatting to visitors about the boat and the engine, and if it ties in I am always happy to let people see it running, show the start-up procedure etc. At Ellesmere Port we have been up to the water point and it always gets a lot of extra interest from visitors to see a boat moving through the locks. Rather like some other short boats including Sickle, many people appear to assume that because the boat is short it is easy to manoeuvre and must be shallow drafted, but it isn't on either count. Being very deep, we do tend to create movement as we pass boats, but I take it slowly, although I don't always guess how long it will take to slow down correctly as it is dependent on channel depth. Mostly I get smiles, waves, nods and thumbs up from boats we are passing so people generally seem happy to see and hear us pass (they also talk to me but it is much louder on the stern than people realise and I can't usually hear what they are saying). As anyone who read my recent comment regarding previous experience with some historic boat owners would be aware, I have also experienced unpleasant behaviour. It is definitely not universal by a very long way, but it does exist, just as it does with all types of boat owner. We sometimes need to get on but that's not about being historic - for us, boating is restricted to outside school times so if we are on the boat for the weekend then we need to get somewhere specific to pick up a car and get the children home at a reasonable hour to get ready for school on Monday. The mindset which some people without time constraints have does not quite apply to us, but that has nothing to do with being historic. We are also pretty efficient with locks and swing bridges and we often catch someone else up on a flight and give them a hand. I have done the Wolverhampton 21 in 1hr 20mins in the past, with a crew of three, so when we came down a couple of weekends ago and the queue built up to four boats with us at the back, that was not ideal and it took nearly 3hrs, but we still got home at a fairly reasonable hour so no issues, but I will admit that I wasn't hanging about on the clear bits of the Shroppie. I can empathise with @beerbeerbeerbeerbeer's observations on comments about continuous cruisers. Just because you happen to have a particular type of boat or use it in a particular way does not automatically mean you conform to someone else's stereotype. Alec

more wood... as its cold outside....may as well work inside!! oh. and we got a new stove too..... woodwork is about 80% complete, we're now looking at painting in the next couple of weeks.....

I just want to take a moment to say that watching this event unfold over the last few weeks, I am impressed. It it has been only about three weeks, and the three boats in/near the hole have been recovered. A tremendous mobilization of resources, expertise, and above all, care, on many fronts public and private has made this possible. The affected people's liveaboard homes have been salvaged rather than scrapped, and have a chance to be rehabilitated, hopefully. Any boater must know what this means to the owners. It happened over Christmas and some of the more uncomfortable conditions of the year. Those affected were housed and cared for. Workers and their management who ploughed through the muck to mitigate the disaster are to be commended. Boaters joined in community to help other boaters. This is as it should be. If the CRT and the RCR have gotten a big PR boost for their efforts, GOOD! FINE! They worked for it, and deserve it. And if some of the affected boaters were to end up a bit better off materially than they started once GoFundMe is distributed and insurance pays off, I say as a fellow contributor, GOOD! FINE! They've been though a lot. Sometimes it's just a need of humanity to go beyond cut and dried cost/benefit analyses. Here I see a confluence of caring, experience, brains, generosity, elbow grease, and perseverance, enough to fill a gaping hole in human need. It gives me confidence that the hole in the canal will not be too far behind. And to me on my side of the pond, it speaks volumes to UK society. My heart is full, and my hat is off.

Just had an offer accepted on Arden No 2 🙂 Many thanks to everyone who encouraged me to consider older boats, especially @agg221. It's a lovely boat, owned by the same couple since being built/rebuilt in 1990, and has been very well cared for. I must be mad!