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So was the Titanic.

No I should be the one apologising. I misread your post and answered a question you didn't ask!

Yes that’s the right Mary Gibby….she mainly single handed Swan around the network too…and made starting it’s Gardner semi diesel look easy….something which I found hard when I tried…and failed! Truly one of the cuts great characters and one I’m very much going to miss.

Is it only me that thinks that CRT should only issue keys to registered license holders and not sell them to every Tom, Dick, or Harry? If facilities are "Boaters Facilities" how the frick is it that cyclists, fishing people and anyone else seems to use the same facilities just because CRT have sold them a key? License holders pay for the facilities, not Charlie Farnsbarns who cycles down the towpath in his lycra with the rest of the pelaton. That's the same facilities that CRT claim CC'ers use more than anyone else hence why they've increased the license...if that's the case then only issue keys to genuine license holders.

Whilst not the ideal boat for the continent a narrow boat works on most waterways (not Rhine or Rhone) but it is far cheaper and safer to get your boat transported to somewhere like Dunkirk or further inland on a lorry. You save all the cost of the seagoing equipment, insurance, waiting for a weather window etc. You could wait weeks for suitable weather in somewhere like Ramsgate and that would cost an arm and a leg in itself.

Apologies, but in the context of the previous “sour as a lemon” comments your typo amused me. Little things…🙂 Alec

I would have stopped in Salcombe and relocated the wife 😀 You can probably tell I have spent far too much time skulking around marinas.

I answered it! The OP also rolled in the amount of time cruising to his question, which is why I came up with 10 hours a week. I maintain this is a realistic average estimate even though the actual time required can vary widely. One week it might be half an hour, other occasional weeks it might be 30 or 40 hours.

Now since Brexit, when importing a yacht from Europe, it incurs a 20% VAT charge. Likewise, anyone in the EU will pay VAT on imports from the UK. This has severely reduced demand from overseas on both sides of the channel. VAT is not paid on yachts traded privately, either within the UK or in Europe, so long as it was paid when new. A company owned yacht may not have had VAT paid, and would be due on sale. So there is little demand from overseas, except for new yachts, often luxury ones, where they are exported VAT free, and the buyer pays any tax due in the country of import.

That’s so sad….Mary was responsible for me getting into boating via a mutual friend of my fathers…we visited her on Swan in battlesbridge basin and I was immediately hooked…that’s now probably 35 years ago now….I last saw Mary at Audlem last year and was looking forward to catching up again soon. I’m a little lost for words right now….

Electric cooking on a boat -- oven and/or hob -- is expensive to provide the power for (and recharge the batteries), unless you're doing this anyway for a hybrid/electric boat. In which case you might as well go all-electric (which is what I did) and get rid of the gas installation, which not only needs bottles but also costs to install, needs extra ventilation and safety devices, and causes more condensation when cooking. IMHO a gas hob and electric oven is the worst of both worlds, you need both the high power electrics/recharging and gas bottles/installation.

I would allow an estimate of 10% of the black water tank can't be got out & 10% space needs to left at the top. You do NOT want the sewage standing in the inflow pipe. If the winter was bad I would get it pumped out when half full when possible, leaving 30 days capacity from that point. Mascerators are great. Drop throughs are primitive. Depends on your perception of quality of life. For me mascerator every time, with a nice china toilet. The amount of water my mascerator used was adjustable on each visit. Its visitors that block mascerators. You won't. I took mine apart several times and it wasn't a dirty or smelly job. Remember that female visitors if you aim to have any tend to be more picky about toilet facilities than (more practical) men. Winters are getting much milder so stock a little sunscreen cream. Some on here recommend the banging 2 stones together method of laundry washing - I could not manage on just 2 loads per month and a decent washing machine is a must-have. I have used laundrettes when necessary, an awful faff but effective. Can't comment on the rest.

I did more research and found out that the paint the blacking was done with was Hempel Hempatex Enamel: https://www.rawlinspaints.com/products/7022-hempel-hempatex-enamel-56360.html Survey stated that the paint on the hull was in good condition. Before the blacking there's going to be just a pressure wash, no shot blasting. Anyways I will be doing the job myself so most likely I will know if something is going not quite right. Wish me luck.

I emailed the previous owner, lovely guy & very helpful, he said that they used to black it them selves every 2 yrs with Intertuf but the last three times they had it done at boatyards, the last one being Fox's at March, which was last year about 6 mths before they put it up for sale. They always insisted on minimum of 3 coats but admit they were not there to see it done. The surveyor (Craig Allen) told me (& I can only say what he said to me) was that it was a c**p job and would need to be done again this year. The previous owner made a reduction to cover the cost and he also said that they never had the bottom plate blacked. Apart from the blacking there was nothing else significant in Craig's report. The hull & sides still measured between 10mm & 10.1mm & 6mm & 5.9mm respectively and although there was some pitting it was in very isolated spots and measured max 0.3mm on the base and 0.9mm on the hull. Considering the base plate has never been blacked and also no galvanic isolater was ever used athough always based in a marina I think for a 14 year old boat that is pretty damn good report. As a newbie I am tending to overthink matters it is like the galvanic isolater debate, after much researching and consideration I got one, have I wasted my money/time and effort only time will tell but not in my lifetime me thinks. We have had a quote from the marina we are based, hull only, for £1000 but that also includes painting the gunnels with a matt black and repainting the two colours at the stern and the decorative part at the bow. They have a proper set up and I assume, being based at the marina, they would do a good job, plus it means thay can do it whilst we are not there and saves us travelling elsewhere. Difficult one blacking isn't it or is it we are making it difficult.

My boat had the bottom blacked at Fox's at March, because that is the way they do it. I wouldn't like to say how well its done as they do it with the boat on the trailer. I have been in Debdale Marina and watched them lift boats for blacking, they also black underneath because they lift them high and can get right under them. One thing I did note was the amount of crap they pressure washed off under the base plate which obviously is not getting scraped off on the bed of the canal.