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We had an excellent couple of weeks on KELPIE and now we are home we realise how lucky we were. We did the Four Counties ring and we found the canals quiet with just the occasional queuing at locks in busy places . We were held up in Stone for a couple of hours while they let water down onto the pound with the hire fleet and after we got on our way we found the level down a bit . By the time we got to Stoke the level was about a foot down and we headed for harecastle expecting to wait till the next morning but no, we got through almost right away. Moored at Red Bull overnight and had a good trip down to Wheelock with almost all locks for us . The next day the level was even further down with boats going aground on lock landings but we made it back to Park farm ok It was only later that we found the locks on Stone and the Cheshire flight were closed and they apparently still are. We were very lucky indeed not to be caught by these closures and we feel sorry for those who are, especially the hire boats.

it's happening now. Deposit paid, sales agreement signed and witnessed, Survey on June 13 booked. Thumbs crossed.

Mentioning "horizon" regarding software updates surely is not the best idea...

Plan the route on Canalplan, follow the route on Nicholsons. Using Canalplan on the move is a right PITA.

What a trip! We just got home (Florida) last night and I'm ready to book another holiday for next year! Sadly that will have to be postponed. We ended up doing the Great Haywood out and back and it was fantastic. Cafwin always provides a first rate boutique experience and Arthur Owl being a new hybrid electric boat was soooo amazing! If anyone is passing through Kinver, I highly recommend Baci Ristorante Italiano! We moored in Kinver up and back and ate there both stays. The veal was incredible! 2 weeks was plenty of time to do this trip but when we do come back it will be for a month. I really want to explore far a field but I also want to do it slower. 2 nights moored in the same place a few times. But to make that work, I'm going to have to be retired so that will need to wait a couple years. I think a trip up the Shropshire to Nantwich and back would be an amazing way to spend 4 weeks. We were moored up in Penkridge and my lovely bride was preparing dinner. I got a YouTube notification that Cruising the Cut had posted a new vLog. low and behold, he did a story on Cafwin and Ollie Owl doing prop tests. That was a real treat! Thanks again to you all for the ideas and advice! I did try to say hello to Gatekrash but I don't think you were home!

How was it a debacle? A lot of time and effort went into that voluntarily and with due respect, maintaining the site is in the best interest of all users, and while some changes may be beyond our control - given that the software is developed by a third party - they are necessary to ensure continued functionality and security. On a related note, a new major version is on the horizon, bringing more significant updates. However, its release on CWDF is still months away, if not longer but it's coming. More about this will follow in the coming months ahead.

Thank you for the heads up and more to the point many thanks for your efforts on our behalf.

nearly 1 month further on........ we've pretty much sorted the back cabin hull welds and are in the process of leak testing..... We've been measured for top cloths as they will take a while to make The signwriter has been out with an anticipated date of early July to write her...... We've tacked the sterngear boss in..... I thought about offeringher services to CRT to transport water to much needed areas...... In true wooded boat replica we thought we would see what she looks like with water on the inside too..... As others have pointed out, sinking on dry land is a special skill....... Kind regards Dan

Just by a normal licence using the original marina as your home marina, when you get to the new marina just change the location on the cart website.

Ok, you got me.

Eh? By my calculations the premium for continuous cruising is 10%. When I converted mine earlier this year, there was no admin fee; they just issued a new electronic licence with the same expiry date as the old one, and the direct debit went down (including a refund for the CC period I'd already paid for but not used). Some marinas may be different, but mine was more than happy to sign me up with a start date in the future; they even let me pick my berth and then held it for me.

Not my pictures - but around two years ago I met the Louth Navigation Trust and as we walked and talked we had a conversation along the lines that getting access to the water on the seven mile level from Tetney would be a good plan. A slipway perhaps... About that time the warehouse at Austen Fen was being sold, and the new owners also thought this was a splendid idea - so splendid they went and did it. If I have the details right the owners got all the permissions and the Louth Navigation Trust found grant funding (it is mostly on EA land) - it's now in use and the water accessible. Okay just for paddles at the moment but from small seeds... The Louth Canal is unlikely to ever be a major holiday waterway, unconnected, only 11 miles and with seven of its eight locks in the top four miles. But personally I think this is wonderful - but then I do have a soft spot for Louth and its Canal. Photos by Chau Lee, one of the new owners of the warehouse, taken from the Louth Navigation Trust Facebook page - link here for those who "do" Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/478410456289005/permalink/1861313831331987/

100% it will (there is much BS in this thread) - but you may struggle to get a BSSC.

I use both. Nicholsons on the boat, apps at home. Route planning on the canal ststem isn't exactly rocket science unless you're either trying to navigate round sudden stoppages or going through Birmingham. My old Nicholsons have useful scribbles on them, the apps have up to date shops and pubs.

Sorry, I should have put a tongue in cheek smiley with my comment!! You do a marvellous job.

For anyone in the area, it is the 51st annual Lincoln beer festival from Thursday 22nd through to Saturday 24th. This year it is being held at South Side, in a beautiful converted church. There is parking on south common and buses every 10 minutes from the centre. 69 real ales for you to enjoy. If that's not enough the Tiny Tavern (5 mins away on the High Street) is holding a small festival with another 20 beers.

Yes that's part of the requirement and not to be confused with an outlet being close to the waterline necessarily being an issue. The requirements/recommendations acknowledge the fact that the sink (or other) drain via a hull outlet that is close to the waterline is irrelevant if the hose internally is appropriately fitted and arranged so the hose rises within the hull to a suitable level above the waterline. My boat has several such drains that exit fairly close to the waterline when the boat is moored and some may well be submerged at least part of the time when under way at faster speeds / at sea. My boat has two skin fittings (for toilet flush inlet and toilet holding tank waste) that are well below the waterline and still the boat doesn't sink because the plumbing inside the hull is appropriately designed and installed.

The difficult moment was when the rough looking biker woman came over to our table (where we were trying to maintain a low profile), and put a huge bag of chip shop chips down in front of us. She said "this is our table, we all eat chips here on a Saturday afternoon,.......but you can stay and share the chips if you want". We didn't refuse.

I was told by another owner to patch it. Borrowed a tin of black from Tooley's boatyard, was able to reach the affected area from the duck hatch. Quick enough job. In the process I got to talking with Emms, the boat yard's blacksmith. Great conversation. She recognized our boat as they did some paint work on it in the winter. I asked her if she was involved in the rudder repair, which involved cutting out a piece of plate, flattening it, and welding it back. Indeed she had done that work. I said that we were carrying her work around with us, and she replied "Yes, you've got a bit of Emms up yer ass!"

I have a multifuel with back boiler. This means I run it 6 months 24/7. Coal and logs. I also have Webasto radiators, they are warm enough, but of course noisy and at night they are stone cold. In summer, I light kindling and logs late evening, and this warms the boat till a.m., plus its cheery. If I want instant hot water, as now because my Webasto is broke, I use engine for 20-30 mins. Solid fuel stove is a must for a liveaboard imho.

Water looks lovely! I was born in Louth!

Nicholsons is so much better when you are actually moving, the map gives a bit of a feel for the surrounding countryside, if you loose your position you can usually work out where are from the map, and on routes like the Oxford summit its good to see the bends coming up. Canalplan has too much canal detail and its too abstract.

I had almost exactly this situation a few months ago; I'd reserved a berth at my destination marina, but didn't need (or want) to start paying until I arrived; I ended up not getting the necessary paperwork from the marina for CRT until a few weeks after I'd arrived. I discussed with CRT by email; their advice was to buy an annual CC licence, then ask them to convert it to a "home mooring" licence when the paperwork came through. I did this, and everything seemed to work quite smoothly. I did raise the concern that I might get into trouble for staying in one place between arriving at my home marina and completing the licence conversion, but they told me it wouldn't be an issue. Although the underlying process seems to be quite rigid, the CRT staff are very helpful so long as you're transparent about what you're trying to do (and obviously not taking the p*ss).

Makes sense to me, the series solar installation I am planning is only 15 amps. I have pondered the same question, best practice changed a few years ago. Where are @Tony Brooks and @Alan de Enfield when you need them? I sense a humongous cut & paste Enfield post is incoming, helmets on chaps.

I always use the Nicholsons guide. It never crashes or freezes, there’s no glare as viewing it is not affected by the sun, and it never needs charging up. When it rains I pop it into my little Perspex jewellery case where it stays nice and dry and I can read it easily. Oh and I like to do my own route planning rather than having an app doing it for me. And yes I am a dinosaur. 😀

I too work a day job Mon-Fri and some things can't wait. It will be done late in the evening anyhow.

I second that. Loved going to Chester last summer though on my hire boat. Wonderful.

On the suggestions here the man is buying a CC license and then declaring himself with a home mooring once he arrives at his destination. The man of course will explain to the CRT what his intentions are with full transparency when he gladly buys his first boat license.