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And if BW had had the sense just to increase licence fees all round to take into account that everyone, even Higgs, has to moor somewhere, rather than penalising home moorers alone, they could have cut collection costs in half, scrapped half the bureaucracy, and CRT would have a lot more money and we'd all be paying the same.

As one of those young whippersnapper new liveaboards people love to moan about, I'd say we've done pretty OK over the last 90 days...

And best of all, mebbe we'd have fewer of Higgs' half-baked arguments about it! On reflection, probably not.

Unusual for a relatively young boat to be surveyed every 4 years. The Boat Safely Certificate requires an inspection every 4 years. Could this be what is being termed a survey? The BSS is aimed at ensuring that a boat has safe gas and electricity on board so that it doesn't blow up and take out other boats. It is nothing to do with hull thickness etc.

Use the search box to find the numerous threads on exactly this subject. The main problems are the onerous extra requirements if you plan to let your tenant go out cruising, along with what you do if when you want the boat back, it is nowhere to be found. Possibly lifted out and cut up for scrap while you are away! In summary, don't do it.

4 days up and 4 days back is very compressed for a delightful waterway.

Today HNC lock 41E

Mine doesn't have an inspection hatch. As the OP says, one downside of any external hatch is that it may actually increase the risk of leaks and water getting into the tank which sort of defeats the purpose of a installing a maintenance hatch in the first place.

Currently updating the South Wales canals, just done the Swansea canal, Neath & Tennat canals next.

I take it you made the most of the 14 day stays and were only actually cruising for 4 or 5 'fairly easy' days. You've certainly done enough to be a CCer. No moaning here !

Hi Canalworld! I have been hire boating many years, but now that I'm retired I'm ready to sell up and build my dream liveaboard, so I thought I would join this forum and get some advice. I have thought about it very carefully over the years and I've come up with the following requirements. The first thing that will make my boat unusual is that on fine days i want to be able to handle estuaries / coastal / inshore waters without worry. In particular being that I'm near Runcorn I want to be able to cross the Mersey as well as go down the Severn. According to the RCD, Category C - Designed for voyages in coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes, and rivers where conditions up to and including wind force 6 and significant wave heights up to and including 2 meters may be experienced. 2 metres would be terrifying if not fatal in most narrowboats! So, I want to look into what it would take to construct a boat to go-anywhere narrowboat dimensions (say, 57' by 7', 2' draught with a flat bottom) but still be able to meet the requirements of a Cat C boat. (maybe even a Cat B so I can cross the channel or go to the med). I am thinking the main thing would be to ensure watertightness below the roof line with ventillation supplied by openings high up under the roof with snorkels. Another thing would be plenty of ballast to keep it upright. The second thing I want is an electric drive. I would want it well overspecced in power so that I can do 10 knots in open water. Probably dual motor for safety. For such powerful propulsion I would want lithium batteries under the whole floor which would double as ballast. And then both sides and roof I would want virtually covered in solar panels. In fact I'm thinking of using the solar panels almost structurally, in that the boat would be a frame with solar panels fitting into the frame. Of course a cocooned diesel generator is a must as well for a diesel-electric drive. I'm not very set on what it should look like but I am interested in a cruiser deck that has a rigid lid that folds down over the superstructure, which is another unusual feature I know but I think would help keep the boat watertight. I don't know what questions I should be asking but here's some for a start. Hull Design: What hull design would be best suited for Category C conditions? Should I go for a traditional narrowboat hull, or are there other designs that would offer better stability and performance? Something unusal like those fold down side keels like you get on some dutch barges? Length and Beam: Is it feasible that such a small boat (say, 57' by 7', 2' draught with a flat bottom) can manage Cat C? Safety Features: What safety features should I prioritise when building my narrowboat for Category C conditions? Are there specific requirements for navigation and safety equipment I need to consider? A radio is a must, and maybe one of those emergency inflatable lifeboats. Construction Materials: What materials would be best suited for building a narrowboat intended for Category C voyages? Should I consider steel or aluminum, considering both durability and weight? Interior Layout: Any tips for the interior layout of a Category C narrowboat? How can I optimise space while ensuring comfort and functionality? Any other fit out good ideas you can think of would be very welcome. I realise this is a big dream. I know it will take a long time, both to find a building willing to do it and to wait for a slot. and I know it will take a lot of money. But when you have time and money then dreams can come true, right?!??!?!????

Because of the shape of the rivers and the water flows, your hardest bit is going to be coming out of Tarleton lock and heading downriver against the incoming tide towards Douglas boatyard. Which helpfully is where the tug boat moors! If you fancy booking a tow, it was under a hundred quid last year. I'd recommend having the tug pilots number in your phone just in case you have difficulty out on the wide bit but just try it under your own power. CRT keep an eye on your progress during the crossing and will tell you if you need to divert to Preston.

Moored by mailbox in march for four days shared me breakfast with Street people each morning no drama

Marsh Lock on the Thames yesterday morning🙂

Generally the folk by the cut with assorted substance and mental health issues are lovely.

I think this might be a good year for the Rochdale, we have been seeing a boat most days recently. The rumours that the Rochdale is about to close (from this forum?). have possibly inspired a few boats to do it while they can 😀. We are down in Tod for a week or two (cheap beer Tuesday at the Lion) and I suspect there are a few more boat movements here than the summit suggesting that some boats turn rather than risking Manchester. Of the boats that I have spoken to at the summit most said that the Manchester 18 was hard work and unpleasant, but few have said it was a nightmare, so maybe things are improving.

Thanks all! I think comments on the hire industry this year reflect what we were thinking too, it's a shame as it is a great holiday, and as we were a family with grown up children in the party we were able to share the cost - I can see that for a family with 3 or 4 small kids the cost of a 6 person boat in peak season might put you off! We also thought the same as Jen-in-wellies when we were going into Birmingham itself, one part we did describe as "crack alley", but we are hardy souls and were chatty from the boat with the group "socialising" there, so there was no trouble. We also enjoyed working the locks and someone who walked down the Farmers Bridge flight and then back up again commented we had completed those in good time. We moored at the 4 day mooring right on Gas Street Basin and the biggest disturbance was the wind for the two nights we were there, and we really liked being able to access the night life. (It was Peaky Blinders that made me want to go there in the first place!!) I think we enjoyed the quiet out on the canals - less pressure and locks were all our own, but did notice that we had to fill most of them as we had no one coming up ahead of us, perhaps a bit more company would have been nice! Thanks for the welcome and feedback - we are looking to cruise again soon and have long term plans to buy so will be following the forum closely! Thanks Paul

That was the worst part for us. We had to wait 20 minutes outside the lock, the wind suddenly increased a lot and it became very wobbly!

Welcome, a lot of ideas and a lot of re-inventing the wheel???? To save all the expense and time. why not just buy a standard Narrowboat and do all the inland waterways and when you’ve done all you want of that, sell it and buy a coastal cruiser and do coastal waters? This would save you a lot of time and probably a lot of money with the type of boat your dreaming of building.

The days in the advertised schedule are pretty much the only dates when the tides work for a crossing. We had a problem when last there (a couple of years back) when our crossing was cancelled the day before as key staff had Covid. We were only offered the next available date by which it was meant one that had not already been advertised and booked - that is, we went to the back of the Q. When I last looked, CaRT were unable to change the tides to suit our convenience!

When we were there we did struggle a bit to find marina space, there are not many marinas on the Lancaster. We did get into Barton Grange in the end, but it is the only time anywhere on the system I have not easily found a short term mooring in a marina. I would enquire about the mooring as soon as you can. I think only you can make the decision on the crossing and the boats capability, but only being able to do 3mph on the Severn I would say puts very much at the low end, as you are pushing the tide for much of the trip with say 30 mins in the middle at slack water. Have you watched some of the YouTube videos on the Ribble link, here is a selection if you have not, there are many more. Bear in mind lots of the YouTube stuff is very sensationalist as that is good for views, and add revenue!