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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!

I'm always delighted when I see there is an update on the best thread on cwdf (it's my favourite anyway)! Fantastic work.

Interesting discussion, if a bit sad. We're headed into the UK for a fortnight around the 4CR starting next week. Looks likely that we will experience actual weather this time. (We're from California. We don't have that. Not like you'd know, anyway.) I guess we don't mind low traffic, but I hope it's not a desolate experience. We've planned 4 weeks a year for the next several. We've bought a share for our cruises starting 2025. Hope not to see the canal boating economy go south. We'll do our tiny part. Hope to see someone!

This is not a description of the canal, no more than of its history - those you can find easily elsewhere. It is an indication of the vessels you could have expected to meet on a transit of it during August 1990. It is about boats and ships, with the waterway in the background. Most of the vessels I will describe have gone. Since I have no idea whether it will be of interest I will start with just a couple. If there is interest I will go on. If not, no great harm done. We start at the sea lock at Corpach on the West side. Just around the corner, beyond the lighthouse, ships would come into the loch to load timber from the forests nearby. But in this case it is a fishing boat, the Smallwood, which is coming into the lock. Looking for lobsters, and having gone aground, she is going across to the East coast, for better luck. In her bridge, the skipper has a print out of his sonar, which shows a large dark shape far below on Loch Ness. Was it Nessie? or a shoal of fish? He thinks it is Nessie. He says he thinks it is Nessie.The Smallwood, a trawler built of steel in Ramsey, Isle of Man in 1966 had had successful days -" in 1984 Smallwood and Bahati hauled 1800 boxes of cod. They had to tow the net into Stonehaven and it took 30 men 3 days to gut them all." By 1991 she no longer appeared in the registers. Locking up with Smallwood in the Corpach flight, the Vic 32. Built in 1943 by Dunstans of Thorne, one of the 63 VIC type puffers built for the Ministry of War Transport on the lines of the Lascar of 1939. A steam lighter powered by a water tube boiler, she is thought to have worked out of Corpach for a while, taking ammunition from barges and supplying the Atlantic fleet at St Christopher's naval base. Also at Scapa Flow delivering aviation spirit, and as a day boat at Rosyth until sent to Inverkeithing in the 1960s for scrapping. Bought by Keith Schellenberg to serve his private island, and then by Nick Walker who operated her from 1975 to 2002. With a crew of mate, cook, engineer and general help, he took hundreds of people, steam enthusiasts and some not quite enthusiasts, all around the Western Isles and up and down the Caledonian Canal in clouds of sooty black smoke. A master at melding people together, he had to be. In 2002 he gave the Vic 32 to the Puffer Preservation Trust and I believe she is still operational as the last steam puffer. And passing along the canal, just after the last castiron swing bridge in its two halves, a bright red hulled fishing boat the Green Brea. Built in 1973 as the Laurisa BA145 by Herd & McKenzie at Buckie for one Jimmy Gibson, a herring trawler of 54 feet, powered by a 230 hp Gardner diesel, of wood. Of her, said that we can now put a man on the moon but we cannot make the likes of her. A photo of her launch. She lasted in to this century and to I think 2010. Right, that will do for now. If there is interest, I will go on a bit further.

a few from today playing with the deck beam and first section of gunwhale running into the deck beam on the port side, With every bit of new steel and every tack weld the hull gets stronger before we begin welding her up.......

I think that perhaps I have gone a bit too far with this so I will end it with just two more, because these two were again unique to the Caledonian Canal and they have to all intents and purposes gone. The first is the Scot 11. Built in 1931 by Robb Henry Ltd of Leith, of steel. 75' x 15' x 8.50, purpose built for the Ministry of Transport as a steam powered ice-breaking tug for duties on the Caledonian Canal. In 1960 converted to diesel with Kelvin T8 engine. From 1961 to 1991 cruised on Loch Ness with carrying capacity of 70 passengers. Also continued with ice-breaking duties during winters. 1992 to 1999 leased by British Waterways as a floating restaurant at Laggan Locks. In 1999, taken back by British Waterways for restoration. In the summer of 2005 bought by private individual for restoration and towed to the Isle of Bute. Sank, and remained under water for 10 months. Raised and put on a mooring in Kyles of Bute. In 2009 taken back to Bute and rescued by the Save the Scot 11 group, which plans to return her to her former glory....The work involved is self-evident from the photo of the hull. The colour photo of the ship was taken in August 1990, her last full year of service. There were not many passengers on board. Compare that with the Jacobite Queen on the same day. The Jacobite Queen herself an interesting ship built in 1949 by Hawthorn Leslie as a passenger ferry across the River Tyne. Nick Walker, who knew most of what went on on the Caledonian, told me the British waterways had given the Jacobite Queen the better berth for passenger accessibility, the Scott 11's berth outside the BW Dock building was a lot less convenient. Whatever is done to rebuilt the Scot 11, she will not be the same. A second vessel unique to the Canal, effectively lost. Finally, the unregistered, non-propelling grab dredger 'Fairway'. Built for the Ministry of Transport specifically for the Caledonian Canal in 1937, with a vertical boiler powering the Priestman crane. Disposed of by British waterways sometime in the 1990s and converted to a floating restaurant in Muirtown Basin. Sold again in 2010 for use as a houseboat. A third vessel unique to the Canal, lost. There were other interesting ships and vessels in and about the Canal in those days, but I will stop here. For those that are interested, A D Cameron's book The Caledonian Canal is full of interest. Two of these illustrations are from his book. I recommend it.

Ebikes, escooters and all motorised transport should be treated like motorbikes , which is what they are. Numberplates and registered to an owner, who is liable for damage no matter who is riding. No reason why a licence shouldn't be required to ride them, either. Just because a government can't be bothered, doesn't mean it isn't a simple solution. They pass enough daft laws - if they can make it illegal to walk slowly down a road, they could sort ebikes.

Enforcement, I agree may well help and may be it should be a topic to consider in the forth coming elections. On the roads and footpaths there is the problem of Deliveroo and Just Eat cyclists, electric cyclists and even ic powered scooters who regularly are odds with the Highway Code. These abuses can no doubt be seen by those who monitor the cameras in certain places. May be the companies should be fined as a way to get their staff to follow the rules.

Many bridges have this sign and in 4 years I never once saw a cyclist comply.

I'd have quite the temper if someone lit a fire on me too

I did it the other way round. Kept the brass runners and replaced the brass sliders on the hatch with HDPE versions. No help for the OP, but it is an option. A friend had access to a machine shop at the time and copied the brass ones using HDPE rod. HDPE has almost as good friction characteristics and is safer to machine than PTFE, while being cheaper to buy.

Mr Rusty69 could alternatively downgrade to a fattie ... 😱

Sent 3 versions : The BMF, the RYA and the Governments 'official' boat bill of sale.

Its a silly and dangerous idea. Someone is going to get seriously sick and die doing this. Darwin Awards candidates.

You can be really geeky and have a spreadsheet of all the OS Bench Marks in the UK 🤓 The one shown as being on the canal bridge abutment is on Blakeley Hall Bridge on the BCN old main line.