Featured topics

I really really don't like painting 

Rosie and Jim

Always stop for a pint or two when passing through. It would be a great shame if it were lost through the actions of one nimby neighbour and petty bureaucracy.
 
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/therisingsunberkhamsted

I wonder if we should have a forum section for tracking the movement of the various mobile fuel boats? I know that I would find it very useful to know when they are in my area.
 
Here is one for openers;
-----------------------------------------------------------------
INDUS FUEL BOAT 07930347558 - 13th September 2011
Hi everyone. We're in stansted Abbotts and heading downstream tomorrow to Enfield, from there to hackney wick on Thurs. Loading up Fri morning then going through Limehouse up to chug or kings cross depending on time. Top of the Hanwell flight on sat then into brentford and back on Sunday then scurrying back through town and back up the Lea in time to meet up with the engine fairy again who will hopefully make the motor sing a little sweeter. Please feel free to order lots of everything still at summer prices. Lots of love, liz & Steve

prompted by something BoatingupNorth posted yesterday (maybe he can add them again)
always nice to see what’s on the menu elsewhere and whether it’s going to be worth making the journey
 
these two are a good starter, I took them earlier in the month at the Holy Inadequate a short walk from the canal at Etruria. 

 

 
 

When on the water you should never create a breaking wave.
Tenbury Wells High St during the floods this weekend. Slow down when passing moored buildings.
 

Another storm and still more damage. Bert has caused damage in different parts of the Country, In Northampton the flooding of the Nene affected train services to Northampton and no doubt was unpleasant for the boater there.
 
At Tenbury Wells a tractor driver has now been arrested for driving through flooded streets and causing damage to shops and premises by the wake he created .

Good evening all,
 
I’ve been thinking about an idea for the site that might appeal to our budding photographers, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.
 
While Canal World is already a fantastic platform, do you think the homepage could benefit from more photos that celebrate our waterways, boats, and everything in between - from tunnels to wildlife?
 
What if we had a small team of photographers who were happy to share their images? The best ones could be featured on the homepage, refreshed regularly to keep things interesting and visually engaging.
 
The photos wouldn’t be intrusive nor bandwidth heavy - just a way to make the homepage more colorful, relevant, and connected to our shared passion.
 
What do you think? Would this be a welcome addition?

Who in the name of all that is holy requested a boating app??
 
CaRT, just fix the locks and keep the canal full. Please don't spend money on this. Software is a bottomless pit. We all know it's going to be junk, and the website already gives us the information we need.
 

Hello boaters!
 
We're new owners of a renovated lifeboat that sits on the Forth & Clyde canal at Applecross, Glasgow. The engine on the lifeboat is a BUKH DV48 but is currently out of action. We believe the engine needs a service and there is potentially as electrical fault with the ignition.
 
We need to tow the boat down the canal away from our current mooring. Are there any boaters who might be available to tow for a day rate or know of other better options?
 
Thanks!

Hi Everyone,
 
I would be extremely grateful for advice as my brain feels as though it is going to explode with all the information I have seen on the net, much of it contradictory or gung ho.
 
I am looking to live full time on a narrow boat but I wish to keep a car.  I have no one whose address I can use so I will need a residential mooring.  Are there any sites around the Llangollen/Shropshire area that do residential moorings?  Can you please also advise me of good places to look for purchasing a boat in the Shropshire area - all the ones I see on the internet seem to be at the other end of the country and I am limited in travel in terms of viewing them.
 
I see much advice about boats being cheap because they have issues, but what would be a reasonable price for a canal boat in the 50ft to 60ft length?  I don't want to keep paying for surveys on boats that are likely to fail. 
 
Regarding toilets facilities I have seen info that said not to buy the ones with pump out facilities.  What are your thoughts on that?
 
Many thanks for your help.
Regards,
Kez

Does anyone have any good tips for cutting these glass fibre port hole liners down, I need to cut 10 mm or a little more off, I did see a gut strap a suitable size block of wood to a circular saw, and go around freehand, seems a bit dangerous.

While looking for a Country Pile, I was perusing Country Life, Sep 24, US issue, I came across an upbeat article, Navigating nostalgia. The author, Joseph Phelon, he recounts the rise of the canals as a working transport system until its fall due to competition from the steam railways, and then its renascence for pleasure boating.
 
He mentions the work of Tom Rolt and Robert Aickman, and the book, Narrow Boat, in bringing about change. The formation of the IWA, Barbara Castle and British Waterways. He draws attention to the 671,000 hours of work put in by volunteers to help keep the canals working. Also, how the canals have come to be used for work, trade, and living.
 
As a special US edition, there is a photo of Harrison Ford helming a boat on the Llangollen, which should appeal to American readers. Overall, I would say it is a well researched article, and just the kind of publicity we need to attract interest from home and overseas, and bring the canals to readers for a social group who might be able to influence decision makers.
 
I was initially attracted by the cover picture of Falliingwater, by Frank Lloyd Wright, and posted as it may not be read by many here.
 

More rainfall with snow rapidly melting has led to flooding in the Calder Valley..
 

Hi all,
 
We would like to inform you of an upcoming change to the forum login process. Invision, the developer of our forum software, will soon update the login system. Following this update, you will need to use your registered email address to log in, rather than your display name, if you do not already do so.

Why the change?

This update will help improve security, it also streamlines the process for password recovery and account management. 

Don’t worry!
Your display name will remain unchanged, and other members will still see your display name as they always have Your email address will not be displayed to others - it will only be used for login purposes Your password will remain the same, and you won’t need to change it unless you choose to If you log in to Canal World using your Google or Microsoft account, don’t worry - this change won’t affect you
  To find out which email address is associated with your account, [click here].
 
We will inform you of the exact date for this change, but you are welcome to start logging in with your email address right away if you prefer.

Any questions please let us know.
 
Thanks

We had a very odd/scary thing occur the other day. My wife got a call from the Marina manager who was a little abrupt and said I needed to call him urgently about our boat which is moored there.
 
Thinking it was sinking etc I called him back and said they had a visit from the bailiffs the evening before who were looking for me and harassing his staff. The marina office didn’t give out any info they said and the bailiff got a little menacing. He then clamped one of the office staff’s car and the marina called the police to get the clamp removed. The bailiff removed the clamp and the police quizzed marina staff about me. The police then then gave my info to the bailiff and a notice was placed on my boat.
 
This was all really odd as everything is bang up to date and had no idea why they would be looking for me, especially at the marina where we don’t live?
I called the marina again and asked them to open the notice and scan it to me and the mystery was solved….
 
My name is Robert Brown, the bailiff was looking for David Robert Browne – seems a massive assumption was made by all concerned! It was for unpaid council tax in Flintshire, when I live in Norfolk!
 
I called the bailiff – nasty fellow. The only way I could convince him was to send a copy of my driving licence. No apologise at all came back.
 
It’s a bit shocking how lax checks were to verify I was the actual person they were after… I expect I’ll now get funny looks from marina staff when I next visit. As I had to give ID when we moved to the marina it should have been obvious I was not the person they were after.
 
Anyway, just thought you’d find this of interest while we wait for the nice weather!

Oh dear I hope this isn't anyone that we know, and that it get recovered OK.
Barrow On Soar Bridge according to Twitter.
 

 

With rent so expensive and mortgages through the roof me and my partner are thinking about buying a boat to live on full time. How ever we wouldn't be cruising continuously it would just be our home and still be working around south Manchester. I think Victoria pit would be an ideal location but I've read mooring have to be residential to live there permanently. Does anyone know if this is the case? And does anyone know if there are any residential moorings near Stockport?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-73877533.html

It looks as if someone else's dream was not the same as reality, it didn't last to long, 2 years 
Regina | Hemelmarina
 
   
  Built only 18 months ago with no expense spared. The previous owner wanted to create his dream boat and as such, there was no compromise in the build whatsoever. Commissioned from renowned boatbuilders Collingwood, Regina is a two bedroomed, oak-lined floating palace and could be your dream boat.
 

The 2024 BCN Marathon Challenge will take place on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 25th and 26th May.
 
The finishing point will be Hawne Basin.
 
I've sent out a mail to those past participants for whom I have contact details. If any forum members wish to take part they will be very welcome - it is very much not a cliquey event - or if you're unsure please feel free to contact me for a chat or perhaps watch the Cruising the Cut episodes that featured this year's event.
 
Vlog 301: Challenge Accepted! –  Cruising The Cut
 
Vlog 302: They Think It’s All Over –  Cruising The Cut
 
 

In this time of incalculable gloom, our boats, landscapes, boating activities and wildlife are still stunningly beautiful and give joy to those viewing. I miss  those experiences. You would cheer me up, and I guess many others   by posting photos, and videos of your  day by day boating and what you encounter, it is stunningly beautiful and in this you are so lucky. Likewise the responses to my photos of alternative boating here in New Zealand have obviously given pleasure so let's share this pleasure. We are not totally powerless to create pleasure without endangering ouselves or others
Please just post that lovely dawn photo today and more. Spring in Britain is beautifully photogenic, and as this goes on, so is summer, and then autumn, and winter. Share the views please. 
Don and Val
 

After reading the "identifying a stolen boat" thread, it seems as if there are more scammers selling boats which don't belong to them, boats which don't exist, or going bust mid transaction than honest sellers with honest boats. 
 
It's got me wondering: how do you guarantee not to lose your money, and to receive a legitimate boat? 
 
What is, and who are reputable brokers? 
 
 

Every time I switch my phone on there is a headline from some newspaper or other with yet another person "living the dream".
Boaty forums on Facebook have numerous questions about buying a boat and living aboard.A recent one I saw was from a young Frenchman who wanted advice about buying and living on a rather knackered looking Dawncraft, because he said living on canals in France was difficult.
He was getting lots of encouragement from other posters and I replied suggesting that the boat he posted a photo of was in a dreadful state and I asked if he knew about insurance,BSC,licence and cruising rules.He replied that he had a friend who was talking him through these things.I got the strong impression that he was simply going to moor up somewhere and 'sit it out' as long as possible.
This is only one of many people doing this, as well as the numbers doing it 'legit'.
Linear housing estate or towpath shanty towns?

This today from the newly created Fund Britain's Waterways group representing many of the UK's boating groups: https://waterways.org.uk/fund-britains-waterways