nipper

We came out of the tunnel last week wanting to moor by the lake. No chance! The only space was immediately after the bridge where the Geese roost with there associated droppings that had to be 4 inches deep and rocks to prevent you getting within 2 ft of the edge anyway! we ended up moored to nice mooring rings at Longport, a dodgy area by the bridge at Stoke boats. had a good quiet night. Quiet until the lorries arrived to the concrete works a few yards away at 7 in the morning.. Nipper

Um! This will usually be done by the boat owner. When making the decision about buying a boat, the owners practical skills should also be taken into account! Carpentry work, Mechanics, Engine services, Electrics, Boatmansship, Map reading are some of the skills one will need in the ownership of a boat. To attempt to own a boat without at least a small knowledge of any of theese skills is, to my mind,shear folly. I would say the chances of getting hold of a Carpenter/ Plumber, whatever he is, are nearly imposible within the inner bounderies of the M25. You may get someone who says he or she can do it, but i doubt if he will be a qualified Carpenter or Plumber. In any event be prepared with a very full wallet should you find one! My suggestion is to get hold of some tool and some time and do it yourself, that way you will learn a bit at the same time! Sorry to be so negative but thats the way it is! Nipper

I had one customer who said that it all very well you having all the tools, but you wont be using em all on my job will you? He was so correct, I didnt use any of my tools at all, I just collected up mine and put em back in the van and went home! Others, that when i get to the job then tell me that they wanted it done this way and not the way i've been doing it since i was an apprentice got told that i'm not the man you want and to do it themselves as i walked out the door! Nipper

https://www.kurandamarine.co.uk/ will be your friends! ?

Is the forum member above, a new sort of troll?

Why train in? there are lots of pubs on the way to Liverpool and, to be honest, all have moorings quite close by There seems to be no shortage of moorings on that section of the Leeds and Liverpool. The locals seem to be friendly too! I had a word with one of the 6 men that operated the swingbridge today, he said it wont be too long before we wont have to do this mate! So maybe by the endish of July all will be back to normal at Coxhead! Nipper

Yes, my destination with the Schooner was Poole Town Quay, and anyone who knows Poole on a summers day knows its busy, very busy. Anyway, I continued on the passage until i noticed the Cherbough/Poole ferry fast approaching from across the Channel. Being not a hero, instructed the sails be lowered and we motored into the fairway along side the ferry. So easy, but could of been so hard!! Nipper

The trouble with Schooners is that they were not designed for close quarters work as required in rivers and such like. They were designed to be used in the steady trade winds were the winds were either coming from the starboard or port of your intended destinations. I skippered a fairly large schooner some years ago during a weeks sailing around the north English Channel. What i can say is that tacking was very hard work, having to get the boat up to a fast speed to enable her to tack though the wind with a rig that has a smaller sail area at the front than at the back. I did lean that it was easier on my nerves to have a crew member stood ready to start and then to gun the engine when required! Nipper

wELL, I DIDNT BSEE THE MATCH

Yes, and one has nicked my mooring that was booked 3 months ago!

I bought Largo from them about 7 years ago. They were extremely helpful then and have been since with helping me take out my pump out tank. a couple of years ago I think most negative feedback come from the fairly inexperienced boaters who think that the broker is responsible for all that is onboard the boat, even, apparently, complain that there were no tea bags in the caddy! There are others who cant understand why they run out of fuel, after all we just bought it from Whilton, they should of filled the tank for us! As was said to me by one of the salesmen, you can help, but if they don't listen then they tell the world! Nipper

I wouldn't worry about it to much, in any event, after 25ish minutes you'll be under Tower Bridge in to the peaceful waters. As Largo was here!

Do you mean that bit where all the big Blackberries are? I agree with you, that is very narrow, it allows us to pick from both sides of the boat! OK! back to topic! Nipper

I came down the locks last week and by the gap i had between the hull and the boat, i won't be going back up this year. The locky had full concentration on the sides of all boats , he said we wont be doing this for much longer! We will do our best, but we dont want someone stuck in all winter do we! Nipper

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Well! It looks to me, at a quick glance, that there is a whole swathe of the midlands left untouched by maintenance next winter! Except,of coarse. where I was intending to cruise! But, I will have to get off the Llangollen at the first fall of leaves by the looks of it! Nipper

I'm not so sure about birds poo, but ducks poo is lethal on newish paint and must be washed off asap! Nipper

I'm booked for the 30th coming from Whitchurch on the Llangollen. I have plenty of time and maytake in a trip on the Weaver and wait further updates there! That is if the lift is working and maybe a lock or two thats working, just to change the scenery! That way i'm not totally commited and can change direction if need be! Nipper