nipper

Thanks Tim for forwarding that information, and indeed, if you get the chance, thank Nick for sharing his plans with us all. I for one, am looking forward to discovering what will be new in the next version. But, for now, as I am off for a couple of weeks on Friday, I have no other option but to use the version that is in development. Not perfect, but hey, I'm on Holiday and the Suns gonna shine and there will be BEER! Nipper

I'd say yes! It's much the same as doing that route from Gayton Junction. I did it very easily last Sept/Oct with far less day light hours. Pity Canal Planner is down isn't it. Nipper

Yes, tried that one, but it is in its design stage and not quite upto scratch yet. I have routes that are stored on the original planner that can be reloaded and tweaked to suit. Why is is that you miss things the most when there not available! Oh well, We will all just have to wait till nick's finished updating. Nipper

It's my cruising time again. Mary (the onshore command module), Samy the Cat and myself, are off for a couple of weeks onboard Water Jester and as usual want to use Nick's Canal Planner. But alas, It's not there I tried last night and again just now, tis gone! Does anyone know if it is just a blip, or is there something major wrong? I don't know about you all, but it doesn't feel right without the use of that wonderful planner. Nipper

All's well then. Time to open up a beer and be happy your not in the Solent, for on a nice sunny day like today, the RNLI, offshore and the inshore including the coast guard helicopter would be out. Now thats embarassing! edited because I can't spell today!

Slightly worrying is the fact that, contrary to my tide predictions, the water level is still dropping I take it you allowed for BST and added an hour? Nipper

Ah, yes I suppose they are something like it. I understand the principle now! I'll take some ply and some tools, for when I'm onboard in a couple of weeks time. It would give me something to do whilst drinking beer and looking out for the Dragons, down on the Middle levels. Thanks Graham Nipper

Hi all! I have been detailed by my syndicate to make some Plywood Fender Hangers. Apparently they are fitted with a line with a fender at the end, the fender hanger fits on the box section of the narrow boat roof. This apparently allows a fender to be put exactly were it is required when mooring your boat. I seem to recall seeing something like what I think they are on about while out cruising at one time, but sadly, the brain has a tendency not to recall too much nowadays. Can anyone help? Nipper

Ah! I understand now! Maybe if Masons is unobtainable you could try a matt black top coat, but I feel you will have to purchase lots of small pots to get your right colour black. Just a to say, that I have finally found a good flexible weather lasting black paint. It is called Johnstons stormshield. I have had it on the hull of my sailing boat for the past two years and it is still shiny and shows no signs of peeling. This paint I have earmarked to use on my narrowboat, when i get it! (not long now). Nipper

Many many years ago i hired one of these Caribbean type of boats on the Thames. A lovely comfortable boat it was too. The only trouble when helming from the front was that you actually didn't know what the back end was doing. Not too bad when cruising, but try entering a lock, with what seems, your stern trying to overtake you! It happened to me, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, when entering that lock that has a great display of flowers and hordes of gongoozelers (Sonning Lock maybe). As I remember, it had a weir immediately before you went into it. Note! boats don't go in sideways! After that bit of embarrassment, I rigged up a line of sight using the boat hook petruding from the bow, that seemed to improve things a tad! Nipper

Hi. Although I know nothing of Mason's paints. What I do know is when I re-paint the black hull on my sailing boat, the under coat is always Grey! That goes for whatever make of paint I am using at the time, mind you, I have totally given up on the expensive International brand. So if your going to use Black gloss, maybe the undercoat you require is Grey. Maybe this helps and is not a hinderance.. Nipper

That's what I have always done Alan. I have an old 10 year old IBM Notebook, I bought from a well known auction site for £50, to take on my travels, and found getting my internet connection easy were ever I am and buying the add ons from Three quite satisfactory. All I can say is, try it. It really does work for me. Nipper

I hope to be on the Scrubbing plies this weekend to scrub and anti foul Black Strider, so I hope the weather holds. Incidentally, I to have just taken delivery of my free 3 dongle, I shall register it and put a couple of quid into the account. I shall keep it as a spare, just in case my original dongle makes a jump for freedom whilst it is on deck in the sailing boat or hanging out the window on the Canal boat! Nipper

Hi You put money into your 3 account. It is your account, you have not done anything with it yet, it just stays there until you decide what you want to buy with it. I have just looked at my 3 account and found that I have £6.08 left in it. That money is the remainder of £20 I put in last June! I bought £0.50 pence worth of "internet" from the add on section at the weekend, to give me access to the net whilst on board my sailing boat at the weekend. So you see, putting money into your account doesn't mean you have to spend it all in one go! Hope this explains it a bit better. Nipper

You really don't have to buy £10 worth! Just go into top up and buy Internet monthly for £5, if you want a months worth. Or if your like me, don't want mobile broadband continually, just buy £2.50's worth, or even a 50 pence worth, like I did at the weekend whilst down the boat. I can honestly say that I have never run out. Don't forget to que up another month/week if you so wish. Nipper

Don't forget, that after you have put some dosh into your account, dont just use your dongle right away, purchase "add ons". £2.50 will buy you internet connection for a month, and you can even que up your " add ons" Nipper

I'm so glad you have said that. When i looked at that demonstration i thought i had been doing it wrong all these years. Its a job to explain, but i have been taking the bite over the post a further time and around the line again! Anyway, even that way is still far better than using a clovehitch Nipper

For those that will be asking the question! Try this http://www.expertvillage.com/video/89744_k...lightermans.htm Nipper

Not sold my main house ,YET! But will be using the sale money to pay off the mortgage on the rental house, thus giving me an income whilst i am cruising! When i sell that house, that is the time i will buy my narrowboat, in the meantime i will still cruise on my private share boat and sail my small sailing boat. But to answer your question, I'll have no furniture anywhere. I'm a Carpenter/Joiner, so i'll have to bring most of my tools with me because there will be little jobs to do somewhere. also a big enough boat to carry em! Nipper Yes! I am exausted looking at it too! Time to find another i think! nipper

Do any of you rent your house out? How successful have you found it? Renting is not all sweetness and light! If you are renting a house at £6,000pa, ie £500 a month, expect to get half of that amount! Between the rental agencies fees and lost rent due to changeover of tenants, that is what you'll get (if your lucky). You could of coarse have a tenant from hell, who does not pay! refuses to pay! and puts everything in the way, so she does not pay! Then it will take 12 months in my experiance to get em out! I Just had one, took me all that time to get her out, owing me £8000 in rent and solicitors fees! Can you afford to not have the dosh for that long? nipper

Hiya! Have a look here, but there will be others who will be along shortly who will comment! http://www.rugbyboats.co.uk/size.php Nipper

on now!!!

Yes, she was/is a tad deep. We took her up the Llangollen Canal from her base and ploughed my way right up to the other side of the aqueduct. We turned chicken and decided that blocking up the cut from there to Llangollen would of been a tad embarrassing and not in the interest of Anglo/welsh relations. Coming back was a lot easier, all we had to do was put her in the trench I ploughed coming up! That engine may be worth a few quid, just to have her in the shed, ready for when I get a own Narrowboat. Or even just to start up now and then and blow smoke rings!! Nipper

Yes, a lovely engine in a lovely boat! On our time on board Spirit of Georgia, while the OCM (onshore command module) did the locks, I spent most of my time trying to make smoke rings out of the stack! As i understand it, on the demise of Challenger and the subsequent selling of Spirit of Georgia, did they not take that Rigas engine out and replace it with a gardener on her refit? Just a thought! Nipper