iteldoo4me

August edition of WW will be having an article about the Hixons saga and my boat.Not 100% sure what will be said,or even if names will be spilled,lets hope Peter does a good job,.....trusting you all know what I'm gabbing on about?? Incidentally the boat has had all the rectification work done now,bringing my boat to the standard it should of been 10 months ago.Now to to enjoy her! >>>>Good to see narrowboatworld.com didnt pull any punches.<<<<

Would the person with the BCS thruster please contact me.I am deliberating over buying one,but have been hearing 'stories' and would like to know from a bearer of this machine if any thing is mechanically or otherwise unsound about it.many thanks.Marc

Indeed! It was always about the principle,not the money.why should these people assume they have a right to rip us off?,I can soon enjoy my boat,a little late,but worth the journey.

Thank you for that.

Well at last ,Hixons paid up for their cock up,and I recieved a cheque for £2974.20 which will pay for all the work to be done,actually in process of that as I speak! So it does pay to persevere,and my quest also continues to attempt some legislation in this country to protect the innocent boat buyers,unaware that rogues are about! If the moderators of this site feel concerned in fear of liable by me putting my builders name down,I do have the judgement order showing it in my favour against them.So if if you would like a copy you are welcome to it,as the same as Waterways World,Canal Boat, and Towpath Talk, who have recieved copies,to enable them to print the articles they promised they would.I await in anticipation! Thank you all for your your support whilst I flogged what on many occasions i thought was a dead horse,I am gratefull for the strength you gave me not to give up.See you on the cut. Regards.Marc (Iteldoo4me)

It all seems so unneccessary really,I just hope that the buggers who messed about with mine pay up tomorrow,as its their deadline for payment as set out by the courts.Nothing suprises me anymore,but can see me having to get bailiffs involved,could be that they will be leaving it till the last minute,but I will give them till monday then I might possibly be losing my cool.!Keep me informed please about your progress,and if you need any fit out advice I might be a good a bet as any to be able to help.Regards.Marc (Incidentally BSS might be able to assist you in the Annex IIIa requirement) Hi Steve, Keep in touch and let me know how ther boats progress is,and if your sanity remains!

Hi you 2,So what is your story with H*r*n exactly?do you have the boat,or how is it with you having to fit it out?sorry to be so vague,but perhaps you could enlighten me about your situation,Cheers.Marc

Hello everyone,just got back from a lazy week in Rhodes,and was looking forward to picking the boat up after those repairs we all know about,only to find its this weekend the work begins,(brainless geriatric)but all in good time,I will be pleased,although almost a year on since she was built,to eventually get her back,in the order she should of been b4 H*x*ns messed up.The work thats being done,is:- new shaft to 1.5",new prop and grease type stern gland,fitting of new weed box,rectiying leaking fuel pipes,cutting out old skin tank,and fitting a new one externally,fitting fabricated O rings to bow end for gas bottles to sit in,and rewelding a side hatch hinge that 'fell orf'!So hopefully when its all done I can celebrate and get on with enjoying her and not spending every 10 mins looking into the engine bay worrying if theres any more fuel or water spilling out.Also it willl be marvellous to finish off the plumbing which had to be put on hold as most of the WEBASTO system is in the stern,where the probs are...wow hot and cold running water and a bit more bow end ballast with 150 gallons of water in the tank!Much to a lot of peoples suprise that I havent hung myself from the nearest tree,although that said I have a few moments when I was going to throw the towel in.Its been a long journey getting them to court,and winning was a superb result,but it could of gone the other way I guess?There will be a number of articles on this particular saga soon,in the regional boating rags,but I feel there is a long way to go before there will be any recognised legislations in force to protect the unsuspecting. Take care out there all you boaters,hope to see you on the cut soon.

I plan on creating a petition to secure a safe protection for boat builders and prospective boat purchasers,in my quest to create legislations within this industry.If any one reading this would be interested in assisting me,by writing to me with their views,I will be extremely gratefull,and with my close liason with the Boat Safety Scheme,local MP, boat builders, & TS,it all helps,....!All correspondance will be kept as private,so PM me if you want to help.A million thanks again to all of you you have messaged me,its a long journey ahead,but its got to be worth getting through those closed doors I am confronted with.Take it easy out there,and if your off to Crick on the Saturday let know I'll send you my mobile no.,there are a few from here I'll be meeting up with,you never know canal world members could all be having a pint on Saturday!!!!!!! together

I'm informed that the answer is yes they will.We'll see!

Most of this reluctance is due to a conflict of interest,as many of these boat builders advertise with these publications. The web site for my builder is,as you say the same as it was a year ago,and I can catagorically confirm theat the speil that is seen on their website is nothing short of a load of cock! I think that their website should be withdrawn,it is full of untruths relating to so many factors,that its a crime!

Terry Robinson was superb 2 years ago,had 3 days on the RYA course,and since having my own boat have relied on the knowledge I gained from him.

There are several who want me to write up my experience within this court case episode,Jim Sharp,freelancer for Canal & Rivers,Tony Hoyland from Towpath talk,amd WW >>...er um dunno,Peter fairchild is it,he could be interested ,so I'm told,but I have yet to recieve his reply,so would appear that there is a possibility that there will be some writing on the wall at some point soon.

I sprayed mine as didnt fancy using a roller and brush,if you want the shine its really a case of getting it done proffessionally,either roller,or spraying,I believe the prices are around 2-3 grand,but there is a lot of work involved,I know,it took me as long to prep and spray mine as it took to build the boat!I also had the added advantage of being able to use a full size boat spray shop and didnt have to rely on weather conditions,although to spray paint anything outside has to be bordering on the side of madness!

Thanks to all for your replies,Incidentally all the boat mags want to write an article on it now!

Hi everyone,sorry for not being here for a while ,but with the court case looming I wanted to be sure I had all the facts.Today was that day,and I am pleased to announce the success in winning the case.many of you you will be aware of my thread relating to this issue,and although I have the paperwork from the court showing that judgement has gone in my favour I dont want to risk being to presumptious in fear of being knocked off this site by naming H***n Boats.SoI wont. It is however a big step in the right direction to preventing the rogue traders from ripping people off,I am sure it will continue,but I do feel very passionate about doing something to minimize the trend with this surge of satisfying energy I have been given today.My local MP,Liz Blackman is aware of my displeasure of lack of legislations,and is lobbying the goverment to attempt some action,it is one of those issues that might require me wearing a batman outfit and strapping myself to buck Pal to get the attention,.anything is possibe.So to all of you that sent me emails of support I thank you all.This is just the beginning,I havent even started yet.Take it easy out there.Marc

Yesterday amongst my normal supply of junk mail through the door,and before I threw an unusual looking envelope in the bin with HOUSE OF COMMONS printed on it,I was amazed to find that my local MP had raised the issue of my intentions to get some form of legislation through parliament to prevent boat builders stitching their customers up from negligent workmanship(I expect most of you know about my ordeal with a boat builder last year).I am informed that the relevant Minister has been informed and that I will be notified when they get round to inviting me down to Tony's place for tea and a chat.Any one who wants a copy can contact me,no charge,fee or subscription required,but support is always appreciated in any issue such as this.Perhaps we could get a posse of supporters together and make a day out to parliament,with a coach trip to the house of commons,tea at the palace,and a bloody good sing song home??????????

It is not uncommon to see adverts in mags such as WW and others where people are asking to rent narrowboats,and if the dilemma is what to do,then there is no committment from you to test the field and get in touch with those that may have some income for you to rent out the boat.I have no experience personally in this field but better I would of thought to make some enquiries,at the same time as taking heed of others advice and opinions here on this thread.I wish you good hunting.Regards Marc

My best advice for you would be to go to Crick this year in May,and better by far to have a holiday in a boat before you go the full hog and buy one,not always everyones cuppa beyond the idea!However getting as many books on the subject ,ie,Waterways world,Canal Boat,etc is a good starters for seeing whats about,and at the show get to go on as many as you can,and talk to live aboarders ,thats got to be a must,life on the waterways is fun and enjoyable,but if your unsure about it,test the water first,(excuse the pun)or it could be a very expensive mistake,other than that, good luck.if you get to talk to people here on the website I am sure someone will let you on theirs .I would be only pleased to let you on mine,Take care

Can anyone help me do a cruise route to Crick from Shardlow.?I have tried the canal plan website,but it keeps coming back at me as unable to route for me?Many thanks in anticipation.

Hi all,Tis I ,@ iteldoo4me,and there was a rumour,but it was only that,unless there has been another one circulating.My court case still remains in force,..any questions please pm me.Take it easy out there people.Marc

A new boat shell doesnt require a certficate for the first year,you dont state what type of shell it is,ie new or old,perhaps you could be more specific,and as you state you are fitting it out,then are you doing it on land,or on BW water? as all you need normally is insurance if its on land,,If its going on private waters,ie in a Marina,you dont need a licence then either.look forward to your replies.regards Marc

Having worked for a national fire extinguisher company for a number of years up to a couple of years ago,I can catergoracly state that a powder extinguisher,despite its highly travelled after mess effects,is not I consider something I would be too concerned about if I was attempting to put out a fire on my beloved boat,secondly,a fire extinguisher needs to be serviced annually to ensure its correct functioning when its needed,and although a business might need to have this expensive course carried out annually on their highly populated by under paid staff buildings,I dont personally feel the expense is required for a boat,when,by the simple moving of the head and eyes,one can see if the little arrow is in the green and fully charged area.A fire extinguisher will normally survive for about 15 years,and providing the pressure inside is maintained it will do its duty and work.As regards the change of colour of extinguishers to an all red I can only assume it was the work of some stuffy politician in his cigar polluted office in whitehall deciding on another tactic to confuse us all.

CANAL PLAN IS BACK ON,FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PLANNING THEIR NEXT BIG CRUISE!