Tacet

I was looking at this http://www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/priced/l56.pdf which refers to "most of the time" rather than "main residence" Is the latter determinative for Gas Safety as well as the now defunct Community Charge? Even so, I can't see why 6 months and 1 day is a watershed. Surely a boat can be you main residence from the moment you step on it, in some circumstances at least. This looks to be chapter and verse. The interpretations that you and the industry both offer sound plausible but (against you) it is reasonably possible that the primary use of a boat is for holiday rather than domestic (or residential) purposes. Who knows. And, of course, how long is a holiday use before it becomes residential use? I lived aboard for three years and it felt little different from a long holiday. It is likely that some of the considerations in Alan 'de' Enfield's community charge case might be relevant - such as does one have alternative accommodation readily available and, perhaps, whether you go to work each day. The amount of travel by the boat could be a factor too

I have had a quick Google (I know), and it looks to me as though the regulations apply to boats in which the owner/user lives for most of the time. If this is correct, then it is not a question of no-other-abode liveaboard (or not). Someone may well know better than me - but over what period is "most of the time" measured? Maybe its a year, which seems reasonable But if one takes Nick's summer, he may well live on his boat most of the time. On the other hand you could take a much longer period of several years and come to a different conclusion even if you lived aboard for one calendar year.

The Lee and the Stort will be the easiest to reach from Kent, other than the Medway. The downside is that they are out on a limb so when you go boating for a week or a fortnight, much of your time will be spent covering the same waterways. Maybe fine for a few years though? If you wish to have more choice of routes - somewhere on the Grand Union is probably the best option. Say between Uxbridge and Braunston. It is a balance between time spent travelling to the boat and time spent boating.

This doesn't say that the cable must be multicore. Double insulated (sheathed) single core cable is available.

It was explained to me years ago as "Thick bit at the top. Same as you" Rather less memorably, it refers to the side adjacent to the flag pole which is deemed to be on the left, in its absence.

Many (most?) public footpaths are not maintainable a public expense. The typical footpath crossing a farmer's field is a highway/ public right of way but is not maintainable at public expense.

I remember them at Little Venice in the 1970's. Can't be sure of the year, 1974 seems more likely than 1972 but could be either. My recollection is of three boats - a submarine and two others

If you have an account with the Land Registry and you can look at a map online - and from there obtain registration numbers. That part is free (if you have an account - don't know if there is a charge for that). Having the number, you can then access the Registered Title and Title Plans, on a pay per view basis. So it's not too difficult with registered land. In the old days, before the open register, it was more difficult. You needed to know someone in an organisation that had a right to access the register and ask for a quiet favour.

Not sure that this idea is sufficiently outside the box. Cressy's bath was filled with warmed canal by diverting the raw water cooling. If it needed further heating, a Primus type stove could be lit beneath the bath. I assume the bath is best made of steel - and that you would be well advised to extinguish the stove a couple of minutes before sitting down.

It's only 20 gauge - so less than 1mm. It's full of holes too with little land between. So the problem will be the strap parting before it is satisfyingly tight.

I'll hazard a guess at a 4TNE84 as that was around in 2002.

If you disembarked the crew at the bottom of a flight and only allow them back aboard when in the top, pound it helps the levels too. At the top of a flight and before descending, they need to stay aboard until the lock gates are closed and sealed. Hope that helps.