Tacet

Alan's opinion is that the BSC is already invalid - albeit unbeknown to even the BSS people etc. Rather oddly, he can't find chapter-and-verse nor give an indication of the threshold that triggers secret invalidation. The vessel would not, from what we have seen, currently properly obtain a BSC. It may well infringe other regulations or contractual terms or just be plain dangerous. But my view is that (assuming it has an unexpired one already) it has not had its BSC withdrawn until, at least, someone in authority takes steps.

But it doesn't say the BSC becomes automatically invalid, in such circumstances. If it did, would it immediately be revalidated when it becomes compliant again? Or is another examination required? And at what level of non- compliance does the BSC become invalid? If an essential gas pipe clip breaks and is fixed a week later, is it without a valid BSC for that week, for all time or is that defect below some undisclosed threshold? In my estimation, unless the BSC is more formally withdrawn, it remains as such it is just that the vessel is non-compliant and quite possibly seriously or dangerously so.

At home, not being connected to mains sewerage, there is an aerobic digester. Basically a three chamber tank with bubbles being passed through the middle chamber. The output discharges, lawfully, into a watercourse aka the ditch on the other side of the road. Every once in a while (measured in years) the grit that has settled in the first chamber to be pumped away - but that's about it (don't get me started on ensuring the clean discharge falls away to said ditch.) Is there a reason why, in principle at least, something similar could not be used on a boat? Practical issues are probably ensuring the tank is sufficiently sized to give the waste long enough to digest. Our tank holds a couple of weeks output; it takes the grey water too which might be essential to dilute the black waste. And the pump or a stirrer needs to be powered somehow. Are they used on any vessels?

I don't think it is a BSS requirement to use stranded cable these days. And when it was, my recollection is that to the number of strands was not specified so that 7029 ye olde household cable was compliant. Clearly not too many people died as the requirement was dropped from the BSS.

Brass screws would not self tap into steel.

In which case, the BMF model contract does not include the provisions you say are general. The extract you quote does not require the parties to negotiate or agree (which, as I said earlier is a nonsense). If the threshold for major defects is reached, the seller must either fix them, or make a sufficient reduction in the price to allow the Purchaser to fix them. Failing this, the Purchaser can serve notice leading to recission of the contract.

Only in a badly drafted contract as it's not worth the ink. An agreement to agree is unenforceable in law.

For keeping warm, the usual way is to have a solid fuel stove and keep it lit day and night throughout the winter. If you burn coal, the fire should stay in for a whole shift. There are diesel drip- fed stoves too, which will do much the same but the pressurised diesel central heating systems (Webasto, Mikuni, Eberspacher) are not so well suited to continuous running. Electric and gas heating has its problems and is unsuited to the arrangements you intend.

What's the additional issue with tying up? The pontoons are the same length either way. And if you usually exit from the front of you boat, is it not easier to step directly onto the pontoon than shuffle along the gunwale?

It's uncommon in Llangollen basin. It does have reserved mooring signs on some of the jetties that you can't read until tied up. Having moved once, to find the second spot had an even more obscure notice, I gave up

Why did you reverse in?

Are you saying that £5 won't buy me a £3m house or even a £six figure boat? That is one sophisticated scam!

If your post is meaning to set out facts, then I can properly seek to correct parts of it. But if it is intended as fiction (e.g. how you would like to see Council Tax work), I cannot correct it other than to say how I consider it should operate in an ideal world, which is not of much use to anyone. And it is unclear whether you are putting it forward as fact or fiction.