andyb116

As a parting comment all I can say is I'm privileged with wot I get to do, and proud of what I achive.

My only comment to Carlt's is it wasn't a brief encounter I was there for a while and it was my interpretation, if you wish to disagree that's your choice (after all it's a free country last time I checked) unlike this forum sometimes!

I agree, I was one of those having/come/worked here for 20 years, but I wish you could come here and sit here in front of my nice warm fire on my nice warm modern boat with bow thrusters (hang & crucify me) and discuss this over warm beer/cold cider face to face rather than here on an open forum, you will always be welcome. Please PM me.

Thirded for Mike Carter

I only spoke about what was in front off me at that time.

Well I wasn't going to add to this thread but I can agree with the comments made by tiggers about bullying on this forum, as someone who was a longtime member of this forum before posting, on his first post was shot down by what I thought were the well "respected & knowledgable" people I can agree with her assumption of bullying. Probably because then! heaven forbid I was a lowly hire boater looking for some information. Now to the current time, as someone who works @ the NWM and was heavily involved with SHAD & worked with tiggers and the team on the restoration I wish the do ers would come & do & the non do ers would shut up and stop criticising! It's a pity that tiggers is a legal eagle, because she would then post on here the truth as she tells me over coffee!!!. Considering the resources and equipment the heritage boatyard have I think they have done an amazing job, I just wish people could have seen the condition of SHAD when she was stripped back. Well I won't "HOGG" this post anymore other than to let you know that I was the steerer on it's relaunch and had tiggers stood next to me making sure I didn't scratch it in a howling gale by the way (no pressure). Just like to say WELL DONE! Dave, Tiggers, Millie, Alex, MartYn and all the volunteers who made this happen. Andy B. (MCA Boatmaster /CRT Certified engineer & from the Black Country )

I can recomend tattenhall, our home marina, but also the national waterways museum @ Ellesmere Port, where I am @ the moment. You have to move for water & services, but only 2 locks (10 mins) up to reception/boatyard. And it's cheap.

Did the last 3 miles and the locks into the bottom basin at Ellesmere Port in the dark & wind last night. Great time to be boating.

Next weekend Ellesmere Port, march/April Black Country, June, Chester IWA rally and anywhere else when time allows.

I have a brand new Vetus 4.17 direct from middlewich boatyard (Vetus main dealer), the service manual still states 100 hrs, but the odd number services are only an oil change and check over.

Just go to the Vetus website if it's the m3.28 all the manuals are there for download.

We use one from practicalsurfaceware.com, it works very well and they are selling off roll ends at the moment, making it considerably cheaper.

Having just stripped 4 completely to make one good one, the rear fiddle rail posts have a tapped hole in the top plate with a brass stud in it. The front ones because they go through the overhang had studs in the posts and then thin nuts on the underside to hold them in place. I don't know if this is normal as only one of the four had a fiddle rail and was the best top plate to use for the rebuild. I'm not back with the stoves till Monday so can't give you any dimensions or photo's.

Useless piece of information, 1.97litres = 1 kilo, I used to fill my own bottles from an autogas pump using very accurate digital scales.

We have 2 in the kitchen & one in the bathroom, work perfectly, in fact sat here eating my bacon & egg bap writing this with the kitchen extractors on, with no condensation & no fumes.

Well Christmas Day cruise achieved. Bacon sandwiches & a beer whilst steering (they always taste better @ the tiller). No wind, cold but dry, apart from in Chester which was a bit drizzly.

Our first Christmas on the boat, plan is to pick better half up from work at 09.30, get back to boat, untie and just go. (Life long ambition, wind permitting). A good way to relax before the family onslaught on Boxing Day (some how I got stitched into cooking for 18 at the inlaws.) Have a good one Andy.

Past it in June, just short of the ring o bells @ bursgough. It was moored outside some houses, but was looking a bit sorry for itself.

Just my 2 peneth, now been live aboard for just over 1 month, sold business, sold house, & went for it. Being X forces & then been a partner in my own buisiness for 23 years working 10 to 12 hours a day 6 days a week, I then had 3 health scares in a year. I then realised I might not live long enough to fulfill my ambition to live the live I wanted, so we did it. ( fortunately I have a partner who love's it even more and I've seen a remarkable difference in her when she gets home to the boat after a 36 hour shift with the Nhs). It's not for everyone and it saves us about £10 a month compared to living in bricks & mortar, so anybody who thinks it's a cheap life is wrong. ( we are in a marina & we didn't have a mortgage ). Andy

Having now seen post #39 I know know why the Hudson we hired & took on the non tidal Thames in the wind & just off the reds steered so well even if it was heavy. ( the way I prefer it)

I have two maps on my iPad and they work very well, only criticism is some of the info is out of date, even though I get the updates.

Me too, so have reset & saved, now waiting to se what happens.

I know juno well and am still friends with Eryl. I actually fitted an alarm system to it in the nineties. I also blame him for my addiction to narrow boats, and the reason I now live on one :-) was a cracking boat with some brilliant artwork which turned a few heads (especially with the traditionalists.) But my favorite bit was the shed bed he made (ingenious ).