wandering snail

Brownhills is good on the Tescos side with great doggy walking opportunities opposite through the common there. Also Anglesey Arm to the reservoir and Cannock Extension are lovely with friendly locals who rarely see a boat on the move. We counted 19 red deer in a field half way up the Cannock! Do be prepared for all sorts of rubbish to frequently find its way on to your prop on the BCN, every time we do any of it we say never again.....

To all the replies on here who want the link to the now concluded EA consultation, it was widely advertised at the time with many boating groups asking for your participation but presumably you did not see it? I will take back your feed back that the survey should include Thames users from previous years.

It's a response to the EA Navigation Charges Consultation which was so convoluted that it attracted hardly any responses. The EA are going ahead with what they want to do anyway, and yes, I know this is always what happens, but this group wants to try to get a much wider boater's perspective.

Led by the Thames Motor Boaters Association (TMBA) and supported by all the organisations representing powered craft which use the non tidal Thames (including NABO) we are undertaking a survey of the views of our members about their experiences when using the Thames this year. We urge all who both moor on the Thames or visit it occasionally to help. This is very important given the various proposals presently emerging from the EA which will have serious issues for all. Please see: http://www.tmba.org.uk/machform/view.php?id=15573

We've a diesel Sigmar that works like a Rayburn in that it cooks, heats the boat and the hot water but heats up from cold a lot quicker than a Rayburn. Sadly they're no longer available but Dickinson, which are similar, are. Ditchcrawler's got one.

I've heard the good and the bad. Bronze cover came with our insurance and have to say, they were persistent in nailing the problem with our engine non-start, even though it took several call outs. This included a heavy battery being back packed a long walk down the towpath to get to us at one point and one of their engineers in particular persisting to get to the bottom of the problem.

We're moored, well have got our nose in, on the Cannock Extension. Ahead is an old bridge, now used purely as a footbridge with a 'making life better by water', how I detest this slogan, blue and white sign attached on each end of the crumbling brick work. In the middle of the countryside these are no better than graffiti.

We're booked in for blacking at Stone next month and wondering about using Keelblack. Anyone used it on here? Was it easy to use and did it last well?

You've done well from when we met you on the Tame Valley!

Will never forget the question "What's a lock?" when ringing to report a problem on one. It was a few years ago though so maybe knowledge has improved??

Wow, we'd love our smoke to disappear too! It's happened from new for the past 17 years.

Will be trying HVO in our Perkins M65 the first chance we get.

Hi to the only boat we've seen for a couple of days! Yes we squeezed past the breasted CRT boats; wondered whether to moor them to the bank but thought it was safer seeing the expensive stuff on show to leave them mid channel! Now at Lockwood, will try to get to the Anglesey Branch but got a text today for skipper to go to Stafford hospital on Tuesday which has rather skuppered our plans!

Will look out for you. We'll be one of the floating traders.

We're 2ft 10inches, hoping that's ok?

Has anyone in a deep draughted boat managed to get as far as the basin recently?? Now heading for Brownhills Festival but thought we'd have a go at this first. The BCN Society have no updates available and we are used to ploughing......

And following that week, friends of ours need help moving their boat from Oxford (or maybe Runnymede) to Cropredy the end of the month. Please message me if interested.

Asking for a friend who is currently in hospital with multiple fractures of her ankle done when she slipped mooring up at Runnymede. Any recommendations and contact details for boat movers please? Probably will need moving last week of September.

Not quite sure how the traders are stopping you, there's just two weekend markets this month, one at Bumblehole and one at Brownhills. The rest of the BCN is free.

Not sure where CRT start with all the problems at Woodseaves. Two years ago we watched (and reported) as a still upright tree slid down to join us in the canal and that blockage had buoys around it for the following year. We draw 2ft10inches and only just got through all the problems with this cutting after lockdown this year. Richard with the coalboat also made it through. It's a complete stoppage waiting to happen. That's as maybe but the sandstone scree that's dissolving is more of an issue I think.

We were quoted £30,000 for a hybrid system on our boat. We're all diesel so pinning our greener alternative hopes on the availability and acceptability of HVO.

Seems CRT's signs are not aimed at boaters or are we simply forgotten?

Seems all the Kate boats and other hirers are on the GU at Warwick, including the one who hit us head on at a lick because he wasn't going to wait any longer at an aqueduct and hadn't the skills to get through without doing a Tim and Pru. His women in the bow thought it was hilarious as I listened to things crashing to the floor inside the boat.....

We got through with our 70fter and 2ft10" draught but we did get stuck and have to be 'flushed' out!

You must have passed us, it was motorway busy from Braunston, just ridiculous. Why, why are we on the Oxford/GU in August, just a stupid decision.