wandering snail

We love the shape of tug-style nb's. Would certainly make getting the motorbike on and off easier

We have some lights like that, only with different coloured bilbs for parties... Richard That bed design is really neat Do bilbs use less electricity?

Have put the pics in Gallery cos simples for me

Ooh sorry Richard, didn't see it. Am still finding my way round this forum.

We opted for an all diesel boat and also have a Lockgate, Morso squirrel that runs on diesel with all the upsides already mentioned. It also runs 2 rads. In the kitchen we have a diesel Sigmar cooker that gives background heating throughout the boat ( a bit like an Aga in a house)and also provides hot water.Cooks beautifully too.

Ours goes up and down with a pulley. When its up it looks like a wall in our replica boatman's cabin c/w roses and castles. When its down, we have a 5' wide bed with lighting and book/drinks storage behind. Had to have a special mattress made in two parts but it's comfy and roomy and is made up all the time, even in the up position. I'd happily put a photo or two on here but can't see how to do it. Have mentioned this before.....

Ours goes up into the wall so totally out of the way during the day.

This is what we've got, except the squirrel runs on diesel. Will get Skipper to have a think when he's finished fitting a new water filter

Would love to post a pic of Snail with skaters in the winter but can't see how to do it.

Please come to Belgium, it's lovely. But - it is easier and cheaper with two tanks, one for white purely for propulsion and one for red for everything else. Like UK, it's cheaper to buy from a garage than a boatyard which is why we carry a couple of jerry cans on the roof. With bridge clearances of 3.5m it's no problem.Sometimes they'll deliver both by tanker.The funny thing is, the Belgians are VERY good at ignoring rules they don't like. We've learnt to live like the Belgians.

Or a composting loo - much maligned by those who haven't tried one of the latest but oh so simple to use. Look at the Separett 'Villa'. We love ours (if that's appropriate for a toilet)and would have another one when the time came, but apparently they will last for years. Lot to be said for low tech. And it saves on precious tank water.

Nappies do work, so do the absorbent 'sheets' that RCR provide but can't remember the name of them.

Sooo exciting for you and you'll love the new lifestyle. As a work colleague said to me, you won't need a clock anymore! And it's surprising how far the money goes and how little you need to live well on with this simple boating life. Summer, here you come.

Not to mention how close you are at the back of the boat to the exhaust when you're steering........

There is no such animal as a go-anywhere boat.There will always be waterways that the boat can't manage in UK as well as Europe whatever type it is so stick with the nb if it's right for you. There are ofcourse anxious moments but as our so far unscathed European narrowboating experiences mount up, we get more and more confident (but not complacent)in Snail's abilities. France has so far been by far the easiest place to visit. It's moorings and smaller, quieter waterways are very narrowboat friendly and I can see why a lot of UK boaters don't leave. Belgium has some very large commercial ships as you've seen on the blog and locking with them takes a bit of getting used to but you develop strategies and some golden rules born of experience. It's a very friendly country but moorings can be a tad unsuitable for a nb! Again, you get used to it. Netherlands is very busy with both commercials and private boats. There's plenty of moorings (at a price) but the waterways here are a bit too hectic for us. Nevertheless we are returning next year and then on to Germany and Poland. Just to finish, the only other nb we've met on the move in Belgium was owned by a single hander who was then in his 9th year here and had just returned from Germany with no problems. His boat had not been adapted in any way for Europe and looked as if he'd just arrived from UK!

I am afraid your understanding is way off the truth. Our 70'narrowboat has proven to be much more stable than many of the pleasure boats and even commercial boats here in Europe,surprising curious skippers who have joined us. Now in our 4th year touring and having joined thousands of tons of shipping on various commercial canals and been in a force 6 on a wide waterway, we've never had a breakage and I certainly don't stow anything away before we leave every day. See our blog for a good idea of the fun we're having, lots of pics and not too much text! http://www.wanderingsnail.blogspot.com As I've already said, this is simply not the case. A narrowboat manages absolutely fine. Getting cross now

Wow, what a friendly forum!!

Our small Candy automatic runs on the power provided just by our solar panels, on a good day.

English speaking foreign tourists sometimes get the joke. The boat's so unusual here that lockys are often too busy taking photos of us going through their lock to comment.

Ok, wadering it is. And thank you for the welcome. We're used to weird 'translations' from lockkeepers in Europe when they fill in their paperwork. Best yet: Wonder Snake. Neil, what would you like to hear about?

Have newly registered to this forum but seem to have become wadering snail instead of wandering snail. Could this be put right please?