Windfola

Ta - sorry, missed that one. OK no mention of 'residential' in my enquiries then. But won't BW have something to say about it if they realise I am primarily residential?

That sounds nice, although I had thought of moving further out of Oxfordshire for a change in scenery. I'm not necessarily looking for a residential mooring (haven't made a final decision yet), but am guessing I'd have to apply to BW for that as well, with all the difficulties there, if there wasn't already existing planning permission. I would probably want some means of residential winter mooring, I think. Is it a case of having to approach individual land owners on a piecemeal basis? Do they advertise anywhere?

So I am having this conversation with a close friend about locks. She is having a problem with the idea that upper pounds (see how good I am getting with terminology!) don't run out of water when the locks are emptied, and how on earth the low lying bits of England aren't flooded by gravity. I have pondered this weighty issue and assuming no pumps are involved, nor thousands of pixies armed with buckets, is it the rain that acts as the big tap in the sky to fill the higher levels? Please tell me, is this the answer? Or am I missing the point entirely?

I think I might like a linear mooring offside, say with a bit of a farmer's field as garden/parking and with a hook up and water. I have seen these on the GU and some of them look fab. I understand that you have to rent the mooring from BW and then rent the plot from the landowner. Can anyone tell me how I might go about looking for available moorings with those sorts of arrangements?

Henrys are cool. I think you can get a Hatty, which can cope with liquid spills too. So presumably, if there is too much water in the cut...

Hello Linda. Did you know that your profile has you down as male? Oh - on the other hand perhaps I shouldn't assume. Anyway hello. I am in the same position - can't decide between marina and towpath. I too have a dog. I have seen one or two marinas that are really just boatyards with a few moorings attached. Might that be a compromise? You'd get a hook up and the usual services, without the crowding.

:lol:

I hadn't given the length much thought, I confess! Do many boats have shortened or tapered beds? This is getting more complicated than I'd hoped...

For boring and complicated reasons, I could do with a new mattress now, although I might not get my liveaboard boat for another 6 months or more. So the question is: What size are Fixed doubles on narrow boats usually? If I bought a small (4ft) double mattress, would it fit the vast majority of fixed double beds? Sorry for all the questions, but you are all being wonderfully helpful and patient...

linky

That's a great idea. I'd like to try the same thing before committing to a purchase, if I could find the right arrangement with the right timing.

Is all that for basic maintenance, or is some of it for projects/improvements? And, now I come to think of, is there any difference between where you can use 240v as opposed to 230? (confused about the difference between them). Currently I can do basic DIY (drill holes, cut small pieces of wood, wire plugs, tiling and so on), but have little knowledge of electrics and plumbing.

Thanks peeps. I think I will do the audit (might help me decide what size inverter I will need and, when the time comes, try stuff out and look into the dongle and router. Then if there's not enough room or if I get overkill with the screen/speakers I'll think about replacing equipment.

The one they advertise is made by Thompson. I have one at home, but don't expect it do anything more than take the worst of the wet out of your clothes. And the capacity is barely big enough for one bath towel.

Pretty much, yes. I am no audio/video geek. My last tv was about 20 years old and conked out about 5 years ago. I have no aerial, satellite or freeview. I haven't even got a tv license. The only telly I watch is the occasional thing on iplayer. I have some classical music stored on my laptop, which would be nice to hear through decent speakers. I hardly ever play CDs and don't use the DVD that often. Radio 4 and the internet are the things I would really like to stay connected to. It's OK Alan, no offense taken.

Thanks guys, that sounds good. I'd love to come to the banter, but may not be free as I suspect I have a prior engagement (must check dates). Yorkshire is a bit of trek for me, I confess, so I'd need to sort out local accommodation (maybe a camp site or something), but it is tempting. Gser - I could probably be free that week - will contact you nearer the time (don't know how much use I'll be as I am not at all fit, but would do my best before having to collapse with a beer).

That's helpful, thanks. I'll do the power audit thingy. I am under no delusions about the limitations on acoustics in a 7 foot wide corridor. My sitting room is already an odd shape and I am used to thinking laterally about that sort of thing. Neither am I the sort of person who is planning to annoy my neighbours with loud music. I have no plans to buy a generator. I just want to see how I can make the best of the (good quality) equipment I already have, or whether it's just not going to be practicable. I will be buying a used boat, so would need to look at how best to fit the equipment into whatever space is already available, as I don't have the budget to go bespoke.

In my current home I use a laptop with broadband, which is connected to my trusty Technics stereo for the best audio I can get. Both also connect to a 23inch HD flat screen tv/monitor through which I watch stuff on i-player. I don't use it as a tv and have no aerial, but do use a surround sound DVD player with the monitor. So I have two sets of speakers as well. I mainly listen to radio 4 on-line. Obviously all are run on 240v at present. So if I buy a boat with a 12v supply and 240 volt hook up (for when I can get it) and add a decent pure sine wave inverter, can I expect to be able to use the same set up and get the same quality output? (broadband issues aside - I am not assuming that I will get a decent signal all the time) Or should I abandon the monitor and hi-fi and buy 12 volt alternatives? I'd really rather not do this as my stuff is quite new and decent quality. If I stick with what I have, will it be an impossible drain on my batteries?

I am already starting to work out how I can shed stuff. It feels quite liberating. I am wondering whether I could recycle some bits of cherished furniture (oak/old pine etc) into boat fittings, like shelves/boxes/desk space. Has anyone successfully tried this? I have about 30 years of tat in the form of bric-a-brac and pointless relics and old university books which will all have to go. And which power tools are de rigeur for living aboard? Sounds good. I am a bit shy at turning up to things like that on my own, though. I was going to go to Crick Boat Show, but unfortunately I am going to be in hospital for a couple of days that weekend.

If you're going to Crick anyway, then it's not far from Aqualine's showroom at Blisworth.

Thanks - obvious now I come to think of it.

Could someone explain the use of anchors on Narrowboats? Before anyone states the obvious, I do know what an anchor is for, but they seem a bit unnecessary on the cut. Under what circumstances do they become necessary/useful?

Oh yes. it's definitely a consideration for me, if I want to explore far afield. But I am a long way from making irreversible decisions yet. Unfortunately.

A Herculaneum hull with a big green ball at the back? Actually I am seriously considering calling her Liberator. Must practice more on board before getting seduced by anything longer than 57 feet.