Scholar Gypsy

The starter on my boat is connected via the isolator (neg side), and both have lasted for 20 years (nearly).

Ah now I am really confused, as the Middle Level navigation notes (here) say in paras 13/15: "An 'Ouse Key'/Lock Handle/Windlass can usually be purchased at the manned locks and marinas (price £10.00)"

... and so can anyone tell me why it is known as an Ouse key ?? You only really need it for Ashline lock, which is of course unmanned.

Here are a few more photos - we moored on the pontoons at Weston Favell (even though not quite 1st May). Irthlingborough, Ashton and Ferry Meadow Park. Fotheringay (below) is my candidate for the best water point on the entire system: good moorings, excellent water pressure, and not a bad view either.

The PLA have recently launched an enjoyable and interesting newsletter for tideway users. Edition 2 is here. For anyone who wants more emails: I can't quite work out how to subscribe to the mailing list (although I am on it, via my membership of the Tidal Thames Navigators club TTNC).

Thanks to all - this thread is v helpful to me. I had a similar issue last week (Mitsubishi K4E engine), where the heaters worked and the engine started fine, but the water and oil guage did not move, and neither did the alternator kick in. A gentle bash to the panel did the trick, but I need to track down the loose connection before someone gets stranded....

I am confused. I would expect the base to be welded (or more commonly bolted) to something, but the cylinder should normally unscrew. Alternatively, can you remove the top (see above postings about pouring in warm grease)?

Do you have an oil filter remover? Or you may be able to get a good enough grip with some rope - wind it around a few times, in such a way that you trap the loose end.

Thank you for that - fascinating!

This blog had put me off further exploration.... The Imray's guide does say that Stringside drain is the head of navigation but i) there was no EA sign (there often is) and ii) that guide can be a bit inaccurate...

Very enjoyable: good moorings at Hilgay, and a fantastic butchers & bakers (and just about everything) shop up the hill lots of nice winding bits of river, lots of wildlife etc a vast and rather scary sugar beet factory. We didn't see anyone working there, though I think it must still be operational! Looked like a set for a 1960s gangster movie two sizeable lakes just upstream - we have anchored before some sections where the flood banks are a long way back from the river, so you can see the natural state of the land (soggy!) some good solid bank where you can moor between the cutoff channel and Stoke Ferry - that village is worth an explore as well. We moored on the straight section in the middle of this map, on the north bank - good footpath access to the village. a GOBA mooring at Stoke Ferry, in the middle of the campsite/caravan park (on right hand edge of the map). fair turning at Stringside drain at the head of navigation (I would put your bows to the right, and then gently back into the drain). Try to avoid the sizeable shoal on the inside of the bend (I ran aground).

... and on my greasers (I have one on a plummer block as well) I usually unscrew the top (so that you have a cylinder with nothing at either end), and that makes getting grease in and air out even easier.

Rather fine new pontoon moorings at Gravesend, if you want to pause there. See photos here. The sea state was very calm, though the wash from passing ships and tugs was quite substantial. SPCC are doing this trip again on 7-8 June.

Thanks again to all for their comments. I think I have seen the Chatteris town band on the DVD I have on the Middle Level ... In the end I had a spare day, and it was a toss-up between a diversion to Chatteris or an exploration of the Wissey. The Wissey won! The Nene was indeed fabulous, though it was a pity that the moorings at Cogenhoe are no more. I also tried the backwater at Nassington (there were narrow boats on the wharf) but gave up when I ran aground in soft mud... A few photos on the blog.

Dear By'eck I look forward to meeting you - I have just done this trip, and took up my new mooring at Ely on Saturday. I think it may be possible to buy a gold licence from 1 Jan 2014 and to get a refund on the unused portion of your C&RT licence - I think that is what I did a few years ago when I switched from standard C&RT to a Gold licence. Then you need another one for 2015.

There is clearly a large amount of cross subsidy between different users, depending on how much they move their boat and which waterways they use. That is unavoidable if one goes for a national C&RT licence rather than tolls (which would of course be easier to run nowadays using modern technology eg remote sensing, RFID chips etc etc - compare the debates on road pricing!). One could construct an argument that as canals are more expensive to maintain (for navigation purposes, eg electricity for back pumping) a canals only licence should be more expensive than an all system C&RT licence - comparing two users who do the same amount of cruising. For now I think the current system is OK. (I am a Gold licence holder).

Dear June I cruised past a couple of days ago, on the way to Ely. My impression was that the park looked very tidy and well run. I didn't see the notice about how to enquire about moorings (as I recall, a phone number and a discouragement to call at the bungalow?) until I had nearly gone past. So I would suggest you might consider a notice at each end of the marina, saying who you are and whether/where/how visiting boats are encouraged to stop. In biggish letters, so we can read them... As I recall most of the earlier postings were about whether passing boaters could stop for the night, as proper overnight moorings are not that easy to find on the ML. We stopped for lunch for 30 mins by just tying up to the flood bank a few hundred yards further on, which was fine.

Here is proof of one of my sons (I can't see which...) waterskiiing on the Wissey - very clean water

A ring to attach the anchor chain/warp to.

There are also staithes (rather than wharves) in Norfolk (e.g. Well Creek, the River Wissey, which I have visited this week).

they have also done the tidal thames, very useful if you want to know where brentford creek is ...

I would recommend looking out for the entrance to brentford dock marina, a small lock & lots of 1970s flats. the creek is just after that on the left....

Many thanks - that's very helpful. The walk will be good for me! I hope to be there on Friday 18th, in advance of locking out at Salters Lode on Saturday. It all rather depends how I get on on the Nene.

Does anyone have any fairly recent experience of where is the best place to moor to visit Chatteris (on the Middle Level) for a couple of hours? I can see two bridges, one (west) on a slight bend and the other (east) on a straight bit. Many thanks

The previous ship lock was 350 x 60 ' - you can still see one of the inner gates. There is a photo somewhere here of the last cruise before the new lock was built inside it in the late 1980s. The most I have seen in the new lock is five narrowboats at a time. I don't believe the 30 foot width measurement - closer to 25 feet (three boats plus a bit of air). The spectacle the OP records will be repeated this year on Saturday 17th May, at approximately 1200 - the Limehouse-Margaretness-Brentford/Teddington cruise. (Low Water at Woolwich is 1015).