Derek Porteous

Just to echo that, we too have a 2005 Liverpool Boat (Isuzu engine and PRM gearbox). Very pleased with it. Never any major issue. We had it repainted for the first time a few months back. In preparation it was shot blasted back to bare metal. Hull still in very good condition. And yes, it is straight and the correct dimensions.

We had a Yale type lock fitted to our Liverpool cruiser. I believe it may have been imported from the USA. It has a Yale lock on the outside, but the inside interlocks to a grid like receptor which is on the underside of the hatch cover (sorry, no pics). From the outside you cannot tell if is is locked or not, and it can be locked both from the inside and the outside.

Thanks everyone for taking the trouble to reply. I thought, as they were effectively right angled triangles, they could be bought by the packet. Clearly not. I will take one off the boat as a template and get a local joiner to make up a dozen or so as replacements. The surrounds of our windows are square, so the wooden triangle is merely cosmetic to hide the right angle join. Thanks again everyone.

I want to replace the small wooden triangular pieces of wood which sit in the bottom corners of the cabin windows, as the old ones are now badly marked with condensation over the years. Problem is I have no idea what they are called, and cannot find anything on the internet for a supplier (probably hindered by the lack of a sensible name in the search engine). If you know what I am talking about, can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks.

On our way back after our three month summer cruise. Seen more mink this trip, especially on the Oxford and the GU, than I ever remember in previous years. However, I have heard that where otters are making a comeback, they soon see off any resident minks. Don’t know whether that is true, but I am sure than someone on this forum will know.

Having moaned about not being able to moor in Middlewich on the lead up to the festival, we are back on our return journey. Can only see three moored boats, including us. There may be some more down by the Big Lock but what a difference a month or two makes, or indeed all the canal closures.

We tried to moor in the basin at Stourbridge a couple of years ago. It was full. There was ample moorings on the approach, but quite frankly we did not like the look of them. That is just a gut feel and not based on any knowledge whatsoever. We pushed on and eventually moored at Merry Hill. Really liked it there. Felt very safe and, although a tad noisey mid evening, soon settled down and a peaceful night was had. Merry Hill is now our mooring of choice in the area.

Having picked up what I think was a pram canopy (with wire ) in Oxford, and struggled for two hours to clear it, I wondered whether I should buy some bolt croppers. Always had them when I sailed (to cut away rigging should the mast come down) but never really considered them on a narrowboat. However, given the restrictive access down a weed hatch, how useful are they?

My thanks for all the replies on this thread. In the end we went into Cow Roast Marina. As expected, the office was closed, so no tokens for the self pump out. However a friendly moorer sold us a token for cost price (£15), so all well on the pump out front. We are currently moored on the Aylesbury Arm and will head down into the basin tomorrow morning. We were last there 12 years ago. The ACS were then in the terminus basin. They were superb; welcoming, friendly and even provided souvenirs of little models of Aylesbury Ducks, which we still have. It is a little disconcerting to find that now the ACS will not provide pump out facilities (obviously for a fee) to visiting boaters. There is obviously a reason for this, but does not chime with the open arms policy we encounter d 12 years ago.

Thanks for that. Tried the number, but unsurprisingly for a Saturday evening, there was no reply. Confirmation that there is a CRT pump out at Marsworth is great. Had a look in the map and services seem to be just north of the Aylesbury Arm junction on the west side of the canal. That would work for us heading north and pump out outlet on port side. Cruise up to pump out station, pump out using one of our CRT cards, reverse back the short distance to Aylesbury Arm junction and then down to Aylesbury. What could go wrong?

Hope to go down the Aylesbury arm tomorrow. We haven’t been there since the redevelopment of the canal basin. Is there pump out facilities there? If not, anyone know where the nearest is. We are in Berkhamsted heading north, and know there is one at Cow Roast, but being a Sunday the marina office will not be open to buy a token from them. Not sure if there is a CRT pump out at Marsworth (we have CRT cards). Any advice welcome. Thanks.

We passed Twyford Wharf a couple of weeks ago heading south. As we crossed a boat heading north, we were indeed at quite an angle. We just assumed it was a normal state of affairs as we slide back down the slope. Presumably it will not have got any better in the last two dry weeks.

You are are quite right. The signs do have dates. However as you cruise by there is no way I can see or read such small print (especially at my age). All I could see was ‘No Mooring. Trade Boat Only”. And yes, they were all empty spaces. i guess the counter argument is, that is all the spaces were empty, we could have got closer to read the fine (very fine) print, but we didn’t.

Ha.... does the excellent photo mean you moored on a Trade Boat Reserved Mooring? Whilst I am sure “legal” mooring spaces came and went, there was none available above The Big Lock until well south of Kings Lock when we were looking. Slightly diversifying now.... does anyone know what it happening with the Middlewich Boats premises ( and mooring berths)?

Fair point, Athy!!

Hi Dave, yes, I am sure you are right. However, being reasonably law/rule abiding, how do we know when to obey CRT signs and when to ignore them?

On a similar vein to my post on not being able to moor in Cropredy a full two weeks before the festival, we passed through Middlewich on Friday 8th June looking for a mooring. Empty mooring after empty mooring, all reserved for potential trade boats. We had no option but to continue south down the Trent and Mersey. I know I am sounding a bit like Mr Grumpy, I I really think that more consideration needs to be given to passing boats (hired or otherwise) on the lead up to festivals.

I think the difference is that you just turn up at Llangollen and they charge you £6 a night (including electricity) whilst you have to pay £10 at Little Venice for the booking. There is usually plenty of space at Llangollen, whilst Little Venice/Paddington Basin is usually quite full (and I guess nowhere entirely safe to run to if you arrive late afternoon with no room at the inn).

£10 a night isn’t bad. Much as I hate parting with money, far better to have a financial commitment, so boaters who have reserved space actually turn up!! Anyway, we will give it another go next month. Thanks for the link.

As a matter of interest, is there a charge now for these moorings? The reason I ask is I have tried on each occasion to book them each time we visited Paddington (admittedly just a few days before we arrive). Booking has been free, but according to our he web site booking it has also always been full. When we got to Paddington there were no boats on the reserved mooring which was very irritating.

Ah... go on. Be partial, Athy!! Is it fair or not? Incidentally we are leaving our boat in the marina there for a week at the end of this month. Hadn’t checked yet how far the walk is to the nearest pub. We will be long gone by festival time. I do like the village, so a few days there will be fun

But isn't that another problem. I remember a few years back travelling back north and trying to stop in Cropredy overnight for provisions, a meal and a pint. It was fully two weeks before the festival (which I didn't know was on) and all the moorings were taken. In the pub, boaters readily admitted they had arrived for the festival. I thought then, and still do, that to monopolise all the moorings for three weeks or so is unfair to other boaters who are just making a passage through. I have nothing against the festival. Indeed had I known about it and arrived a couple of weeks later, I would have tried to attend it. But to make Cropredy effectively full for such a long time? Yes, I know it is full most of the cruising months, but with different boats each night, not a mile or so static boats hogging the moorings two weeks in advance. Bah, humbug!

We also stayed at VMs at the top of the museum. Quiet overnight. Choice of the Holiday Inn at bottom or a restaurant overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal. Didn’t look for a pub, so can’t comment on that. There are also moorings at the bottom beside the Holiday Inn. Not aware of any charges for them. We certainly didn’t pay in previous years. Certainly recommend the zoo for a day out. We left Chester in the morning, had a day at the zoo and moored up at The Ellesmere Port for the night. All nice and gentle. No issues apart from weed, but you won’t encounter that at this time of year. Look out for terrapins in the canal at Ellesmere Port. We spotted a couple basking in the sun.

Interesting. I looked at this a couple of weeks ago and wondered the exact same thing. Very interested in replies.