kevinl

I think it's time somebody took this up with CRT. The 7 days only rule was to allow boats to transit the Briidgewater, if you can only transit it every 28 days then what use is that to most people? I think the no return for 28 days is a made rule to address the issue of CRT overstayer (and there are some) with no consideration for the legitimate transit users. Anyone doing what Exfire is planning now has to pay a £40 charge to get their boat home or go over the Pennines and back. As usual it's easier to punish everyone than go after the guilty. Couldn't CRT be asked to sort out how their customers are supposed to get round this without being made to pay. K

Were all the knocks on the door in Castlefields? K

Welcome Yorkie You don't mention the length of width of the boat, you wouldn't want to get to Dutton stop lock and find you don't fit. if we're talking a narrowboat fine if it's a widebeam then maybe not. You don't say why you want to go to Runcorn, that of itself is a mystery to anyone that's been there K

A blocked fuel tank breather causing a partial vacuum in the fuel tank, if you run with the fuel filler cap off does it still happen? K

Hi David, welcome to CWDF You could have a read of the book (link below) about the Darlingtons who did the trip. K http://www.amazon.co.uk/Narrow-Dog-Carcassonne-Terry-Darlington/dp/0553816691

Normal, in so far as it exists on boats is all the negatives connect then go to the isolator switch so one switch isolates everything, however, some boats have more then one isolator so there may be one for the starter and a second one for the domestic or even one for each battery in which case they shouldn't be interconnected. All the electric need an isolator switch and connecting all the negs together through one master switch is (I believe) the most common way of doing it. I've got 3 domestic and one starter and they all run through the one isolator switch but I have seen boats with 4 isolator switches which (in my view) makes a nonsense of the whole idea of a single point of emergency electrical disconnection, less so it they're all in the same place. K

I've no idea what it's called but one of your fellow mods, Theo offered it for free on here and via the CWDF delivery service another mod GoodGurl collected it off him in Stoke (I think) and delivered it to me in Preston Brook, all for free. As I say I've no idea what it's called but it's bloody brilliant stuff. it goes on the engine side of the bulkhead, ask Theo what it's called. Who said the mods never do anything K

GRP or steel and what price range are the 2 obvious questions? If you bought further away it's possible you'd get someone on here to help with a move if you're not confident to do it alone. K

If you can't find a piece of end grain where you can measure the thickness (there really must be somewhere the end is exposed like inside a cupboard or somewhere) then drill a test hole somewhere out of the way and measure it. I'd use the glue on the link below (or similar) waterproof product. K http://www.screwfix.com/p/gorilla-glue-wood-glue-532ml/83299?kpid=83299&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&kpid=83299&cm_mmc=Google-_-Shopping%20-%20Sealants%20and%20Adhesives-_-Shopping%20-%20Sealants%20and%20Adhesives&gclid=CM-1uvjO1cUCFbQatAodPQoA5A

I doubt you'll be able to use a wire detector on a metal boat as I think they detect metal not just copper wire. You could make sure you use screws the right length so they don't come out the back of the wooden lining, if you know it's 1/2 inch ply use 1/2 inch long screws (plus the thickness of the bracket) and use a few more than necessary, you could use a good wood glue as well but I'd be reluctant to glue shelves in place unless you're confident that you won't change your mind in the future about the location of them. K

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=411835 http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=411205 http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=394522 There's a few, there's plenty around but most of the best possibilities will probably be a sign in the window rather than on Apollo Duck. The boat rally is on at Lymm this weekend you often find a few there with for sale signs in the window, alternatively e-mail people like the Lymm crusing club or contact the marinas and see if they know of anything, there are a couple for sale that I know of but there not on the net just a sign in the window. I'll see if I can get some pics over the weekend. K

As the negative terminals (black wires) of the batteries will already be connected together you only need a lead across the positive terminals (red wires). I usually connect both jump leads across the positive side specially if the starter battery is completely flat (my jump leads are pretty cheap). Just check you connect red to red and double check the + sign on the battery. K

If you have a cooker you want to convert then (if possible) buy an LPG conversion kit but my advice would be get a proper qualified gas engineer to do it. If you're looking for a new cooker then there are plenty out there, using LPG cookers in areas with no mains gas is becoming very popular as it's much cheaper. John Lewis have a nice on (link below) £289 with free delivery and a JKL 2 year guarantee. Personally I'd go one set up for LPG instead of converting there's less to go wrong like the parts aren't available, don't fit, cost of an engineer... K http://www.johnlewis.com/indesit-it50lw-gas-cooker-lpg-white/p1491312

True there isn't a marina in Runcorn but the basin at the end where the boats moor for all the world looks like one. K https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Runcorn,+Halton/@53.3405948,-2.7380793,107m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x487ae230b9cf8731:0xf48c6c2a5af9dd08 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.340761,-2.73833,3a,75y,191h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1smueBMax4u4U8GPkWBHhtVQ!2e0

I use them quite a lot if I'm just on the boat for a day and they work fine and are fairly smokeless if you don't let them smoulder, however, there is a huge difference in quality. The best ones are rock hard and weigh a ton, the lighter, crumblier ones are little better than chipboard and rubbish. Tesco hardwood ones are the best, Aldi ones pretty good too but the ones from B & M or Poundstrecher are best avoided although they are cheaper. K

No Idea how long it would take, it takes as long as it takes and anything involving the shroppie the nearer we are to summer the much longer it will take. That said if you've got an outboard have you worked out the fuel consumption and where you can fill up, getting petrol isn't always that easy on the cut so I'd find out and factor in where the fuel stops will be, When you plan a route then you might want to ask for some local knowledge about where the petrol stations are en route. K

One you can use to flash an SOS signal if it goes wrong, sailing on the Thames at night in a narrowboat K

There are CaRT signs saying where Bridgewater licences are no longer valid, if I pass them I have to buy a; day, week, month or annual licence from CaRT, so it is already being done by CaRT. K