FidoDido

I single hand my 70ft boat regularly. Could write a load of info, but there are some decent books out there on this - I very much like the Chris Deuchar book. One thing I will say is that if you have dogs, I strongly suggest you take them off the boat, and tie them up to something while you go through. You can't be ion control of a dog and a lock at the same time, and if it jumps in / on or off the boat while the lock is filling, emptying, you are asking for trouble.... tie them up, and they are happy, as they can see you, and you know they can't get into trouble. Most tricky thing with a long boat, and short locks is if the top gate leaks like a waterfall, and you are going down. Always shut the back doors when going down a lock - you never know if the top gates are leaky and liable to fill your engine room with water! If I'm single handing on a lock I dont know, I'll tend to just use the paddles on my side - means I can shut them off quick if the boat gets hung up. Its slower, but whats the hurry? If others offer to "help", give them very detailed instructions - whilst some people who proclaim they have been boating for many years and know what to do, I've had these same people open gate paddles first when going up, opening the paddles way to quick so the boat gets surged forward and back, and others who refuse to drop the paddles when I detect a problem... Its YOUR boat - make sure they know to obey you, and if they dont want to, politely say you would rather do it yourself, and thank them for their offer. But its pretty easy to do it all on your own in general, if a little slower than with helpers. Eventually, if you know the lock, you can do it just as quick yourself anyway.

Saw Sultan at Sawley a couple of months ago, so definitely still around. (yes, BCN style tug, massive thudding engine, so likely the same). Was just passing through, not permanently moored.

Alan - yes, I agree.. Some people's boats have amazingly slow tickover, and I often have to pull it out of gear or even bill reverse a tad to slow. I have followed several of these through tunnels, or indeed on the open cut, and it can be tricky to keep your boat straight if there's a bit of wind about! I think if I was going to go that slow (I can't on my boat), I'd at least have the curtesy to go last in the queue through a long tunnel. I don't go THAT slow! I'd guess I go about 2.5 mph, rather than the 3-3.5 a lot of folks do. Its not slow enough to make the boat behind have trouble.

Having listened to the advice from the CRT people at Harecastle, first time I went through I went as fast as I could. It was very tough going - with the back end being pulled into the nearest wall all the time. When I came back through, I went through on tickover, and it was a very much more pleasant experience - back not getting sucked into walls, quieter (the engine noise can be deafening), and less "exhaust fumes" So, I'd say, try it, and gain speed that you are comfortable with... It will depend greatly on your boat. A friend of mine on Spey, an old wooden FMC with a 18hp bollinder went through at full pelt and never got sucked to one side - indeed he went through so fast the CRT staff weren't expecting him, and he ended up ramming the closed gates at the end! My 21x17 prop coupled to a 42Hp higher revving engine probably pulls more water through , making the bank effect more noticeable in my shallower drafted (2'6") 70ft boat, so its tickover for me. Also gives you more time to notice the ceiling lowering down so you dont hit your head.

Agree - the hexagonal "Homefire" is pretty terrible. However, "Homefire Ovals" are a completely different product, and very good indeed. NewBurn, which Vawser also sells, is really very good too - lowest ash of any brand I've yet to try, keeps in well (perhaps not as well as Ecoal50, but better than Taybrite, Supertherm), gives a good heat and is very easy to light (unusually for a smokeless). Stoveglow is a mixture of Excel, phurnacite, taybrite, and homefire ovals - its the "changeover" bit / whatever is on the floor etc.. It USED to be smokeless, but became non-smokeless last year, and people reported issues with tarring - for that reason I haven't used it in a year or more. Its a K. G. Smith branded product. NewBurn and BurnWell are MGL fuels (from Yorkshire somewhere), whereas most others are CPL products.

my current mooring has gone up £300 in the 2 years I've been there.. 18% increase..

Yep - got a load of "Newburn" from him a couple of weeks ago - £8.75 for 25kg, and is as good as the Homefire Ovals i used last winter.. Can highly recommend this coal merchant - very pleasant and knowledgable, and great prices too.

Luckily I do have a mooring (farmers mooring) within 12 miles of work, but It would be good to be closer. I feel very lucky to have a mooring to be frank! Even the local marinas have issues with 70ft boats - can't get in Castle Marina, Beeston Marina, Shardlow Marina, and at Sawley I'd be forced to be residential even though I'm only there 3 nights a week (thus much increased cost). Apparently when the Lock cottages are renovated at Beeston, a new mooring will be created in the old Lock side-arm (currently empty) - thus there is the possibility of a 21m mooring in late 2017 or early 2018 when the restoration of the cottages should be complete (starts next year).

I email her every 2 or 3 months... I have even suggested that she "join" two smaller available moorings together, or I'd be happy to buy both if I can move a boat to fit in.. no cigar. With the "new" statistic of just 3.5% local moorings being 70ft, perhaps I can persuade her further, but sadly, I imagine she just lists vacancies whenever they come up. get 0

So, the CRT Moorings page has been redesigned and renamed. In many ways its simpler and more clear. There is for me, though, a problem... On the old site, I could set up a search on locality and boat length, and set the site to email me when a match came up. On the new site, I "Watch" specific locations. The system emails me when something comes up at those locations. There are about 12 CRT mooring locations within 20 miles of my local area, with some 132 CRT moorings. Just 8 of those moorings are currently 21m.. In 3 years of looking, only three 21m moorings have come up in my local area (1 repeatedly as its not in a great location being next to a sewage works). So, I will now get many tens of emails telling me that a mooring is available in my area for a boat much shorter than mine.. Not particularly helpful! Moan over.. Nationally, just 8% of CRT moorings (268 out of 3351) are 21m. Is this representative of how many 70ft boats there are on the system I wonder? Why in my locality, are just 6% of moorings 21m? Is this Length Discrimination? BTW, the new website makes it much easier to gather statistics about CRT moorings... edited to correct statistics (mistyped 132 as 231 originally...!)

Home fire ovals, or ecoal50 my faves. Latter cheapest at b+q in 10kg bags. Just about to try NewBurn. Local merchant recommends..

Last winter I ran a Kipor 1KW (900 continuous W) with my Mastervolt combi - found I could use the charger at 40A, but it would often trip the output of the genny on starting to charge, (presumably a start-up surge) - but at 30A the genny never tripped, and in fact ran at the lower noise level "economy" setting, so was happy with that. I found I could start it at 30A, then up it to 50A once all was running, but that was too much hassle to do every time, so stuck with 30A. Got a mooring with a shoreline now, so could be persuaded to sell the Kipor. Its not gas converted tho. REB in Ilkeston (Kipor main repair peeps) can convert them, and often have S/H ones for sale. http://www.smallplantrepairs.co.uk- Richard is very helpful. the 1KW one is light and small enough to easily go in and out of the gas locker for storage.

should add, I've not seen any of these "data checkers" during that time, but I only move about 1-2hrs a day, and then generally in the evenings or early mornings, when they would presumably not be "at work"

Generally agree - spent most of the past 5 months moving between Fradley and Nottingham. I would guess I've seen 10-15 boats who are CC'ers / dumpers. Of those, only 2 or 3 who have continually been at the same spot for over 2 weeks. Not bad, considering I must see about 20-50 boats each day..

came to this a bit late.. but have now donated

Canals are narrower and shallower, so can't go as quick. Also more traffic. Benefits are you can moor in far more places, though hear this maybe less so on K+A vs other canals. Take it slow and you'll enjoy. Spent my first 6 months on the rivers great Ouse and nene. Bit of a shock moving onto canal for first hour or so, as wasn't used to steering that accurately or having the tiller shake due to shallow canal (went down weed hatch to see what the problem was.. Canal bed was 3 inches from prop!!) got used to it quickly tho. Lock landings so much easier on canals than those 2 rivers, where they were often placed next to a wier and were only 20-30ft (my boat is 70ft)..

Tracer SOC complete work of fiction.. Can often say 60% when my mastervolt MICC tells me it's 90% or more.. Think it goes off voltage only, and that obviously changes with load. A decent monitor is needed. Unfortunately they are not cheap.

levels back to normal now

takes approx 5L on an oil change.

Came down from Stenson to Weston las night, and didn't notice the level was terrible (but definitely down quite a bit - The by washes were dry), but going below Weston to Aston, it was down nearly a foot - had to crawl along at tick over all the way back to Shardlow. By wash above Shardlow lock still not flowing now - same at Derwent Mouth Lock. Presume Trent is not feeding much at Wychnor, and taking a long time to get here!!

Dean. I'd email the CRT enforcement officer for the northern region, and tell them your itinerary, and then ask why you have been issued with the letter, as you have clearly been within their rules. Politely ask for your sightings record, and ask that they speak to the letter issuer to ensure they don't send out worrying letters to those abiding by the rules. Also complain about the broken water points. Then continue as you are, safe in the knowledge that you are in the right. If you are still concerned, just take a pic of your boat on your phone each day. It should be time and location stamped. CRT are acting in a bullying fashion. This is regretable.. I too have been worried about their practices. Takes the fun out of boating.

I have one the same as the bottom pic (12 place one). a breaker failed after 26 years. Bloody shoddy - these things dont last like in older times....!!! JonathanA - very helpful - will see if I can get a replacement breaker for the one that failed.. (I had a spare unused switch, so simply moved the cable to that, but would be sensible to have a few spare in case other switch goes duff in a decade or two..)

I change oil and oil filter in my MC42 every 200 hours. Change the fuel filter at same time. It takes about 5 litres on a change, as you can never get the last bit of the last oil out.

Yep. Agree with above.. Mine uses less than a litre an hour not moving the boat, going up to 2L /hr pushing up a flowing river at 5 mph. Do check the engine mounts regularly (every month or so) as if they get loose, the engine will break them. Prob true of other engines too, but not something you would think about in s car. Diperk do all parts, filters are so cheap they are almost free! Bought 8 for £23 earlier this year, as they have £20 minimum order

Hi Alan, Yes, I do have a home mooring.. At Willowbrook LTMs in Shardlow, and I won't give up this mooring until I can secure another closer to work. Occasionally I have to leave the boat for a month when I have to go abroad, so I would always have to have a home mooring. for the past 4 years, I have been commuting to and from work by car. However, earlier in the year, I thought it would be interesting to see what life would be like cruising around, rather than stuck in the same spot. I have therefore done exactly that, which is why my boat has only been on its home mooring for 2 weeks of the past 15. I have otherwise been moving the boat, obeying any signage, over a pretty big area thus far (probably 40-50 miles), as my enthusiasm for getting out and about is high, and the evenings are light. I would like a mooring nearer my work, but Beeston Marina is currently full, with a waiting list of 10 boats. Castle Marina does not have space currently for a 70ft boat (and even if it did, I'm not sure I could afford the enormous fee). The only other option is the Castle Marina Towpath, as Mrs Trackman says, which I will certainly investigate, but its been full for the past 4 months. it might provide a good solution, as it is only 20 mins walk from work, and is cheaper than my current mooring, but there are no facilities whatsoever (though thats not a particular concern for me). Thus, moving the boat around is the best option I have currently, as I can have it near work for some of the time, and I also get to see a variety of other spots, many of which are no further than my 12 mile away home mooring, the rest of the time. If I fancy a trip to Willington, Burton etc, then thats also pretty easy, as the train links me back to work (and thus can collect my car), and down the Soar, the Skylink bus intercepts at Kegworth, Zouch and Loughborough.). Erewash I will probably stay clear of, for the simple fact there are relatively few places to wind, and the only pumpout is at Langley Mill, though I did spend a few days up there recently. No doubt the River levels will stop me navigating much from Nov to April (unless its up the Trent and Mersey from Shardlow), in which case I'll have to leave it back at my home mooring (shame, as Nov/Dec is the very time when it would be good to have it close, to keep the fire in, so I don't get back to a cold boat at 10pm). I did get some questions when I got it back there last Thursday. I explained to Ben (on the wide beam) than I brought it back, as I'm off to France for 2 weeks.. He said "bloody hell - you got a good job - you've been out on this for the past 6 weeks, then off to France!)>> i explained I did also go to work occasionally