Jump to content

hawkers

Member
  • Posts

    28
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by hawkers

  1. I guess I can understand where Kiki is coming from, even though it might all see a bit petty. A couple of years ago I was on The Lancaster canal and during the period I was there a cruising club based on The Bridgwater decided to have there annual cruise on The Lancaster. When I arrived at Tewitfield they were all there as I pulled into one of the very few moorings vacant a guy came running up to me and said I could not moor there as they were keeping the space for "The Commodore" I naturally took no notice and continued to moor. I was told that if I continued to moor in that space they would untie my boat as soon as said "Commodore" arrived. Now as stupid as this might seem had they just come up to me and said they were waiting for a friend to arrive I would have happily moved to one of the other few moorings left (not as nice as the one I was mooring at) but the fact that they came up to me all superior saying that was the space reserved for "The Commodore" as if I should bow out of respect to his station in life made me stay where I was. I know silly and petty but these things can rub me up the wrong way!!!

     

    Absolutely the right action. These tin-pot titled individuals need to learn that there is a real world out there.

    Did they try to move you when the ar---ole arrived?

  2. I was with a marine engineer yesterday whilst he was conducting a survey for a possible purchase of a narrowboat. During the survey he pointed out that the insulation was polystyrene which apparently causes reaction to plastic electric wiring sheathing. Over time he said the sheathing becomes brittle and thus could lead to a short and therefore the possibility of a fire.

    I'd be interested in any comments please.

  3. Do any of you have any recommendations for a boat painting and signwriting Company? Preferably within 30 miles of Nantwich. Whoever previously painted my boat in 2005 did a poor job and rust is breaking through in a number of areas.

  4. Hi. I posted this on NB No Problem blog the other day....

     

    Hi. I have just bought my first boat, Beatrice and having completed my first journey from Sawley to nr. Oxford, I can now report on how the internet connection was. I work in the security industry so have a little knowledge remote connections for CCTV cameras. I used a professional 3G wireless router in the boat powered off the 12v with no problem and a high gain external (as a temporary solution the cable went out of the window) with a magnetic base. I travelled down the GU Leicester section and across to the Oxford canal. Everywhere I had at least GPRS with enough speed for emails and internet access, albiet a bit slow (best to turn off pictures) but near any built up area, I had good 3G with around 3.5 megabytes (faster than I have at home). I guess the Oxford canal is very rural so can You expect any more as 3G is normally near built up areas and main roads. One of the advantages of the wireless router is you can have your laptop anywhere (I use a Macbook). Also, the router has some professional features such as VPN which might be useful for business users. I hope this helps. By the way, I have a Vodafone 3G SIM with 3GB data. Regards. Rob

     

    Perhaps this will help?

     

    Regards

     

    Rob

     

    Hi Rob - you may recall you beat me to the draw on the lovely Beatrice.

     

    Pleased to read your trip South has worked out. I had been looking forward to your diary recalling your first few days with the new mistress.

     

    I'm sure I'm not alone.

  5. I've had my offer of £24000 accepted subject to survey against an asking price of £29950 for a 45ft 1998 narrowboat and was happy with the boat and the deal. The deposit was paid and full survey is in a weeks time.

    I just happen to have come across "Dating the Plate" in the back of The Inland Boat Owners Book and find that the plate of this boat gives a date of 1993 not 1998.

    I felt I had bought well but 5 years makes the boat nearly 40% older than stated in the particulars of sale.

    What would you do?

  6. Well what a mixture from almost complete disinterest to welcoming overtures. I guess I'm not supposed to say which marina was absolutely awful to which shone out brilliantly despite expensively. Though I don't believe it was just the rent that made the difference. Group managements should get out more and check their investments in staff!

    Still not decided but going to visit Otherton on Thursday.

  7. Absolutely. The Shroppie Fly is there by the canal, so is the Bridge Inn, and the Lord Combermere in the village centre. If you get this right, you can start in the Fly, progress by way of the Bridge, then to the Combermere, and finish it all off with a jumbo cod and chips from the excellent chipper round the corner. None of the above will however contribute your "5 a day" government veg diktat, except the chips. :)

     

    Thanks for that. I'm going to check out Overwater, Whitchurch and Blackwater Meadow today.

  8. I have had my offer accepted on a 45 ft narrowboat and have been roving the net for the right mooring - not a liveaboard. A marina would be OK however I don't want to spend £2000 per year but would like some facilities.

    It would need to be on any of these: Llangollen, Shropshire Union, Staffs and Worcester. These are the nearest to Mid Wales where I live.

    To make it more difficult I'd like one with a village/town within walking distance (20 minutes?)to fetch Chinese/Indian takeaway.And then of course it would need to be one with a vacancy.

    I would welcome any recommendations either for or against a particular mooring if any of you have the time. Thanks.

  9. I know I risk this going off in the wrong direction but I'll give it a try.

    I'm planning to buy a narrowboat for myself and wife with a fixed double berth and one double to be made up. This boat would only be for holidays and certainly not full time liveaboard.

    I've been looking at 45 footers but quite like one that is only 32 feet long.

    Have any of you bought a boat of a certain size and found yourself wishing you had gone for something longer?

    Is it like greenhouses - buy the biggest you can possibly afford because it will never be big enough?

  10. You don't have to reverse it into a parking spot.......

     

     

     

    You did not see me or my friend on his boat then as we are both single handed.

    SDC14996%202.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1308987341042

     

    SDC15000%202.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1308987501773

     

     

    Photos going down wendover Arm yesterday

     

    I wish we had seen you on the Wendover Arm. It was very pleasant and quiet but a narrowboat or two would have given even more interest. We did wonder whether a boat could get through and past the rotting hulk on the side. Finding the Grand Union was a great bonus.

  11. Yesterday my wife and I walked up the Wendover Arm to the Marsworth locks on the Grand Union. With each boat with a couple on board it was the lady who used the windlass. In one case a lady with an arm in a sling was operating the paddles.She used a knee to keep the pawl from engaging the teeth when she released the paddle. Her partner did help out when the boat was in the lock but it did raise our eyebrows a bit.

  12. Well, the deed is done. Cash was transferred, paperwork was signed and we're now proud owners of a new-to-us 45 ft narrowboat.

     

    Slept on her last night (very comfy memory foam mattress!) and really looking forward to late July when we can bring her home with us. Ridiculously excited and absolutely thrilled.

     

    Also hoping that my body will swiftly realise that the gunwhale is there and I need to stop whacking my elbow off it in the middle of the night. :rolleyes:

     

    No point to the post really, other than to have an excited 'squeeeee!' I'm sure you all understand :)

     

    How about some pictures of her please.

  13. Do you really mean a "flight" (lots of individual locks with pounds in between, even if quite short ones).

     

    Or do you mean a "staircase" (where there are no pounds between and the bottom gate of one lock is also the top gate of the lock below, and passing is therefore quite impossible).

     

    For staircases there are in many cases lock-keepers supervising operation anyway, and you will usually be told when to go. Not often you will get the chance to chose to have to argue it out with those trying to come the other way!

     

    For flights there is no concept that a boat entering at the top has to get all the way down before you can enter at the bottom, as you can pass between locks on the way up. You just follow the same rules as you you would with locks spaced further apart, about not reversing a lock if a boat is imminently going to use it, and you are both going to hold them up and waste water.

     

    Generally a steady procession of boats coming down the locks is good news, not bad news, as it should mean you have a reasonable chance of a fair number being ready for you if you are going up.

     

    Or have I misunderstood the question ?

     

    Thank you - you have answered my question perfectly. It seems I wasn't quite so dumb after all!

     

    Do you really mean a "flight" (lots of individual locks with pounds in between, even if quite short ones).

     

    Or do you mean a "staircase" (where there are no pounds between and the bottom gate of one lock is also the top gate of the lock below, and passing is therefore quite impossible).

     

    For staircases there are in many cases lock-keepers supervising operation anyway, and you will usually be told when to go. Not often you will get the chance to chose to have to argue it out with those trying to come the other way!

     

    For flights there is no concept that a boat entering at the top has to get all the way down before you can enter at the bottom, as you can pass between locks on the way up. You just follow the same rules as you you would with locks spaced further apart, about not reversing a lock if a boat is imminently going to use it, and you are both going to hold them up and waste water.

     

    Generally a steady procession of boats coming down the locks is good news, not bad news, as it should mean you have a reasonable chance of a fair number being ready for you if you are going up.

     

    Or have I misunderstood the question ?

  14. Hi all.

    I fully understand polite behaviour with regard to single locks and boats arriving from opposite directions. However it seems there is not much one can do at the bottom of a flight whilst waiting for a boat that is descending, if at the top of the flight another boat or more choose to commence to come down and enter the top lock. So one could be waiting quite a long time to get in with a chance of ascending.

    Do you find that other boaters are generally polite with regard to taking their turn in a flight?

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.