Mike Todd

Semi trad stern: I'm with you on this but: the detailing can significantly affect whether or not it is anywhere near comfortable to sit. The basic problem is the tumblehome of the cab sides which means that you start from an inward leaning side. Some builders add strengthening to the top edge so that when you sit on the locker (most semi trads have these both sides) there is a very uncomfortable edge sticking right into your neck! There are other ways of building which work but you are very unlikely to be able to assess the 'comfort' factor without physically trying it out. You can, of course, hope to sit on a chair on the trad stern deck but this is likely to take up most of the space and you will need to assess the safety aspects of this.

I don't think the OP indicated that her project involved devising a means of calculating the tie to travel the journey by canal but that, for some unspecified reason (it would be nice to know why!) she need to know how long it would take. There was no suggestion of re-inventing any wheel in the post - but she may be for other reasons! What she has learnt is that the answer (as so many do) depends . . . At the moment it would probably involve some huge detour because of closures - and even so may not be possible (assuming that a sea route is not allowed in the rules of the question and that on the back of a truck would be cheating!) However, if the project is about some aspect of history - say a claim in a document that someone made such a journey - then it is now known to be possible. However, this would not always be sufficient as some journeys might now be possible but not at other past dates if a key link was once abandoned and now restored - and vice versa of course.

A sign 'Trespassers will" is widely thought to have a deterrent effect even if it does not have a legal substance.

I was referring to the suggestion that it only took a couple of minutes of CaRT time to knock on the door of an owner to check whether boat was out of the water. I realise that post 102 was probably an unintentionally incorrect quote above the comment - just don't take life too seriously:) Use something like LastPass

More likely several days . . .

I infer from your comments that your are looking for a second hand boat - a new one takes a lot longer as they are almost all 'off the shelf' with just a few spec build boats that some builders do to fill in vacant slot or to help get their name around. Apart from the multi-function list which you will inevitable build up - and probably miss out something you later realise ought to have been there - you will need to think about how quickly you want to be 'on the water'. As Alan has just said, you can find something that you just move onto and get going. However, that may also be a function of your budget and with a used boat it is highly likely that there will be some things that need doing or items you really want but happen to be missing on the boat that you fall in love with. (Note - for most people who stay boating long term, whether or not liveaboard, this will be a relationship, one either of love or hate!) So one important factor will be to assess just how much you are prepared to do, or have the budget to get someone else to do. One you are on board and itching to get boating, fixing things will become more of a burden than a joy - at least for most of us. (Some of us just hate having to forgo a morning's cruising just to polish the cab sides!) The age of the boat may perhaps be a more significant factor than you would imagine from a tick list approach. Apart from saying something about how likely it is that various items mat be approaching the end of their expected life, it will also say something about how well the fit out uses up to date technology. Perhaps one area where this is important is in electrics which are changing all the time. If you are expecting to be on board and not moving for more than a day at a time you may well be drawn to solar panels but these are relatively new and even where fitted may well be dated technology in terms not just of cost but also efficiency. Your list will almost certainly focus on the positive things like does it have a tv, stove, etc etc but do not be tempted to overlook anything to do with safety. Does it have smoke and CO detectors and are they sufficient? Is he electric wiring safe and the gas lines up to spec? But also look outside: how easy will it be to get back on when you fall off - or can someone help you back eg does it have proper steps and a place for a safety ladder? We bought a new boat which was delivered this Spring and we have had 7 months really testing it! (not aboard all the time but over 1000 miles) and we are still finding things that we could have put into the spec. If it is hard with a new build - where you can, subject to cost and space, add pretty much any idea you want - just imagine how much harder with a used boat where you will definitely not get everything on your list. At the end of all the rational process, I agree entirely with Alan - it will end up being the boat that you walk onto and say, "That's it!" Best of luck and do keep us posted on how it goes. I'm sure all here will hope to meet you sometime on the water.

seems so - at least it confused me

That's 'cos the baseplate (see other thread) is covered in barnacles (or molluscs!)

But the teleological question is why does the human race 'need' to be continued. Some might argue that the world will get along a whole lot better in the absence of humans!

But, in some ways, that makes it a stronger enforcement option: it is easier to proceed against a marina owner (at least the marina cannot hide away!) than against a boat owner who may well not have a permanent address - even the marina may not provide a suitable address to the boater for proceedings. In most cases the marina owner will have assets that can be 'seized' whilst a boater who lives aboard (and I realise that there are other scenarios) will probably not.

A stoppage notice just received describes the work as "Works are to be carried out on the Tardebigge Flight to repair the rotating waterway wall" What is a 'rotating waterway wall'? (and how do you parse the expression anyway: is it a waterway that rotates or a wall?) Not an term I have come across before.

In general it does work but is very sensitive to getting the pedestrian gates properly aligned shut.

Not entirely true: as with car licences, I understand that the most significant correlation is with those who have no insurance. A lack of a usable insurance policy is much more significant to me than the licence. Same with boats.

We have done all that in 60ft. As said on another thread, going C&H up is less tense than descending.

What can't one do with a 60 ft? We brought our 60ft over C&H this summer - only two locks are really tight. We are not necessarily the fittest of boaters but it was more the anticipation of having to go the long way round if we failed than the actuality. There was not that much juggling but the shortest did require a bit of care. I'd rather do them coming up than down - although we did do down in our previous boat, also 60ft.

Austerity and shrinkflation mean they only produce saucers now . . .

I think that this is a general situation that will always be true at some times. That is, whilst it may be safe to pass through a particular lock this is no way guarantees that locks elsewhere on the same river navigation will also be safe. As indicated in the CaRT reply, navigations - both canals and rivers - have complex flows in and out and not just a simple pass through down the flow of the stream. For the most part, these additions and subtractions are relatively small in comparison with the overall river capacity but clearly there are exceptions. There is an important principle here - are CaRT responsible for ensuring that every boater is at all times made aware of the safety of navigation conditions? Whilst we all like to think that we are simultaneously free of a nanny sate but also that 'someone' has a responsibility to prevent us from getting into trouble, this is clearly never really achievable. Every master has a duty, to themselves, others on board and others who may be affected (including rescuers) to asses every situation and mitigate the risks. Equally, there is a duty to be sure that a specific journey is within the crew's capability to handle should things go outside the normal operating envelope. In other words, not only must we be confident that we can navigate in the conditions we believe to be present but also we need to know what to do if there is unanticipated difficulty. For the most part, river navigations are no more complicated than many a canal and can be especially picturesque, they can also have their own idiosyncrasies and I ever venture on one without some measure of trepidation. For example, earlier this year we traveled upstream from the Huddersfield Broad shortly after the flood gates had be re-opened after a brief closure (mid summer is no guarantee that flood will not happen!) We had to be aware of what we were heading up to and that we could cope in the event that there was a sudden return to flood gate closure whilst we were in transit. (Kirklees Lock has a good landing but an exit from the river into the lock that would not be easy in rapid waters. Also, the lock landing does not have any risers) Had things turned difficult I was well aware that, just because the flood lock at Cooper Bridge Cut End had been opened, I would not be able to claim against CaRT for giving me bad advice.

Ouch

I agree on the location. If you look at an old map (eg http://maps.nls.uk/view/101597699) then you will see that industrial site labelled as District Works. The 1890 map gives several iron works around there. I have not yet discovered what that title means but it does seem that they might have had a football team! https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/mullocks-specialist-auctioneers-and-valuers/catalogue-id-2823838/lot-11473825 As an aside, when wondering about what used to be on the side of a canal (or anything similar) my first point of call is the the old OS maps and The National Library of Scotland is a wonderful resource. A lot of otherwise unexplained features come to life, especially in and around Brum where there were so many side arms etc etc.

I nearly added that proviso but preferred to point to the particular possibility. I believe they were once more frequent and I guess that they could return, depending on how the financial marker views such things relative to other options. There are also some lumpy water folk on here and the OP did not specify canal or narrowboat.

Marine mortgage?

I only have experience of two - one in modern times and one in ancient history and in neither case was there a document as complete as that!

Even a succession of Bills of Sale does nothing to absolute to prove that the person you are talking to is the rightful owner. There may have been a break when the lineage went astray.

It is just possible that if it is transferred on a financially neutral basis (ie CaRT get an endowment equivalent to what is currently spent) then the potentially greater efficiency of CaRT ('a small operation like the two CC's is never going to be be much cop) could see an improvement. Of course, CaRT's arm may be twisted to take it with a reduced endowment in which case the rest of us will be paying for it - at least we can hope that it means that no separate licence will be needed and the ordinary licence will grant access (save for the fact that we still have to pay NT to get there)

There has been good and bad experience with cost-plus. It became notorious in (I think) the Seventies as a result of a particular contractor abusing the scheme. But I also recall that poor specification aided and abetted it.