Mike Todd

As NIgel M might point out, unless it is specifically banned then it is allowed . . .

No, Trump on a holiday ("drain the swamp")

In one or two locks it is one factor in limiting the length of boats that can pass the whole canal - especially those like us who want to push the boundary with a 60 ft boat. You certainly cannot just let the boat rise without keeping a keen eye on the stern and make sure that it is positioned with care. Glad I we were not the only ones with that experience! But it was the first time we had been that way.

They are quite familiar with the request . . . (at least if it is the same one that I used!)

I did not realuse that the Equalities Act extended to foxes.

Plenty of very much larger organisations have been compromised so don't be too critical. It is not a case of whether a site will be compromised but when. It is possible to mitigate the risk but it is impossible to prevent it.

As far a I know they were not at home at the time!

The OP asked if this was common and in my experience it definitely is not. A few days ago I did see something similar but I was too far past the boat/location before I realised it was there so did not take in a full picture. I am grateful that the OP cares sufficiently about the situation to want to pursue it using the proper channels.

Surely we should be careful to say that the sinking was allegedly owing to the passing single-sex party boat? AFAIK, no-one has actually shown that there was a causative link, or even a contributory one. Anti-social behaviour is to be deplored and it would have no doubt left me as annoyed as some have shown in earlier posts, although foe the most part I quite enjoy seeing other people enjoying themselves. However, up to a point, this behaviour may break rules of good neighbourliness but is not actually illegal. I am slightly sceptical (in the scientific/philosophical sense) that on a canal navigation a boat can make sufficient disturbance as to be capable of causing a boat that is reasonably compliant with the expectation of meeting the bylaws to take on water, let along sink it. In general In would agree with you but for those who can recall the slum clearance, mainly in the post war period, compulsory purchase was pretty much the only way of taking these terrible properties out of use.

We had a chimney fire in our present house - built around 12 years ago. It has no open fires and a single gas fire in addition to the gas boiler for everything else. We called the local fire brigade (retained so we knew most of them anyway). The explanation: this was in reality a flue that looks like a chimney outside (to please the planners and salespeople no doubt). The flue was open to the sky - when the houses across the street were built a short time after ours, regulations changed and they were fitted with a protective wire mesh. Jackdaws had nested in our flue, probably more than once, and allowed dry twigs to collect and on one of the occasions when we lit the gas fire, the whole lot ignited. Fortunately there was no lasting damage and it all but extinguished itself almost before the firepeople could do anything!

It might come as a bit of a surprise for some folk to see the kind of accommodation that is offered to those who become homeless, whether or not it is officially 'deliberate'. (It can be well below any decent standard) Despite the occasional story to the contrary, the state does not give 'hand outs' not give a helping hand lightly. I've never been in such a situation and I thank God so very often that that is thew case as the line between a comfortable life and one which is definitely not so, is often very thin and one can so easily go down the qwrong road.

There are almost no 'rough' moorings on the Middle Level - make sure that you know the designated mooring places and time your journey accordingly The popular ones (including March) can easily fill up well before the end of each day. At least new steps have been taken to prevent people staying indefinitely on the town moorings which makes it a little more likely that space can be found. It is a place worth taking time to visit.

Only makes sense if it is on the Barge Canal: that Bridge 3 is on a section that skirts quite a hill, between Egg Hill and the A449 bridge at Hawford, whilst the other Bridge 3 is a footbridge at the tail of the new staircase locks which are in rather open ground. (edit: crossed with Alan's clarification)

If you don't have to have a new BSC straightaway, you might be advised to wait until you have your licence based on the existing certificate. It is not improbable that the surveyor will find one or two niggles and may withhold registering the certificate until these have been rectified (there are others on this forum who can give more detail on this) If that happens before you get the licence your conscience might tell you that you cannot tell CaRT that it has a BSC when you apply for a licence - and hence another unwanted delay whilst you do the stated work. If you have the BSC inspection whilst a licence is valid then you do have time to fix things. Needless to say, if you are worried that there might be significant safety issues the they should be fixed pronto and not ignored. Remember that the BSC is primarily about the safety of other people not the people on the boat - hence fir a CO monitor asap if it does not already have one. The real problem is figuring out whether the other boat also knows the signals! Otherwise best to stick to waving madly - universal language known to all, even those who look down on newbies and think that they know it all . . . Do they really? I am sure that everyone here really wishes you all the best and keep learning - just don't expect to pass the test in the first fifty years, still too much to learn even then.

I am glad you posted that about Trentham because I was pondering adding that as I thought that I recalled that sometime in the past I had found one there. At least my memory was not entirely faulty! BTW, smallish devices such as a handcuff key are all too easy to lose when working a lock. For some time now, the first thing I have done with a new one is to drill a hole thriough the main shank near the cross piece so that I can fit it to a key ring (needs quite a large one). A bit of a faff but worth it and the Watermate key can also join it, along with an EA Abloy or a Middle Level key if that is part of your history! For me, at least two, better three, sets at least of the handcuff and Watermate, are advisable.

Came through today but could not see anything.

Been a bit under pressure this summer!

The underlying reason is that successive governments have developed in the Great British Electorate the view that spending of public money by local authorities is a BAD THING. As as result they have been allowed to rob the LAs year on year. In order to try and make marginal improvements overall the LAs look for other ways to generate income (because they still get demands made on them such as 'you must look after granny and not expect me to use up my inheritance helping her') and car parking has long been seen as a cash cow. One day some people might wake up and make the link, realising that it would be better overall if we accepted that some things are better done as a community rather than the weakest go to the wall of the present acce0ped political philosophy.

I posted earlier on David Johns' vlog several references to support that conclusion (before you wrote your piece!)

I thought hat there was a phone number displayed alongside. If not, why not pop along and ask.

Just so - when our new boat was launched (fully fitted) the crane weighed it for us!

I'm very rusty now (nearly 40 years since I had anything to do with this) Simpsons only calculates area (usually the ship's cross section - the problem being considered in the latter posts above is how to do a similar (but different) calculation for volume, taking into account that the cross section area is not a constant.

I think the point being made is that there are some locks on some canals (fewer than than certain folk would have you imagine) that do not make a level for one of several reasons. The bottom may be leaking faster than the top can supply or the top may be supplying faster than the bottom can empty. Or the upper pound may be overflowing the top gates which are higher than the bottom gates. In any case it may be necessary to resort to traditional boater techniques (LTRU) to persuade the gates to open.

No, but someone was enquiringly about O Level Physics . . . I wouldn't want anyone to fail an exam through reading incorrect info here . . . in case of doubt

I think the question was the weight not the mass. Hence the displacement process. The weight/m will depend, at least a little, on the length as the proportion of the length that is not full beam will change.