davey b

It is odd that there are so many people of the same opinion regarding these course being poorly instructed. I too witnessed a course that taught a number of procedures that I would consider not best practice and one that is almost guaranteed to have someone swimming sooner or later! I'm no expert - every day is a school day and training is a good thing, but the personal recommendation comment is, I'd suggest, sound advice

From my limited experience of these toilets on boats (but more experience else where) the follow up after emptying the cassette is important. Cleaning the seals with a gentle product (not caustic or corrosive) and flushing that off with water is important. I like the keeping supple idea with olive oil (though any veg oil will be ok and probably cheaper). Try to plan the emptying and have spare cassettes. Leaving spare effluent space gives space for the cleaning of the top half before you swap the cassettes. The veg oil and works at the top half too and I'm impressed with the lemon juice idea (though the acidity may be a thing to watch in the longer term. I have an aversion to the blue stuff, not from any eco point (though we all need to do our bit etc etc blah....) more from memories of Cub and Scout camps and being on Elsan emptying duties in the days of buckets; you learned quickly the skill of avoiding splash back from the sewer or pit! No-one wants to go back to the straining stick and pump-outs are expensive

I've signed for a couple of reasons; These FOI act enquiries are the bane of my life and cause a great deal of work for me and my staff, so ignoring them as a Govt qango is unacceptable. They have not earnt these bonuses. The £39m maint plan has not delivered effectively if there are still the works required and shortages of water (drought excepted) that are visible across the system. I do not think this petition will work, but shows the sentiment to take forward into the NWC.

This is one of those questions that has been slightly twisted. If a boat owner needs a car, they will have made the decision for their own reasons and will need to work out how to make this fit their lifestyle, be that cc or marina etc. The debate as whether to have a car is a rather different question to how to manage a car and will have a far wider set of criteria such as cost, location, employment, lifestyle, mobility, interest, requirements, choice of car... this list is almost limitless. The OP asked about cars and cc arrangements and whilst no car is one way of managing this, she has identified the need for a car. I'd suggest it very much depends on where you are basing yourself (by region) as to how easy it is to manage. Personally I'd advise against the fold-up motorbike suggestion as it is yet another tax/insurance/licence/fuel cost. It will also depend on the longer term plan for cc e.g. will it be a national tour or is there a node to centre upon (job, family, etc) or is it a 4 mile a day voyage of discovery - whatever float your boat. I won't be giving up a car until absolutely the end of fuel! I'll just have to work out how to do this if cc becomes my way of life, but the dog walking and random permitted car parks may be the simplest plan.