oarfish

You can tell a lot about what organisations actually think (or thought) from their software. Software is rarely built to to model the complexities of the real world. This seems like a good way to maximise reports of non compliance while being able to cut down on the numbers of people who don't work in an office.

It would be better if the data wasn't behind an FOI request in the first place. Given it's linked to your license number it should be securely accessible via their website. The resulting tidal wave of complaints about inaccuracy would then drive further improvements. This is unfortunately not how bureaucrats roll. Any logging software that allows the mutation of historical records is probably unfit for purpose. Inaccurate or misattributed sightings should not be edited.

It's amazing how easy it is to be a liveaboard cruiser on the Thames in summer despite all the filthy capitalism. £8! a night in some places, I'm amazed the people's assembly haven't tried to occupy Henley yet.

The best thing for me when I was even more of a noob thinking about a life afloat was doing an inland helmsman course with a grumpy old git. Lots of information transferred in a short time.

I think I prefer that new woodwork to the post industrial rusting. Let's just hope the new neighbours don't want to purge the canal of boats. There's plenty of mooring in that pound still.

You don't fancy the delights of StaleyVegas?

A great pub. Craft beer without the hipsters.

We have 260 watts of amorphous solar on the roof, with another 260 waiting to go up. They give out about 40W on an overcast day. But most of the advantage comes from their low profile and robustness / difficulty to steal etc. I believe they are the same panels used on that 'bauhaus barge', but we are not trying to run an engine from them

My favourite bit for cruising would be round Cookham. Pangbourne is also lovely. Also around Oxford, but its busy by river standards. Sounds like a reasonable compromise if you just visit. It's pleasant enough around Brentford / Hanwell and above Tottenham. Got to me quickly though, so heading onto the Thames for summer at least.

Living on a widebeam in Central London would be tricky enough now, in a few years it will be a nightmare. The Thames is beautiful, when it's not trying to ruin your life at least. Central London is no place to live on a boat, unless you cough up anything up to 10K for a mooring. Which is no fun either. Way too many boats, with a substantial minority of them lived on by free party halfwits who are antisocial towards those not in their group. If you take to cruising your boat rather than marina life - which should be an option as a freelancer it's far nicer to do so on the Thames. There are a few Thames marinas that don't nod and wink liveaboards because of complaints from neighbours. But if they don't mention it, you should be ok..

4-6 weeks for the two of us usually, but we have a big tank. Main problem is keeping the right mix of bacteria to prevent 'cupboard odours' a few weeks in. It's always better to wee in ..other places / use paper rather than bowl water as a landing zone. Remembering to use it sparingly accounts for most of the differences usually.

I considered this. I'm a software developer and often work from the boat or move about depending on the client. My colleagues are often very creative tax avoiders. It looks like a world of trouble to be honest, putting the word 'boat' on anything to do with HRMC in an unrelated industry will put you on their little list. I read of a case where an author claimed his mooring fees in France as expenses for writing his novel http://www.taxation.co.uk/taxation/Articles/2012/05/31/41051/boating-expenses IANAA but the wholly and exclusively thing would screw you, he only had a chance because his work was directly related to living on the boat. Renting the boat from your wife or getting a 'work butty' would probably make them even more angry. It does help with a cruising life a little though, as you can expense travel to and from the boat / internet use etc.

We have never had a problem mooring except around there. The main problem seems to be concentration rather than the total number right now. Brentford to Paddington is not much different to up north congestion wise. I guess people don't like to rough it in zone 5-6.

After coughing up 9K for a year's mooring in Limehouse, there's no way in hell we are going to do that again, It's a mug's game. We travel 600+ miles a year. Pretty sure we can be relatively compliant CC with that.

Pretty sure by 'Adequate mooring' he means 'Marinas not in my constituency' rather than mooring rings and a few more water taps.

Cider Tap next to euston station has 16 or so proper ciders on. Plus some French stuff.

With a 3G antenna connectivity is often better in rural areas than urban where the cell can be much more heavily congested. A decent signal is not always a guarantee of a viable internet connection.

Big Valhalla is there I think, they are liveaboard winter moorers.

This chap is happy as larry traveling up and down the Thames, and has had a dip in most canals between Manchester and London. He will swim the length of the boat and haul himself out on the button fender. Can't stand the pontoons where we are moored for the winter in Limehouse. Refused to leave the boat and got cabin fever, so he's staying with relatives until we head out again in a month or so. Funny creatures cats.

Get a laptop and join the PC gaming master race, it will be easier on your batts and ears. I have pretty posh electrics (700ah of batts,solar, big alternator and a 4k invertor) and that's just about enough for the heavy use of 2 laptops and a fridge in summer with quite a lot of cruising. Charging batts for hours each day while static would drive me crazy quickly.

I cruised up and down it for a lot of last year, other than a couple of places like Gurnett and Poynton it was very quiet. Barely anything moving but Braidbars. Never had a problem continuously mooring there at all.

The cute pig fram is up for sale http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38718256.html

Don't forget the bins. Most of the paid Thames visitor moorings are pretty busy and the only outrageously priced mooring I have seen are some £25 national trust jobs. Past the Oxford boat clearance zone it's really quite nice to liveaboard crusing until Windsor. Happy to pay for an easier commute..

Isn't OK according to C&RT to just siphon urine into the water?

Nope, I have a stirling engine powered one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxO5d0B9Gwg‎