Ronniesonic

The point for me was the article was actually written & published. It ain't that bad & made me chuckle a bit & feel like a Leeds fan. All footie fans know they are not liked LOL. MTB- Cooking your own tea tonight in silence I presume.......................... You tell him Starry! BTW, I / we get married on Saturday & get our boat back in a few weeks. Yippee. Trying to tell the daft bint that white napkins are adequate got me a right ole ear bashing.................. Having voluvonts too as I have not seem them since about 1984! (spell check alert me thinks). I am crapping it though for all my bravado. GULP!

Hi Benjam- As an initiation test; Hunt down forum member 'Starcoaster's thread about the 'early things learnt when boating'. She is affectionaltely known as 'Starry' & has a very subtle hair style LOL. This thread still makes me piss myself laughing. You will definately realise that buying a baseball cap with 'Captain' or 'First mate' on it is defo a non cool look! Anyhow, I am sure, as Caprifool says, you will find the forum brillant! However, post at your peril a question about 'toilet types'! Your computer will self combust. Be warned! Have fun

Ally- If you are brave & quiet enough, just live on a leisure mooring like thousands of others. (waits for the feds to burst in!) Nowt wrong with a JD3, especially if you cannot adide barrier cream or latex gloves & wish to maintain a bank account............. I am joking BTW. Every man o his / her own. Second thoughts, just get a Springer. Nowt wrong with them either. Then you can seriously dabble if you still have the bug after a really cold winter......... 2010 anyone? Also, as a curve ball, what's the word on the ground about C&RT saying privately it cannot continue to support / maintain the network as we know it & certain less used navigations will have to be deemed as 'not useable' only viable with private funding from 2015? I received a txt tonight from an ex Civil servant of 16 yrs who knows I am a boat nut. No reason to doubt credibility as an ex seriously high flyer. Txt titled; ' heads up before you buy sell your house'. Not the sort of drunken txt I usually get..................... It is Sat night though?........... very strange me thinks & too explicit for my liking? BTW......... I am very sober!

by jove, your enthusiasm is delightful.... Anyway, I will attempt a 'Bizzard' approach to one question you have.......... The Engine & to chuff or not chuff? Why not have the best of both worlds? Assume you purchase a boat with it's own engine room with a 'chuffer' in it. Bound to break down & cost you a fortune as you elude to being not 'that great at engines' Join the flippin club. So, why not sell the 'chuffer' & fit a simple diesel like a BMC or another? Why you ask? Here's the plan. Once simple diesel is fitted.......... (bloke now required for 1 day- ply with bacon sarnies, tea & traditional ale when completed); Paint it a 'chuffer' colur & weld old chimney to main body of engine. Then to further disguise it get x2 6 inch woofers, placing one in the chimney & hide one in the engine room. Rig up a small amp. Then find a proper chuffer boat nearby & ask permission to recored the engine running inside. Record this sound & create a 'continuous' loop via a simple free download music app. Connect IPOD to amp & play......................... Bingo! Dependant on Amp size you can create a great sound! Words of caution. If you take your boat to any historic show make sure the Amp is not switched on!!!!!!!! Some clever old swine will spot it's a fake. Not quite Bizzard but an apprentice has to start somewhere............ (sorry Bizzard). Alternatively, just get a 'chuffer' & run with it. Learn as you go & when required flutter eyelashes & wait for a knight to appear. Joking apart, you are not alone......... I have just spent the last hour, before logging on, designing a roof box. I have decided on 9 inches to avoid knocking the top off . Before that I was mentally designing a 47ft with a bed under tug deck, 8.5 ft back cabin, 6ft engine room, 100w solar with MPPT, porta potti with shower over, JD3, 12v TV, 1600 inverter, 4 side hatches & a recovered belfast sink, all in T&G with old BW livery & a 25inch draught. I have since changed my mind & think an off the peg 57 footer might be better.......... Nooooooo.... I used to think I was mad......... I am, but the difference is I now know lots of people that cannot get this boating malarky out of their heads. Keep having fun & go with the force otherwise you will never make a decision.

Jonathan- I am going to be a little defensive here. With ref to my earlier posts on this issue I did state I would act & ask questions later. I do not mean beat someone to within an inch of their life. As stated I was hasty & clarified my position without going into detail. However, having slept on this I feel the need too elaborate on my experience. I tried to speak with the intruder who entered 'my' house without an invitation & ended up spending 10 days in Hospital. It all happened in what seemed a nano second. The missus & 2 kids were then also threatened. This was 18 years ago. It has had a profound effect on us all. I underwent emergency surgery. To this day I still feel guilty about knowing I should have acted first & what might have happend to my family. I do not know anybody who would enter a house or boat, without at least shouting 'hello' or 'anybody home' leaving no chance that someone would not hear you. To have a man appear inside your boat when your partner & young child were behind an interior door & not hearing / knowing he was there was obviously very scary & I am glad it worked out as it did. People seem able to here a 65db genny on 1/4 load from 100yards away! So, in conclusion, I would be proactive in a similar situation based on what happended to me. Sorry to drag this thread out but i feel compelled to clarify purely for selfish justification. BTW- the scumbag who entered our house is in prison again, for the 5th time, 18 years on. I think he deserves another chance personally............ There are 'some' wronguns out there I am afraid. Thank you, Ronnie

Carlt, Doghouse, Chris & Zim, everyone else. Maybe I was hasty in my post & I do not advocate violence. This was a result for the OP. Unfortunately I was burgled previously at home during the day whilst I was in & came 2nd. Touchy subject for me & the family for obvious reasons. Apologies for sounding like a numpty. I am more upset now about being called a 'wally'.

I assume then Chris you would offer him a cuppa, sit him down & try to understand why he was inside your property when you were bathing your young child? Perhaps he's misunderstood etc..... Rubbish! I would protect my family FULL STOP!

That is the oldest one in the book. Defo 'educated' thief. My training would kick straight in & I would disable the scroat & ask questions when the old bill arrived. And I do know you can't really do this anymore but quite frankly I do not give a monkey's. In circs like this, in a confined environment, offensive & surprise is the best defence. The old, 'I thought I would let you know someone's trying to steal from you' .............. yes, you, you muppet. Paying license fee in full today so very unhappy..............................

How very timely Starry & thank you- Boat painting commences on Friday for the Sonic- GULP! Time to purchase some new 'Hamilton' brushes because they are fab. I take it a 'BJ' is interpreted different by your goodself................................. + Coat =

I am sure the vast majority of us are aware that there are many hundreds of people living on their 'leisure moorings', whether in a marina, online or offline whether owned by C&RT or private. What exactly is the probvlem with folks just getting on with their own lives? All this stuff with what's his chops & the judas review has the potential to screw it for all those nice folks out there keeping their heads down. Can we all not go back to talking bogs & batteries rather than worringing if someone is a few hundred quid better off because they bend the rules a little bit. And when did Gypsy become a racial slur? Only when mispelt & used in a different context, like.... 'you scummie soap dodging gypo' for example. Starry- Please start a funny & witty thread FFS..................................

Apologies Chruchward. This was my poor attempt at sarcasm by being as basically 'bad' as they are. Looks like young Piers has got me in trouble

Am I the only one who views this comment as a compliment? the amount of time many people spend on the Daily Mail message boards must leave little time for masturbation in their vastly overpriced South East residencies. I thought the older ones would all be still watching VHS recordings of Z Cars or Colditz whilst tending to their rose beds, whilst the younguns play at being bankers pretending to understand what on earth a single word of the Financial times actually means. During their spare time they are poor at golf & tennis in equal measures but sport a lovely retro Lyle & Scott sweater & 1970's Raybans However & most unfortunately, poor little Piers (above) has left the safety of the leafy South & had to move north of Watford Gap.............. Mummy must have reduced his allowance becuase she had become concerned about his lack of interest in girls, his collection of questionable DVD's & his obsession with having poorer 'mad' friends with those things that float on those ghastly gipsy ridden canals I hate the Daily Mail & it's sterotypical views on everything.......................................... Happy holidays everyone............... except Piers you blithering ' snooty' trolling egjit

Hello- I suggest the following questions 1. Painting enviroment- shed / polytunnel- ambient temperatures? what can they achieve for optimum painting conditions 2. Is it a back to the steel & windows & fittings out & off etc? 3. Paint used & how many coats? 4. Any online / other written testimonials? 5. Anyone you personally know who can recommend them or a recent example 'in the flesh'? 6. Can you visit during the process? Best of luck as £3k for a full monty (I assume) is very very low unless it's mates rates IMHO A few others on here with more techy input & actually paint themselves. If your numbers come up tonight then give Phil Speight a call. The man is a genius. No offence to the other genius's BTW Mr Moore etc

Not permanently moored on a non resi pontoon & the kids go to local schools? You have to love the DM & their half baked stories. Also, Mr Lawrence is obviously not very cute yet........... talk about not keeping your head down. You can bet his fellow moorers will be mortified when the posh Council arrive asking questions. She says it's freezing in winter even though they have not lived on a boat through one yet? I wonder what was their drive to participate in this article? All of that aside, good luck to them. I bet the bin lids love it. I always wanted bunk beds as a kid.

Would that be those travellers who have not actually travelled anywhere for 11 years? I am defo not a Tory but the last Labour lot mean I'd never vote for them again as time will show how they destroyed the fabric of our nation BTW the local travellers to us are 'single handedly' the most disgusting group of individuals (circa 50) I have ever encountered & I would quite happily send them all to outer mongolia with a one way ticket.

Is it a Springer?

can anyone confirm if the ''camo'' boat had a cassette or pumpout? A pumpout would be reason enough for it to be removed from the cut. I am such a naughty boy on Saturday's.

Alan, you are correct. However, could you imagine how much better things would br now if Evans & Co had not basically spunked £100million plus on foolish property ventures, rather than focus on maintenance, or at least applied a better balance of spend. Even worse than this is not being held to account for any of it & waltzing off into the sunset with a fat pension & a bucketload of money he & they did not deserve. Surely we must seek to continually improve & not just accept that the 1970's were crap? I will cheer up again when the 'current' comes out as forecast this afternoon. Now im 'hank' so i am going to get my 'diggers' into my 'frank' & get it down my 'gregory' sharpish. Can function on an empty tum! I LOVE SICKLE btw.

I don't drink tea & don't eat bread. Why hasn't a hairdryer been mentioned?.......................................... Coat. Rich- Good point! Those opting for a Marina life, especially resi, are more than likely going to want mod cons = sufficient power. Anyway, everyone stop arguing & look at the weather outside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paddington bear- Please take the time to read again what you have posted above. I am staggered if you actually mean what you write & give you the benefit of the doubt, thus assuming you are taking the P**S. You appear to be like the Daily Express on steriods, but then again you have not made any reference to an impending 'weather' catastrophe or obese children from 'poor' families................. If I am wrong in my assumption I sincerely hope our paths do not cross because I would rather; sit butt naked on the top of an Epping stove in mid January, playing russian roulette, drinking a ferret's urine through a straw, smashing a nearly full thetford cassette on my bare feet, watching the 1979 Tory Party conference on continual video loop at full volume for 12 hours.

Paddington Bear, I read in your rant that 'hippies' are included amoungst others. Do you mean anyone who does not wear deck shoes & overpriced old fogey clobber from M&S & only comes out for 2 weeks in the warmer months? Or just those with long hair & colourful clothing & do not own a Hudson. Or am I missing something. BTW I am not a hippy. Final point, C&RT just need to enforce the existing rules, otheriwse having them will remain pointless.

Timx- It is my wish to become as perfect & as idealistic as you. On the other hand tolerance is my favoured route. I am sure not all of those that 'blot the landscape' are expecting favours from you or anyone else. Do you have any comprehension of what many people have endured during their lives. Yes, I am sure some are not helping themselves one bit but to tarnish all with the same brush would be akin to me describing you as a 'snobby,shiny boat steering, arrogant tory ponce'. I do not know you, so I retract the above forthwith. Just because you have done well for yourself does not make you better than me or most others. You still sit down to take a dump so please engage your brain. I sincerely hope life does not chuck one of it's many curveballs in your direction. I would sooner not have a pot to pee in than have your view on life. Happy boating............... I am off to work for 12 hours

Any Dog in a public place that does not respond immediately to it's owner's commands should not be off it's lead in any circumstances unless you live in the Gobi desert. Seriously, I never let my dog of her lead in an open public space as I cannot 100% trust her not to jump up & be friendly / annoying to those that do not want this. She is a Staffie & has never biten / killed anyone. LOL The towpaths are full of unruly (mostly friendly) dogs of all sizes that do not take a blind bit of notice to their owners. This is wholly unacceptable. I am a huge dog lover but have seen countless occasions where people become very anxious when Fido comes slobbering up to them at speed, albiet just wanting a fuss etc. I also never move for a speeding cyclist who thinks they can steamroll others out of their way. Slow down, ding your bell & say thank you.......... All common sense really.................. sense is not to common these days though.

Dew- I like your passion (no, I am not being sarcastic). Please continue to post what YOU think. The Sonic