DHutch

Mmmm, I did wonder if that would work or not. But as you say, does require some pre-planning!

Agree. But also agree its not a small job, and that I would atleast do a year with it as it is as you might well like, and or consider a semi-trad stern. If you do then decided to change it anyway, research your boat builder/repairer of choice carefully as the difference between a well thoughtout and implemented job and a badly planned cut and shut which be huge, both in terms of how well the boat works, sheds water, looks etc as well as the resale value should you ever wish to change boat.

On a PC: Click on your 'username' (lop left, just below the site logo), and once on your profile, click 'edit profile' (top right corner of your profile image). On a mobile device: Click on the 'three bars' menu drop down on the top right, touch on your 'username' (where it says 'signed in as'), and then once on your profile click 'Edit Profile' which is again on the top right of the profile image, if often replaced with just a pencil icon. You can also get to your profile by clicking on your username on any existing post of yours. Hope that helps.

Of cause, the obvious solution there is to up the max file size, if its not enough. The default tends to be low and software updates can trigger it to be reset. Current limit for me appears to be 100mb but other user groups may have lower limits? Yeah I do simular on another forum which gives you 5mins to edit a post without it appearing edited! I believe so, yes. There is currently a time limit, and it can potentially be adjusted. If its currently set at 60mins maybe thats too long and we can reduced it done, to say 5mins? One thing there is not, or certainly wasnt, is the option to stick a 'carriage return' between the two merged posts to force a new paragraph. Obviously you can do this manually, but only if you know to, and are in the 'know the system and play to your best avantage' camp which obvious will not be all members. Its slightly harder if you second post is quoting another, as it wont let you insert a carriage return in above the reply box. Although you can stick one in below the reply box and used the top left corner to drag the reply box down a line, which is what I did the build up the above post. Thanks Daniel

I did refer to indivisible loads, but said, in most applications you'll top out on weight for a boat before getting anywhere near as long a glider.

That's excellent really isn't it, I thought I had replied at the time, but have just been checking back to remind myself what we got upto this time last year. Fair play for consistently keeping a good coating on the boat for 30 years, not many manage that. Probably a thread in its own right, but if I get organised one day I will do a decent write up. In the meantime, here is smattering of the photos of the boat, both as it came out of the water, and just before we put the ali epoxy on last year, after hitting it with Northwich drydocks 15hp pressure washer, which will take even reasonably paint off, leaving the hull ready to directly recoat with little or no further prep. The boat is dry docked every four years which is the only time it comes out of the waterr, and covers a lot of miles and time on towpath moorings between dockings.

Maximum width The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. [was 2.3 before 2010] Maximum length If your vehicle’s maximum authorised mass (MAM) is 3,500kg or less, you cannot tow a trailer that’s longer than 7 metres. If your vehicle’s MAM is more than 3,500kg then the maximum lengths are: 12 metres for the trailer towed by the vehicle 18 metres for the vehicle and trailer combined 3.05 metres for how far the load can overhang the back of the trailer (whatever the length of the trailer is) Maximum lengths do not include the A-frame (the frame that connects your car to the trailer). 7+3.05m is 10.05m or 32.9ft which most take as about the limit. But there is potentially some to have the boat overlap the a-frame a little, and or to play the indivisible load game as per gliders, but you have likely run out of weight anyway if talking about a boat, especially if suitable for canal use. Back when trailer width was 2.3m I understand you could add 0.3m overhang each side which took you to 2.9m or 9.5ft which about fits with some other countries too. If you applied that to the new 2.55m width trailer limit you would get to 3.15m or 10.3ft but I can see very little record of this being used in the UK. Weight is easier and there is plenty of information on that elsewhere online. Daniel

See my previous replies. You can also get 13A 70B 2kg Powder, but sadly 34+34+70=138 so you are frustratingly close but still 6 short! Also, both a 1kg and 2kg powder unit is around £15, and the 2L Firexo is only £36 so its not ruinous exactly given they last years. But yeah, I guess it all depends on personal choices. I can get tyres for my car for for half way I spend on something I trust with my life.

Topic split for clarity.

I am sure she gets watched a lot more than when Bill was owning it, and yes the jetties are the scale slippy and fairly rotten in places too. Last winter a lady slipped getting off a boat, dislocated her hip. and fell in the canal. Fortunately in front of her husband who could raise the alarm but not a fun experience I am sure. Is the carpark padlock still a worn out finnicky mess too? And electrical pedestals and taps with various diy bodges to limp another year out of them. It was cheap mind! xx

That said, on the other side of the coin, ABC bought up Nantwich and Uplands this time last year, and hiked the prices of both up without spending or improving anything. The cost for us to spent 6months there over winter doubled overnight, so we voted with our feet and spent the winter elsewhere. However they have replaced us with ease and remained full, so I cant fault the business model either! And they did keep on Sharron in the office/shop. Rothen group is a serious success story in terms of a business venture, and fair play to them for that.

We're on a tangent, but I would be slightly interested in what paint you are using, as our two pack polyurethane is absolutely fantasticly durable in terms of covering the boat and stopping rust, but does fade, or more accurate bloom and go white fairly quickly. Nothing a wash down with cream cleaner won't solve but they're big old things these narrowboats so it's not a quick job. Much longer than they are wide! I'll PM you.

Yeah, a huge amount of me is well up for 'boats being on the eater and used' but sadly museum ownership of boats repeatedly ends up being a ready awful match, time and time again, even when the whole museums core and usp is boats. At which point, if private ownership isn't suitable or otherwise practical, dry store undercover is atleast fairly fairly safe.

Lots of boats I know dont even have a fire alarm! We have two, and a pair of CO alarms placed in the main living area and fwd bedroom. We also stick expensive paint on the hull and cabin, such that 30 years on we have almost no rust on the whole boat.