Tesla

Yes, it's amazon....whoops,

Good grebe...

Claw blimey

Is that the "UK Map" app from Phil Endecott? I am extremely impressed by it, just wish I had thought of it...oh and capable of developing it ...

I expect your imagination will be far more interesting than the article - The Bishop of Reading has run into difficulties on his canal boat trip after a power failure closed an electric swing gate at Padworth. The Right Reverend Andrew Proud was planning a pilgrimage from Newbury to Windsor by canal boat this week in order to better "understand the area". However, the Bishop is retracing his route as the bridge on the Kennet and Avon Canal is closed. The Thames, which he was due to join on Thursday, is also closed. Heavy rainfall has made the waters treacherous on the River Thames for boat users. The Environment Agency told boaters to stay away from the river on Tuesday due to "very dangerous" conditions. 'Incredibly fast' The Reverend Graeme Fancourt, who is travelling with the Bishop, said the Thames was running "incredibly fast". "We've been told that if it rains tonight, it will remain closed tomorrow," he said. "There's a great sense of camaraderie down here with people on boats in the same position as us." If the River Thames remains too treacherous to navigate, the Bishop will stay on the stretch of canal between Aldermaston and Padworth and priests will travel to him. He will go to the commuters' breakfast at St Laurence's Church in Reading on Thursday by car before returning to the boat.

That is a first class plan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-17923815 It's a sign

Priceless

Hi Alan, thanks for the info. I am certainly going back further than 1995, it would have been 1986 or 1987 I guess. Beginning to wish I hadn't thought about it, I spent hours on google last night trying to find some info... Bernie

Eek, that's an interesting boat, but I don't think it's the one, pretty sure it was a narrow beam. At the time it was pretty much open from the rear cabin to the bow, but that could have changed I guess. Bernie

Thanks for the replies. I never really thought of the boat as wooden, but I guess it could have been. Old Rick used to say that he has free mooring at the pub as his mum was a friend of Lady Brakspear (it as Brakspear pub back then). Not sure I believed him back then, but used to enjoy going out for trips up to berkhampstead for a few jars... Cheers, Bernie

So, around 25 years ago when I was but a lad, my neighbour, Rick, used to have a old working boat that he moored at the Fishery pub in Hemel Hempstead. I have long since moved away and have no idea what happened to Rick or the boat, just wondering if anyone recalls seeing it, and if so what happened to it? As I remember it (so could be wrong) it had a small cabin at the stern and perhaps a small structure halfway along?

Well said, have a greenie...

Very cool, but aren't you tempted to try and land on one of the boats

I assumed they nicked the description and the pictures from a legit advert, but a quick search on some of the words they used didn't find an obvious match?

Hmm, maybe I need to be more patient then, guess I am not the first person to have struggled to keep to the original plan :(

Nice bike, not cheap though ;(

Casper, thanks, did not know that about older hull thickness. While a liveaboard nb is our long term plan, would a grp cruiser be a better option for now given my limited funds, say a little Viking? I just need to be back on the water before I go even more loopy, not sure I can wait until the kids move out

I have used one of these on my Dads boat. Took a while to set up but worked fine, trouble is the boat kept moving

Leni, mrsmelly, Thanks for the input. I should have made it clearer in my post that the liveaboard option is, sadly, still 2-3 years away. For now i just want to be on the water (have sailed & cruised for years but never owned). So would need a non-residential mooring...

Hello all, Have been hanging around here for a while, picking up good advice and enjoying the banter. Having got very close to buying a narrowboat a few months ago and getting cold feet, I am still trawling through apolloduck and other sites trying to establish what would be a good option for a first boat. The fact is that I am constrained by cash, longer term (2-3 years) we plan to liveaboard at which stage I would hope to buy a decent 50+ footer, however I don't want to wait that long (sound familiar?) and so am looking t cheap alternatives, like this - http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=236335 If you were me (and luckily your not) would you go for something like this? Obviously a survey is required, and the hull thickness seems suspect, but what else stands out, good or bad? Baring the unexpected, could you run a boat like this for around £200 a month including mooring on the south Oxford? Or am I just dreaming? Thoughts, advice and warnings of insanity gratefully received... Laz

It not far, it depends on the wind

Having camped at Billing I can confirm that it is a bit dodgy crime wise, but far far worse is the smell from the local sewage works.