Pappa Lazarou

I would recomend Sawley Marina on the Trent, but I would also recomend a mounted machine gun post to protect you and your boat!

We have no family or friend's, so this does not cause a problem.

When I had my last narrowboat a few year's ago you could not get into Sawley Marina unless you had got a key to unlock the barrier, so have they not now done away with this mean's of security? The "butty" mentioned, sunk just before Derwent lock was still there yesterday morning and is definately going nowhere.

A while ago a posted the question about security at marina's,there was one or two sarcastic comment's like, erecting machine gun post's and other unhelpful idea's,quite funny, but maybe not so funny if it is your boat that has gone missing.Boat's been broken into,boater's are probably their own worst enemy not bothering locking gate's onto pontoon's.But now I must admit, it seem's they really do need a machine gun post at Sawley!

Leo, Great boat ,great job, but how much?

I do not know where all the info come's from , I am moored at shardlow, a fisherman had fell in the water, swept away, luckily a boater was close by who quickly got off his coat and threw it to the floundering fisherman who held on until the emergency service's arrived, one fire tender and one police helecoptor.

Do you go for third party or fully comprehensive cover in the boating world, it is a question I have asked previously, but no-one seem's to answer. The reason I ask is I have recently recieved some quote's from insurance company's who have mentioned these two type's of cover.

My missus has been single handling since day one of me meeting her, first thing was to get her trained up. She cannot drive a car, or even ride a bicycle and yet she is the only person I would trust with the boat. She is six foot two, fifteen and a half stone, so while I sit sipping my glass of scotch in the lounge she can look after the boat, she also come's in handy when encountering the more excitable boater at lock's, they look at her size then think maybe not, so all in all I have a nice peacful boating life. Equal right's I am all for it (mind you it's costing me in scotch) so come on you chap's let the ladies do it! Well done "Rose"!

Some really good sensible answer's, but for myself who has done single handed boating in the past was to prepare the lock first opening one gate, gently cruising in just enough momentum to reach the ladder, up onto the boat roof with my centre line, which in my veiw is paramount, for me climbing the ladder is the most dangerous part, a wet green slimy ladder where you must alway's take your time, and there could be more pressure on you if other boater's are around. I think if you are first to that lock, then it is "yours" and by right's no one else should touch the paddle's without your say so. I have seen some of these boater's at work at Kegworth Deep in the past, where boat's have been very nearly sunk, I enjoyed single boating, but I have a wife now, so she operate's the lock's. Good luck and enjoy.

Yes 37 foot, not 37 inch!

I would be interested to know what anyone would do with a 37" narrowboat? perhap's sail it on the lake at the local park!

Arthur Brown, Because of this coolish weather we are having at the moment I decided to light the stove for the first time last night. After a few gurgling sound's as it got warmer I noticed a small sqirt of hot water and periodically a puff of steam emerging from a small copper pipe, of about 5mm situated at the back of the flue pipe halfway between the top of the stove and the boat's ceiling which I just presumed was some sort of safety valve. As far as I can see there is no suggestion of an header tank, so at the moment I have no idea how much water there is in the system or mean's to get any into it.

I have just recently returned to boating and have purchased a boat. Twenty year's old with steel still as good as new, and a billiant three cylinder Lister engine, my only problem is trying to find out how different system's on the boat work, for instance, the heating system, which is run off a solid fuel "Diamond" stove with two gravity fed radiator's. My dilemma, how is the water fed to the back boiler, doe's it have it's own water supply? and if so from where?

All be aware when trying out the segway's,that there are no cliff edge's in the immediate vicinity. Good luck "rose" hope the weather holds for you, sorry we can't be there but as you know we are very busy with our boat. Are you selling strawberrie's and cream on the main gate?

Having just recently returned to the waterway's after an absence of ten year's or so, I would be interested to know which you think are the best boat insure's, In my previous life I was isured with College & Partener's who at that time were very good, also, is it to be comprehensive or third party?

How about a rubber dingy with an out board, you would have to be careful making your toast on the primus in the morning's, but you could alway's have a tent pitched on the side of the canal.