Sproz

Hi, If anyone wants to share the locks going down the Wigan flight on Thursday 24th March at around 10am please get in touch.

With the leaks on this flight the flow will mean the event will probably be over in 10mins!!

We enjoy our farm mooring with our plastic rocket weekender boat, it's our little place in the country and at a tenner a week it's a bargain!!

Last time we came up the Wigan flight a young lout was hanging around one of the locks, I was on the boat with the Mrs doing the locks, I was worried! Can you guess what happened??? .... The Mrs gave the lad the windlass and made him do the lock, he loved every second of it and thanked her, he said he was bored and although he lived there he had never had the chance to operate a lock! I was shocked but it just shows that not all kids are the same and sometimes just give them a chance, however I have no doubt that she would have clouted him if he messed about!!!! We left the boat for 2 days in the middle of the flight and at the top lock with no problems whatsoever.

Thanks for the replies, I use satnav every day with my job and I didn't even think of it!! the coffin idea is good, once the fuel is used up it would be a good place for a)the wife b)the 15yr old were taking, bets are on for the first one I throw in there!! Calverly sounds good as I think they have a services with a shower along that stretch and because the heatwave is coming and we don't have a shower on the boat so showers maybe in as much demand as Petrol !!!

Hi, We have a trip planned aboard (aboard not abroad...shame!) our plastic fantastic jug from the Leeds Liverpool nr Wigan to the Llangollen using the bridgewater, T&M, Shroppy bits, now as we run on Petrol we have found it rather hard to come by within easy walking of the Canal on recent trips so to avoid mass panic I want to mark the available Petrol Stations on the BW (sorry CRT!!) guide maps. So the question is....to save hours of trawling google maps looking for suitable fill up points, can anyone pinpoint garages very near to the canal especially from Middlewich to Llangollen? Cheers and here's hoping the jet stream shifts soon!!

I've just used Jotun paint with international non slip additive, it went on just like a normal gloss, infact I wondered if the anti slip was there at all!! but as it dries the antislip seems to rise to the top and leaves an even finish as long as you apply it evenly!

Hi, I'm about to replace my battered wooden rubbing strake on my tupperware dream! it's the main strake where the upper and lower grp moulds meet. I've got hold of some white rubber D section with a blue insert that will look great as long as it's fixed properly! So.... the question is, has anyone any experience of fitting this and what is is the best method? I'm torn between self tappers and pop rivets?? I don't want a load of screws poking through the internal trim but worry that rivets will be a pain if they need replacing and may squash the rubber too much and deform it? Any advice appreciated!!

Hi, I'm about to replace my battered wooden rubbing strake on my tupperware dream! it's the main strake where the upper and lower grp moulds meet. I've got hold of some white rubber D section with a blue insert that will look great as long as it's fixed properly! So.... the question is, has anyone any experience of fitting this and what is is the best method? I'm torn between self tappers and pop rivets?? I don't want a load of screws poking through the internal trim but worry that rivets will be a pain if they need replacing and may squash the rubber too much and deform it? Any advice appreciated!!

I'll check tonight, but before I go to the Kirkless Inn....don't want to end up in there with him!!!

To put it politely, I think your head is stuck up your bottom and you need to ask yourself who has the social problem.

If they don't want it to move they should buy a house next to a canal instead!

( as of yesterday the dead fox is in the 2nd lock!! lovely to see...not! the gates/paddles etc are still leaking, also some of the gates need 2 people to push open/closed and it started raining at the 7th lock going up and didn't stop!

We left the boat there for 2 weeks early April and it looked like it was being demolished!!! and no progress/workmen over the 2wks!!

I would say its straight down the Shropshire Union, would be a shame to miss out the Langollen whilst you in the area though. Have a look at the downloadable boaters guides on waterscape.com for dimension restrictions etc, however we have found them to be a bit hit and miss, all the bridges that said they were low were ok and others were very tight on the headroom, have a look if the screen folds down aswell as the canopy and see what tools may be needed to do it.

Hi, we are in the process of bringing our 25ft cruiser from Derbyshire to Lancashire, the question for you would be what height and beam is your boat???

Thanks for the replies, I'll take the screen and canopy down I think (hope its not peeing it down)to be safe, it also means I can watch where I'm going instead of watching the roof height!! A note to anyone else with a tupperware...listen to the tunnel keeper at Harecastle, I'm glad he recommended taking the screen down, its only a few screws and worth it as it would have been very close if not smashed, he said someone chose to ignore his advice a week before and wrecked it.

Hi, Anyone reading my previous post a few weeks ago will have noticed that we have recently taken charge of a tupperware craft and are slowly bringing it from Willington nr Derby to the L&L near Chorley. All has gone well so far, wind, snow (no heater!) locks (take fenders up as they can wedge the boat!) and Harecastle tunnel all done and enjoyed! The question is that I have now realised that BW constraint data on the boaters guides is a load of old tosh, bridges that they say were low we fitted ok but others were a squeeze, especially one nr Middlewich after a loch that had me off the boat pulling it along the towpath scraping the windscreen! so now we have to go through tunnels up to Preston brook so are these similar dimensions to Harecastle (i.e. screen down please) and whats the rules on entering (apart from the posted timings) do you sound the horn or can you tell if another boat is in the tunnel???? A big thanks to whoever suggested Mrs Manly's farm moorings, we got on the waiting list and after 2wks she rang with a space that has a lovely decking area, I also thought it was cheap until BW slapped me with a L3 moorings bill. So if you see a grubby needs doing up tupperware wandering past with squashed fenders and a cold crew over the Mayday weekend give us a wave!!! if someone could answer the tunnel query that would be appreciated! Cheers!

Mrs Manly!!! a proper northern lass then! will look into that. We hope to keep it short term somewhere near the M6 so I can visit easily to do little jobs etc on my many business trips up and down the country, then have 2 weeks in summer maybe doing the Shroppy and Llangollen or similar. Then nearer to autumn/winter bring it up to as close to Preston as possible to hardstand it and get some work done, I have thought of doing the ribble link as the Lancaster is only a 10min drive but it seems like too much hassle!! the leeds/liverpool at Chorley is only 30mins away by car. Thanks for all the replies...keep them coming..I'm learning all the time!! If I get chance I'll try and blog the journey north.

Thanks Martin, I will take some measurements when I collect the boat and maybe ring BW before crashing into the tunnel entrance at a rate of knots and becoming the talking point of the spectators!!!! p.s. the mrs is calling it scarecastle! I think she will be down below!!

yes it will be..... after a little restoration!!!!!

Hi, I cannot stand on water!!! but I would guess so, its a 25ft buckingham normal style/size cruiser. Regarding the mooring, BW said it would be best to speak to the local moorings officer in whatever place I end up in, I would like to hope that he may then say,"oh just stick it there, it will be ok for a few weeks" with no charge!!! does anyone know how to contact the moorings officer??? Cheers

No idea tbh, I know I can see over the top!!! and I'm only 5ft4!!

Hi, I've joined the forum after plunging back into the dark world of owning plastic boats (after a few yrs break!!) so hello fellow boaters! Anyway, the last boat we had was on the Lancaster so no locks, tunnels etc! this one is currently in Willington, Derby on the T&M and we plan to start cruising back up tut north this weekend, but ,alas here's a few questions, please go easy if they sound daft to you experienced folk! Will a 6ft10" beam plastic boat go through Harecastle and Preston brook tunnels ok? (the windscreen folds down) anything else I should know with sizes on the route north? I'm leaving its current mooring as its no use to me and plan on leaving the boat at various places on the way up and coming back to it very couple of weeks to move further up, how strict are the inspectors for the 14 day rule, or is there a better idea should I want to moor up for say 3-4weeks??? I don't want to spend a fortune but don't want it to get "clamped" I would like to eventually keep her near Chorley on the LL, does anyone know of a cheap site for long term moorings nearby?? I've googled and found the main ones but wondered if there's some farmer that rents the bottom of the field out cheaply that few know about!! Thanks for listening, I'm sure there will be more daft questions!!