Fast Pat

So the riddle continues, when I went to view the boat it was at Iver, if my memory serves me right (which came to me during my morning run!) the boat was "Boxer"?

That makes sense, thank you. It's a small world as I almost bought a boat of Laurence thirty odd years ago I can't remember the name of the boat but it had a Kelvin engine - the important bit! Thanks to everyone that has contributed. P.S. Anyone want to make me an obscene offer??

Interesting idea but both museums are called the National Waterways Museum, besides I think this precedes them.

Yes the IWM link dominates all the Google results, like you I can't think of a link to the canals.

I sold my last narrowboat in 1995, so I was a little surprised when tidying up my workshop to come across a "old" windlass. I've googled it and its brought me back to here where I occasionally still lurk! So is there any value in this or is it a 70's copy and what was IWM? Any help or guidance greatly appreciated.

No the layby was untouched by Tescos redevelopment, the "paint dock" and small dry dock were retained, but the main dry dock was turned into a useless historic feature.

New cable layer for the windfarms?

Well as a Level 2 Coach you will know that you are qualified to operate only in a "sheltered water environment" so I would suggest that doing "lots of sea canoeing", you were behaving with the same spirit of adventure as this chap! You just know a bit more than he does. The Coastguards and Frenchies is a red herring to folk like him - they've got to catch him and he is travelling well below their radar. I welcome characters like this, setting off on adventures with a limited knowledge and learning as they go - often by their mistakes. It is the same as the original paddlers Rob Roy et al and people sailing dinghies across the North sea. I am sure that by the time he gets to cross the channel he will have either learnt enough to cross in the right conditions or that it is a crossing too far and he hitches a lift on a bigger boat - folk like him have a habbit of getting adopted by people who recognise and appluad their spirit.

Time for a "water injection dredge" without the injection. Tie up to the side securely and put the engine in gear = redistribute the silt where it came.

3/10 Must try harder.

I run a marina which is owned by a charitable trust, the structure we have to operate under is that the trust owns a trading subsidiary company which operates the moorings and other commercial activities, any surplus is gift aided to the charity which delivers outdoor education activities for young people. This was set up in this way as providing moorings is deemed to be a trading not charitable activity by the charity commission. I do not know how CART is structured but I will happily take a bet of anyone who wants to state that HMRC will accept a license fee as a tax deductable donation!

What a surprise that you have chosen not to comment on the points raised in my post. And for the record in the words of Frankie Boyle "my dads gay and he'll shag your dad"

Even for a troll you are particularly ignorant and uninformed. As others have tried to tell you (but you dont seem to want to acknowledge?) the DW race started some 64 years ago when the KA was classed as a remainder waterway, it was partly through these efforts, along with the IWA and others that led to the KA Trust which ultimatley led to the KA becoming a cruising waterway. You might like to look up the history of remainder waterways to further your understanding. Your hiding behind the H&S argument is also pathetic - as has been stated this and other canoe races have taken place on navigable waterways for at least 75 years without serious incident. No doubt you are the sort of jobsworth that tries to rationalisle any view you hold as the only safe way to proceed - anything else is so dangerous it shouldnt be allowed. For the record I am not called Dick, and although I maybe a new registered member here I have lurked for a long time, previously owned a historic narrowboat (with JP2) for eight years and intend to return the canals when I retire, oh and I have done the DW race (without accident or incident!) numerous times and supported other crews... as with all things 99% of boatowners I came across when racing and supporting others were supportive of the race and enjoyed watching the event....but as ever there was the 1% ignorant element like Nige 123.

@ Nige 123 Perhaps you should look at the impact of the DW race in the early years in keeping and funding the KA before it was adopted.