pelicanafloat

LOL ... there you go ... and two fingers raised as well

No you can't have .... though so far, I'm real pleased with the lack of animosity ... fingers and hat crossed And hopefully there never will be a need to specify the type of licence I think you missing the point. It has nothing to do with kids, just please take on board I am not being 'controllin' - openness rules I've no idea what the Snoaden Affair is, but actually, I'm not advocating universal monitoring (not as you are suggesting anyway) You have no fears .... just enjoy Actually, that is my whole point! You spend all your time in a marina and you decide to venture out .... you decide to venture out. No monitoring takes place if that is what you want. You go along minding your own business and a hire boat bashes into you ... still no monitoring? Not if the hire boat is rigged properly, and not if you decide to send out a monitoring 'event' .... your choice of remaining aloof is there. You can even forgive the hire boat and move on feeling good I like TIC

Not really. I distance myself from what is happening, at least when it comes to this forum It also, as an aside is one of my reasons for not joining an association such as ACC - I'm pleased if they allow me my social inclusion in their Facebook page, but as I am not entirely in tune (my thinking) with their possible agenda, it wouldn't be good to pay the money and join in with seriousdebate in their forum, they might ALL be against me

Lol, I don't even know what obfuscation means, my choice not to turn on the dictionary and have a look. I'll just assume it a good forte :-) I'm almost convinced that we can't get away from the world of monitoring. So, if we are asked to accept its use without debate there will be one almighty rumpus! So, my thoughts are we should perhaps maybe consider what would happen if this subject came up.... not stick it under the carpet! I am not a cookie reader, nor a fortune teller. I just see the next step as inevitable. I may be wrong, but then again, this is a forum .... so I present it as a possible scenario

Tis strange, but the idea of monitoring is not the old fashioned one of scalar vision that I'm being accused of championng. The whole point of effective and, as it happens latent monitoring, is that it doesn't enter the real world until a specific event triggers it. Then and only then is your circumstance noted. So by all means be a bit uncomfortable with the idea but don't just jump to the first negative conclusion that in your ignorance you ignore everything else. I'll say it again, having on board some sort of mobile monitoring can be of positive benefit. Most of the time for all intent and purpose the system will be lying dormant. Of course, you could tell it never to wake up till you want it, but perhaps that will devalue its use. Perhaps that will be the way forward - insistance that monitoring be allowed but also tolerance to allow it to be switched off till it becomes accepted and the norm. Nope, I feel that the confusion surrounding the supposed interference of one independence is a bit like the Emperor's paradox .... you can continue to feel you are invisible if that's what you want. Edited to add, that this was not addressed to anyone in particular, just the reader :-)

I welcome the debate :-). I happen to believe the opposite in so much that so much of what we are involved in is already noted by others. You can use your debit/credit card, be on the internet, be on CC TV, and other things quite out of our control yet we accept this intrusion as part of our lifestyle. But as soon as I suggest that the intrusion could be used as a positive benefit to those in authority, it considered in a bad light, why?

Well at least its better than the norm posting a load of pretentious yawns :-) I just think it desirable to have proper debate and of course if you have nothing to say it an improvement over nothing

....and you might as well get used to it! Having read the CaRT document on tow path management I can't help but ask quite what everyone finds so much a problem.? To me the writing is quite clear, and the objectives not so extreme that give me great concern. I reckon it is only a matter of time before more restrictive actions will be placed before us unless we make an effort to abide by the rules. And it is no good blaming anyone else if your particular angst is one of selfish intent such as along the lines of "well, I don't need all this or that facility, I'm more than happy just to .... you fill in whatever selfish desire you happen to want" The whole point is that we are using the system of canals (and rivers) either as a means of relaxation, or a place from which to live and or work in. In some respects the simplest observation is, if you don't move your boat then put it in a marina; if you wish to live and or work on board, then stick it in a marina, or pay a residential mooring online on the cut; if you just want to be a bona fide continuous cruiser, then fine, but why should you not expect to pay something for the privilege of being able to move around. At some point everyone will have to wake up to the basic concept that staying put is one thing, moving around is another, and those who do the moving are the ones who are a} providing some level of attraction to those others who use the system, and b} they are also the ones most likely to have an accident involving damage, and c} those who are moving around are making use of the provided facilities.... and these facilities need to be used with respect and left as one would wish to find them. The point I'm trying to make is we have a choice. By unselfish open involvement with CaRT we can improve our existing facility, promote what we have, improve in a manner welcomed by all (not just boaters), and lastly, fine those whose only objective is to go round acting in a selfish or bullying way quite out of order with social harmony. And finally, if we act in an open manner in our discussions with authority, then they will in their communications with ourselves have to show the same level of openness and fairness that we all desire. No doubt that will not be to everyone's liking :-) And while we are on the subject of things not liked, you aught to get used to the idea that one day those who move around will need to do so with the correct authority to do so. Insurance will be involved, as will the proper use of facilities. You cannot expect that in today's level of communication that the use of mobile positioning won't be a prerequisite of anyone wishing to go CCing - it is not so much a disadvantage as one would expect. In fact if I was a betting person, I'd go off and put money on it! Cheers! Stewart

Believe it or not, fellow non long standing member, I had a Christmas Tree stuck on my cruiser stern and when we turned at the turning point a branch grabbed the tree complete with lights and for the first time only our Christmas decorations got taken down before the appointed time

You know something .... all these pages and what if it windy? I mean really windy.....!! You have a choice. Either wait for the wind to die down or if it really necessary to proceed ...then read on IF the wind is coming from behind you, you have to appreciate that sticking the 'pointy' bit into the hole means that as soon as you start to back out you are going to be treated to the pointy bit being pushed over the wrong way while you watch .... this can lead to panic! SO, if the wind is from behind, and you have to go bow first (and that IS the 'norm') then please realise that if you stick the bow into the mud make sure you place the bow as near as possible at the beginning of the winding hole and not into the centre .... the point being that as you reverse out of the hole, (and don't be afraid) ... hit the revs! .... the wind will be pushing your bow away from where you want it to go so, if you did it ok, by the time you have gone back, you should if you are lucky, even with the bow swinging in the wrong direction, still have the whole of the winding hole to attempt to bring the front round. ... trust me, it doesn't always work out This leads me to another point. Do not have anything of value on the roof at the front! Quite often the bow gets entwined as the wind pushes your bow most unattractively into the bushes and overhanging branches while you busily trying to extricate out of the 'black hole'! It aint pretty! If the above happens, and the wind has pushed you into the undergrowth, just try reversing out .... depending on the wind, you can reverse faster than the bow is turning in which case you will, just before your arse hits the side, you will be able to power forwards and turn into the wind ... did I say "Simples!" Of course, if the wind is coming towards you when you are turning, then you just need to make sure you place the bow on the windy side of the turning point and then as you back out, the wind makes life easy Lastly, if the wind is at right angles to your point of direction, then no matter which side the winding hole ALWAYS turn your bow into the wind even if it means your arse is going into the winding hole. You have to envisualise the ending! ... Your bow is pointing into the wind, so as you start the second part of the turn, the bow is ging to be pushed by the wind..... by careful appreciation of your position with respect of the hole, the outcome can be successful and productive! Hear endeth my first sex lesson on turning points!

This is one of those silly mishtakes .... what I should have said is, "Give him another bone to chew on!" I was so busy culling some of the posters that I got carried away, some would say not far enough lol, for becoming irritated with the repetition over things that had come up in the last 17 pages. And in fact, my main comment or observation is that there is a great deal of spirited debate in this forum and occasionally one says something that shouldn't have been said. Thank you for not taking offence Stewart

No, you are right. I certainly didn't mean that to be offensive. I quite forgot about Martin's recent loss (though maybe my ref to animal heaven was an unconcious thought) .... So to TDH please don't be agrieved with me ... I apologise for my clumsy timing

Just wanted to say, I know exactly what you mean! After taking the pictures, I put the camera back inside the boat, out of harms way, and arms way, and spent the remaining cruising time wondering what setting the camera was on? I just hoped it was on something suitable, but knowing me, it might well have been on some quite unsuitable scene setting and I just had to assume the paranoia was just negative thinking. I just couldn't remember checking on the setting, I was too worried the bird was going to take flight.....

About the only thing you can say about this forum .... it caters for all types! There are one or two who need culling; A man with no names needs to stop drinking and become more representative; some people seem to be sleepy cause they go round yawning quite pretentiously ..... the list goes on Now tell me this, is it true that those who live in a widebeam do so because they are more balanced and hence more superior than the poor oaf forced to live on a narrowboat?? I have for my sins joined this forum ... it is free ..... therefore I am I would love to join the ACC forum, even pay the tenner, but I really think that is might be a tad 'yawning' if the forum is only there for like minded people - whatever next! Nope, I like to remain aloof (for now). The jury is still out ..... like one of the original posters, I would liked to have found out more but after reading/wading through umpteen pages, what have I learnt? Not a lot. I quite like sociable correspondence .... for now I'll stick with the sociable posts on facebook as that is quite pleasing. (I might add, only one of the posters here has joined in on fb and the experience has been quite enjoyable) Cheers! Edited because something I wrote was not nice, and I hate the thought of being thrown in the cut for it

Wife can take dogs on a lead, and they behave perfectly. On the other hand, with me at the other end they are a bit of a struggle and my preference is off lead and shouted commands, but it all depends on where we are. If we are near boats moored up I will have a lead ready but I prefer my dogs to be able to feel comfortable when the local 'terror' feels the need for confrontation! Naturally, we avoid upset and if a boat has a cat sign adj. we happy to make them come to heel.

The luck was with us today. I tend to be the one steering and most times when a kingfisher arrives I scream down the hatchway and sadly Jenny always just in time to miss it! But this time, it flew past on two occasions, I called out, and then to our amazement it sat perched on this branch to the side of the canal and we crept our way in and out of the boat grabbing cameras and just knowing the bugger will fly away just as you are ready only this time it didn't.... I took nineteen photos with a camera that seemed to be taking an age between each shot. I really wanted a multi-shot setting but in truth I haven't got to that section of the manual just yet, I know it exists, I just don't know how to set it up (but I promise the setting is about to be memorised and practiced!). So I rushed the shots and quite a few were out of focus. Jenny meanwhile was quietly taking shots with her camera. The boat got stuck in the mud, both ends, and kingfisher flew off and waited for us to become unstuck and we met up again about 150m further along. I'll add this photo - Jenny's photo which I regard as inferior .....

Very best wishes! You will not regret your decision

Excuse the excitement ... we on our way back to Yelvertoft Marina after having escaped for a few days, and we managed to take this beauty on the fly ... I took others, but this is my favourite (and it IS in focus) ... Stewart

Yes, the dangerous bit was just being on the K&A

I like living dangerously

That was lucky .... First class post ended today! You did include a stamp I hope?

Hi bob, it a real shame. And it not nice at any time. Hope you manage to get some help from the locals. Best wishes